iPad Backup Speed

[merics]

Thought I'd share this with my MacRumor brothers n sisters. I have a iPad 64G 3G WIFI and my wife has a iPad 32G 3G WIFI. On my iPad, I made a conscious decision to install only made for iPad apps, no universals. Over time, I noticed that when my iPad performs a backup, it's fairly fast, less than couple minutes with 63 apps (iPad only) while backups on the wife's iPad with 48 apps (9 universals) took near 30 minutes. I say near because I'd get frustrated and stop the backup with approx 3/4 done. So, tonight after again watching a slow backup on her iPad, knowing the only difference between her and my iPad is the 32G n 64G was the type of apps installed, I decided to remove all of her universal apps with exception of 2, iBooks n Docs to Go(she uses at work). Plugged her iPad in and whoa daddy, there she goes, the bar flew across like the day of it's first backup. I'm no deep in the weeds tech guy, but it's surely interesting that removing 7 of the universal apps fixed the slow backup issue. Makes me wonder what other resource drains are occurring on the iPad using the universal apps. Hope this helps others and I hope I didn't spam the forum with already known news of the issue. Ciao for now

 

[bcaslis]

How often do you each backup? From what I've seen there are only two things that affect speed.

1.) How often you backup. Remember it's only saving changes.
2.) How much data has changed. If you would ten apps that download and cache data, and someone else uses 20 apps that don't cache data, then the ten app backup will take longer.

 

[merics]

How often do you each backup? From what I've seen there are only two things that affect speed.

1.) How often you backup. Remember it's only saving changes.
2.) How much data has changed. If you would ten apps that download and cache data, and someone else uses 20 apps that don't cache data, then the ten app backup will take longer.

We plug in at least once a week to update or add apps etc, thus the backup is first order of biz.

 

[Metsfan7450]

I was having the same problem until I read an thread on this forum that talked about apps that have docs in them like iBooks, Comic Zeal, People, etc. My back up times used to be about 45 min to an hour. I deleted past People mags from the app and cut it down to 10 minutes.

 

[bcaslis]

Certain definitely cache more data and it they frequently access it then that increases the backup time. But it's not related to being an iPad app or a universal app.

 

[Cartaphilus]

I hesitate to repeat something I didn't fully understand, but I have been told that the developers of certain apps, including the Wired Magazine app, use the file structure improperly, and since some apps incorporate a good deal of data, this error causes backups to require much more time. I was assured that if I removed the app my backup time would revert to normal, but that experiment awaits my finishing reading the magazine.

I'm hoping that one of the more technically knowledgeable users can make sense of what I was told, and let you know what types of apps of those you may have recently installed could be responsible for your elongated backup times.

 

[merics]

I hesitate to repeat something I didn't fully understand, but I have been told that the developers of certain apps, including the Wired Magazine app, use the file structure improperly, and since some apps incorporate a good deal of data, this error causes backups to require much more time. I was assured that if I removed the app my backup time would revert to normal, but that experiment awaits my finishing reading the magazine.

I'm hoping that one of the more technically knowledgeable users can make sense of what I was told, and let you know what types of apps of those you may have recently installed could be responsible for your elongated backup times.

Thanks , look forward to further understanding.