One of the most controversial aspects of some mobile platforms is their lack of multi-tasking, or the ability to have multiple applications run in the background. Windows Phone 7 Series, iPhone and iPad have all been criticized over this issue. My latest Engadget column takes on the myth of mobile multi tasking.
“The irony here is that one of the biggest criticisms for years was Windows Mobile’s lack of a task manager and the ability to kill applications that were running. Complaints were so high about multitasking that almost every phone shipped with some sort of third-party task manager. Likewise, the first software I download for any Android device is a task manager to kill background tasks and apps The reason is simple. Running in the background, too many third-party apps overuse system resources, memory, and network to the point where almost any machine with multitasking capability ends up running slowly and killing battery life.”
Just get a webOS phone… problem solved.
Yes you are correct for a lot of things, but the functionality of IM on iPhone is pathetic. I do like most things on the iPhone but the fact that I can not chat (never mind VoIP) and do something else is… silly. The Yahoo solution is around 30% ok, 70% rubbish. BlackBerry IM = MUCH BETTER.