Revisiting Android Task Killers and Why You Still Don’t Need One

[TheArtfulPenguin]

I'm a network and security guy and I do use a task killer and feel that it does make a difference with battery life.

However on the security note I want to know what is running on my system! I hate it that I install things and they are running without me starting the app! Simple as that!

[Ads]

[zanxion]

The point is that there are several apps that are set to start again after killing them. This causes a hell of a battery drain as the killer application will keep killing an ever restarting application.
The most efficient approach to this is never install things that you barely/never use.

[Maleko]

For SO long people have been used to closing an application COMPLETELY themselves, either by Exiting it by the menu, or force closing it using a Task Manager like in Windows.

Personally I have to get away from that way of use when using Android, and I never have had the need for a task killer on my phone or tablet (even though I haven't had the tablet long).

My 2 cents :P

[SideShowMom]

I noticed that the apps stayed on when I was trying out the Transformer and asked a clerk about it. He'd said just to hit the previous screen button repeatedly to get out of them. I did think it odd that there was no exit for them. Is there a Task Manager on the Transformer to see what the memory/RAM/running processes status is?

[u2vini]

Sad for me reading the whole thread thinking about grabbing a cpu usage app just to find out it was the last question here unanswered by almost a month

I would say having something like any task manager in there world when you can see the processes running and how njch cpu-memory are consuming would be great!! Did search for it with no luck, but hey..im not that good, so just asking here... anyone?

[u2vini]

Instead of editing my last comment i will eat my own words.... i just found at least a dozen task managers.... i can only think i used some sort of weird keywords since i couldn't find any some time ago :-)

Right now im staying with 'free advanced task manager' which gives me cpu and memory in real time :-)

[Frederuco]

I was just looking around. In settings you can see what is using Memory. Go to Settings - Apps - (Manage) - Running. The bottom of the screen shows how much is used, how much is free and which apps are using how much.

I think there is an "ASUS Task Manager" app as well. I am not running an ASUS build on my TF101 so I cannot verify. I use the app "OS Monitor" since it can monitor CPU, Memory, Network usage as well as overclocking.

[u2vini]

My main problem is not monitor memory but CPU usage for each running service/app.

Unfortunately, the one i mentioned above (free advanced task manager) it doesnt work 10 out of 9 time (at least, it doesnt work for me).

It provides what i need but only when it works. I end up taking it out.

I will check others as well as the "Os monitor".

REgards,!

[bogolisk]

Well this is all well in theory but the reality is an entire different thing and the nasty thing is spelt: N-V-d-i-a. As in "nvidia video driver". Yes, android will mange the CPU, yes Android will manage virtual memory. No android doesn't monitor RAM fragmentation and RAM fragmentation will make the Nvidia video driver go poof!.

Inactive tasks, while not consuming CPU, do consume RAM and prevent the kernel from merging practically unused pages (since they are kept by... inactive tasks). So, for me, killing task is "essential" when running ICS on top of Nvidia driver. It basically make inactive tasks return RAM back to the system so the kernel can defragment RAM.

[skarfreak]

very very nice one.. when i get home, i'll uninstall it.. I can't bring my prime, cos i wanna let my daughter enjoy it, since she's not yet at skol...