We don't need general purpose multitasking on the iPad

cloud-factory.com

1 pointcloudmike3 comments

It doesn't matter how good applications are at remembering state and how well copy and paste works. There is no way to make context switching as seamless as it is with multitasking. If I open two applications side by side, to switch between them, I move my eyes. I can be reading something online as I type an email without even looking at the email window. While I'm typing this post, I'm watching the progress on a download. There is no way to accomplish this without true multitasking. Faking it with quick application changes doesn't work.

There's a group of hardcore people who will want to read and type while watching the progress of a download, as you described. But I don't think the iPad is targeted at these people. It doesn't even have an accessible file system. Watching the progress of an arbitrary file download doesn't have much out-of-context meaning in a system where files are only accessible in-context.

Also, as I mentioned in the article, you can always move your eyes from your iPad to your iPhone if the app you're using doesn't have the social tools you need integrated into it. I realize the practicality of this is highly debatable though until we see some real world use.

True enough... So long as you don't use any persistent apps like Spotify or Pandora to listen to music or chat programs like IRC, Skype and Google Talk to name but a tiny slice of the basic necessities of multitasking. It seems Apple's focus group was based upon the most casual of users.

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