| h1> | | | | from the ability to rotate photos to a new 5x zoom |
| | | | on the camera, will all come together to make OS 4.0 |
| While the new iPhone OS 4.0 is set to bring a lot of | | | | a big step-up for casual users. |
| great changes to one of the most popular electronic | | | | |
| devices ever created, not all users stand to benefit | | | | Gamers |
| equally. Nobody should skip the upgrade, but some | | | | This class of user stands to benefit the least from |
| categories of users will benefit more than others. | | | | the upcoming iPhone OS 4.0. Apple is excited about |
| This is an overly-simplified breakdown of the | | | | the new Social Gaming Network, but time will tell how |
| situation, but it should help iPhone owners understand | | | | this system will pan out. Flash is still not supported, so |
| what they can expect from the upgrade. | | | | it means that a lot of the best online games are still |
| What will OS 4.0 bring to the iPhone? First and | | | | not going to work. Fortunately, many game providers |
| foremost: multitasking. Apple has finally found the last | | | | are offering alternatives — online games |
| piece of this puzzle, and their dev team figured out | | | | designed specifically for the iPhone. Many mobile |
| how to let iPod and related devices run more than | | | | casinos, for example, offer real-money casino games |
| one app at once, all without killing the battery. A | | | | like slots and poker that will run inside Safari, letting |
| double-click on the Home button will bring up a screen | | | | gamers take things to the next level by putting a |
| of currently-running apps, and a second click will focus | | | | few dollars down on their skills. |
| on the target app instantly. Early reports say this | | | | |
| new multitasking support is surprisingly efficient | | | | 3G and the second generation iPod touch owners |
| — though beware, users will be limited to | | | | Sorry, because of your outdated hardware, you |
| running 4 apps at once. | | | | won’t be able to take full advantage of some |
| | | | | of the new features that OS 4.0 will bring. Most |
| Other new features include a few enhancements to | | | | notably, your device will not support the new |
| the user interface. Users will be able to arrange apps | | | | multitasking feature, so you will still only be able to |
| inside folders, change the background behind the | | | | run one program at a time. |
| icons, and store up to 2,000 icons instead of the | | | | |
| current 180. | | | | Original iPhone and iPod touch owners |
| | | | | No luck here. The first-gen devices simply |
| Business users | | | | won’t support OS 4.0. Owners of these |
| This class of iPhone users stands to benefit the | | | | devices should really consider an upgrade. |
| most. The new Multitasking will more than quadruple | | | | |
| the power of the iPhone, and will reduce the amount | | | | What about iAd? |
| of time it takes to complete every-day tasks. | | | | One new feature that will be introduced with |
| Increased security measures, like the ability to | | | | OS 4.0 is not going to be as welcome as the others: |
| encrypt emails, and PIN codes, will certainly benefit | | | | iAd. This new mobile advertising system will introduce |
| enterprises. The new unified inbox system in | | | | in-app advertising. The system will allow full-screen |
| the mail app will also benefit business users, letting | | | | video and even interactive advertising content to be |
| them manage multiple email accounts simultaneously. | | | | launched from within an application, without the need |
| | | | | to send the user out to Safari to offer this sort of |
| Casual users | | | | content. In a way the new system will be less |
| Again, the new multitasking support means a big | | | | intrusive than before, but at the same time it might |
| change in how the iPhone operates. Casual users can | | | | just open the iPhone up to even more spam. |
| now stream internet music through Safari while | | | | |
| reading an iBook, for example. The ability to | | | | Overall, previews and hands-on reviews of the new |
| customize the iPhone’s interface even further | | | | OS 4.0 are very positive. Most users stand to benefit |
| by changing the background will make the device | | | | on at least some level from the upgrade, and all |
| even more personal. A host of other new features, | | | | users are encouraged to take the plunge. |