Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

No doubt Maemo 5 is the pinnacle of usefully integrated multitasking that actually works.

I don't have anything against android not having real multitasking and only allowing select apps to actually run.

I have EVERYTHING against the HOME button and that useless list of recent apps!
So far all I have found is this: http://www.appbrain.com/app/it.mp.multitask
-useless use of screen estate (one bar for both closed/paused and running apps)
-uncomfortable long press of "search" to start
-uncomfortable long press to close apps
-should allow use of HOME button but this didn't work for me


And the purpose of this thread:
Finding the best task manager for android
-something that can be started from the HOME button
-instant change of apps and close (x)

I'm not requesting anything spectacular like the "windows" we have on maemo.
Just a simple task manager that replaces the "recent" view, separates paused from running and places a small (x) for closing.

Do I really ask that much?

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

No such thing on Android. Task manger to close apps and Running/Paused App Selector are not the same in android. For closing the apps I prefer ES Task Manager its got some nice features including closing app when screen goes dark. Also it can be opened from notification bar and has a widget to close items.

Edit: Moved to Alternatives Section.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

I suspect you'll get far better results asking this from Android forums, too. I'm not sure how to answer your questions but I'll be darned if someone on those forums wouldn't have answers.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Well by default it looks just like symbian. But on symbian task managers had (everything I tried) the ability to integrate themselves instead of the default task manager and run directly from the home button.
http://www.symbiansoftware.us/Image/...sk_manager.jpg
This would be an example of jbak on symbian.

So far all the (one result) I have is from XDA but to customize the home button it seems custom firmwares are required.

I'm planning/researching right now and planning to get the i9000 once I've sold my N900 but the task management is a real bugger so far...

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

But I thought the home button in Android just called up the desktop manager (Experience)? Since you CAN replace the desktop interface without a new firmware, I find it hard to believe you'd need firmware to catch the trap/interrupt/vector/whatever the desktop is using to get called when that key is pressed.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Home key calls up Desktop, Shows a mini version of all desktops for quick selection and brings up task manager depending on when and how you press it.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Wow, that screenshot really brings back memories.. :rolleyes:

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Well by home I mean the middle button and long pressing it it brings up the built in task manager.
So far I haven't found anything on XDA besides multitask manager.
It's pointless to have a secondary task man that doesn't display anything nor differentiate running from not running.

So till now MultitaskManager comes close but it's still a clumsy attempt to what I am used to.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

You're describing the HTC Experience desktop. I'm using Motorola Droid where I'm using the Google Experience desktop (the default desktop for Android). Home key calls up the desktop or the last six applications. In Froyo (2.2), hold down the app key brings up the mini versions of all desktops.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

I've been using Advanced Task Killer (ATK) as my manager. You can bring it up from the drop-down status bar. Then long-hold an app and choose to switch to it. (Or kill it, or whatever else you want to do to it)

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

I want to get it from the home button directly, that's the most important part. I tried ATK (mostly on NITdroid) but it doesn't replace the task changing features.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

There have been alot of talk about the task manager actually just being more harmful to the devices battery life and speed.

After using different task managers for 3 weeks on my Galaxy S and reading about the stuff above from xda forums i got a say they might be on to something. I can at least say that the battery life or speed haven't gone down the ~4 weeks i have not used any task manager.


Got a say that Androids multitasking feels something like from 90's. Hopefully Harmattan/MeeGo shines there as Maemo 5 does.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

I may be a Droid fan lately, but these limitations and gripes about multitasking under Android are undeniable. I hope there's a good solution coming with Gingerbread (3.0) since it'll be aimed squarely for tablet usage where, I'm sure, multitasking will be a much bigger issue.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

So do you think i9000 will get Gingerbread?

I wouldn't want to be in a maemo - meego samsung situation...

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Most android apps won't use any battery in the background as they mostly just freeze state. Much like fast app switching in ios4. So Imo task managers are not necessary.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Officially or unofficially is the real niggling detail to your question.

Officially, no idea.

Unofficially, it doesn't seem like ANY handsets are having any problems getting the newest Android OS's. That's at least ONE point for the Android crowd--they at least *DO* manage to get the latest OS to always run on even the oldest hardware Android runs on at all.

You lie!!!!
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...5sSMlw4g7oiPU=

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Depends on the specs. If I remember what I read (if it wasn't pure speculation) the minimum requirements for Gingerbread were..

- 1 Ghz CPU speed
- 512 MB of RAM
- some video requirement?

But as danramos mentioned, that may be targeted solely at tablets and not smartphones running Android. Though I think Google will apply it to everything in an effort to standardize some of the hardware specs out there (much easier to develop games for a standard set of hardware specs)

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Well IMO task switching and closing useless tasks is one of the most important part in an OS. By the current design of android and iOS useless apps can leech battery as they please.

At leas iOS has a decent task manager if it's jailbroken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrGLGoB88So
As for android it's all a pain. Closing an app takes ages with all the menus submenus and long presses.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

I agree. I found it alien when I first came to the platform and, even now after using it for several months, I still find it to be illogical and counter-intuitive to me.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

I searched for iPhone's ProSwitcher and it looks that most task switchers for iPhone have been abandoned since the "new" multitasking in iOS4...

I just don't get what's wrong with these people...

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

But how is it in general any way? Did you get used to it/missN900/still have N900/regret going to android?

And how's the apps and web browsing? Do tabs compare to our "windowed" experience?

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Heh.. I didn't bother wasting my money on the N900. I bought a Nokia N800 years ago the DAY it was released in CompUSA stores and ever since then, I've had such horrible experience with Nokia that I decided to wait until the company improved its customer service and bothered to listen to customers.

As far as coming from Maemo 4 to Android, I still prefer the much more "laptop computer" feeling from Maemo 4 and its ability to work with more folding keyboards (HID profile) and the fact that it's truly a real LINUX computer with a full character set keyboard support and the ability to do USB hosting on the external port.

Sadly, the N900 broken bluetooth folding keyboard compatibility, broke the USB hosting support and several other things that I actually rather LIKED about the N800 (two SDHC cards, NO cell phone--I didn't want a cellphone, MUCH better battery life, MUCH more powerful wifi antennae, etc).

Android stepped in and STILL didn't give me very good bluetooth keyboard support (I did get one that works--but you can't just use ANY bluetooth HID profile keyboard) and it's still not a full Linux "laptop computer". So, I miss that. On the upside, it was FAR FAR cheaper than the N900 for me, I was able to walk back into the store to get a replacement the same day, my customer support issues were addressed IMMEDIATELY and happily, I've found a LOOOOT of magically excellent applications that do everything I want (even the UNIXy stuff) and I've found that rooting and hacking away at my phone is far easier than advertised. Pretty slick! Windowing isn't missed at all. I'd LIKE it, maybe? But having applications working as fluidly and aswell as they do in Android clearly is making up for any advantage that a Windowed system would give me.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

What a big fat lie, what do you look for in an OS? I switched form N900 to the Nexus and it browses faster, the browser with flash 10.1 is nothing to mess with, i thought microB was good, this is spectacular! it has a super fluid OS (no jerks when scrolling), the screen is for lack of better words 'out of this world', i mean, what more can i say? the user experience is light years ahead of maemo/n900, to prove my theory, i couldn't convince a soul to move to Maemo/N900 when i had it, in less than a month, i have 4 people moving to android after playing with my phone, ie 2 iphone 3g users, a 3gs 32gb user (with IOS4 installed) and the poor soul i sold my n900 to as well :-)

I'm sure your thinking it cant get better, right? I thought so too, that is till i installed CyanogenMod v6 NIGHTLY, i fell in love all over again, go ahead google it. :D

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

How can a question be a lie? Please explain your logic.

Re: Android - let us teach you multitasking!
 

Not that I have anything against users with 8 posts but I'll probably see for myself soon.

In terms of UI I tried NITdroid didn't impress at all. On the other hand upgrades keep flowing and flash is already there so Nokia seriously dissapoints with both that and the crappy non-multitouch LCD (SuperAMOLED WTF!:D)