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Comment by tiles | Hacker News Reader

I can deal with having a less consistent, less beautiful interface than WebOS had, but I honestly find it very difficult to go back to Android/iOS's form of multitasking. Handling tabs in browsers makes no sense, I can't switch between applications quickly enough, and worse yet if I'm trying to copy information from one application to another (and copy/paste doesn't cut it).

I remember seeing a jailbroken iOS version with WebOS-style multitasking, that I'm going to have to look into once my Pre bites the dust.

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| Handling tabs in browsers makes no sense

Opening new links in a new card is by far one of the worst user experiences I have ever seen. Also a pressing another button to switch to different windows ( default android and mobile safari) is not any better.

As someone else said, maybe the shortcut isn't obvious, but holding down the home button allows you to see a recent apps and switches apps (Android) must faster than scrolling through cards.

How is copy and paste different in WebOS (haven't found a use for it yet)

This is where we differ then :) For me, it's akin to how each application on PCs implement tabs, but in a slightly different way (Chrome v. Firefox v. Nautilus). Because webOS has a consistent interface for handling multiple pages (and WebOS 2+ has card grouping), it makes for less mental effort to expect that is going to happen.

Holding down the home button is as fast as scrolling through cards in my experience. You're right, that is a comparable interface for going back and forth between applications. I like how in webOS there is an infinitely-scrollable list of tabs, whereas in Android OS/iOS it is "most recently opened" applications, the state of each application is hard to tell just from their icons, etc. webOS better mimicks the PC model.

And I was unclear about copy/paste on webOS; I meant situations where you can't just copy and paste (like consulting a map for nearby cities or roads, and you have to perform manual entry). But I'm skilled in the webOS switch, others in Android/iOS. YMMV.

What? Copy/pasting in Android between apps is At least as easy as the counter actions required in WebOS, and I can say that with a lot of certainty given that my passwords are all in LastPass and I don't save them in the browser. Further, having 8 cards of my browser open is beyond ridiculous, as is having to dismiss the entire window just to "change" tabs.

Downvoters, have you actually used both? I can open LastPass, click "Copy Password", long-press home, tap browser, click paste. Or, I can open LastPass, "copy password", swipe up, swipe to my browser card, select it, then paste. How is that faster?

I like some things about WebOS, but I don't know how it's card system is in anyway easier. It IS extremely condusive to those who like to wave their hands about on their tablet. The swipe up and left/right is great for those who like to emphasize "I'm gesturing on my tablet". Besides HC/ICS has the same mt-button which brings up live previews in the same way.

> I can open LastPass, click "Copy Password", long-press home, tap browser, click paste. >Or, I can open LastPass, "copy password", swipe up, swipe to my browser card, select it, > then paste. How is that faster?

Those sound about equally as fast. One benefit of the card-swiping system is that I know the state of each application visually when I'm switching between them-- for me, there is a better mental model that the application will have the same state when I return (be that in two minutes or two weeks).

I meant to imply copying between applications by manual entry and interpretation. I'd be hard-pressed to defend how webOS copy/paste implementation is any better or worse than Android/iOS.

> I like some things about WebOS, but I don't know how it's card system is in anyway easier.

It mimicks the PC, and it preserves state a lot longer than Android/iOS. I can leave Notes, a web page, a map, and phone open; they'll be open in the sequence I opened them, and if I drop everything, when I return, I'll know I'm in the middle of performing data aggregation with each of those applications. Android/iOS simply tackles this differently, I guess.

>One benefit of the card-swiping system is that I know the state of each application visually when I'm switching between them-- for me, there is a better mental model that the application will have the same state when I retur

Couldn't agree more. I'm very, very happy that Android has cloned this feature.

>It mimicks the PC, and it preserves state a lot longer than Android/iOS. I can leave Notes, a web page, a map, and phone open; they'll be open in the sequence I opened them, and if I drop everything, when I return, I'll know I'm in the middle of performing data aggregation with each of those applications. Android/iOS simply tackles this differently, I guess.

The only part that is unique about WebOS "It mimicks the PC" which I find to be slightly dubious anyway - switching apps in Ubuntu and Mac OS X are done via app icon ala Android-style. Resuming Applications in Android puts you in the same exact spot you left them in, in fact that is an essential component to how chained Intents work (whose absence on all other mobile platforms' multitasking implementations is an enormous wasted opportunity in my opinion, Intents are one of my favorite application mechanics ever).

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