Advantages and disadvantages of multitasking management in mobile systems

　　appears, multitasking in mobile systems seems like a simple problem, but it's not easy to do well in practice.

Android 2.x and IOS

In the process of using Android 2.x or IOS, multitasking management is almost an obsolete feature. When we are switching applications, instead of using a multitasking interface, it may be more convenient to return to the main screen directly.

Let's take a look at Android 2.x, where the multitasking interface shows only the six apps that have been opened recently, and if the apps we want to switch to are often squeezed out, or squeezed into a bunch of temporarily useless apps. Even if the application itself offers a shutdown option, it still saves the application icon in the multitasking interface, causing unnecessary interference.

IOS shows all open apps, but because of the cumbersome shutdown steps, the result is worse than the Android 2.x. It also fails to respond accurately to the state of an application: even if the application exits due to insufficient memory, its icon still exists in the multitasking interface.

All this leads to a sense of frustration in the multitasking interface.

For open applications, there are generally two requirements, one is to run in the background, such as music continued to play in the background; But in both of these mobile systems, the need to shut down applications has been canceled or weakened. Perhaps the starting point is to make the user more convenient: No need to close, quickly restore state, but the actual results are not satisfactory.

BlackBerry and WebOS

BlackBerry multitasking is actually more effective than Android 2.x and IOS, because the system menu offers a shutdown option. After the application interface can pull out the System menu exit, the application icon will also disappear in the multitasking management interface. The real pleasure of multitasking is WebOS. For the touch screen features, the introduction of cards and gesture closure. Card can be very intuitive to show the application status, switch it is very convenient (IOS multiple gestures full screen switching is slightly worse), Close is also very convenient (throw away the card is very intuitive, throw away the icon is very silly).

Android 4.0

After switching from WebOS to Android 2.x, the least I'm comfortable with is multi-tasking management. In Android 4.0, the problem has finally been solved in a satisfying way. The Android 4.0 multitask management interface is almost completely copied from the card display and gesture closure on WebOS, but there is a change in the direction of the card alignment. Like WebOS, Android 4.0 provides multitasking buttons. In the new version of Android, multitasking management has finally become a function that is normally available and easy to operate.

A little problem

One small problem with WebOS multitasking is that sometimes you want to put apps in the background instead of shutting them down, like playing music. But the WebOS multitasking interface provides only sliding up and down, and does not support sliding down into the background. In fact, the music itself has provided a playback interface in the notification bar, if you can throw the card backstage, in the notification bar off, is also a good choice. The same is true for Android 4.0, which only provides the ability to slide the right off.

Multi-task switching: Fixed virtual button

Multi-task switching on Android 4.0 has a fixed virtual button. For Android 4.0 fixed three soft buttons: back, main screen, multitasking, initially look confusing. Why not hide these three buttons in the application? If it is fixed, why not fix it as a hard button (or a separate area outside the screen)?

Since Android 4.0 cancels the entity button, but does not offer a sliding switch like N9, how do you start or switch applications after you open an application? Obviously, there must be a fixed button on the screen to complete the operation. Why don't you fix it outside the screen area? There may be two reasons why the device is now on the market with no multitasking buttons, but many devices will be upgraded to Android 4.0 to replace the multitasking button with that button. Another reason for the unified interface is that now Android The icons and locations of the hardware buttons on the manufacturer's devices are not the same as the details of the Android user experience splitting, and using the virtual buttons on the screen should be able to solve the problem.

Now you can finally apply for a patent for the multitasking interface: Activate the Multi-task management interface by pressing a specific button on the device (or a soft button on the screen), and the most recently opened application is arranged horizontally or vertically on the screen in card form, sliding off the application through the finger to a specific direction, Slide the application back into the background to run. The placement of the backend application can be shown in the notification bar and provides sliding closure.