“People with a proven track record in predicting Apple’s technological advances tell AppleInsider that the Cupertino-based company has developed a ‘full-on solution’ to multitasking on the iPhone OS but offered no specifics on how the technology would optimize resource conservation and battery life — two of the most critical issues surrounding the matter, alongside security,” Jade and McLean report.
“From a user-facing perspective, Apple plans to deliver a multi-tasking manager that leverages interface technology already bundled with its Mac OS X operating system, according to those same people,” Jade and McLean report. “It was requested that specifics be withheld at this time, as the iPhone Software 4.0 remains under development and reportedly has a quite ‘way to go’ before it’s ready for prime time.”
Jade and McLean report, “Today’s iPhone 3.x software is a fully preemptive multitasking operating system, but it artificially restricts apps (other than specific ones bundled with the system by Apple) from running in the background.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
But will it be iBooks-compatible?
This could be huge if this is transferred over to the iPad.
MDN has already reported that the iPhone is already multitasking capable. Why wouldn’t they report it again in this article?
I don’t mind, as long as I can control what I want to be running in the background. The bad news is that R2 may end up getting an iPhone so that he can play PANDORA while he surfs the internet for porn. lol
Right. Just like that iSlate, which would debut alongside iPhone 4.0 and include a slew of new multi-touch gestures as part of a new interface with a steep learning curve? LOL.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
@ R2
To be fair, R2, you learning anything is pretty much a steep uphill battle.
@ChrissyOne
Right up the side of his head! Good one!
@ Jubei
Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask… who officially started the Pandora + (another app) meme, was it us? I see it everywhere now, even the Legitimate Media™. >.<
@ LJ Wilson
No no, that’s the new American political party, the Thrids. Taking on the Gops and The Dems wit their Thrid Party Prowess.
@ChrissyOne
I first saw that argument when the Pre was introduced by die hard Palm addicts. All of a sudden the call to arms phrase was ” but I can play Pandora while surfing” started popping up all over the geek blogs and MS shills C/NET-ZDNET sites. Then these guys started popping up here on MDN, Mac Rumors… so on. Eventually mainstream news started using that dumb argument for their articles too.
The good news is Pandora got some free advertising, funny how things work out for some eh?
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I’ll say. They’re gonna totally fall off the radar once people can actually use them all the time. >.<
Would MDN survive without “fred mertz”? Hmmmm…
All I can say is, this better be a strictly opt-in scenario, where the user can control which apps can or can’t run in the background. Most of us are just fine with the way iPhone OS works today, thankyouverymuch.
@ R2 – So instead of being happy about this rumor, you’re still complaining? You remind me of a Yogi Berra quote: “He ain’t happy unless he ain’t happy.”
iMaki:
go kaki
It’s been obvious that there will be an upgrade to the iPhone OS soon, also it’s likely that iPad will be running iPhone OS4 at launch or shortly after. I’d guess that there’ll be a new iPhone running OS4 on an A4 chip in June. The reason Steve didn’t announce multitasking and OS4 at the iPad launch was because it would have Osbourned 4 months of iPhone sales.
Jailbroken iPhones have been mutiTasking for quite some time. I know I say something similar in many of my responses. But for those that don’t realize, there are tons of things you can do (and do well) that are artifically limited by Apple. (multitasking, teathering, font control, ssh, process and memory control just to name a few).
What will all of the haters do when we get multitasking?
@mac / Tony
there are tons of things to be “hating” on. Multitasking is buy just one. And speaking of “hatin”. Don’t you think it goes both ways?afterall, any negative comment towards apple gets a typical childish worded response from mdn nearly 100% of the time. *sigh*
I’ve been multitasking for quite some time.
I also scrobble my music to last.fm, live over the air.
I refuse to live in an artificial bubble.
Jailbreak for life!
I understand that the Supreme Court believes that corporations and unions should be able to spend as much money as they like, on Thrid Party support.
Will we be able to Gril now, on the iPad?
I agree with Jubei, I would want to be able to control what doesn’t and doesn’t run the the background. If they can figure out a way to do this, that would be an excellent bonus.
…“there are tons of things you can do (and do well) that are artifically [sic] limited by Apple: multitasking, teathering, [sic] font control, ssh, process and memory control just to name a few”
What is multitasking?
What is teathering? (or tethering?)
What exactly is font control?
SSH???
Process and memory control?
These are the questions every iPhone user would ask when they read a statement such as the one above. Outside of our little group of über-geeks, nobody has a clue what you’re talking about.
@C1
“They’re gonna totally fall off the radar once people can actually use them all the time.”
Reminds me of a Yogi Berra quote, “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.”
And then, somebody else quotes Yogi just below that!
Ok, so if I have an old iPhone that I decide I can jailbreak, would I just swap the SIM into that when I want to tether? That way I can use my compliant 3GS the rest of the time. Is that a good play? And would a 1st gen jailbroken iPhone work well with that
Advice, insights welcome.
My hope is that Apple has been working with it’s developers on acces to more private APIs. For example, travel apps can’t add a calendar item and set an alarm to notify you of an impending flight. This would be a very useful application of multitasking and cooperation with certain private APIs.
I realize that Apple is being deliberately cautious to protect against viri and malicious vector attacks, and that is something geeks and regular users completly fail to appreciate. But over time, I do expect Apple to make logical approaches to my favorite handheld device to keep it ahead of the competition.