answered
2014-12-06 14:08:08 +0200
How about when you long press on an app cover and the "close apps" mode is activated, you just push the cover from the top to close the app. That way the gesture for closing would be consistent with the close gesture for an open (full screen app). The reason Sailfish avoids using little buttons like X to close, is because it reduces the likehood of an unwanted action when interacting with the phone, which usually happens on the go, while walking or in the bus, and often by using the phone with one hand. If the covers all get a little X to close them, we would surely have users complaining that they often end up closing the apps when intending to do something else.
Note that if more than four apps are running, the covers are already quite small. If the close button is small, you are likely to open an app instead of closing; if it is big, you're likely to close the app instead of opening - even worse. The explicit switch to close mode at lease ensures that you aren't going to lose an open app as a result of a single mistap.
tanriol ( 2014-12-06 21:15:53 +0200 )editThe Z10 has 4 covers, it is 4.2" at shorter aspect ratio, and it has a status bar, and never had a problem hitting the x properly. As I said, this would be an option. If you are afraid of mistakenly closing an app, don't use it.
pulsar ( 2014-12-06 21:20:16 +0200 )edit@pulsar, please note that I'm not a sailor, just a user. I'm only trying to provide a different point of view on the problem.
As for me the need to close multiple apps is a pretty rare one - I usually know I won't need it any longer while still in the app and just close it by swiping from the top instead of going to the multitasking screen.
Speaking about Z10, note that with many apps running Jolla goes to a 9 cover mode, so they are probably smaller than on Z10.
tanriol ( 2014-12-06 21:27:12 +0200 )editThat argument about four covers being too small... a lot of baloney. The N900 has a smaller screen and has no problems fitting 12 or more covers, each with a little X for closing the application.
pichlo ( 2014-12-17 01:59:19 +0200 )edit@pichlo, note that if you have more than 4 covers, they're scaled down to place three in a row, or 9 on the whole screen. And yes, in the n900's case they were a bit too small for me - optimized for the stilus, not for fingers.
tanriol ( 2014-12-17 08:10:42 +0200 )edit