Multi-tasking confirmed..?

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Barguast

Senior Member
Sep 30, 2008
266
12
Just tried out the Windows Phone 7 Visual Studio. I made a simple application which simply spawns a thread and uses it to update a textbox, showing how long the application has been open.

If I start the application, then press the Windows button and open Internet Explorer then the application appears to continue running. That is, if I press the Windows button and choose my application again, the count continues and had been successfully updating while IE was open.

However, if I press the back key from my application then that does indeed appear to close the application.

So... Multi-tasking is confirmed, albeit simply. :)
 
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Kloc

Senior Member
Sep 18, 2008
614
0
Just tried out the Windows Phone 7 Visual Studio. I made a simple application which simply spawns a thread and uses it to update a textbox, showing how long the application has been open.

If I start the application, then press the Windows button and open Internet Explorer then the application appears to continue running (that is, if I press the Windows button and choose my application again, the count continues and had been successfully updating while IE was open).

However, if I press the back key from my application then that does indeed appear to close the application.

So... Multi-tasking is confirmed, albeit simply. :)

Or not. It's been said already. NO 3RD PARTY MULTITASKING AVAIABLE. Just save states and such.
 

Barguast

Senior Member
Sep 30, 2008
266
12
Try it. It works. Microsoft have stressed how like-for-like the emulator is with their hardware. This shows that multitasking is possible. Whether they restrict it at the distribution level (i.e. rejecting multi-tasking apps for Marketplace) is another matter.

Out of interest, where was it confirmed that multi-tasking for third party apps was a no-no? I vaguely recall a leaked developers' document.
 

Kloc

Senior Member
Sep 18, 2008
614
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Try it. It works. Microsoft have stressed how like-for-like the emulator is with their hardware. This shows that multitasking is possible. Whether they restrict it at the distribution level (i.e. rejecting multi-tasking apps for Marketplace) is another matter.

Out of interest, where was it confirmed that multi-tasking for third party apps was a no-no? I vaguely recall a leaked developers' document.

I don't disbelive that it's working on emulator but I've been watching MIX steamed live. I heard this directly from a WP7 developers mouth. Can't get anymore confirmed then that.
 

gom99

Senior Member
Dec 15, 2007
261
2
perhaps it's because you're running a native app and a 3rd party app? Try running 2 3rd party apps to see if one shuts down maybe?
 

Kloc

Senior Member
Sep 18, 2008
614
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Yeah try running 2 3rd party apps. Native apps will be able to multitasking with each other and 1 3rd party app. Meaning we can still listen to music, surf the web, make a phone call, and run a 3rd party app all at the same time. From what I understand.
 

gom99

Senior Member
Dec 15, 2007
261
2
Yeah try running 2 3rd party apps. Native apps will be able to multitasking with each other and 1 3rd party app. Meaning we can still listen to music, surf the web, make a phone call, and run a 3rd party app all at the same time. From what I understand.

That's actually not so bad, especially if special 3rd party vendors can make apps that can multitask as well. Like Opera for example, in case you wanted a new browser.

But that's true Multitasking for one 3rd party app with native apps. On the iphone, doesn't it suspend your app if it's not the main application running regardless of if you use a native app? I'm not sure though.
 

Kloc

Senior Member
Sep 18, 2008
614
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That's actually not so bad, especially if special 3rd party vendors can make apps that can multitask as well. Like Opera for example, in case you wanted a new browser.

Well they said certain apps that need access to the Native API should beable to get it. For example they mentioned pandora will be able to run in the background.
 

Kloc

Senior Member
Sep 18, 2008
614
0
That's actually not so bad, especially if special 3rd party vendors can make apps that can multitask as well. Like Opera for example, in case you wanted a new browser.

But that's true Multitasking for one 3rd party app with native apps. On the iphone, doesn't it suspend your app if it's not the main application running regardless of if you use a native app? I'm not sure though.

The guy said specifically if you are loading a webpage and then switch over to the home and make a call or read email the webpage will continue to load in the background.
 

style1

Senior Member
Jun 21, 2008
134
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The guy said specifically if you are loading a webpage and then switch over to the home and make a call or read email the webpage will continue to load in the background.

Having seen it for myself in person and unscripted. I still don't know how to feel about this. I was one of the biggest proponents of WP7 Multitasking...but I'm not sure if any of this can be considered so, after seeing it with my own eyes.

Yes, the system saves app state so when you return to it you can continue from that point.
Yes, you can cycle through multiple open apps by using the back button. You can also use the back button from the Home to cycle backwards as well.

But you can't, REALLY multitask with 3rd party apps. Unless they are built to take advantage of the Push Notifications systems, once you close them they die. They can pause, but only the core system functions will actually RUN (its not even clear if they are running, per se) in the background. I did see at one point, the guy was showing off a game, received a notification in the middle of it from his calendar appointment, he checked it and resumed the game. That could technically be considered multitasking...I guess but it not traditional M$ or WebOS style.

However if I were to be so bold as to give an opinion on it..I will say. Its better than traditional Multitasking. It really does walk a fine line between OSX and Android, but its something completely in its own. Push MAX as we have been calling it. I like it, powerusers may not.

~style~
I don't know whether to put foot in mouth or not, from my earlier statements. But just to play it safe I will admit that I was wrong on a few things, kinda...lol. Even seeing it for myself I don't know what to make of it. Of course my camera was stolen maybe 20 minutes after buying it...lol Vegas is wild. I do have some terrible phone pics and vids but as we all know WM camera vids aren't worth the crap.
 

Barguast

Senior Member
Sep 30, 2008
266
12

Interesting. There are a couple of other tests I might try. For example, playing audio on a background app.

Odd that it isn't been proven in practice, but (apparently) denied by Microsoft. I didn't get to watch much of MIX, but I did hear that the emulator is essentially a virtual machine and if it works in that, it'll work on the phone.
 

D-MAN666

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2008
379
1
I made a couple simple tests too.

Test #1:
Video playback.
Video played successfully (heard sound) when i returned to start menu via WINDOWS button and started an IE, but it stopped eventually after a few seconds then. Looks like a background application is "put to sleep" if it takes too much resources. When i got back to app, video resumed.

Test #2:
Simultaneous audio playback in 2 apps. When i entered the 2nd app, audio from 1st app stopped and audio from 2nd app played.

Test #3:
Background audio playback.
Audio from a single app successfully played when i browsed in IE and played around in other apps.

So, at least in emulator, there's a multitasking, but looks like there's also a host process that looks after device resources and pauses/closes? applications when device is low on them.
Then again, BACK button kills app immediately.

Update
Test #4:
App1 - Audio, App2 - Video
When App2 is active and App1 is background, i can see both video (with sound) and hear audio from 1st app in background. When i exit to start menu, video pauses, but audio from App1 plays!
 
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