Jan Zdarsa Apple has a really significant competitor for the iPhone in the form of the Palm Pre, which should be released in the US in mid-June. It will focus on the biggest shortcoming of the Apple iPhone 3G and will probably advertise it as its biggest advantage – running applications in the background and working with them. We must not forget about Android, for which the second HTC Magic phone has already been released and other interesting pieces should appear before the end of the year. Even Android can, in its own way, let applications run in the background without slowing down the system any more. However, it is not yet sufficient for the quality of 3rd party applications for those from the iPhone, which is only a matter of time.
Apple knows very well that the competition will attack it through the running of applications in the background, and that is certainly not the position in which Apple would like to be. In the summer, the iPhone will release firmware 3.0, which will bring push notifications, but if you are not currently connected to the Internet, even this will not be an ideal solution. In short, we won't be able to run applications in the background even after the release of the new iPhone firmware 3.0.
But Silicon Alley Insider has heard reports that Apple is working on an option that would allow apps to run in the background in a future firmware release. A maximum of 1-2 apps could run in the background like this, and probably not just any apps, but Apple would probably have to approve those apps. The same Silicon Alley source talks about two possibilities for how these apps could run in the background:
- Apple would allow users to select up to 2 apps to run in the background
- Apple would select some apps to run in the background. Developers could apply for special permissions and Apple would then test them for how they behave in the background and how they affect overall system stability
In my opinion, it would have to be a combination of these two restrictions, because the current hardware would not put too much pressure on background applications, and it would also be advisable to check these applications if their running in the background is not too demanding on the battery, for example.
Later, John Gruber, who is known for having really excellent sources, joined this speculation. He also talks about the fact that he heard a similar speculation back in January during the Macworld Expo. According to him, Apple should have worked on a slightly modified application dock, where there would be the most frequently launched applications and that there would also be one position for the application that we wanted to run in the background.
TechCrunch is the latest to join these speculations, saying that according to its sources, this highly requested iPhone firmware feature is not ready at all, but that Apple is definitely trying to come up with a solution to come up with background running support for third-party apps hillside. TechCrunch thinks this new feature could be introduced at WWDC (in early June) in the same way push notification support was introduced there last year.
Anyway, running apps in the background is not exactly an easy thing to implement, as most games or apps in the current firmware use the iPhone's resources to the max. It's enough if the iPhone is checking email in some demanding game and you can immediately recognize it by the smoothness of the game. It was also recently speculated that the new iPhone should have 256MB of RAM (up from the original 128MB) and a 600Mhz CPU (up from 400MHz). But these speculations come from a Chinese forum, so I don't know if it's appropriate to trust such sources.
Personally, I think that push notification is a great way to protect the battery and save system resources for the right application. I would not buy a mobile phone with the ability to run in the background.
Well, I had a broken mobile with Win mobile, so I directly "congratulate" Apple for its idea (no apps in the background) + app approval, etc.. - maybe that's why the iPhone is so functional and stable (compared to my earlier mistake with win Mobile by phone)
Jablickar is right.
Safari, iPod, email and calling applications run in the background. The latter runs like this non-stop.
I have an application from the appstore memory status, where the first three can be terminated. And thus increase the RAM.
And at the same time, you can watch applications and services running in the background. With Cydia, you could also see other apps in the background thanks to the backgrounder.
1-2 apps in the background would be enough.
I've never had a problem with the backgrounder anyway.
Push notifications are a nice idea, but not everyone has internet on their mobile phone, the internet is not available everywhere, and push notifications are far from usable for all applications. An example of such an application is GPS position logging.
I can't help but feel that all the reasons Apple gives for not allowing applications to run in the background are just artificial hype. That is, maybe they had some reason for this that they simply cannot or do not want to publish. But due to damage to the source and batteries, it seems to me to be a rather weak argument. Completely prohibiting the running of an application just because of the gut, which can run 10 applications, is really quite overwhelming. And having little memory as a reason, when applications could be switched on ancient MACs with 512KB of memory, is also quite ridiculous. I feel that today's iPhone is made entirely somewhere else than the old MAC.
BTW, this is a nice story about the inception of Switcher for MAC…
http://folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=Switcher.txt&topic=Technical&sortOrder=Sort%20by%20Date&detail=medium
Shareholders will not have to wait for Mac OS X - Mobile SDK version 23 :-)). The iPhone cannot be used in the car, nor as a navigation system, nor is Office Mobile possible on it. The stylus doesn't work, only the thumb :-). Connecting with a mobile phone from a laptop is fundamentally wrong - dear leader Kim Jong Il will not allow that :-)). Do you want to sync? Download the music player and register a payment right there, even if you only want to watch freeware :-)). And after hacking you have no warranty.
Copy it to an external notepad, paste it in the form of search for a flashlight, write it from the notepad. That someone once bought it. Only from ver. 3 it will start to be for a few undemanding users.
Well, I don't know what the certified Mrs. Kroes, the European Commissioner for Economic Competition, has to say. There should be a few billion USD fines here.
Apple has aged by losing warranty in various jailbreaks and malfunctions. By version 3, they were delivering an unfinished phone that wasn't using its potential. In part, some things could be "checked out" through their electronic store. Even now it is not necessary for the car.
And why shouldn't I have a stylus? What if I want to use it in winter? Or do I want to use it like Newton with font recognition?
But the worst is iTunes+Apple Store. Interestingly, I tested the Apple Store here from iTunes and it required a credit card number when signing up. I want to enter the credit card during purchase, not during registration. Also how Apple tracks if you buy their "PC". First name, last name, email, phone number, your profession, why you bought this model. This is the DPRK.
Jirka: I wouldn't see it so bleakly, there is still the possibility of using ultra-fast phones with WM, for example Samsung Omnia... and without iTunes! :-)
I would leave the unusable Apple phone to us sheep. :)
And as far as tuning from 3.0 is concerned, there will be something about it, the forum is that all manufacturers do this, but only one iron is enough for Apple and only the software changes. On the other hand, with Nokias, for example, a person should buy x phones before the fine-tuned concept finally arrives.
ps: Don't worry, navigation is coming from 3.0.
I personally was a staunch supporter of Nokia. Then I tried HTC for a while (it went live again in a week). The iPhone suits me perfectly (apart from the connection of the laptop to the Internet, but maybe firm3 will solve it). Two or three applications in the background would be enough, but maybe I'll get used to push notifications. I would definitely (yet) but definitely not go back to my favorite Nokia, which I had to restart at least 3 times a week to get it to work. I have had my iPhone for half a year and once I had to restart it because of applications... Apple forever.
To Jirka: Jirika please have a choice. With every decision in life, you have a choice. No one anywhere claims that iPhone or other Apple products are without errors and that is why there is a lot of competition. In short, I would like for this great website to keep its structure and for no one to use flameware like you. You didn't add any value with your chatter. Wow, I wrote this article from an iPhone, I really don't know how to do it.
Jirik doesn't understand that no one is forcing an iPhone on him. :)
Well, the fact is that after reading my arguments, the Apple sellers contributing here may have smaller deals. Sorry :-).
Do you want our phone? You must be from the USA :-). You have to pay fat USD AT&T so go ahead :-). You have to sync via our iTunes and the Apple Store is built in :-). As malware, we will also force Apple Update with Bonjoour and Safari :-). Quickly enter the credit card number... MMS? What for? Internet? Decent people don't connect laptops to the internet via phone? Navigation? – this is a remnant of imperialism :-). Copy & Paste - what do you need a pad and a pencil for? Foreign languages? Only English is spoken everywhere anyway. It's nice to take off your glove (capacitive display) and click SMS with your thumb in the winter in Alaska. Do you want to develop applications? The party and the government will check your intentions and you will pay tens of percent tax for placing on the Store :-). And maybe even 2 applications will run at the same time - that is, in the future. :-)
Please. Buy it. But it is possible to write that it is not a 100% phone. Or not?
Ad Jirka: you know it can, but be careful big brother Apple can see you :))
As for push notifications, there is a smaller catch, I didn't see a Czech website that mentioned it.
And who will pay for the push service? For example, servers will need to be set up for the IM client, who will pay for the push service and how? Application developer? Or Apple? Or the user, for example, through the Mobile me account?
If the push isn't free, it won't be a back bomb :(
I had a similar frustration with my QTEKU/HTC 8210 or whatever it was a few years ago. Well, I solved the frustration by selling it immediately and I didn't go to the forums about WIN MOBILE, etc. :-)
Jirka: interesting. So that I go to the WM forums and stuff
Fuck your opinion on WM :) no, I'm not Radek Hulán's butt-licker like you :)