MultiTasking

[jskahan]

How long do you think until multi-tasking becomes available? They would have to add it sooner or later to keep up with Android.

 

[scotty frank]

I am willing to speculate that the iPod hackers and "modders" will have a solution to that issue rather quickly.

 

[justdoit]

Multitasking is one of the features that has made me to think twice before I could lay my hands on it. I am suspecting iPhone OS 4.0 release has multitasking and with an Upgrade option on OS (may be like $29.99) it will do really good to iPad.
The other biggest hurdle with iPad is the support for Flash or any alternatives.
iPad also missing is - SD media card reader - so I can import directly into iPad. Camera - for some people is also important as these people who participate in remote meetings with Cameras/webcam.

 

[DG~X]

How long do you think until multi-tasking becomes available? They would have to add it sooner or later to keep up with Android.

Maybe until the next version comes out.

 

[LMControl]

Multitasking is not the point of this device. I laugh at all the folks bemoaning this aspect of the iPad. What great feats of multi-tasking are you wanting to do? This thing is not a computer, it's a media appliance. If multi-tasking is that big of a deal, you need to get a laptop....not an iPad.

However, to say this thing and the iPhones don't multitask is technically not true. The app-makers can make programs do this, many already do, such as ESPN Radio, Emergency scanner, etc... This is a software workaround and not a hardware issue.

For instance, while in the ESPN radio app if you want to continue listening while doing something else you can hit "Background" and it'll set it up to automatically stream in the background. Once there, you can hit the home button and go about your business while listening to ESPN.

Of course, you can also listen to your music in the iPod application while doing other things as well. So saying it's not capable of multi-tasking is not entirely correct.

As well, I'd bet my bottom dollar that the same people who gripe about the lack of multi-tasking are the same ones who'd be griping when the battery life was down to 3 hours. You can't win with some people.

 

[roracle]

Multitasking is not the point of this device. I laugh at all the folks bemoaning this aspect of the iPad. What great feats of multi-tasking are you wanting to do? This thing is not a computer, it's a media appliance. If multi-tasking is that big of a deal, you need to get a laptop....not an iPad.

However, to say this thing and the iPhones don't multitask is technically not true. The app-makers can make programs do this, many already do, such as ESPN Radio, Emergency scanner, etc... This is a software workaround and not a hardware issue.

For instance, while in the ESPN radio app if you want to continue listening while doing something else you can hit "Background" and it'll set it up to automatically stream in the background. Once there, you can hit the home button and go about your business while listening to ESPN.

Of course, you can also listen to your music in the iPod application while doing other things as well. So saying it's not capable of multi-tasking is not entirely correct.

As well, I'd bet my bottom dollar that the same people who gripe about the lack of multi-tasking are the same ones who'd be griping when the battery life was down to 3 hours. You can't win with some people.

Perhaps we should be more focused on finding ways to switch applications without having to hit the "home" button all the time? That makes the most sense.

 

[Lady Grinning Soul]

Multitasking is not the point of this device.

Yep, agree with your entire post.
I suspect certain apps will eventually be allowed to run continuously, at Apple's discretion, but not anything and everything.

Apple wants a totally stable and fast environment for joe public, for whom their product is aimed at... the keys are simplicity, usability and reliability, all of which a huge chunk of the public have never seen with previous computers, and which has put many off.

'We' may crave technical extras but, by and large, most of the market just doesn't care about them... if they are even aware of them!

 

[tsowaiman]

I think multi-tasking will be available when mac osx port to iPad.

 

[justdoit]

@LMControl - An OS without Multitasking got to be crazy enough and claim to be world leader. It is OK for OS to be Unitasking on devices such as iPhone/iPod Touch, but now we are moving to a larger appliance which is planned to be used for multiple reasons.

This is not about griping - it is a need for many. There are few functionalities of dual tasking (definitely not multitask) as you mention. I can list a number of activities that need to use for multiple tasks to be done. Mind you that one does not spend $500 - $900 bucks to listen to music, view videos and photos alone. When a consumer spends so much - their expectations and needs are more. Without multitasking is as slow as old Stoneage.

Irrespective of these limitations - I am buying one and I am aware Apple is going to bring in Multitasking features.
On the humor side - watch and enjoy Hitler and PeeWee taking a crack at iPad.

 

[Warzabidul]

Multitasking is great for certain devices and for certain purposes. Look at the Iphone 3gs and GPS navigation. If you have a phone like the Iphone how often could you use it for navigation. Without multitasking that functionality is of no value.

On other devices, with multitasking, the GPS is a far more interesting option.

The ipad is too big to be used as a gps but the discussion is about what apps you would want to have multitasking for. The next question is whether that multitasking would make the platform less stable.

Look at the N97 and how much potential the device has, but how easily you crash it.

 

[iII]

...

 

[pastorjeff]

Laugh into the mirror, in a friendly way!

"Multitasking is not the point of this device. I laugh at all the folks bemoaning this aspect of the iPad. What great feats of multi-tasking are you wanting to do? This thing is not a c omputer, it's a media appliance. If multi-tasking is that big of a deal, you need to get a laptop....not an iPad." posted byL M CONTROL

Hey brother laugh all you want, you're entitled. Now here's the truth. Apple made the big deal about iWorks being available on this device. Theses are for real, serious, business quality apps, not media playthings. They are created to allow users to use the device for 'content creation'. Drag and drop between all three of the apps, especially keynote (note VGA adaptor for projectors-business, business and more business), which I use for slide shows for worship and pages, with which I create newsletters is a necessity to take the $9.99 apps seriously. Jobs screwed up and he should have his team fix this before the release or drop the serious business apps and just admit that he has created another expensive, albeit cool toy for the computer inept.
And yes friends, as disappointed as I am that this isn't going to be the lightweight megabeast I hoped for, I will still get one eventually because I like cool toys and have high hopes that third party developers will teach Apple where they went wrong and fix it.
I'd laugh with you, but Apple isn't tickling my funny bone right now. Let's hope by the end of March we hear of updated capabilities to excite sales and make people feel like they are really getting something that does things better than the iphone and better than a laptop. Jobs reputation may depend on it.

 

[necrecious]

How Apple might do multitasking

I think Apple will allow multitasking on the iPad. The question is how clever their implementation will be. Cut-and-paste took them like 2 years to figure out the right UI for, and it turned out to be more useful than WebOS and Android's implementation.

I wrote a blog post speculation how they might do it.

 

[Steppenroth]

Multitasking is not the point of this device. I laugh at all the folks bemoaning this aspect of the iPad. What great feats of multi-tasking are you wanting to do? This thing is not a computer, it's a media appliance. If multi-tasking is that big of a deal, you need to get a laptop....not an iPad.

However, to say this thing and the iPhones don't multitask is technically not true. The app-makers can make programs do this, many already do, such as ESPN Radio, Emergency scanner, etc... This is a software workaround and not a hardware issue.

Multitasking is important for those of us that want to use it for school. It is great that there is a good chance we will be able to purchase text books for it, but I would like to be able to use the text book, switch to a scientific calculator, solve the equation and then switch back to the text book without missing a beat. I would like to be able to switch to Safari and do a google search for an unfamiliar concept and then switch back to the calculator or text book. This would be a great device for school, but the lack of multitasking is limitting it.

 

[IpadOne]

Love it or hate it , tif you hate it just leave the place where is it

And yes friends, as disappointed as I am that this isn't going to be the lightweight megabeast I hoped for, I will still get one eventually because I like cool toys and have high hopes that third party developers will teach Apple where they went wrong and fix it.
I'd laugh with you, but Apple isn't tickling my funny bone right now. Let's hope by the end of March we hear of updated capabilities to excite sales and make people feel like they are really getting something that does things better than the iphone and better than a laptop. Jobs reputation may depend on it.

Why not consider Android and enjoy their crapy system ??

Or maybe develop the device you are dreaming about ??

Nobody force you to buy an IPAD you have to accept the device as is it , not as you dream ... if you have a dream work for make it true ... and stop criticize the one don't made what you are dreaming about ...