As an Android user you are bombarded by the sheer number of Task Killer/Manager applications that swamp the Market.  However, Google will tell you that Android does not need a Task Killer.

One of the first recommendations, usually by store representatives, when you first purchase your new Android device is to promptly download Advanced Task Killer (also known as ATK) to help solve the “apparent” Android memory issue.  I recently watched a YouTuber, phandroid, who spoke in a very informative video HERE concerning the dangers of Task Killers.  The truth is that Android is one of the best multitasking mobile operating systems available.  Why?  Because it monitors and “kills” tasks itself.  The system does not need the users help.  Sometimes you might experience a brief slow down, as you would with any mobile OS, because certain processes are in the middle of starting and stopping.  However, when you are constantly killing apps you could be killing critical applications just because you are concerned about these processes filling up your RAM.

On the other hand, all Android users have at some point used a Task Killer.  I used one until recently; my phone would be killing so many tasks automatically that it would be rendered useless.  My RAM would sink to unbelievable lows because so many processes would get killed and begin again at the same time.  Now, I simply let my phone run as it normally would just with out Automatic Task Manager and use Watchdog Lite and a few root apps (optional) to monitor processes and disable a few start-up apps.  These few changes have made my phone faster than it ever was with a task killer installed.

Bottom line:  While task killers are NOT necessary, it is always good to keep an eye out on your processes.  Generally, Android will kill apps or put them in the background so that your device’s CPU doesn’t get bogged down.  However, try Watchdog Lite from the Android Market.  This app will alert you when an app misbehaves and will allow you to “kill” it; yet, this program will kill one MISBEHAVING app at a time.  This is not a true killer, just a “watchdog” to keep an eye on your processes to ensure that your device runs smooth.