Can ipad 2 multitasking

For the lowdown on getting a productivity leg up while computing, click to the next page. If you're reading this, you probably know how debilitating it can be trying to work in an environment of emails constantly arriving, calls coming in and people interrupting you with their own problems. So is it really helping if you try to work on several of your own tasks "simultaneously?

There's a raging debate as to whether people can actually "multitask," versus switching between multiple tasks rapidly. There's even a term for the latter -- "switchtasking. In the book "The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done," author Dave Crenshaw explains the difference between "background tasking," such as exercising or listening to music, and "switchtasking," which requires you to alternate focus among two or more jobs that require a greater degree of concentration.

The problem with switchtasking, he writes, is that we lose time and progress in those transitions from one task to another [source: Trapani ]. Crenshaw's work seems to suggest that perhaps you don't want to be switching among all those iPad apps in the first place -- unless you're using them to complete one specific task at a time.

The iPad 2 with the upgraded iOS 4 operating system offered quite a few improvements, including multitasking.

But even better things are in store for those who wait, according to Apple and its supporters. To find out what those things are, click to the next page. Is tapping that clunky old Home button to call up multitasking too exhausting for you?

The next Apple mobile operating system , iOS 5, will allow you to gesture to bring up the multitasking bar -- swipe up with four or five fingers and it will appear; swipe left or right to slide off-screen applications into view and switch apps.

Scheduled to become available in the fall of , iOS 5 promises to be a short attention span sufferer's and information junkie's delight: users' documents will be available to them on all their Apple devices, including the iPad, through " iCloud ," Apple's remote storage and software delivery service; iMessage, an instant messaging service that will allow you to add IMing to fellow iOS users to your multitasking mix; and much more.

One of the biggest boons to iPad multitasking -- or distractions, depending on how you use it -- will be iOS 5's comprehensive integration of Twitter.

Users will be able to tweet updates directly from the Camera, Photo, YouTube, Maps, and Contacts apps, and most likely more once third-party developers jump into the fray. Perhaps best of all, Apple says making software upgrades with iOS 5 will be relatively painless. The frequency of software updates for computers these days can be annoying at best and a nightmare at its worst -- when "fixes" are buggy and conflict with your current set-up. For iOS users, up until now it's also meant having to plug your mobile device into a Mac or PC to connect with and sync to iTunes.

With iOS 5, those updates will take place over the air, wirelessly, greatly reducing the hassle factor. Less time fumbling around with wires to keep your iPad current should equal more time to actually be productive on the tablet. Is multitasking a panacea for the iPad's thimbleful of imperfections?

Definitely not. But it is one of many features that make the device just a bit higher in functionality to match its well-conceived form. For more information about the iPad and other tech-related topics, follow the links on the next page.

Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Computer Hardware. You can tap one of these thumbnails to open that specific window.

One reason to use Split View or Slide Over is to move content from one window to another. You can use drag and drop to do this. Just tap and hold an item in one window, then drag it to the other. Below, I drag the Learn More link to a note:. Finally, Picture in Picture is a sort of multitasking where you can make a video or a FaceTime call into a thumbnail so you can check another app. Tap the Picture in Picture button on the video — most video apps support this, as do many online videos — then open a second app.

To return the video to full screen, tap the Full Screen button. You can also subscribe to our e-mail newsletter and keep an eye here on Mac Security Blog for the latest Apple security and privacy news.

The Mac Security Blog. Search for:. Share Shares. Learn how to use the new Multitasking menu, the Dock, and Spotlight to work with multiple apps. Multitasking types. Start multitasking. Make adjustments.

Drag and drop. Picture in Picture. Split View: In Split View, two apps appear side-by-side. You can resize the apps by dragging the slider that appears between them. Slide Over: With Slide Over, one app appears in a smaller floating window that you can drag to the left or right side of your screen. Center window: In some apps, you can open a center window that lets you focus on a specific item, such as an email or a note. To use Spotlight for multitasking, you need to have a keyboard, such as the Apple Magic Keyboard, connected to your iPad.

To close the center window, tap Done or Close. You can also tap the Multitasking button , then tap one of the buttons to change the center window to full screen, Split View, or Slide Over. When you have multiple apps open, you can make adjustments to customize your multitasking experience. When you switch to an app that has multiple windows open, the bottom of your iPad screen shows a shelf containing thumbnails of all the app's windows.

Tap one of the thumbnails to open the window. You can also swipe up on a thumbnail in the shelf to close that window. In some apps, you can also open a new window by tapping New Window in the shelf. With drag and drop, you can move text, photos, and files from one app to another. For example, you can drag text from Safari into a note, an image from Photos into a an email, or a calendar event into a text message.

You can use Multitasking gestures on your iPad to quickly see the app switcher, switch to another app, or return to the Home Screen:. With Picture in Picture, you can do things like respond to an email while watching a TV show.

Then open a second app while the video continues to play. To move the video, drag it to another corner. To return the video to full screen, tap the full screen button in the left corner of the video.

You can also hide the video by dragging it to the left or right edge of your display. Tap the arrow button to make the video reappear. Use multitasking on your iPad With iPadOS, you can use multitasking to work with more than one app at the same time. Types of multitasking Apps that support multitasking can be used in a few different ways.