Android does multi-tasking differently than traditional OSs.

Essentially it lets the developer decide what is to be run in the background and when the app should close (based on constrained OS resources) in their code. So when you switch away from an app, some of the app may continue running, or the app may stop and sit in memory. When the system needs more resources, the inactive apps can be automatically state saved, and closed. This can be good for battery life, and makes usage easier.

Thus the user never has to even think about closing an application, it happens automatically. The user also doesn't have to think about task management as it happens automatically. Since version 2.3, AFAIK, it is quite effective, and task-killers are generally unnecessary.

Moreover, you can launch applications to your hearts content, and the system will automatically state save and 'close' apps that are hogging resources, but not doing anything productive.

People are quick to label it as not 'true' multitasking, but the scheme is very clever and actually offers much more control over multi-tasking than merely schedule priority. Still, it's somewhat despised by traditional-linux folk.

I personally really like it (in theory), and wish that my linux notebook had similar characteristics.

Perhaps not, but it gives the platform credibility, and much like sports cars that will never see the track, fill out its list of 'can-dos'.

I like the idea of occasionally browsing popular mechanics on a tablet, or other publications, but only at a very low cost. Capt'n can't survive on a stable of poorly written blogs and unattractive pages forever. However, this isn't a major selling feature for me either, though nice to have.

You don't personally manage tasks the way you do on desktop OS's--you just launch whetever you want to run and it'll be there in the background. If you want to focus back into your app, hold down HOME to switch back to the app you want to look at. You shouldn't be starting and stopping apps yourself. You, in fact, kill your battery by micromanaging tasks. Back out of apps you want to exit, run apps you want to go into. Android will automatically manage resources on its own and stop apps if it would benefit you only when it is beneficial. (Think, say, back to Palm OS memory management. You never unloaded apps from memory--there was no benefit since everything was managed by the OS for you and data was live in memory.)

What Android OS version is NITdroid claiming to run? (From the desktop, tap the MENU button, tap SETTINGS, tap ABOUT DEVICE and look at the FIRMWARE VERSION number.) If it's running 2.3, there is NO benefit to micromanaging tasks and you most DEFINITELY should not be task-killing. If you're running 2.2 and earlier, there MIGHT be some minor benefit, but it's still generally a bad idea.

Here's some good reading, if you want details:
Multitasking the Android Way

am running 2.3.4 thanks for the word for advice then I better stop killing apps left right and center. I was never a big fan of android but the more I use it the more I can see myself using it on the long term basis

Actually, here's another pretty good article about multitasking in Android (with illustrations!)
FAQ: Why You Shouldn’t Be Using a Task Killer with Android

That's fantastic! 2.3.4 is an EXCELLENT version of the code to be based on and I would definitely recommend holding off the app killing. Let Android just manage memory and tasks for you. You just run apps whenever you want and switch to them whenever you want without bothering to kill.

Maybe it FEELS sloppy, coming from the Linux/Windows world, but then I remember my uncle's first time running Linux on his desktop after I got him into Ubuntu... and how he kept asking me how he was going to defrag the hard drive if Linux doesn't come with a defrag tool. Once I explained to him how Linux extended filesystem works (and how it prevents and automatically manages fragmentation), he felt ill-at-ease because he STILL felt like it was a habit he needed to maintain. I suspect you are having the same sort of discomfort at learning that you no longer need to do this extra bit of housekeeping you always thought you needed to do. Relax and enjoy! Let us know if you have any other questions about how to use it!

Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May

Here's the Samsung press release (in case you have NoScript enabled... Engadget is lame that way):

Samsung Offers Android 2.3 'Gingerbread' Upgrade for GALAXY S and GALAXY Tab

SEOUL--(Korea Newswire) May 16, 2011 -- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a global leader in Android™ mobile devices, today announced the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) upgrade to the Samsung GALAXY S, GALAXY Tab, and GALAXY Ace/Gio/Fit/mini, giving users enhanced performance and an improved user interface.

The GALAXY S and GALAXY Tab are Samsung's intelligently designed smart devices with 1 GHz application processors, giving users an intuitive, immersive and integrated mobile experience.

The upgrade from Froyo 2.2 to Gingerbread 2.3 offers an even greater user experience, with features including:

· Faster Performance – Multimedia content now has a lower CPU consumption rate, while support for more powerful 3D Graphics enables an enhanced mobile gaming experience.
· Upgraded Usability – The user interface has been improved, enabling faster access and control and a more intuitive user experience. Users will also benefit from improved copy-and-paste functionality.

The Android 2.3 upgrade will start with GALAXY S in the UK and Nordic countries from mid-May, and gradually rolled out to other European markets, North America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East Asia, Africa and rest of the world according to the regional plan.

The upgrade will be available via Kies, Samsung's device management software. Kies can be downloaded from Samsung's corporate website (http://www.samsung.com).

Turns out the overclocking application i had was set to conservative. After i put it on performance the device worked fine

While setting the ARM CPU governor to CONSERVATIVE may have underclocked your CPU all the time, making it run sluggish, setting it to PERFORMANCE will drain your battery really badly, since you're telling to run at maximum speed ALL the time.

Do you have an option to set the CPU governor to ON DEMAND? If so, you may want to choose that. That's what I set my Motorola Droid to do, so that it bounces between 250MHz (when I'm idling, that's most of the time, to save LOTS of power) and then it runs straight up to 800MHz (when the screen is powered on and I'm interacting with the handset, that's rarely, to use more power when I need it to react to my interactions).

Just a quick note to let you all know that Adobe Flash is available in the Android Market for a brand new update (Flash 10.3.185.22), mostly bug fixes and security updates.