GNex doesn't do multitasking either, for real

**Undertoad** · 05-16-2012, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Saiga

Ok using your example. Fire up Pandora and then watch a youtube video in the browser or in the app. The music player will pause so the video can play.

OR start a video and then go to homescreen. The video will pause.

That isn't real multi tasking in my opinion.

Please, let's use the definition of multitasking that has been used in computer science since about 1970.

Let us describe your complaint as user interface.

**Saiga** · 05-16-2012, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Please, let's use the definition of multitasking that has been used in computer science since about 1970.

Let us describe your complaint as user interface.

Not sure what you mean, but Android doesn't have real multitasking. Anyone that thinks it does should use webos or the new BlackBerry OS.

None of the mobile operating systems will allow you to use more than one task at a time like windows 7 does. But both of those allow to see and hear the tasks running and the tasks never pause. Tasks will eventually get closed once all of the RAM has been used up, but they will not pause. Even my desktop eventually crashes if I run too much stuff at once.

Don't matter which definition someone wants to use, Android's multitasking is way behind.

**Undertoad** · 05-16-2012, 11:32 AM

You don't like that Android manages audio in such a way that you can't listen to two things at once. It's not that Android stops the application while you use another application. If you run Navigation at the same time as Spotify you will find that the music from Spotify is interrupted when the Navigation comes in to tell you what turn is next. Navigation has been running all along, sharing CPU cycles with Spotify and about 20 other background processes you can't see. That's multitasking.

I personally prefer that audio is not shared by applications. I prefer that Spotify is interrupted by notifications and Navigation commands. But this is user interface preference. Not multitasking failure.

**Saiga** · 05-16-2012, 11:42 AM

In some situations its not a bad thing, like what you just said where the music pauses so that you can hear the navigation commands.

In other ways it is a bad thing. For a real life example of this:

I use youtube to listen to specific songs all the time. I do it on my desktop and on my PlayBook. All I want is the audio I don't watch the videos. I can't do something like that on Android or iOS. Because the second I switch focus from the video that is playing the audio pauses and with Android the web page reloads once I go back to it.

On the PlayBook I can open up a browser tab search for the youtube songs I want to hear, make a playlist and then I listen to literally hours of uninterrupted music of my choice while I surf the internet or play video games or do whatever else I want on my PlayBook. The same can be done on a PC or WebOS. If you try it on Android or iOS it won't work. At least I sure can't figure out how to make it work and I have tired a lot.

**BuffaloMadMan** · 05-16-2012, 01:17 PM

I don't understand why you keep bringing up blackberry? If you don't like the multitasking in android than just switch. I believe that is the way Google wants it handed and I'm fine with it. I personally don't want my YouTube video to keep playing every time I have to exit the app. I have a feeling most people agree and that is why YouTube is coded that way

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**Saiga** · 05-16-2012, 01:43 PM

Lol, erm I also bring up webos and windows 7 and iOS. I currently own and use a GN, a touch pad, a PlayBook and a iPod touch. I am not a blind green robot humping fanboy that thinks Android can do no wrong. It isn't about switching because I already use them. I am simply saying Google needs to pay more attention to the multitasking in Android. Hopefully Jellybean will address that.

Currently, I can multitask on the touch pad and the PlayBook in similar ways as to how I do on the PC, while Android's multitasking is pretty much the same as my iPod.

If you are happy with tasks pausing then that's fine too. That is why you are given the choice on the PlayBook and the touch pad. Since when is having the choice a bad thing?

**TabGuy** · 05-16-2012, 04:01 PM

Man, there's nothing I hate more than having some music or speaking going on in the background and I have no idea where it's coming from.

Often, on my PC, when I start my browser it brings up tabs, maybe 20 or so, from the last time I used the browser. If two or more of the tabs have a Youtube or other video it's a jumbled mess of sound until I can figure out which ones are doing the babbling. It's a nightmare. Not to mention that the PC has slowed to a crawl and I can't even get the speaker icon to respond to mute the thing. It's even worse if the wife was asleep next to me on the couch when this happens. Whew!

Sometimes multitasking is not a good thing.

**PhoenixMike** · 05-16-2012, 04:26 PM

This happens to me as well. My place rarely saved, if at all. Ex: Browser reloads the page whenever I go back to it.

**Saiga** · 05-16-2012, 04:44 PM

Android has quad core devices with more on the way soon. Why have quad core if the os has such limited multitasking capability? People here made fun of iOS having "fake multitasking" but now people here seem mostly happy with it on ICS.

To me, it seems kind of stupid to have such powerful specs and then rely on task switching. Kinda like taking a PC with top of the line hardware and then putting windows 95 on it.

Oh well, one of those things no one needs when they aint got it, but as soon as they do get it (if ever) they love it.

**Channan** · 05-16-2012, 05:08 PM

I have this problem as well. After using a few apps, they'll all start to close. I figured there was a memory leak somewhere and my phone was just running out of memory. I've been hoping the update would fix it (along with a list of a thousand other bugs) but as everyone knows, we still haven't received it. =/

Stock 4.0.2

**TabGuy** · 05-16-2012, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Saiga

Android has quad core devices with more on the way soon. Why have quad core if the os has such limited multitasking capability? People here made fun of iOS having "fake multitasking" but now people here seem mostly happy with it on ICS.

To me, it seems kind of stupid to have such powerful specs and then rely on task switching. Kinda like taking a PC with top of the line hardware and then putting windows 95 on it.

Oh well, one of those things no one needs when they aint got it, but as soon as they do get it (if ever) they love it.

Two words: Battery life.

**Channan** · 05-16-2012, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by Saiga

Not sure what you mean, but Android doesn't have real multitasking. Anyone that thinks it does should use webos or the new BlackBerry OS.

None of the mobile operating systems will allow you to use more than one task at a time like windows 7 does. But both of those allow to see and hear the tasks running and the tasks never pause. Tasks will eventually get closed once all of the RAM has been used up, but they will not pause. Even my desktop eventually crashes if I run too much stuff at once.

Don't matter which definition someone wants to use, Android's multitasking is way behind.

Behind? What? I'd say it's ahead. If you're streaming Pandora in the background while browsing the web and come across an embedded YouTube video, why would you want to have to leave the browser, open Pandora, pause your music, exit Pandora and return to your browser, then play the video? I love how Android (and iOS) will just pause the music playing in the background so I can watch the video without any background noise.

There's nothing more annoying than opening multiple tabs in Chrome on my laptop at a time and having some annoying ad playing while I try to figure out where it's coming from.

Also, my phone only lasts 2-3 hours of continuous usage already. Why would I want my battery life to get any worse than that just so I can have "real" multitasking?

**Saiga** · 05-16-2012, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Channan

Behind? What? I'd say it's ahead. If you're streaming Pandora in the background while browsing the web and come across an embedded YouTube video, why would you want to have to leave the browser, open Pandora, pause your music, exit Pandora and return to your browser, then play the video? I love how Android (and iOS) will just pause the music playing in the background so I can watch the video without any background noise.

There's nothing more annoying than opening multiple tabs in Chrome on my laptop at a time and having some annoying ad playing while I try to figure out where it's coming from.

Also, my phone only lasts 2-3 hours of continuous usage already. Why would I want my battery life to get any worse than that just so I can have "real" multitasking?

Yep pausing is the way of the future. I know I find myself saying I wish my gaming PC could multitask as well as my iPod all of the time lol

Again. For the 3rd time. PlayBook and touch pad both have options that allow you to force all applications and browser tabs to pause when they are not in focus. So if you want to have them behave like an iPod you can. Now where is the option to make Android leave it all singing and all dancing? Do you still think Android's multitasking is ahead of BlackBerry or WebOS? Considering both of those operating systems can multitask like an iPod also? Jesus man BlackBerry OS 5 could handle iOS type multitasking.

**Channan** · 05-17-2012, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by Saiga

Yep pausing is the way of the future. I know I find myself saying I wish my gaming PC could multitask as well as my iPod all of the time lol

Again. For the 3rd time. PlayBook and touch pad both have options that allow you to force all applications and browser tabs to pause when they are not in focus. So if you want to have them behave like an iPod you can. Now where is the option to make Android leave it all singing and all dancing? Do you still think Android's multitasking is ahead of BlackBerry or WebOS? Considering both of those operating systems can multitask like an iPod also? Jesus man BlackBerry OS 5 could handle iOS type multitasking.

Because your phone is as powerful as a gaming PC, right? Running an application in the background is easy. I had that with a jailbroken iPhone 3G back in 2009 with Backgrounder. One day I left Beejive running in the background for about 5 hours and it drained half the battery in my pocket.

There's a reason why your phone and PC multitask differently. Your PC can display multiple applications on your screen at once. It's a lot more powerful. It's got a much bigger battery. Not sure why you want 5 different audio sources playing on your phone at a time. But clearly Apple and Google have no idea what they're doing. That's why Android and iOS are losing market share to webOS and BB's OS.

**greydarrah** · 05-17-2012, 10:09 AM

I don't even care if multi tasking works or not. I love my phone the way it is.

**Undertoad** · 05-17-2012, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by saiga

why have quad core if the os has such limited multitasking capability?

It IS multitasking.

It is not limited.

You have a user interface preference that is not shared by 99% of phone users.

Deal with it.

**MegaSoundwave76** · 05-17-2012, 10:16 AM

I think we need to tell ourselves that multitasking is relative to the platform we are using. On a desktop PC, multitasking with different browser windows, having a PDF open and watching a video at the same time is more appropriate than on a smartphone with a smaller screen size. Also, the average consumer is not going to have 3 audio sources open at the same time on their iPhone, Galaxy Nexus, HTC One X, etc. The Multitasking in Android, in my opinion, is very well done on ICS. It does what needs to be done and is sensible. I'm not going to have Pandora playing at the same time as Google Music. That's just not a feasible thing to have as an average consumer. And if you think about it, you can be on an app, and you get your notifications in the background. That sounds like proper multitasking to me (as in the case of GMail still checking for new mail in the background).
Again, multitasking can be interpreted differently by most people, but multitasking can be summed up as the concurrent or interleaved execution of two or more jobs by a single CPU. That sounds like ICS is capable of doing that.

**happasaiyan** · 05-17-2012, 10:52 AM

is it too much to ask for to have a program save my state while i go respond to a text/phone call/email, etc?

thats the biggest hassle for me.

second biggest hassle is when i go to respond to a text/phone call/email and leave the website i am reading. if i am in a bad data area, when i go back to the page, it has to reload all over again- wasting time and data.

**Saiga** · 05-17-2012, 12:29 PM

Multitasking is realitive to the platform. That I agree on. RIM has said they are making a mobile computing platform. Maybe that is why the PlayBook has the amazing multitasking that it has.

So no "all singing all dancing" setting on Android? Kay then Android's multitasking is behind. Don't matter how you put it. If I CAN'T do it on Android but can do it on other operating systems then its a bad thing. Lol most of the people here would shove it in iPhone users faces if they could do It, but since Android can't do it it is a meh issue. Just kinda funny.

**icewater106** · 05-17-2012, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Saiga

Multitasking is realitive to the platform. That I agree on. RIM has said they are making a mobile computing platform. Maybe that is why the PlayBook has the amazing multitasking that it has.

So no "all singing all dancing" setting on Android? Kay then Android's multitasking is behind. Don't matter how you put it. If I CAN'T do it on Android but can do it on other operating systems then its a bad thing. Lol everyone here would shove it in iPhone users faces if they could do It, but since Android can't do it it is a meh issue. Just kinda funny.

Thats a good thing cuz it will save battery by not keep apps running right?

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**icewater106** · 05-17-2012, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by bagarwa

So, I hadn't really thought much of it until I read about multitasking fiasco surrounding HTC One X phones today. And I was thinking, even my Galaxy Nexus does that.

I open a ES Explorer, navigate a bit, go back to homescreen. Open a few more apps. Then I tap the multitasking button and tap ES Explorer. It doesn't take me to the last directory I was in. Rather, it's like I opened ES Explorer for the first time, including "ES Explorer has been granted superuser privileges" toast notification. Same goes for any other app. So, even my Galaxy Nexus isn't doing any multitasking for real.

Is this just me??

I'm on ICS 4.0.4 IMM76K.
3.0.8-franco-Kernel-Milestone3
Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus

So what happens when u long press the home button on the nexus ? And i thought that app history button was multitasking

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**Saiga** · 05-17-2012, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by icewater106

Thats a good thing cuz it will save battery by not keep apps running right?

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Android Central Forums

No it really isn't. It is a limitation. See I have the option on 2 of my devices to have real, full blown multitasking or turn it off and have iPod style pause everything except the music player type multitasking.

I would love to be able to have that choice with Android apps and browser tabs.

**icewater106** · 05-17-2012, 12:40 PM

But not all apps are for multitasking, and a person in this thread said he can multitask

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**MegaSoundwave76** · 05-17-2012, 02:05 PM

I think as far as 90% of Android owners, "multitasking" works fine. Bouncing from one app to the other works pretty good on the GNex and ICS very well in my opinion. Trying to make a smartphone act and perform like a desktop computer is still not practical for everyone.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

**MegaSoundwave76** · 05-17-2012, 02:57 PM

There is one thing missing with Android though, I will admit. They never put in the Transformer feature. Wish my GNex could turn into a cool little robot...