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Hi everyone,
A friend of mine just got a Palm pre plus. Nice phone, not bad at all. I still prefer my Nexus but one tool really did caught my eye on the Palm.
The multitasking ability is wonderfull on the Pre. the ability to view small windows of every tasks you are running, moving left of right to switch and up to close/kill an app is just plain awesome.
I know jailbroken Iphone can download a similar app through cydia. So if the Iphone can do it, Why can't I find anything alike for Android?
That would be a great app that for sure many would download as it is just nice looking.
thanks a lot for reading.
Aeonys
Aeonys said:
Hi everyone,
A friend of mine just got a Palm pre plus. Nice phone, not bad at all. I still prefer my Nexus but one tool really did caught my eye on the Palm.
The multitasking ability is wonderfull on the Pre. the ability to view small windows of every tasks you are running, moving left of right to switch and up to close/kill an app is just plain awesome.
I know jailbroken Iphone can download a similar app through cydia. So if the Iphone can do it, Why can't I find anything alike for Android?
That would be a great app that for sure many would download as it is just nice looking.
thanks a lot for reading.
Aeonys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would love love love this.
That would be way cool Been wanting something like that for a while now
You mean a task switcher
And yes, would be a nice feature
Aeonys said:
Hi everyone,
A friend of mine just got a Palm pre plus. Nice phone, not bad at all. I still prefer my Nexus but one tool really did caught my eye on the Palm.
The multitasking ability is wonderfull on the Pre. the ability to view small windows of every tasks you are running, moving left of right to switch and up to close/kill an app is just plain awesome.
I know jailbroken Iphone can download a similar app through cydia. So if the Iphone can do it, Why can't I find anything alike for Android?
That would be a great app that for sure many would download as it is just nice looking.
thanks a lot for reading.
Aeonys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can simply long press the home button. It's not all your running tasks, just your six most recently executed applications. It's not nearly as cool of an interface as the Palm Pre may have, but it effectively does the same thing. For killing processes I recommend Advanced Task Manager.
I'm sure we'll have a similar interface on stock Android in future releases. 2.5 perhaps?
@mhaedo:
Thanks for the tip! I tried it and it aint bad.
I already had Commantalb and ES task manager.
Both of them and this trick do partly what I ask (and other too.)
Check out the proswitcher on youtube. I'm sure it ain't too hard to have an app running in the back that shows up like commantab show you the windows let you kill them with a vertical slide, etc.
If I wait for this to happen on android 3.1 I may as well buy an Iphone (oh dear no way!)...
Proswitcher looks fantastic.
Now that we have a phone with some decent power, I'd love to see a graphical task switching app with thumbnails and gestures like this!
Aeonys said:
@mhaedo:
Thanks for the tip! I tried it and it aint bad.
I already had Commantalb and ES task manager.
Both of them and this trick do partly what I ask (and other too.)
Check out the proswitcher on youtube. I'm sure it ain't too hard to have an app running in the back that shows up like commantab show you the windows let you kill them with a vertical slide, etc.
If I wait for this to happen on android 3.1 I may as well buy an Iphone (oh dear no way!)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having used the two multitasking solutions available on cydia (multifl0w and kirkae) I can report that they are buggy at best. In theory it works well but in practice, I often had apps crash when backgrounded (pandora was a fine example of this). The phone was not meant for it and could barely support it.
Using backgrounder alone with pandora worked well most of the time but even then pandora would close.
Personally, I have no real compelling interest in a pre-esque multitasking ability on the n1 but if someone came out with one, I would definitely try it out for no other reason than "why not".
coming from a 3gs and having used mquickdo and kirikae, I also would like to see how the n1 would handle task switching.
yep, backgrounding + task switching via card view on the iphone (specially through kirikae) was nice to have and would like to see how a similar solution would operate on the n1 - which supports unfettered multitasking out of the box.
aside from task switching, i would really like to have a nice way to invoke favorite, instead of recently used apps.
You're gonna end up with like....8 million cards when you want to switch.
aleitry said:
coming from a 3gs and having used mquickdo and kirikae, I also would like to see how the n1 would handle task switching.
yep, backgrounding + task switching via card view on the iphone (specially through kirikae) was nice to have and would like to see how a similar solution would operate on the n1 - which supports unfettered multitasking out of the box.
aside from task switching, i would really like to have a nice way to invoke favorite, instead of recently used apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you want to use a set of favourites, why not just make the "home" desktop where you keep your favourites? Seems to satisfy that ask, no?
deprecate said:
if you want to use a set of favourites, why not just make the "home" desktop where you keep your favourites? Seems to satisfy that ask, no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stop being so logical.
aleitry said:
i would really like to have a nice way to invoke favorite, instead of recently used apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can create a folder on your home screen, name it favorites, then dump shortcuts of all your favorite, top 5 or top 10 apps in there.
legitimate suggestions and really i'm in no way being critical about current support for folders or shortcuts. pre like task switching or swipe-to-invoke features would be cool - but not necessary. bottom line - my n1 runs circles around my 3gs - without jbreaking.
deprecate said:
Having used the two multitasking solutions available on cydia (multifl0w and kirkae) I can report that they are buggy at best. In theory it works well but in practice, I often had apps crash when backgrounded (pandora was a fine example of this). The phone was not meant for it and could barely support it.
Using backgrounder alone with pandora worked well most of the time but even then pandora would close.
Personally, I have no real compelling interest in a pre-esque multitasking ability on the n1 but if someone came out with one, I would definitely try it out for no other reason than "why not".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to disagree with you on this Sir. proswitcher and Multiflow are both apps made by some user to compensate a HUGE lack in the Iphone. They are comparable to Cyanogen making multitouch on the Nexus (on the video it was shaky and unprecise at best). Besides, they can hardly work well because of the phone's design (solo tasking).
Now you've got the Nexus: Lots of power, and able to multitask. So with such a device I don't think it would be SOOOOO complicated to actually make a switching feature like it exists with great success on the Palm PRE.
I had to spend quite a long while the first time on my wife's Iphone just to get Proswitcher (unlock/root/blackstuff/cydia/backgrounder/proswitcher/settings) to get this important app: because quite frankly, yes it's buggy but it's awesome to be ABLE to do more than 1 thing at the same time like looking for apps and installing apps for example... My Pal who's got the PRE now has this feature built it. His PRE is nice, no offense, but the Nexus kills it. This feature would be one of the only thing I'm really jealous about.
lol from the dev of ProSwitcher when asked about making a similar app for Android.
chpwn
@xManMythLegend If you send me an Android phone, sure, but I don't own any.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
proswitcher is sooo cool its almost sickening! our n1's can run x2 amount of apps as the iphone and yet we only get to switch between the most recent 6?! thats weak! i bet if we keep this thread alive (and on topic) we can see some development. lets see what dev is up to the challenge. i would definitely pay for something like this!
your posts needs some clearing up.
Iman07 said:
our n1's can run x2 amount of apps as the iphone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
N1 can run not just x2 amount of apps as the iphone. More, way more...prob more near 10? 20? obviously depending on the app itself.
Iman07 said:
yet we only get to switch between the most recent 6?! thats weak!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We are able to switch between any open apps by loading up the app again from either the drawer or any shortcuts you've made. I understand you may mean by touch holding the home button but tbh its far far easier to press home once and nav to your app, and having it open instantly. Rather than sifting through pages to find it.
m00moo said:
your posts needs some clearing up.
N1 can run not just x2 amount of apps as the iphone. More, way more...prob more near 10? 20? obviously depending on the app itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was basing it solely on the fact that our N1's have twice as much RAM as the iPhone, 512 vs 256 respectively. Of course it depends on size of the app but it wasnt meant to be scrutinized over.
m00moo said:
We are able to switch between any open apps by loading up the app again from either the drawer or any shortcuts you've made. I understand you may mean by touch holding the home button but tbh its far far easier to press home once and nav to your app, and having it open instantly. Rather than sifting through pages to find it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I do mean by holding the home button, but I find it more work to have to open the app drawer and sift through my 100 apps, though alphabetical, can be cumbersome. To each his own though.
Still would love to see a more effective and efficient method of switching between apps than the obvious (placing shortcuts on the desktop), sifting through app cards is cooler than sifting through the app drawer. Perhaps if the cards were limited to a certain number so it doesnt get out of hand. Who knows!
I can't find a way to close (terminate) an application other than hitting the back button, which can be not only painful but unwanted. In IE9 for example, if I've navigated through several pages in a session, if I want to close IE I have to go all the way back until the application closes, which also means that, next time, unless I go into History, I won't be able to start browsing from where I left.
It seems that is not possible to close an application from the task switcher, which is hard to understand.
Am I missing something?
Nop, it is just like that. It's not a mess like Android, but it would be better if we could close from task switcher, yes.
Since applications do not actively run in the background, there's no need to terminate anything.
dkp1977 said:
Since applications do not actively run in the background, there's no need to terminate anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At least for now. Eventually, every app will come with background support.
mikeeam said:
At least for now. Eventually, every app will come with background support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But these are agents which can be setup in the settings. Agents running in the background will never ever appear in the task switcher and will even run when you didn't even start the according app after a reboot.
There is no need to terminate apps because they do not run in the background. Period. What you are seeing in the task switcher is simply a history list of the 5 most recent apps or things you have done, show in a thumbnail view. These apps are not open.
Now to be able to remove cards from the task switcher so you can view other cards in the back stack would be useful, but not available at this time.
If you wanted to 'close' IE', you could simply close each tab you have open. No need to go back through all your web pages.
prjkthack said:
Now to be able to remove cards from the task switcher so you can view other cards in the back stack would be useful, but not available at this time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. As it is now, most of the time the task switcher will be useless to me, since it will always be filled with the five most recent apps I have run, whether or not those are the five apps I would like to be able to quickly switch back to. And most of the time, they won't be. I want to be able to a) pin apps to the card stack, and b) "flush" unneeded apps from the card stack.
It's supposed to be a convenience tool, but doesn't strike me as adding much convenience in its current implementation.
RoboDad said:
Exactly. As it is now, most of the time the task switcher will be useless to me, since it will always be filled with the five most recent apps I have run, whether or not those are the five apps I would like to be able to quickly switch back to. And most of the time, they won't be. I want to be able to a) pin apps to the card stack, and b) "flush" unneeded apps from the card stack.
It's supposed to be a convenience tool, but doesn't strike me as adding much convenience in its current implementation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm assuming it was built this way to accommodate the most common multitasking scenarios, of course that doesn't suit everyone, but I'm sure it'll work just fine for the majority of people.
When thought of from that perspective, 5 cards is more than enough for the majority. Maybe even too much.
Ok, let me see if I understand:
If I'm in IE9 and hit the windows button, IE9 will no longer be using resources. So each application in the foreground is sort of "running alone". Is that right?
octaedro7 said:
Ok, let me see if I understand:
If I'm in IE9 and hit the windows button, IE9 will no longer be using resources. So each application in the foreground is sort of "running alone". Is that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
With mango there might be background agents running, but they are restricted in what they can do and what resources they can take up. So the answer will still be yes.
Hello there.
First, i'm not trolling.. I just want to be sure i'm not msising anything here.
I've been using Mango for a while, and with some mango updated apps here. Like Gchat, Tasks, Wonder Reader.. Well, I noticed something:
The multitask just works when you use the back button. So if you go to another app, come back to home and open it in tiles, it will reload the whole app instead of resuming. Seriously?!
Or is this an option to developers?
Please, tell me i'm wrong. I love WP7 too much to handle a glitch like this ;/
Thank you guys.
I would say this is up to the developer. There's a resume hack that exists in NoDo, which requires editing one of the app's XML's.
Resumable XAP Tool v0.1 Release
drkfngthdragnlrd said:
I would say this is up to the developer. There's a resume hack that exists in NoDo, which requires editing one of the app's XML's.
Resumable XAP Tool v0.1 Release
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but resuming apps just works when you use fast switch or back button. Not in home opening the app..
mikeeam said:
Yeah, but resuming apps just works when you use fast switch or back button. Not in home opening the app..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the home you just open another instance of the same app ..you are not multitasking ...
If an app let you open multiply instances of its self (the app) its have nothing to do with multitasking.
And by the way i like the title of your thread !!!!! Really ???? Most of the mobile industry agree that the WP7 multitasking its one of the best ...
colossus_r said:
From the home you just open another instance of the same app ..you are not multitasking ...
If an app let you open multiply instances of its self (the app) its have nothing to do with multitasking.
And by the way i like the title of your thread !!!!! Really ???? Most of the mobile industry agree that the WP7 multitasking its one of the best ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it has to do with the way it's coded or the system does that automatically? Because, seriously, I dont see where it's better than just re-open the same instance that is already opened. Takes much more time.
mikeeam said:
But it has to do with the way it's coded or the system does that automatically? Because, seriously, I dont see where it's better than just re-open the same instance that is already opened. Takes much more time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its app related ...Some apps they do let you open more that one instance ...some other they dont
mikeeam said:
But it has to do with the way it's coded or the system does that automatically? Because, seriously, I dont see where it's better than just re-open the same instance that is already opened. Takes much more time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that the motivation behind that is that most users wont actively multitask with more than 2-3 apps at a time, and for that holding the back button will suffice just fine. For most users there's better to go to a new instance instead of returning to the old one when they've spent a long time doing something else, and mostly I agree with this.
As smarthphone user (and developer for HTC Charmer few years ago) since 2003, I must agree. I'm really disapointed with WP7 parody to multitasking. Hope things will go better when Nokia reveals their WP devices and more users will force MS to relook their policy.
Cracking this and breaking through this system is currently nonsense - you can only lost excellent WP7 stability and performance. This step must come from core MS developers...
Hope they started WP7 the same way as they did in case of Windows 7 - they started to use "tiny core" minwin architecture which is highly modular. In windows 8, minwin kernel idea is pushed further and it can only be better. This modular core architecture allows them to add major functions without need of complete rewriting the code. WP8 could be a really great system if its handled this way
I wish multitasking was option, as you can turn it off and on via settings. I rarely if ever use it. Its pretty annoying how it works.
Sent from my HD7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
There's a difference between third party apps versus the first party apps provided by Microsoft.
First party apps can have multiple entries in the app switcher (One example is the Messaging app where you'll see multiple chat sessions in the back stack).
Third party apps can only have one entry in the app switcher list at any one time. If you have a third party app in the back stack and you start a new instance of it by tapping on its main or secondary app tile, the previous instance of the app is removed from the back stack. So even if an app has multiple entry points (such as if it has more than one tile pinned on the Start screen), it'll only ever appear once in the app switcher. As far as I know, there is no way for a dev to change this behavior.
And it's true that opening an app via its tile will start a new instance, and this is the opposite of what iOS does. I've already described it in some detail here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17171504&postcount=5
Since Mango and iOS are the only 2 major phone OS's that do fast app switching, I'd have to agree that Mango's implementation is worse than iOS's.
(Not to be picky, but this is technically not "multitasking". Multitasking on Windows Phone involves the use of background agents. And IMO it has a better multitasking API than iOS because it has periodic agents that can be scheduled.)
SuperSlacker said:
There's a difference between third party apps versus the first party apps provided by Microsoft.
First party apps can have multiple entries in the app switcher (One example is the Messaging app where you'll see multiple chat sessions in the back stack).
Third party apps can only have one entry in the app switcher list at any one time. If you have a third party app in the back stack and you start a new instance of it by tapping on its main or secondary app tile, the previous instance of the app is removed from the back stack. So even if an app has multiple entry points (such as if it has more than one tile pinned on the Start screen), it'll only ever appear once in the app switcher. As far as I know, there is no way for a dev to change this behavior.
And it's true that opening an app via its tile will start a new instance, and this is the opposite of what iOS does. I've already described it in some detail here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17171504&postcount=5
Since Mango and iOS are the only 2 major phone OS's that do fast app switching, I'd have to agree that Mango's implementation is worse than iOS's.
(Not to be picky, but this is technically not "multitasking". Multitasking on Windows Phone involves the use of background agents. And IMO it has a better multitasking API than iOS because it has periodic agents that can be scheduled.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldnt find that post, and thought no one answered. Glad to see you did. Yes, it helped a lot. I really love this OS, but forcing me to use back button instead of just resuming the app is lame.
Most of users just want it to be fast. Dont care about how they close, or how they open it. Me included. MS could just change it, using the same API as now. Opening in tiles resume the instance. Way faster for most of users.
Now I'm going to try to get used to it. Or just go back to iOS, unfortunately.
Microsoft has a powerful browser in MANGO. Its ability to load multiple pages in the background is very effective to those who visit many different sites. This definitely reduces overall waiting time. Microsoft, however, has chosen to remove the easy accessed “tabs” and “favorites” icon and bury it under the menu, thus making tabbed browsing two taps more difficult, and to some, more annoying. Many mango users have been irritated with this change, myself included.
The reason for this removal is that Microsoft has collected sufficient data to conclude that most users don’t use the “tab” and ‘favorites” feature often.
Do you think Microsoft made the right choice to bury the “tab” and “favorites” icons into Mango’s menu to provide a more “full-page-experience?” Would you have sacrificed easy tab browsing? What would you done differently? How can Microsoft push innovation for mobile browsing to the Next Level? Your thoughts are welcomed.
Obviously not, but Microsoft is not known for making good choices these days.
I dont mind the change. The only thing i would like to see is the address bar disappear after a minute or so to provide a larger viewing screen.
DJRedLine said:
I dont mind the change. The only thing i would like to see is the address bar disappear after a minute or so to provide a larger viewing screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. They obviously deprioritized tabbed browsing but it's not that big of a deal. Fullscreen after a timeout would be a welcome addition.
The "Favorites" buttons were a waste of space.
I wonder what type of data they collected.
They should at least add a setting that gives users a choice on whether to bury it or leave it show.
Hopefully, they'll set things right in the future minor updates.
I personally don't miss these icons as I never used them. But I agree with the point, that the adress bar could disappear after a while, the question might be: How can we get the adress bar back, when we need it again
I dont particularly like it off the bat but I'll get used to it I'm sure.
i would like a "half button" like the paste button on the keyboard. when swiping the address bar this could reveal the button (again, exactly like the paste button) allowing access to the old tab interface.
I really miss quick tab access and the folders button in Outlook. Seems to me gesture based access to tabs would have been a better solution for tab access than deprecating tabs into the menu. They have their data from testing, but it doesn't make it any more palatable.
It's really all about how you use it, isn't it? In general, I like the fact that the majority of the chrome was moved to the bottom of the screen, but otherwise I'm finding that (personally) I have more clicks to get to what I need.
For instance, I don't tend to enter NEW urls very often (almost never), nor do I refresh the page I'm on very often. Now those controls are front and center, and I hardly ever use them. I would also like to see the URL box disappear after a short time. No need to see it so prominently. Also, when you flip up the bottom of the screen for more options, why does the top of the screen (time, cell reception, etc.) come down as well? Seems unnecessary.
Otherwise, I tend to open my browser, look through about 8 sites that I have in my "favorites", and then close it up. Now I have to perform an extra "flip up" action for each favorited site I visit. Annoying, but not the end of the world.
Certainly interesting changes to make.
I hate Microsoft's removal of the "tab" and "favorites" icon in the browser!
IMO the new solution is much better at least where tabbed browsing is concerned ..... try fast app switching while two or more apps are open .....you'll see what i mean.
in regards to favorites the solution is not as good as before but since i rarely use that feature.... and after all i could pin a website i frequently use to my home scree....
AdryJay said:
I hate Microsoft's removal of the "tab" and "favorites" icon in the browser!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I normally navigate from site to site using the bookmarks I keep saved. In WP7, without quick and simple access to the bookmarks, it makes things less desirable.
funnystar said:
I personally don't miss these icons as I never used them. But I agree with the point, that the adress bar could disappear after a while, the question might be: How can we get the adress bar back, when we need it again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe swiping from the top of the screen like in W8.
Sent from my Samsung Focus using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Can't answer the pollthe way it is worded. I do agree that it is more difficult but I would not say I hardly use tabs anyway. I used them all the time. I also use favorites a lot and only rarely type in address bar.
It isn't a huge problem but it's a step back.
I did use tabbed browsing but only because whenever I opend a link, I would have a new tab open and thus I had to close tabs. I was not browsing different pages at the same time very often, but from time to time.
I like it the way it is now, because otherwise the "Tabs" button would have taken up space I need.
Now it is two taps away instead of one tap and I don't think that is so much of a deal. If you look at the usage stats they shared its obvious this was the right decision.
I've used an Android tablet for about a year now, and although I've put in a lot of time to make it useful and controllable, it still has a lot of troubling mysteries. I have a few questions for developer types that hopefully will help shed some light on things:
1. Why don't applications feature a "Close" button? In both Windows and GNU/Linux with a GUI, you get a neat little "X" at the top right of the window. Usually, when you click this, the application terminates. Is that so much to ask for on Android? The means of closing apps on Android seem to be entirely up to the devs and there doesn't appear to be a standard way at all. Some of the apps I've used on Android don't have any way to close them whatsoever, with the exception of killing them from a task manager or the "Manage Apps" section of settings.
2. Why do many of these programs suddenly and mysteriously start running entirely on their own? It's terribly frustrating for me to kill an app and in a half an hour find it there on the task manager list again, running without my having asked for it to do so. Where is this controlled? If there is some sort of task scheduler making this happen, why can't I easily see a list of scheduled tasks and choose which ones to run or not to run?
3. For programs that *are* running in the background (the ones I *want* to have running), why is it that they usually don't have some sort of taskbar icon to indicate at a glance that they are still running?
4. Why can't I see everything that's loading when the tablet starts? I guess I'm asking to see a logcat screen instead of a splash screen. GNU/Linux distros don't usually hide everything from the end user, so why isn't it optional on an Android tablet? Even in custom ROMS all I get are neat looking splash screens, not a terminal interface on boot.
5. Why doesn't a decent firewall application yet exist for Android? All I seem to be able to find are really coarse ones like Droidwall, where it's an all or nothing proposition (allow/block). I'd like to be able to control protocols, ports, zones and individual IP addresses and ranges like a good firewall on Windows or GNU/Linux allows. I am constantly under suspicion that someone is doing something on my tablet without my even being aware of it.
6. Why are permissions for applications so difficult to control? Maybe I don't want some stupid game getting a look at my contacts list. I realize I can just uninstall the game, but so many apps seem to tap into stuff that they shouldn't be allowed to, I feel like some sort of permissions control should be a default standard thing in Android. Instead all there seems to be are a couple of apps on the market that may or may not work.
7. Do any of you developers feel dissatisfied about the state of Android, and does Google take your feedback seriously?
8. Are there any forks of the Android OS that don't rely on Google for anything? I'm not 100 percent sure about the difference between a GNU and an Apache license. How much of the OS is closed-source? Is it enough to prevent a true, fully open-sourced Android-based OS from being made?
Sorry if any of these questions sound stupid, but even though Android is supposed to be more open than iOS, it's still not open enough for my tastes. I actually feel safer using Windows than Android, and that's just not how it should be. Am I alone in this feeling?
Ok. I would honestly say you should have gone with a Windows tablet if you want all those... It's not a computer. It's a mobile device running a mobile os. It's not gonna be a full blown computer.
McMick said:
I've used an Android tablet for about a year now, and although I've put in a lot of time to make it useful and controllable, it still has a lot of troubling mysteries. I have a few questions for developer types that hopefully will help shed some light on things:
1. Why don't applications feature a "Close" button? In both Windows and GNU/Linux with a GUI, you get a neat little "X" at the top right of the window. Usually, when you click this, the application terminates. Is that so much to ask for on Android? The means of closing apps on Android seem to be entirely up to the devs and there doesn't appear to be a standard way at all. Some of the apps I've used on Android don't have any way to close them whatsoever, with the exception of killing them from a task manager or the "Manage Apps" section of settings.
2. Why do many of these programs suddenly and mysteriously start running entirely on their own? It's terribly frustrating for me to kill an app and in a half an hour find it there on the task manager list again, running without my having asked for it to do so. Where is this controlled? If there is some sort of task scheduler making this happen, why can't I easily see a list of scheduled tasks and choose which ones to run or not to run?
3. For programs that *are* running in the background (the ones I *want* to have running), why is it that they usually don't have some sort of taskbar icon to indicate at a glance that they are still running?
4. Why can't I see everything that's loading when the tablet starts? I guess I'm asking to see a logcat screen instead of a splash screen. GNU/Linux distros don't usually hide everything from the end user, so why isn't it optional on an Android tablet? Even in custom ROMS all I get are neat looking splash screens, not a terminal interface on boot.
5. Why doesn't a decent firewall application yet exist for Android? All I seem to be able to find are really coarse ones like Droidwall, where it's an all or nothing proposition (allow/block). I'd like to be able to control protocols, ports, zones and individual IP addresses and ranges like a good firewall on Windows or GNU/Linux allows. I am constantly under suspicion that someone is doing something on my tablet without my even being aware of it.
6. Why are permissions for applications so difficult to control? Maybe I don't want some stupid game getting a look at my contacts list. I realize I can just uninstall the game, but so many apps seem to tap into stuff that they shouldn't be allowed to, I feel like some sort of permissions control should be a default standard thing in Android. Instead all there seems to be are a couple of apps on the market that may or may not work.
7. Do any of you developers feel dissatisfied about the state of Android, and does Google take your feedback seriously?
8. Are there any forks of the Android OS that don't rely on Google for anything? I'm not 100 percent sure about the difference between a GNU and an Apache license. How much of the OS is closed-source? Is it enough to prevent a true, fully open-sourced Android-based OS from being made?
Sorry if any of these questions sound stupid, but even though Android is supposed to be more open than iOS, it's still not open enough for my tastes. I actually feel safer using Windows than Android, and that's just not how it should be. Am I alone in this feeling?
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Click to collapse
1. Well, its a mobile OS and it would be rather annoying to have a close button on every (even most) apps. No mobile OS has had a close button
2. That's an app problem, the developer either wanted the app to do that for some function, or they made some mistake in creating causing that to happen.
3. There would be too many apps, and I doubt people want extra notifications in the status bar just informing them what's running. For example, my friends Stratosphere has a status notif whenever WiFi is connected, and it annoys the crap out of me whenever I use it.
4. Probably, because people don't care... remember Android (like WP and iOS) are supposed to appeal to consumers as a phone for "facebook, games, and internet," and if the splashscreen/bootanimation was a logcat, people would just go "wut?" Also, as smartphones get faster and faster, so does bootup time. And there wouldn't be enough time to read what's on the logcat before it fully boots and you're at the lockscreen
5. Ask the devs.
6. Once again, dev thing. They are entitled to putting whatever permission they want, and Google isn't going to stop them. Just think about it though, most people don't care about permissions. iOS doesn't display them (even though they are there) and people download apps like there's no tomorrow anyway.
7. I read somewhere that the main designer of Android was "40% complete" at ICS. It gets me excited at what's next to come, since 4.0+ is already pretty amazing.
8. I'm too retarded to understand this question
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As gagdude said for 1-7.
8. There's the Chinese Aliyun OS which looks and feels a lot like Android but doesn't rely on Google - but I would't try it. You could try Ubuntu Linux if your device supports it.
Android needs to be like apple with updates time to close source this already and just have one phone already
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Reopened, but if it gets unproviding and or heads Off Topic, well then I will readdress this thread.....
Thank you and you can Thank user: Syncopath
gagdude said:
No mobile OS has had a close button
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Click to collapse
Wrong, PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years on my HTC Wallaby, had a close button for every application.
@McMick, many of your points struck a chord with me and I have often asked myself the same things since migrating to Android from Pocket PC 2002 on my HTC Wallaby. Certainly points 1, 3, 7 and 8.
Since I jumped from PPC 2002 to Android 2.3.6 I've had the same thoughts. And I was for instance surprised to see that only now (Galaxy Note 2) are the very first steps being taken towards multiple windows.
I agree with point 4 too. On a PC (Linux or Windows) you can choose whether you see what's starting (BIOS and OS boot) or prefer a reassuring animation.
5. I have Avast!Mobile Security which has what is reckoned to be one of the best firewalls for Android, but even that only has, as you say, block or allow (individually for WiFi, 3G and mobile network).
6. The trouble with limiting permissions for apps is that if they can't get the access they want, they won't work. Personally I use the app Privacy Blocker which works around that by feeding the apps you choose not to allow to snoop nonsense information.
However it's not enough just to stand on the sidelines and issue one's wishes to "the developers". The point and the spirit of XDA-developers is that we can all start modifying things if we want to. So instead of saying "Why can't I" the thing to do is to start reading and learning and seeing if you might not after all just be able to ... do something yourself when it comes to your device.
Every Android developer does what appeals to them, which is why there is such a wonderful diversity of ROMs and apps for Android, particularly here on XDA.
So get stuck in and start trying to change things on your own device for a start. On point 5 for instance, you do see a logcat screen when you boot into recovery mode, so perhaps there's a way to display that when booting. If you do get started on modifications in the directions you indicate, I shall certainly follow progress with interest.
Thanks to BigJoe2675.
syncopath said:
Wrong, PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years on my HTC Wallaby,
However it's not enough just to stand on the sidelines and issue one's wishes to "the developers". The point and the spirit of XDA-developers is that we can all start modifying things if we want to. So instead of saying "Why can't I" the thing to do is to start reading and learning and seeing if you might not after all just be able to ... do something yourself when it comes to your device.
Every Android developer does what appeals to them, which is why there is such a wonderful diversity of ROMs and apps for Android, particularly here on XDA.
So get stuck in and start trying to change things on your own device for a start. On point 5 for instance, you do see a logcat screen when you boot into recovery mode, so perhaps there's a way to display that when booting. If you do get started on modifications in the directions you indicate, I shall certainly follow progress with interest.
Thanks to BigJoe2675.
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Click to collapse
+1
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PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years :crying::crying: sorry for this....
syncopath said:
Wrong, PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years on my HTC Wallaby, had a close button for every application.
@McMick, many of your points struck a chord with me and I have often asked myself the same things since migrating to Android from Pocket PC 2002 on my HTC Wallaby. Certainly points 1, 3, 7 and 8.
Since I jumped from PPC 2002 to Android 2.3.6 I've had the same thoughts. And I was for instance surprised to see that only now (Galaxy Note 2) are the very first steps being taken towards multiple windows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, but I wasn't born in 2002.
Lol jk I was, but I wasn't "born" to technology back then. I got my first phone only 3 years ago or so... and that just makes it seem that close buttons are now obsolete (on Mobile OSes, at least
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gagdude said:
OK, but I wasn't born in 2002.
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LOL as I believe they say these days. I forgive you instantly! I am amazed by your over 1000 posts in about 4 months.
McMick said:
4. Why can't I see everything that's loading when the tablet starts? I guess I'm asking to see a logcat screen instead of a splash screen. GNU/Linux distros don't usually hide everything from the end user, so why isn't it optional on an Android tablet? Even in custom ROMS all I get are neat looking splash screens, not a terminal interface on boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The app [root] live logcat by the one and only Chainfire [/hyperbole] should fix this. There are free and paid versions. Something to check out if you're rooted. Please let us know of the results. Added on edit: from Google Play.
syncopath said:
LOL as I believe they say these days. I forgive you instantly! I am amazed by your over 1000 posts in about 4 months.
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Click to collapse
Oh no that just means I'm a loser and I spend too much time on xda
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@bigjoe,
bigjoe2675 said:
PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years :crying::crying: sorry for this....
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Don't quite understand this message, probably due to my inability to correctly interpret emoticons (reverse autism?). Anyway, thanks for re-opening this one because I
think what is being discussed here is worthwhile. Given the pressure of spammer-threat I think the OP should respond soon (or anyone else). Otherwise it will be understandable if you close the thread if you prefer.
bigjoe2675 said:
Reopened, but if it gets unproviding and or heads Off Topic, well then I will readdress this thread.....
Thank you and you can Thank user:
Syncopath
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I think I understand your priorities as moderator. This is of course a thread near the "top" of XDA and as such will far more readily attract spammers and other lowlife than further down in the more comfortable device threads where I am more used to posting. So you will want to quickly close any thread that seems to be becoming stale. Right?
@gagdude
gagdude said:
Oh no that just means I'm a loser and I spend too much time on xda
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I don't think so, over 200 thanks didn't come from nowhere!
This is off subject having prob w/ no boot sound for boot anim
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