Interesting, but unfortunately real world usage involves switching to/from other apps, at which point Safari's ability to hold tabs goes through the floor. I generally only use a few apps, Safari/Mail/Downcast/Alien Blue, and switching between those then going back to Safari meant it could barely hold ONE tab in memory while I was actively using it. This was on the Air, which I've returned. My iPad 3 handled the same behaviour much better, albeit was a lot slower rendering pages and reloading apps when it had too.
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iPad iPad Air RAM test: Safari Tabs
- Thread starter Kimcha
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Interesting, but unfortunately real world usage involves switching to/from other apps, at which point Safari's ability to hold tabs goes through the floor. I generally only use a few apps, Safari/Mail/Downcast/Alien Blue, and switching between those then going back to Safari meant it could barely hold ONE tab in memory while I was actively using it. This was on the Air, which I've returned. My iPad 3 handled the same behaviour much better, albeit was a lot slower rendering pages and reloading apps when it had too.
If that's true, how would the 512 MB of RAM on my 4S running iOS 7 manage to work?
I don't see how iOS 7 can manage to hog more resources than a desktop OS. Especially since it runs on devices with less RAM.
Posted this in the 1GB RAM thread too, but I'll say it here too. I'm fairly convinced that Safari has a bad memory leak. Over this week I've been trying to monitor exactly what's going on.
I have an iPad Air and an iPad 4 both running the exact same (restored the 4's backup to the Air). I restarted both and first opened only Safari. I was able to open 10 tabs (same sites) on each with no reloading. I then opened a series of my most memory intensive programs - iPhoto and edited a couple of photos, Evernote with a huge notes database, a couple of magazine apps with issue sizes greater than 250MB. Still no reloads in Safari.
However, within 24 hours, Safari was reloading every tab every time even if I force quit all my other programs and left only 4 tabs open.
24 hours later I was having the same experience and this time I instead quit Safari only. From 4 tabs that would reload every single time I was able to keep 7-8 open with only rare reloads. This echoes my long-term experience on the iPad 4.
I think they can fix most of this in software.
I have an iPad Air and an iPad 4 both running the exact same (restored the 4's backup to the Air). I restarted both and first opened only Safari. I was able to open 10 tabs (same sites) on each with no reloading. I then opened a series of my most memory intensive programs - iPhoto and edited a couple of photos, Evernote with a huge notes database, a couple of magazine apps with issue sizes greater than 250MB. Still no reloads in Safari.
However, within 24 hours, Safari was reloading every tab every time even if I force quit all my other programs and left only 4 tabs open.
24 hours later I was having the same experience and this time I instead quit Safari only. From 4 tabs that would reload every single time I was able to keep 7-8 open with only rare reloads. This echoes my long-term experience on the iPad 4.
I think they can fix most of this in software.
From what I can tell, they are using the memory compression from Mavericks in iOS 7.
And this whole thing about 30% more RAM usage is getting a little old. A well-respected music app developer said his apps use 4% or 5% more RAM in 64 bit mode.
My real world experience with the iPad Air shows this figure is much closer to the truth than what has been repeated ad nauseum around here for the past week.
I know right? One off the cuff comment in an online review and some here take it as gospel.
With all due respect to Anandtech, my money is on the Apple design team. They think 1GB is enough, and so far my iPad experience is A+
Did that at an earlier suggestion and had no impact on shutting down. Street view is the issue.
So - is this issue really a Safari thing when multiple tabs are open? Are people really having serious RAM issues? Ive only had mine for a few days and have done a lot of the usual stuff I do with it. My impression so far is that its a pretty snappy device and if I am having low-memory conditions I certainly dont see any side affects or warnings that something is amiss. What I dont know cant hurt me, right? Or, should I be concerned? I have another 12 days on my return privvys at Best Buy. Id hate to take it back because there *might* be a problem with memory although its fleeting and only occurs if you do X, Y, and then a tap dance afterwards.
I believe some of the reports and comments here but this issue looks like it might NOT effect a large user base. I dunno.
I believe some of the reports and comments here but this issue looks like it might NOT effect a large user base. I dunno.
Because it uses 32bit code and iOS 7 on512Mb RAM differs. The amount of ram on the iPad Air is 990Mb, take 30% off of that for all 64bit processes, that gives you around 660Mb. That 660Mb is not free ram, the OS is still to be taken away from that number. That leaves around 300Mb free for free ram.
On you phone, you have 512Mb, take off the OS, you have around 150-200Mb free.
64Bit has a massive hit on RAM making ram usage on the iPad Air compatible to your 4S.
Can you point to another source for this other than the Anandtech review? I'm curious to read more.
LOL. The sad thing is people on here will believe you despite having absolutely no proof to back up this ridiculous comment.
I don't give a damn how much RAM there is, how many cores the CPU has and how many bsplines the graphics card can handle. that's something for specs-kiddies. I only care about usability and speed. how they do it does not matter to me.
There were/ are UNIX based OS that work absolutely perfect with 500MB RAM, the whole RAM discussion came to life with this damned MS Windows crap.
There were/ are UNIX based OS that work absolutely perfect with 500MB RAM, the whole RAM discussion came to life with this damned MS Windows crap.
Anyone else remember all the hullabaloo around here about expected app size increases when the retina iPad came out and how 16Gb devices would be crippled/useless?
So having less usable memory in the air versus the 4 is A-OK with you. Great. I'll add you to the "accept whatever apple gives and be happy about it" group.
I'm - what's the analyst rhetoric for this, uuhm - a billion percent sure that iOS 8 or even an update to iOS 7 will fix this, as it was fixed on the Mac with Mavericks already.
It'd be sufficient if Safari would retain the data that you've entered in a form over reloads, as some people smarter than me probably made "The interface shall remember your input unless you deliberately dismiss it" an axiom of UI design in one way or another, because the auto-save feature in Lion does follow that principle.
If they didn't, then they should, though - because it would've prevented a major part of the annoyance caused by the reloading, and technically it's data loss.
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Ummmm, no. Not only is comparing different architectures and OS irrelevant, I have yet to see a single mention of this so called "issue" beyond the Anandtech review. I'd hate to think that comment is the ONLY source for all this whining about lack of RAM and 64 bit apps?
There's got to be some other source???
Ummmm, no. Not only is comparing different architectures and OS irrelevant, I have yet to see a single mention of this so called "issue" beyond the Anandtech review. I'd hate to think that comment is the ONLY source for all this whining about lack of RAM and 64 bit apps?
Something is going on. My exact same routines I developed over the last year on my Ipad 4 are no longer as smooth as they were. Even in 3rd party browsers I'm seeing reloading of pages where that was virtually never an issue for me on the 4.
Thanks, and I'll add you to the "complain on the Internet without knowing the shot" group.
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Seriously though, it's not that I'm A-OK with every design choice Apple makes but the iPad Air is the best performing tablet computer ever made, so that's what I'm happy about.
Ok, I'm confused.
iOS 7 hasn't been out that long. To blame issues on lack of RAM instead of a glitchy iOS seems odd. But whatever. I still have to find a reliable source of information for this supposed "RAM crisis" due to 64 bit outside the Anandtech article. Can someone PLEASE point me in the right direction?
I would hate to think all this 64 bit "RAM is not enough" concern is because of this one review?Help me out here.
Ok, I'm confused.
iOS 7 hasn't been out that long. To blame issues on lack of RAM instead of a glitchy iOS seems odd. But whatever. I still have to find a reliable source of information for this supposed "RAM crisis" due to 64 bit outside the Anandtech article. Can someone PLEASE point me in the right direction?
Help me out here.
Mike Ash also mentioned it here: http://www.mikeash.com/pyblog/friday-qa-2013-09-27-arm64-and-you.html
Mike's one of the most respected developers (even by Apple) when it comes to development and technical analysis.