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iPad So does the 2GB of RAM fix Safari refresh?
- Thread starter nikhsub1
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One added benefit of tabs not refreshing constantly now is the possibility of increased battery life during normal use. With tabs not reloading, the Air 2 doesn't have to use wifi to reload web pages as frequently. This could be a reason why battery tests -- which don't switch tabs back and forth but usually just load new websites -- show a decrease compared to the Air. In real, normal usage, the increased RAM may get battery life back up to the level of the Air -- or close. Of course, this won't apply if you're just streaming video the entire time. It is tailored to specific use cases where not having to reload web sites/apps/etc. will cut down on wifi/cellular use.
I'd still like to see enhancements to webkit to improve its performance (tab reloading) regardless of the amount of RAM. We have nearly a year before we see an iPhone with 2 gb of RAM. Plus 1 gb devices will be supported for years to come.
Increasing the amount of RAM isn't a fix for the issue it just raises the reloading threshold. 512gb of RAM had decent performance at one time but hardware got better and more RAM hungry (64bit, retina screens, etc), iOS has gotten more feature packed and web content is getting more intensive. That trend will continue until we are in the same boat saying we wish the iPad had 3 or 4 gb of RAM to fix the issues.
Increasing the amount of RAM isn't a fix for the issue it just raises the reloading threshold. 512gb of RAM had decent performance at one time but hardware got better and more RAM hungry (64bit, retina screens, etc), iOS has gotten more feature packed and web content is getting more intensive. That trend will continue until we are in the same boat saying we wish the iPad had 3 or 4 gb of RAM to fix the issues.
Mine does it with just 2 or 3 tabs. If I'm listening to music in the background, my music skips and stutters as the system tries to clear up the ram.
Chipsets have nothing to do with how many tabs a device can handle.
That's the RAM and OS effecincies job.
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This so much. The increased RAM only serves to be a bandaid, more RAM will not fix the fact that Safari is just coded in not an efficient way.
The difference between Safari and other apps is they can't reliably predict how much memory will be used. Unlike games or other memory intensive apps that can be built around a specific usage profile, browsers use memory based on what and how many sites are visited.
This is not a Safari problem. Apple has had over a year to fix Webkit and they haven't. Websites have gotten more complicated and resolution has increased 4x. It's time for more RAM. Actually, it was time last year.
Definitely do! I came from an iPhone 5 and its worse. Especially the new iOS 8 "error banner". The best one was the verge going into an infinite loop of crashing until safari gave up and put up a message saying it wouldn't try again.
The real solution is allowing page outs to flash storage. I have a feeling the flash memory used in prior iPads wasn't the best quality, so Apple didn't want to risk wearing out the flash with all the extra writes. Maybe with higher quality flash Apple will start swapping memory to disk.
I opened five MacRumors forums tabs and a YouTube tab last night before putting the iPad Air 2 to sleep. I didn't pay attention to the YouTube tab when I launched Safari tonight, but the forum tabs refreshed when I tapped on them.
It obviously is a RAM issue if increasing the amount of RAM in a device alleviates the problem. If Apple's going to release a tablet with 1GB of RAM, they should make sure all of their software runs adequately on it, and if they can't, then they shouldn't have released the device and software in that state. The onus shouldn't be on the user to find an alternative browser because Apple skimped on RAM.
Yep.
Got memory intensive apps and a few tabs open? You'll get reloads at times. Mainly using Safari & maybe occasionally flicking to a light app? You can go plenty of time without a reload.
No, it is not obvious. If other browsers can do it and not Safari, that points to a software problem, not lack of RAM. The extra RAM is just making a design decision by Apple to aggressively unload background Safari tabs. That's my take.
Sure, now you can load an extra 1GB of tabs. Until you launch that next app that will cause them to be purged.
Brilliant!
But greatly downplayed those of us who did...Or, we never had problems to being with. Funny how that works too.
Initially, but you came around towards the end. I wish your buddies-in-arms had gone through the same transformation.
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Because every other iOS iDevice they sell only has 1Gig of RAM. The last thing apple would do,is point out the 1Gig or RAM, as nearly every user realizes, is insufficient.
Just got my iPad air 2 last night and so far with 10 tabs open and two of the tabs containing videos, no more tab reloading. Man this thing is fast too.
In my mind, RAM has always been one of the big issues with iOS. The leap from 128mb in the iPhone 3G to 256mb in the 3GS was huge in terms of user experience and no more reloading of tabs in Safari and I believe we had exactly the same issue with the original iPad, then solved by doubling the RAM in the iPad 2.
However, I'd still rather have an iOS device with some tab reloading than an Android or Windows Phone device.
However, I'd still rather have an iOS device with some tab reloading than an Android or Windows Phone device.
I didn't read through this whole thread, but it seems there are still Apple apologists here insisting the lack of RAM is not an issue. Sure it's probably a combination of software and RAM, but starving it of RAM is the bigger issue. Plus I like my iCloud tabs and don't want to use another browser especially Chrome.
I purposely left 6 tabs opened last night on my Air 2. Flipped out to a bunch of apps, then watched two tv shows on Netflix, even browsed Amazon prime video app after. Flipped back to Safari and all the tabs were still there, including the verge.
And no more dropping wifi in bed. I said this to myself every year, but *this* time I'm good for 2 years with this iPad
I purposely left 6 tabs opened last night on my Air 2. Flipped out to a bunch of apps, then watched two tv shows on Netflix, even browsed Amazon prime video app after. Flipped back to Safari and all the tabs were still there, including the verge.
And no more dropping wifi in bed. I said this to myself every year, but *this* time I'm good for 2 years with this iPad
Seriously? I guess you've never used computers where the minimum RAM requirements go higher and higher? Windows 7 must be not as efficient as Windows 3.1 in the same token.
Ok, so a particular software exhibits a behavior you don't like. Rather than use other software, you decide to blame it on the hardware (when other software options prove that's not the case) and add to the RAM starved bandwagon.
Got it.
So how many apps/tabs can you load now? Happy? So anyone wanting to load one more tab or one more app that causes reloads, what about them? Start a 3GB whinewagon?
Yep, agree totally there. Any device with 1GB of RAM is gonna suffer the above fate. The Air 2 has far more leeway with the reloads. It will reload, but not very often depending on how heavy your multitasking is.
Try loading 10 pages of theverge, very confirmed it will reload with just 1-2 apps multitasking.
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I didn't read through this whole thread, but it seems there are still Apple apologists here insisting the lack of RAM is not an issue. Sure it's probably a combination of software and RAM, but starving it of RAM is the bigger issue. Plus I like my iCloud tabs and don't want to use another browser especially Chrome.
I purposely left 6 tabs opened last night on my Air 2. Flipped out to a bunch of apps, then watched two tv shows on Netflix, even browsed Amazon prime video app after. Flipped back to Safari and all the tabs were still there, including the verge.
And no more dropping wifi in bed. I said this to myself every year, but *this* time I'm good for 2 years with this iPad
Those on 1GB of RAM devices, wants less reloading? Just gotta close more apps and multitask less often. Yeah iPad Air 2 rocks balls! Smooth!
+1
You gotta think Apple stuck 2GB RAM in the Air 2 for some reason! For those who think it doesn't need two GB, how much do you think it needs? 1GB, 512MG, 256MB....why not remove the RAM altogether if Safari doesn't need it? Seems like many who have bought the Air 2 have reported that the Safari reload issue is much improved with the additional RAM. Many people want to use Safari (i.e. not another browser), so I'd say the 2GB of RAM is welcome and appaently needed.
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When I was running iOS 6 on my iPad 4, I could run Chrome and Atomic without page reloads. Safari would reload. That would seem to indicate a software issue with Safari. However...
I had to upgrade to iOS 7. Now Chrome and Atomic reload pages, Safari is now worse. It could still be a software issue but with iOS 7 rather than Safari... or it could be a RAM issue in that iOS 7 requires more RAM to operate vs. what iOS 6 required.
Apple knows what the real deal is, but they're not telling.