Hope Windows 10 will have unrestricted multitasking?

[SammyD97]

People don't seem to understand what true multitasking is here. True multitasking is that the application continues to run despite it has been minimized (This is not the definition though, but a special case for mobile OSes) and you are working on another program. Right now for example I listen to a youtube clip and I want to continue to do that while I'm working in another program, it isn't possible. This is possible in by default in Symbian, BB10 and even Windows Mobile!!. I'm a bit surprised that Microsoft went this path with totally suspend applications with their long experience with this. They seems to have copied Apple a little bit too much but for a business phone, true multitasking is a requirement.

They should enable true multitasking for their applications and totally suspend an application should not be a requirement. Android has a middle way, that screen off will suspend all applications but sometimes even that isn't enough. The problem with this is if the browser is running and some heavy flash ad is running eating your battery despite your screen is off, how should you prevent that? Well, one solution is that you can enable/disable this functionality on application basis and you are responsible for this yourself. Another possible solution is that you limit the time a program can run in screen off mode.

I wish they made Windows Phone more like desktop windows regarding this. Also that they update the contents of the applications in task switcher screen just like on your taskbar in desktop Windows

I'm not a dev but I think its up to devs to make their apps work in the background. I'm currently playing a youtube app using Metrotube while typing this on the WCentral app.

 

[AluminiumRims]

Yes an application for youtube with a background job might solve it but if I want to do the same thing for vimeo or some other site we are there again. An app is just the workaround. I agree that it is the app developers that should decide how the app behaves while minimized. That is how it works in desktop Windows and if some application steals too many cycles we can easily check it. Why not provide us with the same or better tools for that in Windows phone. Symbian and Windows mobile is the proof of concept that this model works as Symbian for example has very good battery life.

 

[werner6769]

Yes the resuming is kind annoying at times. Though I do understand the battery being lengthened by this. If people try WP and are used to android and iphone, they will probably wonder what is this resuming? Is my phone broken?

 

[Akssingh]

Yes the resuming is kind annoying at times. Though I do understand the battery being lengthened by this. If people try WP and are used to android and iphone, they will probably wonder what is this resuming? Is my phone broken?

Exactly what I was thinking but turning the kids corner off solved everything.

 

[chris722]

What I don't like about Android is that my music application always turns off when the screen goes off. Only exception to the rule seems to be SoundCloud, but Spotify, Pandora, Google Play Music etc. they all stop playing, either when they are pushed to the background or when the screen goes off.

 

[njoi fontes]

The problem is that you are not thinking about the majority of people. Most people (anyone that is not a geek) is not aware of how to kill background tasks on the phone, so it is very understandable that Microsoft put this limit to save not only battery but also to ensure that the phone does not start to bog down the way android does. If a developer wants it's app to run in the background that he/she has to program that in. That is a good compromise. Without this WP would not have seen even the moderate success that is has had with low end phones, which continue to run well no matter how long you use them for (again unlike android, and I'm guessing, unlike Symbian)

 

[AluminiumRims]

The problem is that you are not thinking about the majority of people. Most people (anyone that is not a geek) is not aware of how to kill background tasks on the phone, so it is very understandable that Microsoft put this limit to save not only battery but also to ensure that the phone does not start to bog down the way android does. If a developer wants it's app to run in the background that he/she has to program that in. That is a good compromise. Without this WP would not have seen even the moderate success that is has had with low end phones, which continue to run well no matter how long you use them for (again unlike android, and I'm guessing, unlike Symbian)

It's not the solution as we have already seen. On Android bugs in wakelock handling (which is a terrible idea) makes the phone never go to sleep. Windows provided background tasks something I think i unnecessary as it can be solved by the normal application process. Windows Phone also limits the background process so that it cannot steal too much battery life which is also something I might not want (I might want my program to calculate something very important while the screen is off). In the end it will be the user and the programmer that must decide how the program should behave and not the operating system limitation.

Also, background tasks makes the portability between desktop and mobile more clunky. In normal Windows there are no background tasks as such and they are not needed. So this is not helping unifying mobile and desktop programs.

 

[link68759]

Making things odd than the usual accepted way is sometimes good, but this time MS got it wrong !
Let me have full control of my phone: It is not much to ask! Following or coping Iphone restrictions strategies won't help MS outside US soil.

It's actually asking quite a lot, and is a foolish desire. The regression will not take place, ever, because the functionality you seek is quite possible under the current model. The best course of action you can take is to submit bug reports to developers if their app doesn't resume instantaneously. Post to the user feedback that you wish MS would fine tune the resuming process to make it easier on the developers in WP10, and continues to add exceptions for specific tasks (they have been doing this with every major release, actually).

 

[Avik Biswas]

Post to the user feedback that you wish MS would fine tune the resuming process to make it easier on the developers in WP10, and continues to add exceptions for specific tasks (they have been doing this with every major release, actually).

i wonder why my Xbox music has a resuming screen!! Can't they fine tune their own apps!!

/s

 

[Michael Alan Goff]

i wonder why my Xbox music has a resuming screen!! Can't they fine tune their own apps!!

/s

No, they want you to suffer!

/s

 

[Blacklac]

Which OS had true multitasking in your eyes? And I mean mobile OS.

Blackberry's

 

[Michael Alan Goff]

Blackberry's

You've got me there.

 

[AluminiumRims]

Mobile operating systems with full multitasking: BB10, Symbian, Meego, Jolla, Windows Mobile
Uknown (fill in if you know): Tizen, webOS

 

[thesachd]

Mobile operating systems with full multitasking: BB10, Symbian, Meego, Jolla, Windows Mobile
Uknown (fill in if you know): Tizen, webOS

I guess you could classify as TouchWiz(Android) has an OS with real multitasking as we'll.

 

[marratj]

Blackberry's

And not to forget Nokia's Symbian & MeeGo Harmattan OSs!

 

[portalfocus]

People don't seem to understand what true multitasking is here. True multitasking is that the application continues to run despite it has been minimized (This is not the definition though, but a special case for mobile OSes) and you are working on another program. Right now for example I listen to a youtube clip and I want to continue to do that while I'm working in another program, it isn't possible. This is possible in by default in Symbian, BB10 and even Windows Mobile!!. I'm a bit surprised that Microsoft went this path with totally suspend applications with their long experience with this. They seems to have copied Apple a little bit too much but for a business phone, true multitasking is a requirement.

They should enable true multitasking for their applications and totally suspend an application should not be a requirement. Android has a middle way, that screen off will suspend all applications but sometimes even that isn't enough. The problem with this is if the browser is running and some heavy flash ad is running eating your battery despite your screen is off, how should you prevent that? Well, one solution is that you can enable/disable this functionality on application basis and you are responsible for this yourself. Another possible solution is that you limit the time a program can run in screen off mode.

I wish they made Windows Phone more like desktop windows regarding this. Also that they update the contents of the applications in task switcher screen just like on your taskbar in desktop Windows

Yeah.. And all end devices would be REALLY left behind. That's ok right?

 

[AluminiumRims]

Yeah.. And all end devices would be REALLY left behind. That's ok right?

Symbian runs on devices we would really consider to be low end. It is a myth that multitasking slows down your phone. A properly designed program waits for an event a vast majority of the time.

 

[portalfocus]

Symbian runs on devices we would really consider to be low end. It is a myth that multitasking slows down your phone. A properly designed program waits for an event a vast majority of the time.

That was the case back then. Not now with the current tech/costs.

 

[AluminiumRims]

That was the case back then. Not now with the current tech/costs.

Could you elaborate why? Shouldn't modern HW make multitasking a better experience (more speed, memory)

 

[Michael Alan Goff]

Could you elaborate why? Shouldn't modern HW make multitasking a better experience (more speed, memory)

Modern apps are also heavier than back then.