Thinking about switching back to an iPhone, am I the only one?

I found myself in a similar situation...

I had a iPhone 4 then sold right before the 4S came out.

I then had..
Samsung Inspire -> Skyrocket -> Nexus

All good phones but today I am rocking an iPhone 4 again.

It really is a great platform.. and you can't beat the quality of the apps. And the awesome accessories.
 
Redbeard80 said:
I found myself in a similar situation...

I had a iPhone 4 then sold right before the 4S came out.

I then had..
Samsung Inspire -> Skyrocket -> Nexus

All good phones but today I am rocking an iPhone 4 again.

It really is a great platform.. and you can't beat the quality of the apps. And the awesome accessories.
Click to expand...

4 phones in 4 months? :confused:

You must not be on the "eligible for equipment upgrade once every 18 months" plan like the rest of us :p
 
Zarathustra[H];1038396442 said:
4 phones in 4 months? :confused:

You must not be on the "eligible for equipment upgrade once every 18 months" plan like the rest of us :p
Click to expand...

Har, no I have a problem. I really like jumping around to different phones/platforms. They resell pretty easy on eBay so it isn't a big deal.

This is the 3rd iPhone 4 I have had anyway... 1 at launch.. 1 was a refurb when I went back at ATT then this last one was to get back into iOS after my Gnex.

Even though I went from a 4.65" to a 3.5" screen it doesn't bother me at all.

Here is to the iPhone 5!
 
AQ_OC said:
If you buy any app on Android, you don't have to enter any kind of password after you have selected an account. So anyone getting my phone can buy apps on my dime. Apple, OTOH, makes you type in a password each time, or least after a certain period of time since the last time.
Click to expand...

You can set up a pin that has to be entered before making purchases on the android Market. It won't prevent downloading free apps, but it will keep a stranger from picking up your phone and buying things.

Go the the Android Market -> settings -> set or change PIN
once that is set the option above it "Use PIN for purchases" should be enabled.

In my honest opinion, Android is the better OS. Granted, I have been using Android since the Droid, and at that time, it was a bit of a mess. But since Gingerbread (and even more so for ICS) Android has surpassed iOS in every way. Another advantage of Android is that Android phones are always the first ones to try and adopt new technology. That is why there is no 4G iphone, the iphone does not have a NFC chip. I also like the customization that comes with Android, and of course, the options.

On the bad battery life for Android, that comes with features. If you have more features running (widgets, notifications) the battery will drain faster. That is part of the reason that the battery life for the iphone has dropped so significantly with iOS5. They added a lot of features, like a pulldown notification manager. If they were to add widgets, you would see iphone batterylife drop further. So, mostly I'm just saying that it's a tradeoff, you can have features, or you can have batterylife.

However, the iphone isn't necessarily a bad phone and, for the average user, it really comes down to personal preference for the look and feel of each phone. For those that like to tinker and get the most out of their devices though, Android is the only way to go.
 
I have had several Android phones including the Galaxy Nexus. The only advantage Android has over the iPhone are the larger displays and LTE. Once your factor in the hit your battery takes, LTE is no longer an advantage. Once jail broken, the iPhone is far superior to what rooted Droid's have to offer.
 
I really, really want a new iPhone... but the 4S just didn't appeal to me. It's not a big enough upgrade from my 4.
 
I just switched to a 4S after rockin' a Droid Inc for the past 20 months or so. I felt the 4S hardware, and especially the camera, was superior in build quality to most other phones on the market right now. And as for customization and features, I jailbreaked it on the first day and actually feel I have many more options that I did with Android (even when rooted). Granted, jailbreaking is kind of dependent on timing right now since it's only currently working with iOS 5.0.1 (and Apple officially started shipping iOS 5.1 pre-installed yesterday).

The only thing I had to compromise on was LTE, but most LTE phones don't have batteries that can support it (the Razr Maxx excluded). I've been using my 4S pretty steadily since 7:00 this morning including email, several phone calls, downloaded 2 apps and updated several others, taking pictures and videos, used Star Walk for a while (awesome app similar to Google Sky Map), plus a 25 minute drive using turn-by-turn navigation. It's now about 9:00 at night and battery is around 50%.

Of course this is all on 3G with the iPhone, but the point is - the 4S was designed with a battery that can actually support a reasonable day's worth of activities using the hardware that's on board. I'm not seeing that with too many phones these days, and everyone has accepted they should just buy 1-2 extra batteries (or an extended battery) as a routine accessory. That's just ridiculous IMHO, but I appreciate everyone has their preferences and things they're willing to tolerate. I did almost 3 weeks of research before getting the 4S and based on today's available options it was the best choice for me:cool:
 
Well, I - for one - can't wait to ditch my iPhone for a Galaxy Nexus or a Galaxy Note (if they ever make their way to Verizon, and if it actually gets the promised ICS upgrade).

I've had three iPhones in a row (original, 3G, and 4). The first two were worth it, but now I wish I had gotten an Android instead of the iPhone 4.

I hate being forced to use iTunes, and I hate all the limitations Apple puts in place. Right now because I didn't update during the 5.0.1 window, I am stuck with 4.2.1, or I will lose my untethered jailbreak.

I can't stand Apple. I was willing to put up with Apple's control-freak shit in the beginning before there were any real competitors, but now that I have options I just can't wait to get rid of it.

I have 3 more months of contract left with AT&T, and then I'm porting my number to a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon (or a Note if they have it by then)
 
Zarathustra[H];1038505281 said:
Well, I - for one - can't wait to ditch my iPhone for a Galaxy Nexus or a Galaxy Note (if they ever make their way to Verizon, and if it actually gets the promised ICS upgrade).

I've had three iPhones in a row (original, 3G, and 4). The first two were worth it, but now I wish I had gotten an Android instead of the iPhone 4.

I hate being forced to use iTunes, and I hate all the limitations Apple puts in place. Right now because I didn't update during the 5.0.1 window, I am stuck with 4.2.1, or I will lose my untethered jailbreak.

I can't stand Apple. I was willing to put up with Apple's control-freak shit in the beginning before there were any real competitors, but now that I have options I just can't wait to get rid of it.

I have 3 more months of contract left with AT&T, and then I'm porting my number to a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon (or a Note if they have it by then)
Click to expand...

If you are jail-broken, you have no enforceable limitations.
 
I have 3 more months with sprint on my Evo4G -- I'm thinking about saying screw it paying the early termination fee (50$ by this point I think) and just getting the new nexus phone on verizon.

Yes I will pay more - but at least I will have 3G that's not 1x, and 4G that's works instead of WiMax (joke)

iphone? I might be interested in what they do with the 5 later this year, but I played with my buddy's 4S and it's just too damn small. I'm a tall guy with big hands... and yes, that also means my junk is huge (not related but I felt like sharing)

I will give the iphone two things that's great, its retina display, and it's touch recognition ability.
 
lodingi said:
If you are jail-broken, you have no enforceable limitations.
Click to expand...

I'm currently jailbroken on 4.2.1

There are many applications that won't work on older versions like 4.2.1

I can't upgrade because Apple is no longer singning 5.01 and 5.1 does t have a tethered jailbreak yet, so I am stuck because of Apples shitty behavior of not wanting me to use MY phone as I see fit.

I'm also still required to use that steaming pile of shit called iTunes, and have limitations on what file formats I can play

I would like a phone from a company that isn't trying to actively sabotage my user experience.
 
The only thing I'd like to see improved on the iPhone is the screen size. I am hoping the next one comes with a 4". In this regard, the iPhone has some competition. As far as the iPad vs random Android tablet, the iPad 3g wins hands down.
 
Untethered jailbreak for 5.0.1 has been around since Dec. 27. I see a lot of posts complaining about being stuck on an older jailbreak and hating Apple, and so on. But wasn't there a good 2-month window to do the 5.0/5.0.1 update and get the corresponding jailbreak? I didn't really follow the latest jailbreak news until I got my iPhone (and jailbreaked it), but now that I actually care about it I know I'll be keeping an eye out. I'm not trying to be a jerk here, I'm actually curious from those who have jailbreaked in the past - is there a technical reason for not updating during the appropriate window or some other catch that would prevent/deter one from updating?
 
whisper said:
Untethered jailbreak for 5.0.1 has been around since Dec. 27. I see a lot of posts complaining about being stuck on an older jailbreak and hating Apple, and so on. But wasn't there a good 2-month window to do the 5.0/5.0.1 update and get the corresponding jailbreak? I didn't really follow the latest jailbreak news until I got my iPhone (and jailbreaked it), but now that I actually care about it I know I'll be keeping an eye out. I'm not trying to be a jerk here, I'm actually curious from those who have jailbreaked in the past - is there a technical reason for not updating during the appropriate window or some other catch that would prevent/deter one from updating?
Click to expand...

My video card was fried on my main righ which had iTunes on it, so I couldn't update during the time 5.0.1 was available.

Besides, the shittyness of apple has made the jailbreak community VERY weary of upgrading IOS versions at all, or at least until there are a few months of usage history to back up that they are not going to lose anything, or somehow be restricted by updating.

The very fact that you guys are defending a limited time window in which you have to do something or miss out on YOUR hardware means you completely miss the point.
 
I've been flip-flopping for a while now as to what I want to get to replace my Incredible. I've currently got ICS on it, and it is indeed far and above all versions of Android prior. It finally has a finished feel to it. And, honestly, that's one of the reasons I've disliked having Android. While each revision has been better than the last (started with Eclair) I felt like a beta tester in using my phone. It was fun at first trying out ROMs and such, but in the end I've grown tired of doing that, ironic I know considering I've got a custom ROM at the moment. But, it's just a chore to keep doing that over and over. It's also very annoying seeing the lag between Google's release of the latest code and how incredibly long it takes to get to phones (if ever).

I'm also extremely irritated by the lack of smaller high-end phones from Android. I don't need, nor do I want, a 4"+ behemoth. I have small hands, and am small myself infact. To give you an idea, my Incredible is just small enough such that I can reach anywhere on the screen one-handed. Anything larger and I can't use the phone with one hand. While I don't want something the size of, say, the Palm Pre I really think 4" is my absolute limit, and I'd prefer smaller than that. I just find it strange that the Android manufacturers are all moving in the same "if it's bigger it must be better" direction. I find it odd that none of them are offering a high-end phone in the sub-4" range.

I'm pretty well set on an iPhone at this point, though I am going to wait for the 4S successor if at all possible. I've had and iPod Touch since they first came out (32GB 1G and now a 32GB 3G). So, I've already got experience with the platform and I really do like it a lot. I've also found it a more stable platform than Android overall, even when comparing it to the stock HTC ROMs. And while Google has improved its position on language support (released a Japanese IME in December, finally!) Apple still is the clear winner in multi-language support from the get go. I also want to simplify what I carry around every day. I have my iPod Touch and my Incredible but with an iPhone I'd have a single device and that is very appealing to me.
 
Zarathustra[H];1038508257 said:
My video card was fried on my main righ which had iTunes on it, so I couldn't update during the time 5.0.1 was available.

Besides, the shittyness of apple has made the jailbreak community VERY weary of upgrading IOS versions at all, or at least until there are a few months of usage history to back up that they are not going to lose anything, or somehow be restricted by updating.

The very fact that you guys are defending a limited time window in which you have to do something or miss out on YOUR hardware means you completely miss the point.
Click to expand...

Fair enough regarding the video card problem. I guess if your rig is down you've got bigger issues to deal with than jailbreaking your iPhone. I'm not strongly defending Apple or anything about the platform or jailbreaking limitations. My only argument would be, anyone who buys an iPhone must have some idea what they're getting into. The Apple/iTunes franchise has been pumping for over a decade now, starting with the 1st gen. iPod back in 2001 and moving along to today's iPhone 4S. It's no secret they impose certain limitations on what you can do with their devices, instead trying to focus your attention on what they consider to be a unified ecosystem where you will be lulled into a state of contentment even if you can't quite have every feature you ever dreamed of. My sarcasm here is evidence that I, too, am not totally supportive of this but it's hard for me to believe people aren't generally aware of it;)

Android isn't the gleaming example of perfection either. I had zero control over the situation when the OTA gingerbread update was pushed to my old Dinc, literally ruining what was otherwise a decent phone. At least with my 4S I can opt not to receive the 5.1 update. Due to the number of manufactures and devices making Android phones, I also feel the environment is heavily fragmented and it's not necessarily clear what kind of support or options you will have with a given phone over a 12-24 month life. The notable exception is the nexus line where you can pretty much be assured early access to anything new that Google rolls out, but the number of nexus phones is extremely limited (Gnex being the only option right now). So there's a huge limitation right there - why should I be forced to choose from just one phone if I'm opting for what is supposedly an open platform? And rooting/flashing ROMs can also be a widely different experience depending on your device, in some cases being quite a chore.

I don't think either platform has any huge advantages over the other - they both have their good and bad points. I just went with my gut feeling, which was the 4S, and so far I think it's great with the jailbreak opening up some extra options. That's just me and of course it will be very dependent on everyone's specific needs and what you're willing to put up with vs. what you gain.
 
No, can't say I'm in this situation. Because I never left the iPhone. Saw enough of my friend's goofy Androids - within 30 seconds of use, I knew I didn't want one. That may change in the future, but for now it's the 4S, soon to be 5.
 
Having just switched from iPhone 4 to a Windows Phone7 HTC Titan, I definitely won't be switching back to iPhone anytime soon.

I loathe itunes and while Zune isn't a issueless application to me it is more intuitive.

the windows live integration is superb & I've been a hotmail user since '99 and use it to organize my life. Its my contact list, calendar, I use the skydrive(cloud storage), so for me a WP7 device is a perfect fit for me.
 
Funny, I went from WP7 to iOS specifically because of Zune :eek:

Well, Zune's limitations. I've bought songs before, and when I try to redownload them, it tells me I have to pay for them again*. I cannot download my purchased music videos**, nor can I even update my phone without connecting to the computer. In addition (unrelated, to a degree), I found out some of the MVs I purchased and downloaded from my xbox360, do not playback on my xbox360 (even with the optional media update installed), in addition, I'm limited to downloading it 5 times. Somehow, by downloading it twice, I have used up all 5 downloads.

IMO, it's like iTunes back in 2008. Not being able to redownload songs, (though I've never had an issue downloading Video content from my iPod touch 1st gen, however), little relation and sharing between various MS devices (and why even a Zune media player? What was wrong with WMP? I wouldn't of really cared, if Zune wasn't less intuitive and much slower to startup vs WMP); required to connect to PC to update (I know my old iPod used to have to do that, but my iPhone 4S hasn't, ever), and strange media transfer rules.


Either way, MS has a lot of issues to iron out before I use WP7 as a daily driver again. I like it, I really do, I have a Zune HD, and I still have a Samsung Focus for development work, however, to actually use it as a primary device? No, not today.



*I think I don't have to pay again if I do it on the PC Zune client (eewww....), however from the phone itself? No go.

** again, on the phone itself. Also, cannot even search for them, last I checked.



EDIT: and the biggest reason? IE9. Somehow, Apple doesn't screw up it's text resizing. Android leads the pack (by a LONG shot) in text reflow. WP7? IE9 manages to screw up [H] in it's default view (quoted text), and even on the HTC Titan (which I had - sold on [H], check if you want to) quite a few websites were not properly reformatted for viewing on the mobile browser (about every mobile browser increases font size somewhat, even Apple's Safari on iOS does this). There were times when viewing a website (anandtech, for starters) was easier (to read) on the iPhone's 3.5" display than my HTC Titan's 4.7" display.
 
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Went from Android to iOS. Loving it. Original EVO to 4S. Camera is awesome, apps are awesome, keyboard is more fluid on my fingers than the android, tons of supported accessories.

Honestly, it was the best decision I've made thus far.
 
timtheenchantor said:
Went from Android to iOS. Loving it. Original EVO to 4S. Camera is awesome, apps are awesome, keyboard is more fluid on my fingers than the android, tons of supported accessories.

Honestly, it was the best decision I've made thus far.
Click to expand...


AGREE:D
 
I've owned nearly every high end Android phone on AT&T, a Titan, and a Lumia 800. It pains me to say it, but I'm rocking an iPhone 4S at the moment. I would say iPhone 4S > Lumia 800 > Titan > Galaxy S II and every other Android phone on AT&T. The only phones that might pull me away from the 4S are the HTC One X (not out), the Lumia 900 (not out), or the Galaxy Nexus (would only consider if I could walk into a retail store and buy one with AT&T compatible bands, and even then, the mediocre camera would bother me).
 
Mr. Wolf said:
FWIW, Reuters has a story about the iPhone 5. It claims the 5 will have a 4.6" retina display. Pretty awesome, if true.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/22/us-apple-iphone-idUSBRE82L01G20120322
Click to expand...

I'm very skeptical about that rumor.

If Apple increases the screen size, which I honestly don't think they'd do based on their previous comments, I can't see them going to anything larger than 4" unless they completely remove all of the bezel around the screen, so to keep the phone as slim as possible.

Even if they do, I don't see how they'll get around the UI scaling issues they'd encounter unless they drop the current pixel density below 300 while keeping the current screen resolution. Either that or have it use the native ipad 1/2 screen resolution (1024x768), which would make all previous iphone apps look like crap due to the non-linear scaling.

It would be nice if the iPhone got a bigger screen, but as it stands, I don't know how they'd accomlish it without pissing off current users and developers.
 
Not to mention that the average consumer who buys Apple products probably doesn't want a 4.6" display. It's awesome in many ways, yes, but also introduces some simple inconveniences in usability. It's just a little too big to easily manipulate in one hand, for instance, not to mention women (or even some men) who will have more difficulty fitting it into their jeans pocket. These are not new arguments and anyone who buys a big phone should recognize these obvious tradeoffs. But in this respect it just seems out of line with the Apple way of releasing universally pleasing products for the masses. I think a small increase in display size is possible, and perhaps even likely, but I would be extremely surprised to see a bump this extreme. Steve Jobs would be turning in his grave.
 
I think a bigger screen is possbile. I think they will have too. They needed to double the iPad battery I thikn for the new screen and 4G. I don't know how much room they have in the current iPhone 4S, but I would assume making it bigger would help increase the battery.
 
collegeboy69us said:
I was a huge iphone supporter till right after the 3G series. I was the guy who took off work and waiting in line for the first one in 2007 - and things seemed awesome.

After AT&T kept dicking around with my account and Steve Jobs's grip on my wallet became tighter, I said fuck it to all of them and went to sprint and got an EVO.

Would I go back? Nope. Even with a Retina displa, siri, and the solid smooth (Yet very limited) feel of the OS I just don't want any of that action.

Half the fun for me is experimenting with different flavors of the android OS. I only have an Alpha 0 of Ice Cream Sandwitch on my HP touchpad, but from what I can see it truly is a leap in awesome sauce phone OS wise.

I just don't like how Apple does business - the approach of "this is how your phone is going to be, fuck off if you don't like it" just doesn't sit well with me.

Apple was like that girl you meet online, have some crazy good sex for a while with, and then realize 6 months into it that she's really a psycho controlling bitch that wants to know all and control all.
Click to expand...

Damn dude, well said. Even tho I'm happy with and plan to keep my psycho bitch, I can't say you didn't hit the nail on the head.
 
Went back to iphone at the 4S launch. Siri is still quite gimmicky to me so if that's your main reason don't do it. To me it's more about iphone being better supported by my company infrastructure (emails, calendars) and the quality of apps is slightly better. Coming from Droid X I don't really miss the large screen though.
 
skcorpio said:
Went back to iphone at the 4S launch. Siri is still quite gimmicky to me so if that's your main reason don't do it. To me it's more about iphone being better supported by my company infrastructure (emails, calendars) and the quality of apps is slightly better. Coming from Droid X I don't really miss the large screen though.
Click to expand...

I would rather have the smaller but better iphone screen any day, it really is that nice. They need to trim that bezel and put a 4 inch screen in there.
 
Bman123 said:
I would rather have the smaller but better iphone screen any day, it really is that nice. They need to trim that bezel and put a 4 inch screen in there.
Click to expand...

You can make the screen taller, but you couldn't keep the same aspect ratio without increasing the size of the thing. There just isn't enough bezel along the left and right sides of it.
 
Apple needs to think outside the box on the next Iphone. People will still buy it just because of the name that's on it.
 
Roman79 said:
No I haven't been drinking :D

I've had a Galaxy S for the past year and a half and I like it, and before that I had an iPhone 3G; however I'm seriously thinking about switching to an iPhone 4S. All I seem to see around here are people falling over themselves to get a Galaxy S2 or Nexus, so I think I'm the minority on this.

I have looked at the Galaxy Nexus in-store, and granted it looks impressive. Also ICS seems rather slick, but wow is the phone ever BIG! My wife seems sold on the Nexus and will likely get one next week, but I'm still not there.

Here is what is drawing me back to the dark side:

- Nice high quality hardware (feels solid) that is pocket size
- Higher quality apps.
- Siri - seems like a useful feature, and Android doesn't seem to have anything comparable yet (Voice search doesn't count, unless it's radically better in ICS)
- Better battery life
- More/better accessories, I really miss having a desktop dock (whoever thought to put the usb port on the top of the Galaxy S needs to be dragged out into the street and shot!)
- Airplay - is there an android version of this?

Am I missing something or are these valid reasons?
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The battery life on the a5 in the iphone is no better than most android handsets. The gpu is fast but only because the silicon is huge and therefore drains a lot of battery. I think you would be very happy with the new nexus (i have this), S2 if your not on vzw, or the Droid Razr maxx (the battery is incredible on this phone, they did more than just stick a bigger battery too).


TWISM said:
I think a bigger screen is possbile. I think they will have too. They needed to double the iPad battery I thikn for the new screen and 4G. I don't know how much room they have in the current iPhone 4S, but I would assume making it bigger would help increase the battery.
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While some of it is the new screen a lot of it is the a5x. The gpu simply uses WAY too much power as all they did was stick a second gpu on the same design. LTE modems aren't accounting for all that drain as there are lte devices with batteries a 1/6 of the size.
 
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timtheenchantor said:
Went from Android to iOS. Loving it. Original EVO to 4S. Camera is awesome, apps are awesome, keyboard is more fluid on my fingers than the android, tons of supported accessories.

Honestly, it was the best decision I've made thus far.
Click to expand...

DId you ever install an AOSP rom on the evo? The sense keyboard in my experience is more laggy than the stock android keyboard. It was on my old incredible which other than the screen was almost identical to the evo 4g.
 
Can't wait for iP 5, I'll defnitely coming back to iOS from Android. Especially with the things that iCloud offers. If also the rumors of 4" screen are true, then I will not think twice of getting rid of android.
 
I have a 4S for work, and a GNex for personal, and I still would rather have the Gnex. I don't know what all of you are smoking who say that the 4S camera is amazing. 9 times out of 10, it has mis-represented colors and the IQ is not that great. I prefer the camera on my Gnex, it is much faster and the colors are much better.

Right now, the only thing that the iPhone has on my Gnex is battery life. I like everything else about Android better, especially with ICS. Google's Play Store owns the Apple App store. The App store feels like it is just a webpage with text and pictures and a few buttons. The Play Store actually feels like a real application witch is easier to navigate and find new apps. Also, most apps that are $.99 in the App Store .... are FREE in the Play Store. I'd rather have a free app that has an ad than continuously pay for apps.

One thing maybe one of you Apple specialists can answer me is this, how do you close out an app in iOS5? On my phone, if I hit the home button twice, a list of what I only assume are running applications come up. If I click and hold, I can delete them from this list, which stops them from running? If I don't reboot my phone, I can have dozens of apps in this list and sometimes I cannot even get an app to stay running, they just close automatically after I click on them. It is a weird issue/design flaw, I don't want to have to manually close all of my apps just to keep them working. Any input?
 
sethmo said:
One thing maybe one of you Apple specialists can answer me is this, how do you close out an app in iOS5? On my phone, if I hit the home button twice, a list of what I only assume are running applications come up. If I click and hold, I can delete them from this list, which stops them from running? If I don't reboot my phone, I can have dozens of apps in this list and sometimes I cannot even get an app to stay running, they just close automatically after I click on them. It is a weird issue/design flaw, I don't want to have to manually close all of my apps just to keep them working. Any input?
Click to expand...

That's how iOS is designed to run. When you exit an application, it will store it's current state in memory and stay there until the OS tells it that it needs that memory for other tasks. Its supposed to help with multi-tasking speed.

When you bring up the app switcher and manually 'delete' them, you're killing them from memory as well (and freeing it up for other things). This is only for apps designed to run this way, however.... some will actually just quit when you close them.
 
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