Apple's new iPad is being criticized for lacking the capacity to run multiple third party applications at once, but the company has a variety of options to pursue in addressing the issue.

The iPad's iPhone OS arbitrarily limits third party apps from running in the background after the user closes the app. But this isn't because the iPhone OS "can't multitask," as the iPhone OS uses the same preemptively multitasking Mach/BSD kernel as Apple's desktop Mac OS X.

The iPhone OS is constantly running system processes that listen to the mobile network for incoming calls and texts, it runs an iPod process for playing back music all the time, it watches for background notifications being sent to idle apps, and there's a variety of other things always going on. This is the definition of multitasking.

Multitasking in the operating systemhttp://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/18/inside_apples_ipad_multitasking.html    

I think iPhone does the most stuff day in day out without being  problematic. 

not having multi-tasking is fine for a phone

it sucks for something with a 10 inch screen

how about uploading photos to facebook while chatting on msn?

sorry, can't be done without multitasking

iDissapointed

Yes, i never quite got this argument about multitasking, the appz which i like to keep open like mail, Skype and Palringo (msn) have notification built in and will run in the background... Furthermore this thing isn't a PC and all apps on the ipad open in less than a second.. A lot like the Apple applications running under Snow Leopard. Why do people always think in PC terms and condemn everything based on their own user experiences (MS) i'll never know. Sometimes you just need to pay up to be enlightened.

I think Apple could fix uploading & downloading photos & Movies in the background, maybe iPhone OS 4.0

Ok, here's a better example...

a drum machine and a virtual synthesizer

what's the point of only being able to run one at a time?

give me a laptop any day (or an HP slate)

how about playing a game while keeping an eye on your stock trades?

the lack of possibilities is endless

Right now on my Mac I'm running internet with about 5 different windows (FB, youtube, gmail, steaming live radio from Oz etc etc) plus... photoshop, illustrator, Yahoo chat, my work email and iTunes... all at once. That is multi-tasking from a USER point of view (I dont care what its processing inside)

When iPad can even do HALF of that, I may consider. Until that time comes, its totally useless to me.

IT orientated people here are totally missing the point of this device. We have computers for all those things your moaning about. I would love the idea of sitting on the couch and concentrating on one thing only. Why would i want to read an ebook then have someone dinging me on Skype? Same if i play a game or watch the latest episode of LOST.... Those are specific things i want to do without distraction or fuss.. This device is not a laptop replacement (look at the price) and Jobs was the first to indicate that fact. It would be pretty foolish to jeopardize the rest of your product line with an all in one device which would never satisfy all.. lets face it.

I will probably get this device, and yep i will read a book with it and thank god i will not be distracted, The same goes for a movie, a murdering spree on the latest game, Learning a new language, following a recipe in the kitchen.... Only now i can do it anywhere with a light enough device that has a screen 5x bigger than any smartphone.

@si6: But people expected it to be a laptop replacement. That's the downside of hyping the sh*t out of your products. People expect the amazing. When you deliver the norm then you get pissed off customers. Believe me, I have an iPhone, a Macbook Pro, and a Macbook. I'm a fan of Apple's products. I still think the iPad missed the mark. I won't be buying one even though I was ready to open my wallet based on the rumored functionality. What they've delivered is disappointing and they should have known it would be. It's about two revs away from being the product they should have launched.