ProSwitcher brings webOS-style multitasking to jailbroken iPhones 57
Sun, 20 Dec 2009 2:38 pm EST
While many expect that Apple will eventually add full multitasking capability to the iPhone platform, the always creative homebrew jailbreak community long ago added multitasking to the iPhone OS and recently even whipped up a slick interface called MultiFl0w to work with your running apps.
But in today’s modern smartphone age, if there’s any platform that handles multitasking with the utmost ease, it’s webOS. An iPhone jailbreak developer recognized that and whipped together a new multitasking interface for the iPhone called ProSwitcher. While not as superbly elegant as webOS (you have to launch the ProSwitcher app to even start your multitasking card flipping fun), ProSwitcher does bring the ease of the multitasking cards metaphor - complete with toss-off-the-screen-to-close action - to iPhone users. Of course, you do have to jailbreak your iPhone to get it...
[via: iHackintosh]
57 Comments
that looks nice but it look like its to many taps to press...
Once again, this has been worked on for a long time. Stop flattering yourself. As for the "extra taps" this is the person choosing to have each app in the background. There's a setting for apps do this automatically.
The only disadvantage here is that you can't swipe upwards to start card view. But then again, the icon is right next to your dumb.
"The only disadvantage here is that you can't swipe upwards to start card view..."
...and that good 'ol Steve wants you to face charges for implementing that feature or any of the others "he says you can't have". http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/02/apple-says-ipho/#previouspost
Whereas Palm is totally cool and embracing homebrew and patching http://www.precentral.net/palm-responds-nanplayer-app-catalog-issue (which requires little more than a few key punches into any Pre unlike loading "bLacKSn0w", "bLacKr4in" and the like through iTunes hax.
You can set it so that a swipe down from the status bar brings it up, which is sufficiently close to the Pre's behavior for my muscle memory to work somewhat with it.
In trying it out, it's definitely nice once you tweak it to act more like the Pre (initially it only shows one card on the screen as opposed to the edges of the left and right card, and it takes a double-tap to move into the app. You can do a lot of customization though, so I've tweaked it a lot.). It's a bit sluggish, but then I'm running it on a first-gen iPod Touch, so I'm sure on the newer devices it probably flies right along. Still, it's built on top of Backgrounder, which sometimes chokes on streaming apps since it works by fooling the app into thinking it's still running. For what it is, it's great, but it's still no competition for webOS's multitasking, which is nigh-on perfect for me.
WebOS-style multi-tasking, in this demonstrated fashion, is counter-intuitive on the iPhone. 1) You don't have a 'gesture area' or hardware button that allows you to pull up your apps over the main screen, while still seeing the apps you have open. Therefore you are constantly opening apps that you probably already have open. With Pre, you can see behind the launcher page to see which apps are already open. 2) The iPhone's home button does only that, takes you to your app matrix screen, then you have to waste slot in your quick launch bar for the 'Switcher' view 3) The lack of a notification bar still means you have to immediately attend to any new messages, phone calls, etc that you get while you are in app view, app matrix view, or 'Switcher' view. That ruins the whole multi-tasking experience! 4) The lack of a keyboard use in 'Switcher'/'Card' view removes the ability to uni-search while still working without losing your place. You would have to go iPhone's home screen then, swipe to their Spotlight search feature, compared to Pre where you can click once, or swipe up once, then begin typing in the transparent uni-search/launcher screen while seeing the app you just came from behind it!
WebOS style muli-tasking is than just software; it's Pre's hardware integrated into WebOS to create true experience.
That is pretty slick, I feel like I just lost an advantage over the iPhone users.
Don't! Not many iphone users do the jailbreak thing. Although its really not that hard.
i wonder how many pre users homebrew. Especially when people say it's ok cause feature x is missing because they could just homebrew.
? He said he was concerned that his Pre would lose its advantage over the iphone if a Jailbroken iphone could multitask. I simply pointed out to him that there wouldn't be very many of those in the wild. Why be defensive? Stay on topic.
I'll bet the percentage of iPhone users who jailbreak is about the same as the percentage that actually care about multitasking. That makes this multitasking method pretty useful if you ask me.
roughly 10% of iphone users jailbreak, roughly 5% of palm users installs patches
Too bad they are doing all that for naught. Here's video of the "precious" Multifl0w running on both a 3G & 3GS. 80-billion clicks and both phones would've ignited if the vid ran any longer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrGLGoB88So
For some perspective, some definitions.
Main Entry: mul
Are you kidding? Theres millions of jailbroken iphones out there you can even tell by some jailbroken download logs from cydia apps. And it's so easy to j/b with purplerain you just download one file and click one button...done!! unlike all this rooting nonsense and patching around sounds like the pre is full of holes with all these patches lol!
Are you a retard? Jailbreaking an iPhone is rooting, breaking the security on the OS to get access to the root profile in Mobile OS X (since it's Unix-based).
In webOS, since it's so easy to get the same level of control, many prefer not to call it rooting since rooting implies illicit behavior (which it isn't on webOS).
I say don't because this iPhone demonstration is not nearly as functional or elegant as Pre's or Pixi's multi-tasking! Read my long comment above.
You have a point. But on the fip side, the iphone has apps that are more functional and elegant to multitask.
Would you rather have a better UI or some substance underneath it? Which is easier to fix sooner than later if you're Apple or Palm?
Palm's native apps (email, photos, calendar, messaging, browser, navigation, mobile TV, etc) are just as elegant and functional as those on the iPhone, if not more so. The 3rd party apps are built by developers. I would rather have a better UI with ok apps because, obviously the apps are easier to upgrade and make more dynamic, once SDK upgrades, GPU access, and Flash are available in the near future. 80% of the app store is crap, I would say 60% of app catalog apps need work.
Looks like a pain to me. But a little work and apple could easily implement something slick.
dont worry socca1157, you havent... as onedeep said, its way too many taps-- webOS is still more seemless
There is another alternative called multifl0w which will bring the swipe up to close soon in an update.
Wonder how far the jailbreak community can go before Palm will get their legal dept to slap intelectual property claims against this work.
That's an interesting question. Remember when they shut down the Palm OS version back in May.
That's true! I completely forgot they had done that, hmm they may just put a stop to it, I mean they're saying multifl0w will also have swipe to close an application and I don't think palm would like that, especially on the competitions phone.
Wow, just copy webOS like really you don't see are community whipping out a patch to copy the iPhone, and only allow us to run one application at a time lol but really guys we should all be flattered that they would like their iPhones to be like are phones, shows the potential and attraction webOS has! :)
What?
As a fellow Pre owner, I think thats a pretty dumb comment, you know it. The entire idea of the Palm Pre was copied from the initial ground work laid out by Apple and the iPhone.
Just because webOS revolutionized one aspect of the smart phone lets not get ahead of ourselves here.
Illiterate much? I'd suggest not even getting started on how many "concepts" WebOS "borrows" from the iphone; lest you forget which phone, and thus which company's ideology, really kicked off this whole "multitouch smartphone" era. Quite frankly, I think it a compliment to WebOS' ingenuity and ability to improve upon an already highly-invested and highly-competitive market. It shows there is room left for growth on even the most, seemingly, dominant platform in the market -and that it's users themselves recognize this potential.
Now if Apple would use that same clever ingenuity that earned them the aforementioned market position to give it's users what they want (which in this case is a user friendly and intuitive, yet powerful, way to manage multiple applications on both a user and system level [not to mention persistent notifications, etc]) we could end this fiasco that multitasking alone will herald the reign of Palm.
This is a sign, to me, that this market is evening out and petty features like "pinch zoom" and "multitasking" (things an average user not only requires but assumes) will no longer be the defining merit of a platform. This is more of a message to Palm than it is to Apple. It says: the people want this, those that don't have it. Regardless of platform, regardless of the difficulties current technology offers, people want and expect multitasking to be the future. What Palm has to offer is immense in a very natural way -its what they're lacking that's holding them back. Time to put foot to ass and make WebOS start maturing on a very real, very competitive level.
Very well put. I never understood why people always try to BASH Apple or turn everything into a Palm vs. The world debate. WebOS did a lot of cool stuff months ago, but as time has gone by, they need to step it up quickly by maturing the OS. They are doing this, but with Apple and RIM holding the lions share of users the plethora of things WebOS lacks simply makes users of the iPhone not even care to see what the hype is about.
Most people I know with an iPhone laugh when I ask them if they'd ever switch from it to a Pre. I love my Pre, but if within the next 6 months it isn't vastly improved and if better devices come on Sprint I'll leave it in a heartbeat. Only thing I'm loyal to is progress and so far Palm has been making good enough progress in my book, lets just hope it remains constant.
damn iphone folks trying to take the one dopest thing the Pre has over the iphone.. atleast its still no match for the gesture bar and flicks..
heh, looks like all that tasking is murdering the battery.
well I wouldn't count on that since the pre has one of the worsed battery life if ever seen... still lovn my pre :>
this is just like the old tealOS, it looks like there just quick screen shots. I'd like to see two web browseres open at the same time, loading two different sites! or see a the musci app change alblum art when the song changes.
Actually its better than TealOS. Teal only had screenshots, but if you watch the video again, the calculator maintained the numbers that were typed in when it went into the background and came back. Don't know if they needed to run both the background app and the Multiflow program at the same time to make it work, but either way, that does mean the iphone's only true disadvantage is the lack of a physical keyboard.
i wonder how good it works with other apps
they switched between the notes, calculator, and calendar
i wonder how it would work with a game, browser, and aim open
I just installed this on my iPhone 3G and I have to say it works great. You can configure the Backgrounder app to automatically store whatever app you choose in the background, and you can configure the Proswitcher activation in a number of ways, I set mine to activate by pressing the home button shortly.
For being on a phone that boasts simplicity of use, this is not as elegant or seamless a solution as seen on webOS. Don't get me wrong - props to the people who did this... but I'll still stick with webOS, thanks.
Is this truly multitasking or is it actually more of a task switcher? It looks like the apps in card view are just "screenshots" and when you tap on them it restarts the app in question.
No, the jailbreak guys got real backgrounding working a while ago. Jailbreak only, though.
This looks like they tried add a "card view" type thing to their task management. And I honestly hope it can be made to act more seamless. That felt awkward just watching.
dupe msg
That's alright, but just felt awkward. There are some basic gesture things webOS still has an advantage in. Even if it can be configured to background all apps, it still doesn't feel as smooth. Yeah all you have to do is tap the icon at the bottom to launch card view, like pressing the button on the Pre. But that bottom bar eats screen real estate.
When you add card view to the gestures on the Pre, the result is a less frenetic display. No clutter at the bottom unless you want to pull up the launch bar. And to flip between apps you can long swipe to shuffle through (with advanced gestures). When you're in the midst of a complex and stressful task, that stuff is soothing. I say that as one who's Pre helped him last minute shop yesterday.
Anyhow, nice work by the jailbreak community. Just do it moar better. ;-)
I hate when people say that the Palm copied everything from the iPhone. What they don't realize is Palm only did it as a payback. Apple stole everything that the treos and centros were to make the first iPhone. Such as 4 favorites at the bottom, apps, app icons view with only a picture screen for one screen (lock for iPhone, phone for treo), touchscreen, ringer switch, and so much more. Palm only did what Apple did to them; take their product and make it better. What people don't realize is everything that we have right now is all thanks to Palm. Because Apple copied them and everybody else copied Apple. Make sense everybody?
that's an enlightening comment... now that i think about it, my centro was extremely similar to the iphone... they just seemed to add more and "upgrade" it. its a shame apple has to act like a child who can give but not take the criticism... you get the idea
Thank you very much. I'm glad I'm not the only who sees this. Lol.
I don't know about make it better. They improved on a few aspects but it isn't better than the iPhone nor is it any type of iPhone killer.
As of now the Pre lacks many features and the Polish of the iPhone. Don't even get me started on the build quality... My Pre is one of the better built ones (very minor blotching on the LCD when it gets hot) but when you hold it next to an iPhone it feels like a kids toy.
digink, maybe you need to read the comment better... i was agreeing that the iphone made the original palm interface better. please make sure you read before you post
I wasn't even replying to your comment, maybe you need to learn how to read.
Look how fast the apps are launched on the Iphone. Palm really needs to improve the speed.
I will never jailbreak my iPhone for that. The iPhone 3GS is plenty fast switching between apps. Battery life is great, and the things I want to multitask already do it out of the box. When Apple figures out better battery utilization, they will no doubt allow third parties to implement multitasking. Till then, no thanks.
and of course, the ifanboy site gives kudos first to the mobile safari web pages concept first before WebOS card style while the source site knows its more inspired from WebOS. (-_-)'.
It's absolutely based on the iPhone MobileSafari "Pages" UI (X at the top left, dots at the bottom to show the number of open "pages", etc.) which debuted in January 2007 along with the original iPhone.
They did add the upward flick motion, which was a really nice feature Palm put into webOS cards.
Of course, Apple deserves jeers for not propagating the "Pages" UI to iPhone apps (or even widgets!) with 2.0, 3.0, etc...
At the end of the day, each new concept is based on the foundation of the concepts that came before, and elements of each device have predecessors on devices past (*cough* iPhone homescreen is totally Palm OS *cough*)
Here's TiPb's coverage from earlier today. Feel free to drop as many "fanboy" comments as you like :p
http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2009/12/20/proswitcher-jailbreak-brings-saf...
Yes we all know the idea came from the multiple pages from mobile safari but limited to webpages. Just don't see why ya cant say how it was implemented like other sites, blogs, and even the developer itself for the description of the app saying it's Palm Pre style application switcher.
i'm deciding to be happy about his. progress! when my sprint contract is up in 2 yrz, i want to love whatever phone, OS, and plan i get next!
The real beauty of multi-tasking in a WebOS device shows up when you activate the "advanced geture" feature. This allows you to have multiple applications open in "full screen" mode. To switch apps you simply slide your thumb/finger along the length of the gesture area and you are instantly into the next screen. I activated this feature on Friday and feel like a have a whole new device. No delays, no lags... wicked quick.
Yea, I dont think enough people utilize this feature.
What is sad to me is how fluid and "delicious" the animation is and how good the apps look.
*sigh*
Wow. Looks like the iPhonies are in awe of the WebOS. It really is a better OS than iPhone hands down, and this shows that they agree. Still worse than the real thing however. I can see why they would be envious and want to replicate. Still rather have my Pre anyday. Atleast my Bluetooth works and I can hold a call.
Now, are all of the apps opened still live?