On the multi-task navigation of the smartphone

Multitasking, as the name implies, is a number of different tasks at the same time (nonsense). Multitasking is one of the most basic features required for advanced PCs, and it's why Microsoft has named its operating system windows.

With the development of windows on the PC today, multitasking has changed a lot, but some of the most basic ideas remain unchanged.

each task in a separate window indicates that all the task windows are displayed on the taskbar. When you switch between different task Windows by using the taskbar or shortcut keys, an Overlay prompt window appears at the front end

All this is so natural on the PC that people overlook the concept of multitasking. Until the smartphone one day, and finally can achieve multitasking. This is when people suddenly realize how important it is to navigate this simple function to multitasking.

Compared to PCs with fewer than 17-inch, 24-inch, or even larger screens, smartphones with less than 4-inch screens are less likely to display as much content as PCs in such limited screen space. Therefore, it is unwise to use the same huge taskbar + overlay tip box as the PC for multitasking management.

So how do these smartphones deal with the problem now? Because of the limited system I have been using for a long time, this will only refer to the system that I am most familiar with.

WM Multitasking

The WM system has long been able to multitask. His definition of multitasking does have some profound implications for smartphone systems

All programs at run time can press "Today" to return to the desktop you can use the "return key" to switch back to the previous running application, or to minimize the program to minimize, you can rerun the method to activate all programs can be by the http://www.aliyun.com/ Zixun/aggregation/11435.html "> Task Manager to manage if necessary, you can display application notifications in the status bar and switch between

This is the main multitasking management method of WM.

WM Multi-task Management is certainly outstanding, I never because similar to "while listening to music, while hanging QQ, while browsing the Web page" such things and bothered, he always automatically help me deal with very well.

But when I try to switch between different programs, like trying to copy a piece of text from a browsing page to a chat window, it hurts. The easiest way to do this is to call the Task Manager and click the program you want to switch to.

In the WM, there is no direct link between essentially different tasks, and it is easy for users to get lost in switching between multiple applications. Task Manager plays a vital role here. At any time, users can easily return to the portal to clearly determine their location.

Android Multitasking

Android is currently the most popular system and the mobile phone system I am using. Android also has excellent multitasking capabilities, and even in order to optimize the performance of multitasking, he is also very creative in using a so-called "warm-up" mechanism, in order to accelerate the startup of common programs.

It is important to note that because the Android system does not have the built-in Task Manager functionality, this will not be our concern.

All programs at run time to press the "home" key to return to the desktop program minimized, you can use the rerun method to activate and hold down the "home" can pull out the most recently run 6 programs, click can quickly switch when necessary, the program can be used to remind the notification bar

In addition to the lack of task manager, Android is very close to the WM and, of course, a large number of Third-party task managers will also allow users to retrieve familiar usage habits.

But he has two of the biggest differences with the WM: the most recent 6 running programs that the home key calls up, and powerful notification bar reminders.

One of the changes is to reinforce a lot of the status bar. You can place notifications in the status bar as long as the program requires it.

For the only global display of the status bar, he is clearly a natural navigation system.

also has the same status bar in the WM, but the difference is that the status bar is just for displaying icons, which act like the tray area of windows, and different icons may represent a completely different meaning in Android, although icons will also appear in the status bar, but cannot be clicked. The only thing you can do is take the status bar off and view the most recent notification message

This is a very meaningful improvement. Although it was a very detailed change, he avoided the confusion caused to users by the "same area, different icons, completely different effects".

Of course, this is also a very good navigation. Playing music, QQ status, if there is a need for the program, can be shown here, while the notification message independence to the greatest extent to avoid the occurrence and wm the same confusion.

The shortcut menu that the home key brings up is actually a simplified version of the Task Manager. He minimizes the confusion that Task Manager brings to the user: After all, being a regular user doesn't need to care about memory footprint-as long as the system runs smoothly.

It seems, however, that this setting has not been widely sought after. A big problem is that he doesn't have a clear mark as to which is the running program. Programs that have been closed, and programs that have just been minimized, look like one. As a result, users need to spend additional cost to remember which is the running program. Accordingly, this inevitably leads to a bad user experience. In addition to his warm-up function is obviously "to replace the user to make a decision," the best example, so it is not difficult to understand why the various Third-party task managers in the market so hot.

The biggest difference with the WM is that Android users can easily find the app portal at any time, and the enhanced status bar gracefully solves the problem. This model is obviously a lot more complicated than the WM, but it's worth it. Although I personally think that the recent 6 tasks of the fast switch is not satisfactory, but this is really a good start.

Multitasking

of

webOS

Although I used a palm phone before, I have to admit, I'm sorry, I don't have a system that actually uses webOS. All the experience is done in the webOS simulator provided in the SDK.

The Palm Pre was a failure, and even the company itself had been acquired by HP, but none of this could deny how much the webOS is a good system. He radically changed our concept of multitasking.

In webOS, there is no traditional concept of a program, instead of a card system.

All tasks are already in the form of a card, click the gesture area at any time, and it will go into the card view. There are currently running tasks in the card view, and you can switch using gestures to toggle faster

This is the multitasking approach to webOS.

Having experienced Android's complex model, we have finally seen a simpler structure than at first.

Users can switch between tasks at any time, at random. The biggest difference with other systems is that all tasks run on top of the card attempt, and when it comes back to the card view, it all depends on the user's choice--that is to say, each program itself, the portal.

entrance

Perhaps you've noticed, from the beginning of the article, I've been repeating a concept: the entrance.

Ensuring that users are not lost in a multitasking ocean is the meaning of navigation. At any time, the system should let users know what position they are in and what they are doing. The more confused the user, the more the user experience of the product fails. Without navigation, users will not know where they are or even what will happen next-this is not a product's user experience, it's Russian roulette.

From the user's current location to the portal between this navigation, is critical. Will not affect the user's normal use, and will not be difficult to make the average user difficult to find for a long time.

Our three systems give us different answers

The entrance to the

WM is the task Manager. Users can enter the portal at any time to get navigation between different tasks Andoird there are two different portals. Includes the status bar that can be seen at any time, as well as the quick tasks that are always being fetched. Every task of webOS is its own portal. Users can enter the navigation

from the current program at any time

which

The

WM Task Manager is the most powerful, and this design also affects Android. This design is successful, but the continuous return of navigation, and even the need to interrupt the current task, just to determine the current location, no reason to increase the cost of users. Without a clear and unified navigation design, is the WM biggest failure of the Android status bar navigation clear and clear, and always maintain the overall consistency, to maximize the avoidance of confusion to users, is a very good design. However, the status bar does not show all the applications, and the design of the shortcut navigation does not make up the problem perfectly, and it is regrettable that webOS has a beautiful global navigation. Users can always determine their location without interrupting the current task, switching between different tasks is also very convenient

The successful design of the navigation portal is the key to the success of the multitask system. This, the excellence of webOS really amazed me.

I have made little mention of the shortcomings of webOS, not that I think he is perfect, but because there is no long-term use, most of its design is not enough to understand, so here only talk about his concept of multitasking, please forgive me.

At the end of the article, I have to regret not being joined by Windows Phone 7. Because of the use of the server operating system, I still can not properly install the WP7 SDK, naturally there is no simulator available. Similarly, there is no iOS in the article, and if a reader is willing to sponsor an iphone or itouch for half a month, I will gladly join him in the ^_^.

Source: http://www.lolibeta.com/pc/1613.html