Hello guys,
yesterday I used the Samsung Memo to write a few phone numbers down, I was going to call them all later and didnt want to create new contacts for these people, so copied the first number, pressed home button, went to the phone app pasted the number and dialed. Good.
then I used the hold pressing the home button and flipped over to the memo app again. A BLANK PAGE greeted me... ie, there was no multitasking, the app cleared itself when I returned to home via the home button.
so how is this (NON) multitasking better than my wife's iphone?
hmmm, perhaps not?
livegod said:
Hello guys,
yesterday I used the Samsung Memo to write a few phone numbers down, I was going to call them all later and didnt want to create new contacts for these people, so copied the first number, pressed home button, went to the phone app pasted the number and dialled. Good.
then I used the hold pressing the home button and flipped over to the memo app again. A BLANK PAGE greeted me... ie, there was no multitasking, the app cleared itself when I retuned to home via the home button.
so how is this (NON) multitasking better than my wife's iphone?
hmmm, perhaps not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you go back by home or back button?
And please, this is not a dev topic...
livegod said:
Hello guys,
yesterday I used the Samsung Memo to write a few phone numbers down, I was going to call them all later and didnt want to create new contacts for these people, so copied the first number, pressed home button, went to the phone app pasted the number and dialled. Good.
then I used the hold pressing the home button and flipped over to the memo app again. A BLANK PAGE greeted me... ie, there was no multitasking, the app cleared itself when I retuned to home via the home button.
so how is this (NON) multitasking better than my wife's iphone?
hmmm, perhaps not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong forum. Shoo!
I'll answer your question though: The Samsung apps are not well made. Search the market for 'notes' and use a better one. Just because the app is included, doesn't mean it's any good. The market is there for a reason - in fact, it's the whole point of Android.
EDIT:
Did you go back by home or back button?
And please, this is not a dev topic...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use either with the memo app, it will lose whatever was there when you come back.
RyanZA said:
Wrong forum. Shoo!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oops, wrong forum, sorry, I had two tabs open on the browser and created a new topic in the wrong one...
so would it follow that android does not natively multitask, like ANY app in windows would keep your info if you Alt-Tabbed to another app then back again? it seems that APPS have to be written for multitasking as much as iOS ones do.
tx for other app tip, will check it out.
Mark.
Android has no problem with multitask, in fact, it has the better multitask-system that could exists (maybe the WebOS is better...).
When you develop an application for android, you have to choose what happens when the user press the "Home" button. Usually, developers chooses to backup the state of the application for the next launch (= multitask without memory usage).
But Samsung, for the Memo app, just choosed to... close definitely the App. That's all
But there is a lot of "Memo-like" apps in the market (for free) wich doesn't have this issue.
(excuse my english)
pocketjpaul said:
Android has no problem with multitask, in fact, it has the better multitask-system that could exists (maybe the WebOS is better...).
When you develop an application for android, you have to choose what happens when the user press the "Home" button. Usually, developers chooses to backup the state of the application for the next launch (= multitask without memory usage).
But Samsung, for the Memo app, just choosed to... close definitely the App. That's all
But there is a lot of "Memo-like" apps in the market (for free) wich doesn't have this issue.
(excuse my english)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
meego multitask-system is WAY better than the android one (real multitasking).
and symbian's too is pretty good (real multitasking).
I hate both android and iphone fake multitasking.
RyanZA said:
Wrong forum. Shoo!
I'll answer your question though: The Samsung apps are not well made. Search the market for 'notes' and use a better one. Just because the app is included, doesn't mean it's any good. The market is there for a reason - in fact, it's the whole point of Android.
EDIT:
You can use either with the memo app, it will lose whatever was there when you come back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can go back to memo and not lose it.
Op Learn how to use the phone. Then complain. Can your wifes I phone run run widgets? Customize the home screen? Change icons? Change launcher and lockscreen? Can you bind secondary functions to hardware buttons and soft keys to navigate to common functions faster? Do the notification interfere with what you are in the middle of? Is it dlna certified? Can it text to contact groups? Run google voice and transcribe your voicemail to text? Does it take panoramic photos? Play windows media? Does it take ota updates? I can go on....
The old iphone's lack of multitasking helped to idiot proof it and save battery which is what some people need. the idea of multitasking in ios 4 scares me. Ask those simple people that have no need for a smart phone other than its trendyness trying to do two things at once!
Android takes getting used to. It doesn't do anything for you, you are in control and that can be its strength as well as weakness.
You should be able to go to the home screen during a call and re-enter the dialer from the phone icon in the tray to add contacts without affecting the ongoing call. To re-enter the call you go through the notification bar.
(call will still be active but to get to the speaker phone and touch tone contols and have the proximity sensor turn the the screen off when phone is at you ear you go through the notification bar, or maybe the long press home method but I never tried that)
Hitting the back buton exits and is a necessary evil as a way not to leave apps running but not knowing that back kills the app and home doesn't will have you saying WTF all the time.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
drowne said:
meego multitask-system is WAY better than the android one (real multitasking).
and symbian's too is pretty good (real multitasking).
I hate both android and iphone fake multitasking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well yeah the symbian "real" multitasking is so graet that if you leave 2 apps open you can hardly make a call.
btw as mentioned before in android theres real multitasking its just up to the developer.
some apps like motonav go on running when you open another app and you can hear the voice directions.
but thank god most apps dond do so. i dont want my nfs shift to run in the background while im trying to run another game
Just the other day i was thinking of a way to implement a webos like card interface and i had an idea.
Is it possible to create a large widget showing open apps with a card like style and a screenshot of the app taken while pressing the home button?
I'm not a programmer so i am simply asking if this is possible.
Swipe to close could be another nice feature to it.
If this is possible and there is a programmer willing to try please contact me.
drowne said:
meego multitask-system is WAY better than the android one (real multitasking).
and symbian's too is pretty good (real multitasking).
I hate both android and iphone fake multitasking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dude, who lied to you by saying that android didnt have true multitasking? go back and document urself before saying such insanities here!!
drowne said:
meego multitask-system is WAY better than the android one (real multitasking).
and symbian's too is pretty good (real multitasking).
I hate both android and iphone fake multitasking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about Meego, but Symbian multitasking is as basic as it gets. Run a couple of apps in the background, then try browsing the net in Opera Mobile. 5 Minutes later with 3 tabs open Opera has to shut down due to no memory left. Nice real multitasking
Should be better with Symbian 3, but it's still a basic system that may have to shut down apps and lose work.
I'm looking forward to Meego's release though, finally some decent competition for Android. Kinda sad that Meamo is abandoned due to it though.
There's nothing fake about Android multitasking. A developer chooses what happens to the app when the use hits the back key or home key. Usually it exits when the back key is hit, or goes to the background when the home key is hit.
Different apps may work differently, it's up to the developer to decide. If an app has to shut down due to low memory, it can save its state first so that you don't lose anything.
Can't blame Android for Samsung's crappy memo app.
Maddmatt said:
I don't know about Meego, but Symbian multitasking is as basic as it gets. Run a couple of apps in the background, then try browsing the net in Opera Mobile. 5 Minutes later with 3 tabs open Opera has to shut down due to no memory left. Nice real multitasking
Should be better with Symbian 3, but it's still a basic system that may have to shut down apps and lose work.
I'm looking forward to Meego's release though, finally some decent competition for Android. Kinda sad that Meamo is abandoned due to it though.
There's nothing fake about Android multitasking. A developer chooses what happens to the app when the use hits the back key or home key. Usually it exits when the back key is hit, or goes to the background when the home key is hit.
Different apps may work differently, it's up to the developer to decide. If an app has to shut down due to low memory, it can save its state first so that you don't lose anything.
Can't blame Android for Samsung's crappy memo app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what you are doing but Symbian has REAL multitasking, not matter how much you don't like it. The sluggish response (in SOME phones) is a HARDWARE limitation, not the OS, that despite being old, it's a very capable OS.
Arkymedes said:
I don't know what you are doing but Symbian has REAL multitasking, not matter how much you don't like it. The sluggish response (in SOME phones) is a HARDWARE limitation, not the OS, that despite being old, it's a very capable OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And the hardware comes with the OS! What is the consumer supposed to do about that? They buy the OS and phone as a package and Nokias packages are underpowered, short on memory and as buggy as hell.
ROFLMAO!
Arkymedes said:
I don't know what you are doing but Symbian has REAL multitasking, not matter how much you don't like it. The sluggish response (in SOME phones) is a HARDWARE limitation, not the OS, that despite being old, it's a very capable OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's real multitasking, I was just mocking how badly it handles low memory. At least with Android apps can save their state in that situation, and the app you are actually using is the last one that would be closed.
I expect Symbian 3 to improve that though.
Android mutitasking isn't any less real than the rest. It just works differently. If it goes wrong then it can generally be blamed on the app, since they have full control of what happens in various situations. Unlike Symbian where they can just get shut down without a chance to save anything.
Samsung just didn't program their memo app to save its state. Theres better apps to do the job.
Which of all these posts are related to development you say?
And now for the off-topic:
@OP: Don't get me wrong, not trying to be rude or anything, but you really don't understand yet how the phone works. If you hold the home button and switch between applications the text will be there when you go back. That's multitasking, as simple as that. If samsung's applications are crap that's another thing (which btw I agree, 42mb on apps removed from jpc and still works like crap, will try a fresh froyo build and see what happens then),
All this should be on the general section. Any mod out there willing to move this thread out of the dev forum please?
Regards
toca79 said:
Just the other day i was thinking of a way to implement a webos like card interface and i had an idea.
Is it possible to create a large widget showing open apps with a card like style and a screenshot of the app taken while pressing the home button?
I'm not a programmer so i am simply asking if this is possible.
Swipe to close could be another nice feature to it.
If this is possible and there is a programmer willing to try please contact me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is possible. You can catch draws, as well as everything else that would be needed. It would probably need a homescreen replacement.
Basic idea: catch when an app is going to background, call a draw to an offscreen buffer, then show it on the mainscreen as a screenshot. Not sure how easy any of this would be, since I've never tried to make a homescreen replacement.
Finguz said:
And the hardware comes with the OS! What is the consumer supposed to do about that? They buy the OS and phone as a package and Nokias packages are underpowered, short on memory and as buggy as hell.
ROFLMAO!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you kidding me? Did you read before posting?
By your great conclusion, so Android should have the same performance on the HTC Tattoo and the Galaxy S right?
The point is, there are different hardwares with the same OS. You cannot compare an N82 with a C7 right? sigh...
Troll .
RyanZA said:
This is possible. You can catch draws, as well as everything else that would be needed. It would probably need a homescreen replacement.
Basic idea: catch when an app is going to background, call a draw to an offscreen buffer, then show it on the mainscreen as a screenshot. Not sure how easy any of this would be, since I've never tried to make a homescreen replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, glad to know that my idea is doable, the only problem is that i lack the skills, and even the tools to make something like this (any suggestion appreciated).
Hope some developer likes my idea and tries to realize it
lol, this thread is very, very stupid but nevertheless i want to throw in my 5 cents:
android has real multitasking. the system however can kill an app at any time when it feels like it needs the resources, this is maybe what happened to the OP. bad work by samsung because it could have saved the state to "disk". stupid of the OP because he obviously didn't push "save". good night and good luck!
Related
I'm opening a new thread so people don't have to dig thru other threads to find this.
Leaked documents show that Windows Phone 7 will indeed have multitasking after approval by Microsoft. Appearently you will need to ask Microsoft for special permission, and as such you will need to prove your need for multitasking. I'm sure it will be limited to apps such as Pandora that show a specific need for running in the background.
http://www.wmexperts.com/leak-windows-phone-7-documents-developers
Thanks for posting this. It looks like I need to start learning silverlight which I expected would be the case.
The multitasking is annoying. I dont want to have to ask for permission to enable this. Do they plan on controlling this through the app store? If its just some hidden API's they would get leaked in minutes and everyone could use them.
Weird interpretation
From the leaked documents provided, I cannot figure out how did they come to the conclusion that developers would need to ask for permission to do multitasking. It seems that the authors of the article are not really technical and had things mixed up. OEMs and MOs will have to request access to some native APIs if Managed API and provided limited native API set is not enough for their needs, which is something totally different from processes and threads. Processes and threads, or in layman terms multitasking is business as usual. I don't see any restrictions there.
Of course the OS can multitask. That's never been a question.
The question is whether third party applications will be allowed to run in the background.
There is no word on whether this is the case, and in fact, every official statement from Microsoft currently hints to this not being the case. It seems like they're going the Apple way of not allowing third party applications to run in the background.
Did anybody read the document? There's no connection between multitasking and approval. It's not going to be done with hidden APIs that can get leaked. It's not completely clear but here's what it seems to say to me:
Anyone can write C#/Silverlight apps that use the .NET Compact Framework and install them. Hopefully this will let you do most things you want to do. The big problem would be if .NET CF 4 is missing any of the "normal" useful stuff. Personally, if I can interact with calls, texts, contacts, location services (e.g. GPS) and the internet then I'm happy.
If you want to write unmanaged (i.e. C++) code or call some extra managed APIs you'll need to get the code signed. This will probably go through a similar process to Apple's app store. This should only be required for low level stuff - drivers, etc. The wording of the doc suggests that it would only be phone carriers that are likely to be using this.
Multitasking isn't mentioned, so it's only guesswork between now and MIX10.
freyberry said:
Of course the OS can multitask. That's never been a question.
The question is whether third party applications will be allowed to run in the background.
There is no word on whether this is the case, and in fact, every official statement from Microsoft currently hints to this not being the case. It seems like they're going the Apple way of not allowing third party applications to run in the background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it may work more like the way Android does than the way iPhone does. Android multitasks properly, but suspends non-foreground processes. Looking at the built in calendar demo, it pops in and pops out to the same place, so it's not being restarted, merely resumed.
l3v5y said:
I think it may work more like the way Android does than the way iPhone does. Android multitasks properly, but suspends non-foreground processes. Looking at the built in calendar demo, it pops in and pops out to the same place, so it's not being restarted, merely resumed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not how multitasking on Android works. Android applications save their state when they are sent to the background, but they continue to run. They are not suspended, unless the system runs out of RAM.
If the system runs out of RAM, then the "oldest" process that's running in the background gets killed. Since it saved its state when it was sent to the background, you can reopen it and continue where you left off.
That's exactly how multitasking *should* work.
freyberry said:
That's exactly how multitasking *should* work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Isn't it the same as stated by MS that apps will be "paused" in background? Also, how is it going to help my satnav app be at the right position when I minimize the dialer in a call?
vangrieg said:
Really? Isn't it the same as stated by MS that apps will be "paused" in background? Also, how is it going to help my satnav app be at the right position when I minimize the dialer in a call?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is not at all the same. Read my post again.
guys take a look at this.. this guy is playing music while navigating trough the phone..
http://www.wmexperts.com/wme-mwc-video-hands-no-2-windows-phone-7-series?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+wmexperts+(WMExperts)&utm_content=Twitter
may i ask for this thread to list facts only?
i would love this thread not to be dragged into the debate of hints and speculations. I would say, as long as we don't have something solid let's keep the speculations at the other thread.
i have seen some videos where by mistake shows multi tasking cappabilites, and i believe as long as the cappability is there (even if locked down) we can find a way around it. but we are still in the dark, maybe Microsoft will simply say that hey developers, yes we have full multitasking but not for .net cf apps, only unmanaged code can? maybe! just to ensure that not anyone can write an app to stay in the background.
Mostly the usage of multitasking is not that high, i don't keep much apps in memory. infact alot of the users of Windows Mobile (5, 6.x.x) do set their phones to close the app on X click. and most of us (including me) didn't want to run multiple apps in the background, actually that's why HTC built the Taskmanager into their ROMS. even SonyEricsson.
Of course there are exceptions for that, i would love for my Navigation app to stay in the background while my friend is playing on the phone.
the main point is we don't have any clue yet, if we get any info that is official/confirmed leak then we can get either UPSET or releafed
take it easy mates.
young blade said:
guys take a look at this.. this guy is playing music while navigating trough the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music (Zune) is not a 3rd party app.
pilgrim011 said:
Music (Zune) is not a 3rd party app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okay so its about 3th party apps in running in the background.
I'm sure it will be possible.. whats the point of not doing it and having 500+ ram in the device..
thats like tuning a car up to 999 of horse power and restricting it down to 300.
young blade said:
okay so its about 3th party apps in running in the background.
I'm sure it will be possible.. whats the point of not doing it and having 500+ ram in the device..
thats like tuning a car up to 999 of horse power and restricting it down to 300.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't be so sure. Unfortunately, Microsoft is heading Apple's path, the dark side...
Honestly if they make is so you have to actually program it to run the background instead of natively making everything work in the background, I beleive that would be a good thing. I have to pull the task manager up to close every app after I open it because I don't really need it in the background. For example when I use a calculator to compute something why does it need to stay up after I'm done with the calculation?
On the otherhand, If they are making it so you have to get direct permission from Microsoft and not just from the OS to run in the background that probably means they want some more money or something outta the deal and I don't think thats the best way to go. Phone these days usually have a good amount of ram to be able to run task in the background and they shouldn't underpower the device if it can handle it.
I don't think that iPhone is the way to the dark side.... they are able to make "dumb users" (I don't think you are dumb, it's a way to put it into), a way to make what they want with their device. As a higher user, you know how to manage properly a system unmanaged because you know to play properly with the system, resources, and more over, but some people just has problems knowing how to open a file...
Really, the iPhone way is bring the IT technologies to people that not usually knows or likes the IT, and use them because they must, or they like the services but not the tech itself.
I belive that maybe WP7S has become so iPhone, and we may want to drop it, but really, the human history has ever been the same. It's not about how good or how many features has a device/technology/thing, it's about how many people use it in daily life. Try to think about a space travel agency, the people will believe in space travels once people become able to go to the moon by themselves, not because the NASA did it. And no matter that NASA was able to take a "car" for the astronauts and an space agency only can bring you an your package, it just doesn't matter.
Yes, it will indeed multitask for the native apps at least. In the presentation, Joe goes to a maps app, then goes right back to the calendar app where he was. Looks like the iPhone push stuff.
Kloc said:
Honestly if they make is so you have to actually program it to run the background instead of natively making everything work in the background, I beleive that would be a good thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be the best thing they could do. That's how it *should* work.
yes, not all apps require to be able to run in the background. things like calculator for example, i hate killing it using task manager.
things like sending sms or email, when I hit the send button and close the gui, the msg should be sent to the background service and really close remove the gui interface from the memory. i hate killing tmail.exe.
and there are a lot more examples why current winmo multitasking is not right. tweaks required just to be able to completely close app like htc album, opera, etc.
i am glad that finally microsoft will address this seriously. i am not surprise that ability to run in the background will be controlled by them. it is still better being controlled rather than not allowed at all (like Apple iPhone?).
freyberry said:
That would be the best thing they could do. That's how it *should* work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Careful, careful....!!
You don't know HOW they're going to adress the issue. If they completely forbid multitasking, like Apple, then things will get a LOT WORSE than they are now.
I agree that not every application has to run in the background. But some MUST run in the background and it would be a huge failure if they didn't allow third party developers to use multitasking at all, like Apple.
Multitasking for each and every application, like on WM6.5, is still a lot better than no multitasking at all!!
I read more information about WP7 and the concept of Hub. I estimate the HUB is a new type of multitasking. The concept is OS will push the application to back group and freeze the UI, and the information for application will push to HUB, so user can catch the information from HUB. For example, while user using the TomTom,when you need return to Home,OS would push the TomTom to backgroup,and freeze the TomTom's UI ,music...,but user still can see the inf. from HUB eg, speed,direction)
Do you agree ?
Anyway , I love the concept of WP7 and HUB
Great thing about this hub. I think all these cries about no multitasking is stupid thing, because of not understanding the idea of hub...
iamcrazyfire said:
I read more information about WP7 and the concept of Hub. I estimate the HUB is a new type of multitasking. The concept is OS will push the application to back group and freeze the UI, and the information for application will push to HUB, so user can catch the information from HUB. For example, while user using the TomTom,when you need return to Home,OS would push the TomTom to backgroup,and freeze the TomTom's UI ,music...,but user still can see the inf. from HUB eg, speed,direction)
Do you agree ?
Anyway , I love the concept of WP7 and HUB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup...same as iphone.
In iphone you decide which application gets prime attention. The "one" button is the task killer. The apps on the pages is akin to the apps listed on a task manager. You pick which one you want to switch to. The others tasks are frozen.
Don't iPhone tasks actually end meaning their state is lost?
RustyGrom said:
Don't iPhone tasks actually end meaning their state is lost?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really....they are frozen (hibernate).
U start right back from where u left off.
Can't say that about games though.
chiks19018 said:
Yup...same as iphone.
In iphone you decide which application gets prime attention. The "one" button is the task killer. The apps on the pages is akin to the apps listed on a task manager. You pick which one you want to switch to. The others tasks are frozen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But iphone freeze whole application, the concept of mine is wp7 only freeze the UI and sound,wps7 stills allow application push the information to hub.If wps only run managed code is true ,this type of multitasking(multithreading) will not cash the whole OS cause of one of shiit
iamcrazyfire said:
But iphone freeze whole application, the concept of mine is wp7 only freeze the UI and sound,wps7 stills allow application push the information to hub.If wps only run managed code is true ,this type of multitasking(multithreading) will not cash the whole OS cause of one of shiit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah...when iphone comes with 1.5ghz dual core processor, it will allow that too.
Multitasking requires that processing continues while the app doesn't have focus. What's being described above is simply suspending the app...not multitasking.
A good use of multitasking for example is: running a navigation app such as CoPilot 8, downloading a file with IE and talking on the phone all simultaneously. Ideally, you wouldn't want any of those apps to stop or suspend, you'd want them to continue running even though another app still has focus.
I don't know how a non-true-multitasking OS would handle doing what I just described. Even if it employed a sophisticated system of notifications and interrupts, I don't see how. I hope MS has a good work-around developed for WP7. My daily use of multitasking includes the use of MagiCall call manager app which always runs in the background filtering my SMS's and phone calls. iPhone doesn't have an app like that because it doesn't truly multitask.
Running a navigation software and then taking a phone call ... I have done this a lot and it is a good use-case.
And I dont think the new WP7 cannot do this. It is a phone device, taking a phone call should be the highest priority.
This would suck if the navigation software is then paused, I hope not. How is this on the iPhone?
But, running a navigation software ... while downloading a file ... and then taking a phone call?
You must be more specific, because I cannot imagine myself, on a running car using CoPilot and still managing my torrents That's dangerous ...
WhyBe said:
Multitasking requires that processing continues while the app doesn't have focus. What's being described above is simply suspending the app...not multitasking.
A good use of multitasking for example is: running a navigation app such as CoPilot 8, downloading a file with IE and talking on the phone all simultaneously. Ideally, you wouldn't want any of those apps to stop or suspend, you'd want them to continue running even though another app still has focus.
I don't know how a non-true-multitasking OS would handle doing what I just described. Even if it employed a sophisticated system of notifications and interrupts, I don't see how. I hope MS has a good work-around developed for WP7. My daily use of multitasking includes the use of MagiCall call manager app which always runs in the background filtering my SMS's and phone calls. iPhone doesn't have an app like that because it doesn't truly multitask.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well those were just random examples to illustrate the type of apps that you DON'T want to suspend when they don't have focus.
WhyBe said:
well those were just random examples to illustrate the type of apps that you DON'T want to suspend when they don't have focus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how important is downloading the file in the whole scheme of things?
Not very much. It might benefit to stop that process and use the available power to work what you can actually see.
I think its pointless to rationalize away the need to multitask. Hopefully, MS has worked out a reasonable compromise in WP7 until it's feasible to have true multitasking AND seamless performance in a mobile form factor.
I use a call manager (MagiCall) which runs in the background. I know they don't have this type of app for non-jailbroken iPhones because it doesn't multitask.
My typical multitasking is CoPilot, MagiCall and MS Voice Command reading my text messages. This is not an unrealistic expectation. I'm hoping WP7 will have some sort of scheme to allow the same functionality.
why would you need MSVC reading text messages when the Copilot is giving out instructions?doesn't make sense.
Here is what makes sense:
Only 1 voice/sound application can be actively running at any given time. Cannot have the games music, music player, MSVC, Copilot all talking/playing at the same time.
Can have only 1 graphic application running at 1 time. I.e. Panel refresh possible only for the foregorund application.
Multiple task possible for data-fetch/push application.
Anything more is unreasonable.
chiks19018 said:
why would you need MSVC reading text messages when the Copilot is giving out instructions?doesn't make sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems kind of obvious to me...IDK. If I am driving, it is very convenient for everything to be audible as opposed to visual. So voiced text messages are better when driving as well as voiced navigation instructions. What would be kick ass is if I could get some speech-to-text to reply to my messages vocally.
Call/SMS firewalling is enough reason for me to desire multitasking in a phone. Perhaps these could be implemented using some sort of interupt system in WP7.
I must be nuts even reading such needs & requirements
you think i'll be able to log onto an IM client and then surf the net and await for messages? or do i have to turn on some type of forward to text feature? that's probably my biggest concern. everything elsle, i could probably live w/ teh "suspend."
though if i was downloading a song or movie or smething, i'd hate to have to wait for it to finish before i can do something else...
chiks19018 said:
how important is downloading the file in the whole scheme of things?
Not very much. It might benefit to stop that process and use the available power to work what you can actually see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would it be a benefit to stop a file downloading in the background?
If you're downloading a large file, you don't want to sit staring at your phone's screen waiting until it finishes downloading before you can do anything else.
If you're so primitive that you can't find something for your phone to do while you're doing something else on it, I don't know why you bother having a smartphone.
Well, have you ever downloaded a large file to your phone?
Probably ...
But me? No, never ...
Why?
Because if I am at home, I will use my desktop PC to download which so much faster than my mobile phone. Think, the download speed is not only related to the internet connection.
Then I will pull my SDHC card, copy the file from the desktop.
Super fast, painless.
You can argue "What if you are not at home?"
I will not download that large file ... what kind of large file I must download while on the go to put in my mobile phone? Movie? How long before the battery runs out? Better to do something else
elyl said:
Why would it be a benefit to stop a file downloading in the background?
If you're downloading a large file, you don't want to sit staring at your phone's screen waiting until it finishes downloading before you can do anything else.
If you're so primitive that you can't find something for your phone to do while you're doing something else on it, I don't know why you bother having a smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
elyl said:
Why would it be a benefit to stop a file downloading in the background?
If you're downloading a large file, you don't want to sit staring at your phone's screen waiting until it finishes downloading before you can do anything else.
If you're so primitive that you can't find something for your phone to do while you're doing something else on it, I don't know why you bother having a smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry. I got that wrong. File downloads/datapush/fetch can and should continue in the background. nothing wrong with that. Just never give those processes top priority is what I really meant. Push comes to shove, those processes should be suspended for the benefit of the process on the screen.
Where are these rumors coming from? i've yet to read or hear anything from Microsoft that they are going to open up their os to allow multitasking for all apps. where is this news coming from? has there been anything i may have missed that confirms this multitasking rumor?
None that I'm aware of, in fact its likely that it wont be out soon considering the fact that they showed the video displaying that if an app is built properly you can return to the same screen you were on by simply clicking the back button.
z33dev33l said:
None that I'm aware of, in fact its likely that it wont be out soon considering the fact that they showed the video displaying that if an app is built properly you can return to the same screen you were on by simply clicking the back button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That has nothing to do with multitasking though, that's just efficient app design. Most apps have no reason to multitask (ie. run in the background while you're using another app or talking on the phone), so tombstoning is a great idea - as long as the devs take it into consideration and save all pertinant information.
The apps that do require multitasking won't be helped by tombstoning however. Consider a GPS tracker of some kind, perhaps one for tracking your daily run. This would benefit greatly from multitasking (ie. running in the background) as an incoming call or you taking a photo wouldn't affect the GPS log in any way.
The same goes for any apps that provide extra core-OS functionality, perhaps a Profile app. Not being able to have this run in the background means you can't automatically get the phone to go silent at night, or turn to vibrate during working hours, or allow notification sounds but no ringer during lunchtime - no amount of tombstoning would help here.
But I agree, I don't think we'll see multitasking yet either. Not until a major update, perhaps the rumored Mango - more likely than not delivered with a bunch of new (and powerful) devices.
when the apps tombstone do they save their position for u to resume right back to them?
deadwrong03 said:
when the apps tombstone do they save their position for u to resume right back to them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They can, it's up to the developers to implement it. Mine all do.
yea. i think MS may go the approach apple did and have a selected criteria for your apps to be able to multitask. in the case of tombstoning though, the game hearts is a great example. i have played it for hours on end constantly being interupted, and it automatically loads back to the game when i go back to it, and i continue on where i was at. the developer for Hearts really did understand the concept of tombstoning and really did implement it correctly.
it is possible for most apps to work just as good as multi-tasked with tombstoning. as said, it's really about the developer.
perhaps MS should provide the user with the ability to say how the app should launch (not allow the developer, but the actual user). like, if you press and hold an app you can set it so that it has "run in background" capabilities. or they can suggest this at the market place with MS approval (e.g. skype or messenger), but still provide it. apps like facebook, some people like having it always running and getting feeds, others don't. with the capability to select "run in background" it would be nice.
First, let me explain my frustation:
I just cant deal the idea that MS screwed WP7 so badly when it comes about multitask. I cant have a decent chat with my friends in WhatsApp because when I leave the app and someone talk to me, I cant touch the Toast Notification because it will take about 5 seconds to reload the whole app. However, I could "just" hold back button and select the app with a choppy image in the card view to instant resume (which will take me 3~5 seconds too).
So, Microsoft hates multitask or what?
What I want: a hack, a registry edit that makes opening a Toast Notification or a Tile to resume the instance and bring me the app instantly.
If you can make this really works, I pay you $150 USD. And I mean it.
mikeeam said:
First, let me explain my frustation:
I just cant deal the idea that MS screwed WP7 so badly when it comes about multitask. I cant have a decent chat with my friends in WhatsApp because when I leave the app and someone talk to me, I cant touch the Toast Notification because it will take about 5 seconds to reload the whole app. However, I could "just" hold back button and select the app with a choppy image in the card view to instant resume (which will take me 3~5 seconds too).
So, Microsoft hates multitask or what?
What I want: a hack, a registry edit that makes opening a Toast Notification or a Tile to resume the instance and bring me the app instantly.
If you can make this really works, I pay you $150 USD. And I mean it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. You can send it over to me via Paypal.
No seriously. If you are interop unlocked just disable Dehydration with any registry Editor! It sits over at HKLM\Software\Microsoft\TaskHost\DehydrateOnPause. If you set that to 0, its faster with switching
It dont work when you open the app using the notification or tiles.. just using back button too.
Microsoft hasn't done anything to multitasking, just wait for WhatsApp to release a mango update that can handle the multitasking. I don't know if you noticed, but WhatsApp is lacking a ton of features. The developers just wanted to push out a release, they will fix it eventually. You must be patient.
Diablosblizz said:
Microsoft hasn't done anything to multitasking, just wait for WhatsApp to release a mango update that can handle the multitasking. I don't know if you noticed, but WhatsApp is lacking a ton of features. The developers just wanted to push out a release, they will fix it eventually. You must be patient.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, WhatsApp is mango compatible. So are Wonder Reader, and many others. Every app has this problem. Gchat, Evernote and others.
At first I thought it was developer's choice. But it is the system.
The reason for this is quite simple:
A Toast has a deep link to the app, and therefore starts a new instance of the app.
I guess they didn't think about it, that this would be a problem. Or possible there are some issues in how developers had to change their apps.
So, sorry, I don't think you can change this at the moment (easily).
As a side note: AFAIK each app can specify to NOT launch a new instance when it is started and is already running. Though I think that is an option that is not allowed for custom apps. But I'm not sure about that and if so, maybe it will change some day...
Hades32 said:
The reason for this is quite simple:
A Toast has a deep link to the app, and therefore starts a new instance of the app.
I guess they didn't think about it, that this would be a problem. Or possible there are some issues in how developers had to change their apps.
So, sorry, I don't think you can change this at the moment (easily).
As a side note: AFAIK each app can specify to NOT launch a new instance when it is started and is already running. Though I think that is an option that is not allowed for custom apps. But I'm not sure about that and if so, maybe it will change some day...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, but why not resume when opening through tiles? And deep link is optional. So reload when it's deep link and resume when its not. Makes sense, I guess.
Either way, I want it to resume whenever I open the app.
Hope someone can find a solution to this problem.
mikeeam said:
Actually, WhatsApp is mango compatible. So are Wonder Reader, and many others. Every app has this problem. Gchat, Evernote and others.
At first I thought it was developer's choice. But it is the system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I understand what you are talking about, once you click to open the application through a tile it reloads the application? To me, that makes sense. Quite frankly, I believe the iPhone behaves this way as well. You're telling the system to reload the application, so I guess if you look at it this way it could be considered a design flaw. However, I feel that this is how it should work.
I don't mean to troll or anything, but here's how I see it: If I go off and do something else on my phone and then hours later return to the application, I don't want that application to be stored into memory for hours on end, that will kill the battery.
I do agree with you entirely that toasts should resume the application, not reload it like you've stated. However, I haven't run into this issue so for me it doesn't bother me. It could be possible that it gets patched in the next update. Perhaps add a suggestion to the WP7 suggestion board.
Diablosblizz said:
I think I understand what you are talking about, once you click to open the application through a tile it reloads the application? To me, that makes sense. Quite frankly, I believe the iPhone behaves this way as well. You're telling the system to reload the application, so I guess if you look at it this way it could be considered a design flaw. However, I feel that this is how it should work.
I don't mean to troll or anything, but here's how I see it: If I go off and do something else on my phone and then hours later return to the application, I don't want that application to be stored into memory for hours on end, that will kill the battery.
I do agree with you entirely that toasts should resume the application, not reload it like you've stated. However, I haven't run into this issue so for me it doesn't bother me. It could be possible that it gets patched in the next update. Perhaps add a suggestion to the WP7 suggestion board.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is, the next update should happen 5~6 months from now. If they change it, wouldnt be in a minor patch.
I understand your point, but hey, not hours after, maybe it could have a time limit to stay on memory. Like.. 30 minutes without using it, the OS kills the app. The only thing the OS is killing right now is me.
Not that I want one iPhone, but since you mentioned, iPhone resumes the app. Doesnt matter if you use the fast switch or the app icon to launch it. It just kill the app when you close it on fast switch menu.
This is the biggest issue by far in Windows Phone! The multitasking is extremely confusing.
I tried to explain it here: http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/f...285744-change-or-fix-the-back-button-concept-
but couldn't explain it really well.
Please, someone make a detailed suggestion of this on Windows Phone Uservoice (http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions) !
You will get 3 votes from me.
I wonder if Resumable XAP works for this application...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1136330
singularityduo said:
This is the biggest issue by far in Windows Phone! The multitasking is extremely confusing.
I tried to explain it here: http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/f...285744-change-or-fix-the-back-button-concept-
but couldn't explain it really well.
Please, someone make a detailed suggestion of this on Windows Phone Uservoice (http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions) !
You will get 3 votes from me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not confusing. I understand it very well. It just works when you use the back button. If you dont use it, so you are reopening the app (when it is about third party apps).
Lumic said:
I wonder if Resumable XAP works for this application...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1136330
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It didnt work for me.
Diablosblizz said:
I don't mean to troll or anything, but here's how I see it: If I go off and do something else on my phone and then hours later return to the application, I don't want that application to be stored into memory for hours on end, that will kill the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it doesn't kill your battery. Having the app in memory uses no more battery that not having it there. Also, the app IS stored in memory for all those hours on end as long as it's within the 5-app count.
WP does NOT do third-party multitasking, it does fast-app-switching. This means the app cannot perform any work in the background, hence it's not using any more battery.
I actually agree with the OP - if the app is already loaded it should be resumed. The OS is fully capable of doing so, they've [MS] just decided to not offer it to third-party devs.
emigrating said:
I actually agree with the OP - if the app is already loaded it should be resumed. The OS is fully capable of doing so, they've [MS] just decided to not offer it to third-party devs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeap, and why not implement? I mean.. what damages would it do? The system would be faster, without lots of loadings.
The titlet of the topic remain. I still pay for someone fix this dumb decision from MS.
emigrating said:
WP does NOT do third-party multitasking, it does fast-app-switching.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
Probably the most disappointing thing about Mango.
The only phone that does true multitasking is the Nokia N900 and N9. Everything runs in the background just like a PC.
But there is no Whatsapp or anything similar. N9 only has Skype, Facebook Chat, Gtalk and SIP for chatting so far. (N900 has more but still no Whatsapp)
I also got really annoyed with my Omnia 7 and Whatsapp. It takes too long to load everytime.
I think Kik was a little better however. So I've been using Kik instead. (it's better of the 2 on WP7 so far)
Originally Posted by Lumic
I wonder if Resumable XAP works for this application...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1136330
It didnt work for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was what I talked about earlier. Somewhat surprising that it doesn't work. But then I guess it is really not possible. As this is a quite fundamental change this means you probably have to wait until Tango or Apollo. Sorry.
jakiman said:
The only phone that does true multitasking is the Nokia N900 and N9. Everything runs in the background just like a PC.
But there is no Whatsapp or anything similar. N9 only has Skype, Facebook Chat, Gtalk and SIP for chatting so far. (N900 has more but still no Whatsapp)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might be true but win 6.5 was true multitasking before Ihonne,N900...Try an HD2 and see for yourself...true task manager also...
I recently helped a friend to flash back to stock his HD2, I wonder how come for a pair on new shoes Microsoft had to learn how to walk again, ups I meant they are learning how to stand up-walking later, it seems...
You could try this;
Resumable XAP Tool v0.1 Release
I would think you could take that method to edit an already installed app to do it. With a file explorer, browse to the installation directory & find the file, "WMAppManifest.xml." Copy it out to your PC & edit it. Find the line, "<DefaultTask Name="_default" NavigationPage="PivotPage.xaml" />" & add "ActivationPolicy="Resume"" to it so it looks like this, "<DefaultTask Name="_default" NavigationPage="PivotPage.xaml" ActivationPolicy="Resume"/>." Now copy it back into the installation folder of your device & reboot. See if that works.
drkfngthdragnlrd said:
You could try this;
Resumable XAP Tool v0.1 Release
I would think you could take that method to edit an already installed app to do it. With a file explorer, browse to the installation directory & find the file, "WMAppManifest.xml." Copy it out to your PC & edit it. Find the line, "<DefaultTask Name="_default" NavigationPage="PivotPage.xaml" />" & add "ActivationPolicy="Resume"" to it so it looks like this, "<DefaultTask Name="_default" NavigationPage="PivotPage.xaml" ActivationPolicy="Resume"/>." Now copy it back into the installation folder of your device & reboot. See if that works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No lucky here. Frustating.
Hey guys, came across this great article about jelly bean and I wonder what you guys think about it. I really agree with some of the points he makes.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/09/18/ux-things-i-hate-about-android/
Read this article as well and yes he does make some good and valid points. However, Android is still a work in progress according to Matias Duarte. As much as Jelly Bean has improved the user experience there is still a ways to go to polishing the OS.
Here is a good follow up article you might want to check out:
http://www.androidcentral.com/duarte-i-m-third-way-where-i-want-be-android
He makes some good points, but also shows that he doesn't seem to understand Android programming at all.
If you open something within an app directly from a widget (his Gmail example), then obviously the back key would go one layer higher within the app. Opening an email from a widget layers home->gmail->email, not home->email.
Also, icons opening the "wrong" app. He uses Maps and Latitude as an example. Well, considering that Latitude is built on the Maps framework (and presumably calls an instance of Maps in order to operate), it makes complete sense that opening Maps would open the active Latitude session when one exists.
Other items just seemed like whining. For example, the section regarding the Google Voice icon. He makes the base assumption that people use it primarily for texting when texting is certainly not the primary function of the app. The app's primary function is voicemail, followed closely by VOIP calling. Texting is easily a tertiary function, even if it has been embraced by the community. [Edit: As mentioned below, I was incorrect regarding VOIP, which would make texting the secondary function of the app.]
Don't get me wrong. There were some good points, but I was shaking my head through a lot of that article.
Cilraaz said:
The app's primary function is voicemail, followed closely by VOIP calling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is no voip from the google voice app itself. when you make a call with it, it basically calls the GV number + the number you are actually wanting to call.
Zepius said:
there is no voip from the google voice app itself. when you make a call with it, it basically calls the GV number + the number you are actually wanting to call.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My mistake. I assumed it was VOIP rather than call-chaining, based on the app prompting if Voice should be used for international calls. So at that point, texting would become the secondary function.
Thanks for the info.
Cilraaz said:
He makes some good points, but also shows that he doesn't seem to understand Android programming at all.
If you open something within an app directly from a widget (his Gmail example), then obviously the back key would go one layer higher within the app. Opening an email from a widget layers home->gmail->email, not home->email.
Also, icons opening the "wrong" app. He uses Maps and Latitude as an example. Well, considering that Latitude is built on the Maps framework (and presumably calls an instance of Maps in order to operate), it makes complete sense that opening Maps would open the active Latitude session when one exists.
Other items just seemed like whining. For example, the section regarding the Google Voice icon. He makes the base assumption that people use it primarily for texting when texting is certainly not the primary function of the app. The app's primary function is voicemail, followed closely by VOIP calling. Texting is easily a tertiary function, even if it has been embraced by the community.
Don't get me wrong. There were some good points, but I was shaking my head through a lot of that article.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although you are totally right, you have to look at it from a consumer's point of view. And they won't think "hey, of course the back button goes to the underlying Gmail menu", they'll think "wtf.? I was on the home screen before I tapped that mail on the widget. Why did it take me into the Gmail overview now?"
The same is even more true for Latitude. It is obvious for us tech-enthusiasts that Latitude is just more or less a part of maps. But I guess most other people never even give a thought to this, so they're just confused why the Maps icon would open a (seemingly) completely different service.
Also I'm sure the author of the article knows all this as well as anybody. But he tries to look from the consumer's point of view.
To the article: I mostly agree with his points. Play store not remembering my scroll position and the different sizes of some icons (and even more the almost overlapping icon names sometimes) are things that bugged me too. But mixed UI designs and that calculator bug are just things that happen if you roll out such a major update with significant UI changes. It's nothing I get even slightly mad about.
qwer23 said:
Although you are totally right, you have to look at it from a consumer's point of view. And they won't think "hey, of course the back button goes to the underlying Gmail menu", they'll think "wtf.? I was on the home screen before I tapped that mail on the widget. Why did it take me into the Gmail overview now?"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand it from a consumer's point of view, but how would it be resolved programmatically? If we start requiring a pointer to where a screen was opened from, you increase the memory footprint of every app. It might also cause some problems with app deconstruction. In the Gmail example, pressing the back button deconstructs the single email instance, but if a pointer were to tell it to go back to the home screen because we got to it from a widget, do we deconstruct the base Gmail app also? What if the widget puts you 4 layers into an app? Not only would the pointers again add to the app's memory footprint, but we have the deconstruction issue on a larger level.
I'm not the greatest programmer (especially in Java), but the "inelegant" way that it works now seems to have a few positives for both devs and users.
qwer23 said:
The same is even more true for Latitude. It is obvious for us tech-enthusiasts that Latitude is just more or less a part of maps. But I guess most other people never even give a thought to this, so they're just confused why the Maps icon would open a (seemingly) completely different service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, I understand the consumer side of things, but is Maps opening Latitude more confusing than having Maps kill off Latitude? The user would then just try to re-open Latitude and be confused as to why the prior instance wasn't running. If Maps wouldn't kill off Latitude, then it would have to create a second instance of itself, which again has a negative impact on the app's memory footprint.
------------
I understand a general "hey, it should work like this instead", but there are plenty of reasons why it works the way it does now. Android might be able to get "perfect" functionality, but it would likely require some dumbing down of multitasking (either more process suspension instead of true(r) multitasking or the memory manager would be more likely to kill off background processes). I don't at all doubt these are discussions going on at Google, though.
Cilraaz said:
[...]
I understand a general "hey, it should work like this instead", but there are plenty of reasons why it works the way it does now. Android might be able to get "perfect" functionality, but it would likely require some dumbing down of multitasking (either more process suspension instead of true(r) multitasking or the memory manager would be more likely to kill off background processes). I don't at all doubt these are discussions going on at Google, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Cilraaz, you really shed some light upon the deeper reasons for the sometimes odd behaviour of the back button and app layers. I'm no programmer at all, so I didn't know all this would add to the memory footprint of the apps and would affect developing in such a major way.
After reading your post I suggest we can be happy with some minor incosistencies and enjoy true multitasking instead of dumbing down our phones Again thanks for your nice clarification!
Some good stuff in this thread.
"complains about back button not taking him home, doesn't use home button"
crixley said:
"complains about back button not taking him home, doesn't use home button"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not what he complained about. He complained about the back button behaving inconsistently.
I find it actually works very logically. If i click on one email in my widget to read it and then use the back button to go back, it makes sense to be taken to my inbox so i can read more messages, instead of being taken back to home screen and selecting a new email from there. Its more practical in case you get like 10 emails at one, which won´t fit in the widget all at once anyway. If i wanted to go back to the home screen, hey there is the home button.
That sounds like one corner case where the behaviour works in your favor, that doesn't mean it's right. It used to work better. For example if you have Navigation open, and select and email from the notification then you are brought to the email. Then when you hit back it brings you to your Inbox (which you have no reason to go to) then when you hit back again it brings you to your home screen. In previous versions of Android when you hit back from the email you are reading it would take you directly back to Navigation. That is what you most likely want, and that is what the Android documentation says should happen. But all too often it does not.
Totally agree with this article. I love Jelly Bean, and Android, but ultimately, it lacks a hell of a lot of polish. This is where iOS is still leagues ahead (and for that matter, so is WP7/8), I forgive it because it is a very open and powerful platform, but it is still a platform for the techie, and has a long way to go before it is as friendly and approachable as its rivals IMO.
The same sorts of arguments have been leveled at PCs for years and are equally valid.
Like it or not, most people AREN'T techies and this is why the likes of Apple are so successful, because they understand this and bring out an OS that is generally intuitive to average joe. Ironically I find some of the ways their software works confusing in places (particularly OSX) but that is more down to my "techie" approach and being set in my ways, as most techies are.
Well, he has some valid ponts, but most of the time, he is wrong. Especially for the back button.
e34v8 said:
Well, he has some valid ponts, but most of the time, he is wrong. Especially for the back button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please tell me how he is wrong, specially if Android documentation says that the function of back button is X, and, sometimes you get Y, sometimes you get Z, and sometimes you get X?
Either document that back button has a bunch of functions that no one knows until you use it in a given context with a given app, or, give it a consistent behavior (and I'm not discussing which one would be better).... It is understandable when 3rd party software doesn't behave 100% as documented, but, built in phone apps should be consistent and provide the same experience...
Great article. A lot of those things drive me nuts, the icon size and back button in particular.
Another annoying thing the back button does is, for example, if you have been using the Play Store before, then you open an app that links to a Play Store page. Once you have seen the page and press back, rather than it taking you back to the app, the back button will just traverse through all the pages that you have been looking at on the Play Store in your previous session.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
crixley said:
"complains about back button not taking him home, doesn't use home button"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I found that amusing as well.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
pfmiller said:
That sounds like one corner case where the behaviour works in your favor, that doesn't mean it's right. It used to work better. For example if you have Navigation open, and select and email from the notification then you are brought to the email. Then when you hit back it brings you to your Inbox (which you have no reason to go to) then when you hit back again it brings you to your home screen. In previous versions of Android when you hit back from the email you are reading it would take you directly back to Navigation. That is what you most likely want, and that is what the Android documentation says should happen. But all too often it does not.
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Maybe the "back" button should be replaced by a "higher level" (hope it's the right term ) button. Maybe in this case his function would be more logical.
However I agree on almost every point in the article