“People shouldn’t have to understand multitasking. Just use is [sic] as designed, and you’ll be happy. No need to ever quit apps.” – Steve Jobs’ email, June 29, 2010
MacDailyNews Note: We gave this one the thrice-over and the email definitely seems legit. As we explained yesterday and Jobs seems to reiterate much more concisely above, “The basic point is: Don’t worry, not all of these apps are ‘running.’ In fact, most of them are not. Those 42 apps are the last 42 apps you used, they’re not churning in the background, sucking up your battery life. Think of them sort of like Han Solo encased in carbonite; they’re in suspended animation, so they spring back to life right where you left them when tapped. So, that app list is there for your convenience, not to stress you out, so don’t worry, be happy! You’re running iOS4 on an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, you lucky son-a-ma-batches! Your iPhone is taking care of multitasking, so you don’t have to.”
Get it?! Don’t second guess or try and reinvent the iPhone
Here’s an unrelated question for you guys at MDN …
I use your Apps on my iPhones and iPad, and they are really buggy … they don’t load properly half of the time. When do you plan to fix this?
Honestly, I’d have to say that they are the least reliable of any Apps that I use.
Time tonget them fixed?
There are Jewish vegetarians you know.
It would be pretty funny if Apple had hired an employee whose sole function was to respond to e-mails sent to Steve Jobs, while imitating JObs’ uniquely terse and sardonic style…
It’s truly hard to believe that with all the stuff this guy has on his plate — business, family, more business — he takes even a few minutes a day to respond to messages. I’m not doubting that these responses come from JObs; I’m merely expressing amazement that he takes the time to engage in this.
Well, almost.
I was using Trapster until I ran out of cell coverage and it stayed in the background.
Took my battery from 65% to nothing overnight.
Yep. This is not Android we are talking about here. Just use it as you normally would and forget the rest. It just works.
Except when I use TomTom. Then if I want voice directions to shut up I have to kill the app in the tray.
While “Multi-Suspending not Tasking” is great I still think the real power of iOS4 is Folders.
Which MDN reader was this directed toward?
I’m sure there are some people who find the Mac confusing, because you don’t use “Start” to log out.
Who is Han Solo and what is carbonite?
And why don’t the “More On This Topic” links work? I just get a blank page.
Agree with the earlier post. The MDN app is super buggy as in have to quit repeatedly to get story selection to load.
There’s no need to know too much technical things for apple customers, since apple will do it for them.
IMO (yes everyone has one) I would prefer that the iPhone DIDN’T include EVERY App I open in a recents directory.
If M$ had done this I would have made fun of them mercilessly.
How about *running* apps and the last 4 (whichever comes first)
My friends 3 yr old little girl likes to play with his iPhone every time he looks at running/recent apps, he was a gazillion to look at and then a qazillion squiggly ones with a red minus sign to tap on to get rid of them.
As a developer I HATE the word preference with a passion that is almost holy but a never ending list of recents? Really?
Just add a preference no big deal.
I would like to add my voice to those noting problems with the MDN App – it is unquestionably the most unstable app on my iPad. It crashes and freezes more than any other app I use. In fact, for the past three weeks it is the ONLY app that crashes on my iPad.
Given how quick MDN is to criticize others (ya know those “lazy” Adobe programmers…) perhaps it’s time for MDN to get their own house in order.
The multitasking bar is a complete mess.
I’d like to see 2 additional things in regards to multitasking.
A way to limit the “most recently used” apps list. Like a way to set the number it saves like 5,10, or 20 or something. Or even “only show applications running in the background.” It’s not faster at all to scroll through this list to find an app. That’s why I have a home screen with categories.
Second, I think apps that have current background tasks running should have a badge on them in the multitask menu to show you what service they are using. There are only 7, so that can’t be too hard. But if you are trying to figure out what app is currently making your phone squeal out noise, scrolling through the list is a bit of a pain. Perfect example is the application Ambience. I started up a sound and when I quit the app it was still playing. Yes this was cool, i then was like, well how do I turn it off? Obviously you return to the app. So i double clicked and scrolled through 30 icons before finding it on the list, opening it and then stopping the sound. Only then did I realize that all I really needed to do was open the app from the main screen and it would essentially do the same thing and I didn’t have to hunt for it. To me, this makes the “multitasking” menu kinda pointless because I have to “know” what app is already doing what task in order for me to find it and shut it down if need be. And I’m likely to know where it is on my screen layout better than finger swiping past 30 apps. The multitask bar shifts icons to the right placing the last used app on the far left regardless if it’s running a background task or not. This is not intuitive at all.
Now apple isn’t really in the habit of adding features that are “useless” which leads me to believe this additional functionality is probably forthcoming in an update.
We shall see.
@ rexprimoris,
It’s amazing how much time you save when you don’t watch TV.
Or read MDM.
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@neomonkey
Han Solo is what Steve Ballmer does in the bathroom stall with a magazine.
Yes don’t think too much… it just works..
😎
Henry likes complicated. It keeps him distracted with busywork. Or out of jail, or both.
He probably has giant blocks of ice in his pantry — that he uses for the fridge that he replaced with a hand-cranked propane compressor which fuels his fire-boiled on-demand, electric generator which powers his REAL BUSINESS COMPUTER that plays the most bitchin’ 3D FPSs.
Man, when did you find any time to come here?
“Just do as I say.”
But I’m confused – is this the Obama Syndrome or the Jobs Syndrome?
Arrogance. Out in the open.
Join me – quit Apple this New Years!
Yes is it’s true some apps are buggy since the iOS 4 update for instance IM+ keeps fighting me to load my contacts list but that’s a part of life when running a new operating system it takes time to find the bugs. Do yourself, Apple & the app delvelopers a favor and try sending constructive feedback via report a problem in the app store and from inside the app if possible and try to be descriptive don’t just say ” it doesn’t work” explain what doesn’t work. Apple isn’t perfect nor are the developers
I don’t have any problems with the MDN app. It works perfectly on my iPhone and iPad.
@samiam
You should follow Steve’s advice.
First, you seem to be complaining that there are too many screens of recent apps. If you only care about the most recent 4 or 8 or whatever, then don’t scroll.
Second, the audio controls tha appear if you scroll to the left show the app currently playing audio (click to open), the ability to toggle play/pause, skip forward, skip back, and also have the Portrait Lock setting. No need to “figure out” which app is playing audio.
That takes care of most of your complaint: Use it as designed an you should be happy.
Oh, and I totally agree with several posts I’ve seen scattered on random articles: the MDN app is the worst app I use regularly. Ugly, poor UI/UX, crashes, doesn’t wok correctly, lousy features (saving to read when offline is a pain!), and more.
Using the MDN app makes me think I have an idea what Android users experience. It sure reminds me of my infernal work Blackberry.