One big complaints on the new iPad is its lack of multitasking support. From technical perspective, I think that’s because iPad will be use iPhone OS, currently at 3.2 beta, and it does not support multitasking. It does support iPod (listening to music) and another task such as browsing web though. Some developers speculate Apple will support multitask in its iPhone OS 4.0.
Oh well, my point here is not just about iPhone/iPad multitasking. My point is trying to discuss whether multitasking, work both for us human beings and for the computers (ultimately controlled by us and supposed to help us work more efficiently). To be honest I don’t have the answer. But I read one interesting article when I google “multitasking makes you stupid”. I did not intensionally typed in those words, it just stands out when I typed “multitasking” in my browser google toolbar (another one is multitasking myth). Anyway, here are an interesting article from the Atlantic (2007)
The Autumn of the Multitaskers
and here an review article on the Atlantic article.
Multitasking Makes You Slow and Stupid…(I would read this one after the Long Atlantic article).
On a related topic, I read this Services to Help Us Stop Dawdling Online from WSJ (use google to get the article if necessary), which is about tracking our computing time at work. Most of us use Windows OS, and I bet most of we multitasking on Windows. I have not used those software or services as discussed at the WSJ article. But I did look at ManicTime software.
Last but not least, two things. I remember when I walk/jog on the walking machine at the local fitness club, from time to time I almost fall because I watch TV or podcast on my Nokia 5800. Once a friend asked an interesting question: we all work before computer nowadays, what do people work on at pre-computer days? Obviously, people still do their jobs at those days 😀