My latest on the Computerworld Tool Talk blog:
Apple will deliver multitasking to iPhone 4.0 this summer, according to a prominent Apple blog. We've heard that rumor before. On the other hand, it has to be true sometime.
Apple will introduce "a multitasking solution through the handset's 4.0 software update that will finally allow several third-party apps to run concurrently and in the backround," according to the blog AppleInsider ("Apple's iPhone 4.0 software to deliver multitasking support.")
Right now, only Apple's apps multitask in the background. So you can listen to music on the iPod, and Mail continues pulling down messages, even when you're doing other things. But third-party apps can't run in the background, unless you jailbreak your iPhone.
Apple has avoided supporting multitasking on the iPhone, probably because it's risky. Done wrong, it would drain the battery rapidly -- and the iPhone battery is already notoriously scant. Badly done multitasking would slow down the iPhone, as too many open apps compete for computing power. And it would lead to crashes.
But those aren't the only risks. AppleInsider provides a good roundup of the issues. Multitasking would make it easier for malefactors to install malware, hiding viruses, spyware, and other treacherous software as background processes. And multitasking would be particularly hard on games, which require fast, predictable responsiveness, and which have been a strong selling point for the iPhone.
Read the rest: Apple iPhone getting multitasking this summer?
Recent Comments