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Can anyone clarify exactly why a backgrounded application would become suspended? Obviously, it's supposed to occur when the OS becomes low on memory, but does the App's icon actually leave the -- for lack of a better name -- double-tap-dock area?

I've never seen that happen, and nearly every app in my full Springboard is also in the double-tap app switcher.

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The switcher is merely a list of recently run applications, not a list of backgrounded applications, which some people have been mistaking it for.

Ahh.. I think perhaps the fact that isn't immediately obvious was somewhat intentional on Apple's part.

They want to make the idea of "running" irrelevant: to the user, it's active or inactive. No need to manage a list of running programs if what is actually running is made invisible and unimportant. Makes it simpler.

Sounds like they may be headed that way with Lion, too - what's seen so far doesn't have the little lights under dock icons that indicate whether the application is actually "open" or not.

Interesting; I hadn't heard that. I feel this trend is good for the future: less things to manage is less that a user can do wrong.

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