Tablet enhancements for the non-technical - Nook Color General

My mother has been looking to get herself a tablet as her study is often occupied by sleeping guests or other assortment of distractions that make it difficult for her to work there. I've been showing her how to use the Nook and she's been okay. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to streamline browsing and emails so she doesn't have to search and get stuck somewhere.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC

I have a similar scenario. I've found that MIUI is an easier interface for people that need something easy to use... But personally I prefer CM7, so I'm trying Go launcher and just keeping the main apps that are needed on the home screen. I think having Opera as the browser and the standard Gmail app are fairly easy to use though. It would be nice to have a better launcher for tablets though.

Related

[Q] What should I know before buying a Nook Color?

Is there anything I should know about how a rooted Nook Color acts compared to something that's meant to be a tablet (e.g. the Galaxy Tab) that could influence whether I want one? For example,
This thread has workarounds for a bunch of quirks and problems with the NC. Is it common to need to workaround these and other B&N ROM issues?
I've seem mention of 'porting' apps to the Nook Color. Does this mean I have to do more work to get apps from the market than just hitting 'install'? Do some apps not work on the Nook Color?
It looks like B&N pushes over-the-air software updates to the NC that return it to a stock ROM. Is this easy to prevent? When they push their Q1 update, will it (probably) be easy to apply the update and then get all of my data/settings back, or are updates a pain that I have to put off applying until I have time to reconfigure everything?
Is there anything else I should know?
Well I am not hijacking this forum I just ordered a Nook Color I would cetrainly love to see these questions answered but could I also add a few of my own ?
I am in Europe what kind of usability can I expect from the device, will I be able to register it and what about books.
Also I 've heard there are some touch issues, whats up with that ..? is it true .. any solutions..?
I am following the BT thread and all looks great but what about the USB would we be able at some point to connect ext HDDrives or Webcams ..
Lastly I understand it will only play .mp4 movies anyway around that .......?
I will try to give you a couple answers based on my own experiences, though im no expert when it comes to rooting.
Yes there are some quirks with the NC that you wouldn't have to deal with on a regular android tablet. The biggest one is the lack of hardware buttons. There are several software solutions for this, the most effective and stable of which has been "button savior" which you can get in the market.
Some apps font render correctly because of the screen resolution/dpi of the NC. Some of that can be fixed by using an LCD density changing app or altering the setting manually.
You shouldn't have to port apps to run on the NC, but don't be surprised if some apps don't show up in the market. Most stuff works fine though.
As far as i can tell you wont get BN ota updates unless you're on a BN store wifi network. I've been rooted for weeks and i've never seen the 1.01 update pop up. I figure im waiting for the bigger update before i bother reverting to stock and restoring all my apps.
Ill post more stuff as it comes to mind!
posted from my nook color using the official xda app
There are certainly quirks, such as the hardware buttons issue mentioned above. And some apps don't work now, but I imagine other tablets would have similar issues. as android tablets grow in popularity we can expect more compatible apps
spiffytech said:
Is there anything I should know about how a rooted Nook Color acts compared to something that's meant to be a tablet (e.g. the Galaxy Tab) that could influence whether I want one? For example,
This thread has workarounds for a bunch of quirks and problems with the NC. Is it common to need to workaround these and other B&N ROM issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The B&N ROM does not contain some things that were completely not needed for the device as it was designed, so yes there are workarounds in that thread and on the wiki here: http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Issues
spiffytech said:
I've seem mention of 'porting' apps to the Nook Color. Does this mean I have to do more work to get apps from the market than just hitting 'install'? Do some apps not work on the Nook Color?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never heard anything of "porting" apps, only reason would be screen resolution of tablets vs phones. Some apps don't behave nicely on the higher res, either they are in the center of the screen, stretched out and ugly, or simply draw really badly. Most fall into the first two categories.
spiffytech said:
It looks like B&N pushes over-the-air software updates to the NC that return it to a stock ROM. Is this easy to prevent? When they push their Q1 update, will it (probably) be easy to apply the update and then get all of my data/settings back, or are updates a pain that I have to put off applying until I have time to reconfigure everything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, your device will query for OTAs and so far nobody has figured out how to safely disable them. Update to 1.0.1 first, then noot it. And when a 1.0.2 or 1.1.0 comes out, expect to do it again. Until someone comes out with a real way to disable the OTAs or a full custom ROM is made.
pavlos46 said:
Also I 've heard there are some touch issues, whats up with that ..? is it true .. any solutions..?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It generally happens only when plugged in, and almost always unplugging it and turning off the screen and turning it back on the problem goes away. Some folks say it happens more if the screen is dirty, although in my experience with capacitive screens this is not the case.
pavlos46 said:
I am following the BT thread and all looks great but what about the USB would we be able at some point to connect ext HDDrives or Webcams ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Highly unlikely, but there are ways to do USB Host drivers on Android phones, so it's possible in the future.
pavlos46 said:
Lastly I understand it will only play .mp4 movies anyway around that .......?
[/LIST]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, use something like RockPlayer.
Other things to note...
Games run fairly well on Nook Color. I've been using Dungeon Defenders (framerate not the best), Antigen, Angry Birds, Fuzzies and Nesoid. They all work pretty well except for poor framerates with Dungeon Defenders.
You'll definately need Button Savior. The LCDDensity app is also good to have and tinker with. You'll want to get NookColor Tools on there as well to change keyboards. Root Explorer also.
It runs pretty much any app that I can run on my Droid.
Dolphin-Mini works great on the Nook Color.
There are some issues with buttons at the screen edges, like the Android Marketplace search icon or tab switching in Dolphin. Adjusting LCD Density with the LCDDensity app will cure that problem. Otherwise you will have to figure out how to tap on the edges for it to register. Mine only does this at the top edge and not on the sides or bottom.
Overall, a great device. Clockwork is well on it's way to being finished. And there are now a few folks jumping on the bandwagon to create custom roms.
Rockplayer will play other video types, but wont use hw acceleration and will be choppy. Best to convert to mp4 instead.
In the end i think this tablet is for those who actually enjoy tinkering and tweaking.
Sent from my Nookcolor
Seems like I say this constantly, but in my opinion you do not need Button Savior, Softkeys included in the Auto Nooter script for 1.0.0 or 1.0.1 works great.
markiejones said:
In the end i think this tablet is for those who actually enjoy tinkering and tweaking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. I've enjoyed "fixing" the Nook. But this process could be annoying to many people. Those people would be much happier with an ipad.
khaytsus said:
Seems like I say this constantly, but in my opinion you do not need Button Savior, Softkeys included in the Auto Nooter script for 1.0.0 or 1.0.1 works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. When you set softkeys "just so", it's a near-ideal key replacement. The default setup is what throws people off, with the little arrow-guy getting in the way and some confusion regarding the "n" key.
Mine is invisible except when I single tap the "n" key -a double tap gets me "home". That's perfect, and not at all in the way.

Getting Nook apps back on Froyo/Honeycomb?

So I've been playing around with the Honeycomb previews, and was wondering if anyone's been able to get the stock nook reading/lending/etc.. apps working in Honeycomb.
I was able to transfer the games over via adb, although the layout is off on chess and the sensor at the edge doesn't pick up all presses on crossword.
Specifically, I really like the default reading app and side-loading epubs and would like to get that working.
Has anyone done this already or know which dependent apk's different components of the stock nook software use?
TIA
I also would like to get the B&N apps to run properly in Honeycomb. I am currently running rooted 1.1, because I want the B&N apps. My son use Nookbooks for kids and I prefer the default Nook app when I read. I don't purchase many books, but the ones I do buy are from B&N because I want to support them. If we don't support B&N they will stop making great devices like the original Nook and the Nook Color.
I do realize I can run the Android app and buy books via the web, but Nookbooks for kids is not available in the Android market.
Yeah, I'm playing around with it and seeing if I can get anything working with it.
I really like the stock Android apps, but like how much better honeycomb is designed for tablets (vs. froyo/eclair or the stock bn that can only have books in the home screen).
Will post back if I have any success... and I think it's a dumb rule that you need 10 posts to put anything in the dev forum. Supposedly this area is for noobs asking about how to install nookie etc.. and the other is for "dev" but half the posts over in dev are people talking about installation trouble and half the posts here are people posting things that would be better suited to the dev section. /rant
So I adb pushed everything bn over to honeycomb, but nothing shows up. Try to install Reader.apk and get error that it's missing required bncloudapi.
I have the jar file in frameworks, and the permissions files, but not sure if there's something else I should be looking for. TIA

What is the advantage of HC over others

What is the advantage of using android 3.0 have over 2.2. and 2.3?
Install all three and really see no difference beside the slight UI changes.
evilPERSOn,
I had not yet loaded HC, so my advice is pure speculation. HC has an entirely different interface which acknowledges the fact that a tablet is in essence a tablet and not an oversized phone. So, as such, it works a bit more like a computer with. The speed and streamlined interface of a tablet. As I write this I really wonder why I have not cobbled it up. Well, it is only a matter of time.
Have fun
~Leko
evilPERSOn2009 said:
What is the advantage of using android 3.0 have over 2.2. and 2.3?
Install all three and really see no difference beside the slight UI changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well for starters this should be in general not development
second HC isnt just a slight UI change, it was MADE for tablets so if you want your tablet to be a giant itouch running android than install 2.2/2.3 but if you want a tablet you should install 3.0
^My bad. I had two tabs open. General and Development. Must have started thread on the wrong location.
1. HC uses GPU interface rendering.
2. HC is meant for a system like a nook with few buttons (good for us)
3.But HC's source is not in the open (bad for us).
poofyhairguy said:
1. HC uses GPU interface rendering.
2. HC is meant for a system like a nook with few buttons (good for us)
3.But HC's source is not in the open (bad for us).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully the source will be released soon!
For me i thought i would try hc on the sd card and just go back to froyo. I was hooked. I used it for two days on a class 2 card then i flashed, and ive tried to go back to froyo and get flash but i cant. The UI is just perfect, the live app switcher key is wonderful and so great to use, probably my favorite feature. Not to mention i love that the task bar is on the bottom, reminds me of windows and keeps the clock and keys out of my face. Honestly i hate the top notification bar on other versions, ive always hidden it on my droid. Being on the bottom is so nice and out of the way.
Its got its downsides, but give it 2 months.. apps galore, source files..... it will be really good to run.
Edit: not to mention, ive never lost data like on my droid while switching apps. Ive come back to apps ive had open for over 24hrs and its still in the same state
Sent from one of those missing Droids
altimax98 said:
The UI is just perfect, the live app switcher key is wonderful and so great to use, probably my favorite feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm using the samuelhaff's eMMC HC and i noticed that i can't scroll the app switcher, so i don't have access to all my previously run apps. is this normal?
loving HC, so far. the fact that it's designed for no hard buttons is just awesome.
i don't think the app switcher even scrolls on the xoom yet.
I have only played with HC breifly. But from what i know about it these are the following reasons to use it.
1. Market. Honeycomb is the first android os that will support having the google market. This provides a few things. Any of us who have played with Ipods and ipads will know that there are specific apps built for ipad. Now that Android 3.0 is built for tablet form factor, and officially supports the market. We will now see Tablet applicatons that provide higher resolutions, or new features. These apps will be built around the 3.0 os, and may not work on older operating systems.
2. Built for tablets. Everything we have had up untill this has been a phone operating systme built for a 3" screen ported to something with a 7-10" screen. The os is clearly built for phones there are things in there that just dont work right, or should not be there, but are there, on a fundimental level in the operating system. By adding native support for larger screens, and removing the phone items, it provides for a cleaner higher performance interface.
3. Interface enhancements. The UI has been built to support the larger form factor. This will provide easier navigation as well as soft keys as mentioned above, since alot of tablets are just missing physical buttons.
Unfortunatly the OS has not been released to the public. My guess is there is some contract between motorola (xoom) and google for exclusivity on their tablet. but dont quote me on that.
1) The web browser is much improved - even over Dolphin
2) The email client is much improved - even over K9
3) Contacts sync seamlessly with Google contacts
4) The keyboard is much improved - has a TAB key, has a "handle" to move the cursor around in text, has cut and paste features.
All of this is enough to make me swich to HC.
Downsides:
1) Many of my favorite apps cannot be found or downloaded from the Market - even though they worked fine on 2.1.
2) From uSD card, runs a little slower than 2.1, but not enough to bother me.
is the video accelerated? I could not take cm7..so slow.
winkler1b said:
is the video accelerated? I could not take cm7..so slow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Same problem effects both I think.
Well, I switched and got my nook to recognize the sd (Class 2) partition. I expanded the image to use the 16 gigs too. I love it. The Live App switching is nice. It actually feels more like true Linux (I am thinking KDE) than any other droid system. I just can't handle the lag when booting apps (probably a combination preview/sd card). I am a teacher and grade on my Nook, so I need speed. But, I am excited about this. Thanks a lot Deeper Blue. This will be stellar.
The true app switching is almost priceless as is the efortless interface.
~Leko

Honeycomb theming vs Honeycomb ROM

Besides the obvious access to particular Honeycomb apps, what other benefits does Honeycomb offer on our G-Tabs?
I ask because it seems like some people prefer Honeycombs GUI but I also noticed that one is able to theme their tablets to look like Honeycomb while staying on a non-Honeycomb based ROM.
What tipped it for me to go ahead and install the Bottle of Smoke alpha:
- improved widgets, including scrollable Gmail previewer
- Gmail app is fantastic
- access to 3.0-only tablet-optimized apps (like Touchdown for my Exchange email)
- laying out the homescreens is easier since you can preview the widgets
Just a couple of things I've discovered (I just applied this ROM yesterday...):
- improved Market interface
- HC themes approach but do not fully capture the "holographic" feel of HC
-the notification system is different enough that I'm not sure whether I like it better or not.
I'm not mentioning the particular quirks of the BoS alpha - there are threads here and elsewhere that chronicle those. They should definitely be part of your decision, as it takes a good measure of patience to deal with.
I went to the Century Eyes Rom by roebeet, and I'm loving it. It gives me the tablet feel with no bugs. I do miss the market and Youtube apps from honeycomb though.
(Century Eyes = Notion Ink Adam's EdenUI)
Although being just an alpha and lacking flash support, I don't see myself moving away from BOS anytime soon. Granted quite few areas still have bugs to be worked out, visual asthetics alone have me hooked on roebeets rom. Not to mention it surprisingly runs very well vs. coming from vegan rc1. I have live wallpaper going, of course oc-ed, and I can still play game any for the most part with little to no lag. The menu/context menu layout for adding/changing wallpaper, active/recent apps menu, default keyboard, and default browser ease of use are my main reasons for sticking with it. If you want a rom with minute issues, this one is obviosly not for you. But if you can sacrifice a random reboot every other day and don't watch youtube all the time like me, BOS is a keeper and will only get better.
Edit: I should also note that my gtab is mostly for recreational use. A friend of a friend bought it bout a month ago now, tried doing something without proper knowledge, soft-bricked it, gave it to my friend who in turn gave it to me while the original owner bought an Ipad a week later. So I dont find it appropriate to use the term 'daily driver' since I see it as a very fun toy currently so my opinion on ROMs should include this.
In all honesty, I would have been mad if I hadn't found such a good modding community for this device. The stock is terrible.
So i have the BoS alpha installed , it runs very smooth - the only real FC come from open-gl not being available yet, well that and the apps that arent compatible with the nvidia kernel in general... i hope this helps a bit, if not please let me know exactly what apps your planning on using, and ill test them and post a video on youtube for you to see how well they run. my channel on youtube is ( youtube.com/itsnothowyoudie ) the latest video shows the homescreen and a couple apps including the scrolling gmail, which btw is great.
ps. one thing that has annoyed me, not being able to resize the widgets (;
I am also running Century Eyes. It offers the tablet feel, with improved resolution over all other Froyo ROMs. The resolution and the scrollable widgets are the best of Honeycomb, but I need Hardware Acceleration for flash. I use the streaming TV and movie apps, and it is required that you have flash enabled.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb-C27sIuX0&feature=player_embedded#t=0s
I am running the Evervol GB ROM with the Honeycomb 3D-SBicons theme and it looks so much like HC that you wouldn't believe it. Especially when using Launcher Pro with scrollable widgets. Amazing! Plus, almost everything works (flash, camera, both sd cards, usb to pc, etc.).
I also like honeycombs browser which syncs my bookmarks with the chrome browser. Been waiting for android to do this, I have tons of bookmarks on my computer so this helps a lot. The new 4.1 version of bottle of smoke is very smooth and works very well for me.
I think I'll wait until one of the Honeycomb ROMs hits final release. I need it to be able to do everything I can currently do in froyo before switching (open GL, flash, video playback, etc...)
Good ROM
Sidriel said:
I went to the Century Eyes Rom by roebeet, and I'm loving it. It gives me the tablet feel with no bugs. I do miss the market and Youtube apps from honeycomb though.
(Century Eyes = Notion Ink Adam's EdenUI)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Refering to battery, the best rom i think, i dont like the hidding status bar and i couldnt use the long search whit other programs, I like this rom so much i hope it could be fixed!!
EL TEJANO said:
Besides the obvious access to particular Honeycomb apps, what other benefits does Honeycomb offer on our G-Tabs?
I ask because it seems like some people prefer Honeycombs GUI but I also noticed that one is able to theme their tablets to look like Honeycomb while staying on a non-Honeycomb based ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To answer the OPs post: Froyo gave genuine performance improvements and features i.e. batterly life, reduced sluggishness, Flash (which had limited support on earlier Android IIRC), but AFAIK Honeycomb gives mostly UI improvements -scrollable widgets, etc. However, some of those 'UI improvements' are also significant improvements in how the tablet is used as well as how it looks (i.e. UI = user INTERFACE and not just how the home screen looks).
See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_version_history
Honeycomb on gTab has some tradeoffs, but if you want to keep all the Froyo functionality you can try different launchers on any ROM, although I'm sure Froyo launchers have limitations when compared to the Honeycomb launchers. I am currently using VTL launcher on Vegan 5.1.1 (Froyo), I would not call it a 'Honeycomb Replacement' but the ROM (Vegan 5.1.1) is way better than the stock ROM and the launcher (VTL) is way better than the stock launcher, and everything that I need still works, including camera, keyboard, video, and PvZ.
For ideas on setting up your launcher/home screen see here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=862030
Recommend Honeycomb FlashBack or GtabComb,
You basically won't have camera functionality and some Flash won't work in browser. Most Games will work, the cool 3d ones at least.
Just give it a try, its as easy double clicking the nvflash exe
I switched back from GTABcomb to cm7 because there is one particular app didnt support. The back support is not that good. On the good side, you have everything mention here by other members but flash is only playable through opera browser and no HW acc. The sound is louder too on HC and screen more responsive.
I'm running FB 5.5. Visually, it is more satisfying than GB or Froyo.
Gmail widget and app handles email better.
Stock Calendar app and calender widget is better as well.
YouTube and Market HC is visually better as well.
Flash works in browser opera and stock.
qkster said:
I'm running FB 5.5. Visually, it is more satisfying than GB or Froyo.
Gmail widget and app handles email better.
Stock Calendar app and calender widget is better as well.
YouTube and Market HC is visually better as well.
Flash works in browser opera and stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to mention the Netflix 1.3 apk works perfectly now, all youtube vids play in full screen, No sleep of death, etc. TV.com acts weird and runs small like it's on a phone but I may play around with different versions. At this point the only thing I'm really missing is the camera. To be honest I think I only want it because I can't have it. I'd probably go 6 months without using it if it worked. I did notice that FB 5.5 runs a bit slower than GTABComb 3.2. I got 3345 quad score on GTABComb with the built in OC script where I get about 2450 with SetCPU at 1400mhz on FB 5.5. Overall I feel like both of these HC roms have evolved to a point where the leary should jump in and give them a shot. You won't be missing much and what you gain is seeing your tablet run visually the way it was meant to.
Currently running GTabComb 3.2 and it's pretty good. Stable, quick. Been considering Illuminate as well. I will say HC is such a slicker interface over Froyo or GB. I definitely would like to stick with HC now that I've played with it.

[Q] Real multitasking

Hey Guys,
Android multitasks like a boss, unlike iOS it doesn't pause it's apps on pressing the home key, while completely letting it stop running code, but i'm still missing something in android:
For example, when i'm at home and i connect my phone to my speakers in the living room, i sometimes use youtube to play tracks that i don't have on my storage. This works fine but when the track is nearly finished and i switch tabs in the dolphin browser to open another song before the track is over, the playback immediately stops because i changed tabs.
Or when i'm listening to a song on youtube through and i want to go back to the homescreen to open another app, the playback also stops.
I know it drains the battery like crazy if the browser would continue, but i wonder if there isn't an app or something that would let android run a couple of non-system apps at a time once in a while.
I hope you guys know something
Thanks
I have the same issue, and I use the YouTube App. I think it's because Google assume's you're watching the video, not just listening to it.
Radio/Music Apps don't have this limitation. Try any these three FREE Internet Radio stations and you'll be hooked: Pandora Internet Radio, TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio and Sky.FM Internet Radio.
You can't be serious, Android doesn't have "real multitasking". Not even ICS.
You can separate "Multitasking" into 6 categories.
1) True Multitasking - you can see AND interact with two (or more) RUNNING applications.
2) True Multitasking - you can see two (or more) RUNNING applications, only interact with them one at a time.
3) Multitasking - you can only see and interact with one application but all other applications RUN in the background.
4) Pseudo-Multitasking - you can see and interact with one application but only RUN several applications in the background.
5) Pseudo-Multitasking - you can see and interact with one application and can SAVE STATE (to ram) other applications.
6) No Multitasking - you can see and interact with one application and can see a list of other applications which can be called upon.
The only mobiles that can multitask (that I know of) is the N900/N9/N950, the Blackberry Playbook, Palm Touchpad/Pre/Pixi/etc.
Android can technically do True Multitasking (or even True Multitasking2) but it needs to be hacked and made to do so in a very different way, as Inoxos shows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E1ckOoeRJg&feature=player_embedded
Right now, the best you can get is ICS Pseudo-Multitasking were the core services RUN in the background, you can run a few (6 iirc) applications in the background, and have unlimited* applications SAVE STATE.... and put them into a *Multitasking List* The reason for this move by Google is simple: Battery life. However, for smart users aka power users this is quite intrusive and we rather have True Multitasking because we know what we are doing.
ekin said:
However, for smart users aka power users this is quite intrusive and we rather have True Multitasking because we know what we are doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your point, but isn't this why Android is open source?
When you buy a device, you are getting a "consumer level" OS, which isn't really configured for power user - this is why the manufacturers go to such lengths to lock down the device.
What I would like to see in Android is the ability to designate a process/application as unkillable by Android task management, so that I can ensure that when I switch task, that process isn't killed. I could achieve this via a custom AOSP build, but I don't want it enough to actually bother doing it myself!
Regards,
Dave
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Real multitasking is possible but it must be enabled in the app. I use Igo navigation which can be forced to run in the background, and just today i had navigation running and giving verbal instructions whilst listening to a podcast all while browsing the web. If thats not multitasking i dont know what is.
Saying android cant do real multitasking is rubbish im sorry but thats the nicest way i could have put it. Go back to your iphone lol or learn how to use android properly before making such comments.
Using your definitions there If i can run navigation in the background while using the headset to control the music app and at the same time use the browser normaly what type of multitasking is that? All 3 apps are running simultaniously and I can control 2 apps at once. Whilst this is happening I can be downloading something from the market and answer a phone call.
Nice long post full of crap info you have there.
martcerv said:
Real multitasking is possible but it must be enabled in the app. I use Igo navigation which can be forced to run in the background, and just today i had navigation running and giving verbal instructions whilst listening to a podcast all while browsing the web. If thats not multitasking i dont know what is.
Saying android cant do real multitasking is rubbish im sorry but thats the nicest way i could have put it. Go back to your iphone lol or learn how to use android properly before making such comments.
Using your definitions there If i can run navigation in the background while using the headset to control the music app and at the same time use the browser normaly what type of multitasking is that? All 3 apps are running simultaniously and I can control 2 apps at once. Whilst this is happening I can be downloading something from the market and answer a phone call.
Nice long post full of crap info you have there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@martcerv i know android can multitask like that, on an iphone you can let the music play in the background too.. but igo navigation and music are ment to work in the background.. i was wondering if there's a way you can choose yourself what apps you want to run in the background. Because you can't let the browser run in the background
@ekin, will ICS let me to select the browser to be one of the 6 apps that run in the background?
I think its down to each app, by default most aren't enabled to run in the background but the os is capable of it. Even igo will only work in background if you change the advanced settings to work that way.
As mobiles are limited in ram and battery, most app developers trend to disable this feature otherwise lots of people would complain that there system its lagging and battery life is being killed by the app. I'd like to see an option in most aps so people that want it can use it but they will be aware of the possible performance and battery issues.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
martcerv said:
I think its down to each app, by default most aren't enabled to run in the background but the os is capable of it. Even igo will only work in background if you change the advanced settings to work that way.
As mobiles are limited in ram and battery, most app developers trend to disable this feature otherwise lots of people would complain that there system its lagging and battery life is being killed by the app. I'd like to see an option in most aps so people that want it can use it but they will be aware of the possible performance and battery issues.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The solution for that is for android's multitasking capabilities to advance further to the decree of Maemo/WebOS/etc and a smart ux overhaul that makes such process easy.
For instance, look at Win7's Superbar. Many years were spent getting it to its current state, and it handles this problem in a cinch!
@martcev
What you described is Pseudo-Multitasking as I have defined. As stated by another, even iOS does this (but less advanced). If you use a device from a different (multitasking) mobileOS you might actually grasp my comment.
Kangal said:
The solution for that is for android's multitasking capabilities to advance further to the decree of Maemo/WebOS/etc and a smart ux overhaul that makes such process easy.
For instance, look at Win7's Superbar. Many years were spent getting it to its current state, and it handles this problem in a cinch!
@martcev
What you described is Pseudo-Multitasking as I have defined. As stated by another, even iOS does this (but less advanced). If you use a device from a different (multitasking) mobileOS you might actually grasp my comment.
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Click to collapse
Kangal, I get you totally.
I recently dropped my N900 on the floor and finally killed it. I chose to get a SGS3 as a replacement because I already got my wife a N9 a while ago so I don't see the point of getting another one. Anyway, I've been trying to find a way to true multitask on my SGS3 like Maemo does but it seems that it's not possible (maybe at least not on stock). I like the SGS3 for its screen and the fact that it can handle videos in pretty much any resolution but I can't help to think that I actually own a "dumbphone" for the fact that it can't true multitask.
I mean, if it can't multitask properly, what's the point of having 4 cores?
there used to be an opensource Window switcher on windows mobile, same maker as wififofum that rocked. its funny it dissapeared and never was implemented for android. That rocked
It indeed is strange that android doesnt have it natively, there are paid solutions on the market thought
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xdadJeroen said:
Hey Guys,
Android multitasks like a boss, unlike iOS it doesn't pause it's apps on pressing the home key, while completely letting it stop running code, but i'm still missing something in android:
For example, when i'm at home and i connect my phone to my speakers in the living room, i sometimes use youtube to play tracks that i don't have on my storage. This works fine but when the track is nearly finished and i switch tabs in the dolphin browser to open another song before the track is over, the playback immediately stops because i changed tabs.
Or when i'm listening to a song on youtube through and i want to go back to the homescreen to open another app, the playback also stops.
I know it drains the battery like crazy if the browser would continue, but i wonder if there isn't an app or something that would let android run a couple of non-system apps at a time once in a while.
I hope you guys know something
Thanks
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the only problem with Android's multitasking is that it drains battery. there's so much applications running in background, and i have to manually kill them. to minimize my manually killing these applications, i have to check their settings and for those applications that have sync, i have to increase the sync timing for example from every 5 mins to 24 hours. its a nightmare to go through all my applications (i figured it out late), and it gives me headache when some applications there's no such option!
i know for some applications it is useful for example if u want to download something in a different application while doing something else with another application. but i dont download much(well... its a phone, not a computer). so because of that, i really hate Android's multitask approach. i hope at some point, there's an option where Android can switch multitask configuration, where i would love to use iOS's solution, where they pauses background apps... it would certainly solve S2's battery problem.
Actually android can does allow true multitasking just like on your desktop. It not android that has the limitation, its some of the apps. My wife's SGS2 on gingerbread 2.3.6 can run Aircalc, floating browser & overskreen all on the screen at the exact same time running simultaneously & I can still cycle through my homescreen without minizing anything. This is straight stock right out of the box. Android has had the capability for years, there just hasn't been many apps that take advantage of it. Android is the most powerful, versatile OS out there because the possibilities are endless
lol, just cause an app has a workaround doesnt mean that the OS shouldnt have it natively... thats the issue, it should be natively supported, not random by some genious developers...
If that were true than you can program any app on any os and call the os genious... because a programmer invents something... I remember people building awesome stuff in dos, that didnt make dos awesome lol.
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I made multitasking alot better - even on sense 4.0 and 4.1
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900626
Testers welcome.
zeppelinrox said:
I made multitasking alot better - even on sense 4.0 and 4.1
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900626
Testers welcome.
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zeppelinrox you rock with yer scripts, automagically lmao
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Popup play its multitasking
I can write here.. Whatsapp, mail while watching videos.. Also power amp running music and do the same.. That's multitasking... Would be cool to let YouTube play the video in the background.. Or save the state of a website when you stop using the browser..
Other than that I don't see any other use
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You're confusing multitasking with a band-aid fix that's good for only one single purpose.
Call it what ever you want.. Multi-tasking(wiki) : "In computing, multitasking is a method where multiple tasks, also known as processes, are performed during the same period of time. The tasks share common processing resources, such as a CPU and main memory"
When ever I can accomplish this no matter what.. This can be called multitasking....
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---------- Post added at 08:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 PM ----------
Back in DOS days you could only run 1 task at a time.. Play a game? Sure but you could not do anything else...
Develop software in gwbasic? Sure but again you can not do anything else.. Copy some files from a diskette to another? Sure but once again you can not do anything else.. Mean no multitasking allowed
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lol some dudes created a shell, in which a windowed environment allowed multitasking
anyways strictly speaking your correct. But then my requirements of multitasking is a bit higher
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multitasking app?
zeppelinrox said:
I made multitasking alot better - even on sense 4.0 and 4.1
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900626
Testers welcome.
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Sounds quite promising. Is it possible to make an app that you can adjust the number of simultaneous tasks allowed. Simiar to, say setting, maximum cpu using gui? I'm sure many people that are not familar with all the inner workings of android would appreciate having this capability.
Thanks for your efforts!

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