IOS8 + Safari + Javascript + iPad3 = SLOW

I have whined here before about how Safari runs like molasses on my iPad3 with IOS8. It seems to work OK on my iPhone6+, though. But no way does it come close to running as well as it does on my rMBP / Yosemite.

In looking at ways to improve Safari so that page loads don't take 15 seconds or more, I tried turning off Javascript. And, lo and behold, performance increased dramatically. Unfortunately, the things I browse to evidently rely heavily on Javascript, so I can't really do without it entirely.

That brings me to the question of why Apple doesn't do "something" to improve Javascript performance in IOS? IMHO, that would go a long way toward making the IOS8 experience on my iPad3 a lot more enjoyable. As it stands how, there have been multiple times when my iPad has imitated a frisbee because Safari's performance is so awful. I don't know the internals of Javascript well enough to point to what exactly makes it so slow, but it is rather a pig.

 

It won't take much for my iPad3 to slow down to the point where I nail it to my trophy room wall and let it collect dust. No more tablets for me. And if that happens, then maybe my rMBP would go next, and then my iPhone. If Apple keeps on strangling my curent devices like this, then they will see more revenue loss from me and my family than just a puny old iPad. And I know I'm not the only one who feels like that.

 

To you and the others this helped, I'm glad it helped you out. I can't claim credit for the idea, though, as I picked it up from another site (wish I could remember which one) when I was trying to find some way of speeding this puppy up.

But I read that Mozilla is going to make Firefox available on IOS now that they can port their Javascript engine over. Maybe they've solved the performance issues with Javascript that Apple hasn't been able to. I can't wait. I only use Firefox on my Mac and have been disappointed that it wasn't supported on IOS.

 

Ah, you may be right about their Java engine, but Mozilla will bring at least the Firefox UI and some other parts to IOS.

http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/02/firefox-could-soon-come-to-ios/