Apple could include multitasking for the next version of its iPhone operating system, according to an anonymous source speaking to the blog AppleInsider. Such a move would mitigate what some users see as a weakness of the iPhone, especially when compared with smartphone operating systems such as Google Android that allow multitasking. Apple has already introduced updates to its Mac OS X 10.6.3 operating system and the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK, meant for building mobile applications for the company's upcoming iPad tablet PC.
Apple may include multitasking for third-party applications in the next
version of its iPhone operating system, according to the blog
AppleInsider,
which cites unnamed sources close to the matter.
"The technology, detailed by people familiar with Apple's plans for the
new firmware, will finally allow users to launch multiple apps in the
background and quickly switch between them," bloggers Kasper Jade and
Prince McLean wrote March 31. "Apple initially avoided an app model
supporting multiple apps running at once to help preserve battery life and
simplify the user experience."
Those same sources apparently said the next iPhone operating system's user interface
at least partially takes its inspiration from the Mac Expose feature. "A
key combination-reportedly hitting the Home button twice-will trigger an Expose-like
interface that brings up a series of icons representing the currently running
apps, allowing users to quickly select the one they want to switch to
directly," Jade and McLean wrote. "When a selection is made, the
iPhone OS zooms out of the Expose task manager and transitions to that
app."
The software remains under development, however, and changes could be made
before its ultimate, as-yet-unannounced release date. Apple faces increased competition
in the smartphone realm from the likes of Google with its Android mobile
operating system, which is capable of multitasking, although poorly designed
third-party programs can rapidly drain phones' battery life.
Apple's recent operating system updates include issuing the
Golden
Master Seed version of its iPhone OS 3.2 SDK (software development kit)
March 29, ahead of the April 3 release of its iPad tablet PC. The release
allows those registered with the iPhone Developer Program to build mobile
applications for the iPad with non-beta tools, probably the very reason why
those enrolled in the program pay $99 a year.
Resources for the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK include an iPhone Reference Library,
Sample Code, iPad Programming Guide and Human Interface Guidelines. Apple
claims that some 150,000 applications will be available for the iPad upon its
release.
Also on March 29,
Apple
released the latest update to its "Snow Leopard" operating system,
Mac OS X 10.6.3, with tweaks to applications such as Time Machine and a
security component. Among the issues addressed, according to the company, were reliability
of third-party USB devices, photo screen
savers, QuickTime X and printers; OpenGL-based application compatibility; and
DNS (Domain Name System) server ordering "as specified in Network
Preferences and DNS reliability." More information about that update,
along with Apple's rather ominous warning that "you may experience
unexpected results if you have third-party software modifications
installed,"
can be found on
the Apple support site.
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