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The iPad needs at LEAST 512MB RAM, if not 1GB.

Apple could improve things no end if they implemented virtual memory in iOS. Because apps are suspended in the background rather than continuing to run (in the main), the effect of virtual memory would be just a slow-down in the switch back to the app compared to real memory.

The advantage of implementing virtual memory would be that they'd be able to support more apps before they were shut down.

I guess an issue might be that (IIRC) flash memory isn't designed for heavy access like that
 
The iPad has too much RAM already. I wish they would cut the RAM in half, but keep the price the same.
 
WilliamG said:
You thought wrong. :p
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Okay, i'm officially confused. The storage is all flash memory, no? No hard drive. Flash memory can be used as ram, not as fast as a ram cache, but faster than virtual memory on an old fashioned disk. Everything is loaded into this ram at all times. No need to read it off disk. I don't get it. What do you mean by ram?
 
UncleHuey said:
Okay, i'm officially confused. The storage is all flash memory, no? No hard drive. Flash memory can be used as ram, not as fast as a ram cache, but faster than virtual memory on an old fashioned disk. Everything is loaded into this ram at all times. No need to read it off disk. I don't get it. What do you mean by ram?
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It's the same as a computer! I have an SSD in my iMac. It's a form of flash memory, but I still need RAM.
 
UncleHuey said:
Okay, i'm officially confused. The storage is all flash memory, no? No hard drive. Flash memory can be used as ram, not as fast as a ram cache, but faster than virtual memory on an old fashioned disk. Everything is loaded into this ram at all times. No need to read it off disk. I don't get it. What do you mean by ram?
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RAM means RAM. Just like in any computer, the RAM is primary storage and the hard drive is secondary storage. In the iPad, the secondary storage happens to be flash memory instead of a mechanical hard drive, but that doesn't really matter.

The primary and secondary storage are different technologies. The RAM is volatile memory, i.e. it is erased when you turn the device off. The flash memory is persistent storage, it is not erased when you turn the device off.

Also, the primary and secondary storage are physically separate address space. They are not one in the same.
 
dime21 said:
RAM means RAM. Just like in any computer, the RAM is primary storage and the hard drive is secondary storage. In the iPad, the secondary storage happens to be flash memory instead of a mechanical hard drive, but that doesn't really matter.

The primary and secondary storage are different technologies. The RAM is volatile memory, i.e. it is erased when you turn the device off. The flash memory is persistent storage, it is not erased when you turn the device off.

Also, the primary and secondary storage are physically separate address space. They are not one in the same.
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But flash memory IS ram! Just because it's non-volatile doesn't mean it's not ram. I think you guys are just belly-aching about the onboard cache. But saving the state of a suspended program shouldn't depend on that. If there's a problem, it's in software, not hardware.
 
Multiple tabs in safari really annoyed me, but now with atomic browser I can do a bunch of tabs now no problem. Bottom line is some things just need to make use of what memory IS available.
 
640K :eek:

when I bought my Atari 800 the guy in the shop told me he didn't think anyone would need more than 32K
 
Doc750 said:
cool story

Wanna hear another?

Had mine since day one. Works great for me.

See how useful this post is.
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Keep repeating it to yourself... get ready in a couple of month to shed a crocodile tears when folks will be getting a real iPad(2)!

swipe, swipe, swipe ...
 
AnalyzeThis said:
Keep repeating it to yourself... get ready in a couple of month to shed a crocodile tears when folks will be getting a real iPad(2)!

swipe, swipe, swipe ...
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Mean, but too true. I love my iPad a lot, which is why it's easy to see its faults. :)
 
WilliamG said:
Here's a prime example:

Load up Infinity Blade. Play for a minute, and then multitask to ANY app. I'll use Safari for this example. I literally just loaded ONE website, which was www.slidetoplay.com. I then "multitasked" back to Infinity Blade, and guess what? It had already run out of memory and reloaded the whole game again.

And no other apps were running in memory at this time.

It's actually quite maddening how pitiful the iPad's multitasking is. It's basically ALMOST two-app multitasking. Like you can get away with loading Mail and Puzzle Quest, but much more than that - forget it.

Really irritating.

I LOVE my iPad, but it's going bye-bye the second iPad 2 comes out.
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Do you really have an iPad? Quite maddening how pitiful the iPad's multitasking is...?

It is so maddening to see how pitiful this thread is.
 
It's freaking ridiculous that people are using lags in "multitasking" when PLAYING A GAME as examples of why the ipad needs more ram. Dude- you're playing a pretty graphics-intensive game....on an iPad. Why would you need to switch to other apps during this- besides the obviously random and probably rare examples you are going to list? Get over it and enjoy the awesome machine you have.
 
SteveKnobs said:
It's freaking ridiculous that people are using lags in "multitasking" when PLAYING A GAME as examples of why the ipad needs more ram. Dude- you're playing a pretty graphics-intensive game....on an iPad. Why would you need to switch to other apps during this- besides the obviously random and probably rare examples you are going to list? Get over it and enjoy the awesome machine you have.
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Actually, I first thought the same thing. But then I got an AIM push notification that I had to answer immediately. If that happened to me while I was playing a game, it would be nice to be able to come back to the game and pick up exactly where I left off, without having to wait for the game to load up again.
 
Piggie said:
Well as the Blackberry Playbook is going to have 1GB of Ram, and I guess be out around the same time as the iPad2

It would look pretty poor for Apple's Second Generation tablet to have less ram than Blackberry's 1st tablet attempt.

Not sure how much it will matter in reality, but as apps/games bet larger over time, it would give the iPad2 a better long term life if they jumped up to 1GB to match the Playbook, even if they feel it may not really need it now.
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Why did tbey inckude so little to begin with? I mean thie is 2010 were talking about here. If they can cram more memory into the iphone 4 that only came out a little after the ipad why didnt they in the ipad?
 
WilliamG said:
Right, and Apple would not be fragmenting their user base. They can still request of developers that games/apps not use more than X amount of RAM so that they still run on iPad 1. But for iPad 2 users, they'll enjoy much more useful multitasking.

In my eyes, it's a no brainer. And really, I felt since day 1 that the iPad was crippled by its lack of RAM. Can't wait for the second gen.
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Thats the thing. The ipad should never have been in the same userbase or app space as the other idevices. It should have been a tablet computer like they advertised it not a big ipod touch.
 
WiiDSmoker said:
Apple will probably cheap out and use 512 from the iPhone. I know that I was completely insulted when 256 was in the iPad and 512 was in the iPhone. So I sold it.

The iPad needs to have more RAM in the iPhone IMHO. It runs much heavier apps.
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Exqctly, my setiments are the same. At least lower the price if ur other and more portable devices are as powerful or more so.
 
aprofetto8 said:
Does Infinity Blade even support the fast app switching?

It's not true multitasking. When you switch to Safari, Infinity Blade is basically put into a suspended state where it saves where you were (assuming it takes advantage of Apple's fast app switching API - which it may not, I don't know).

For example, I have like 20 apps in the fast app switching bar, my iPad runs fine.

People often get confused, when you switch away from the app, its not sitting in the background continuously running.
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+1

We seem to be the only people who noticed this, but if Infinity Blade isn't setup by the developers as a multitasking app, it isn't going to multitask, no matter how much RAM you put in the iPad.
 
Those of you who are bragging about Blackberry playbook's specs...


1. Apple has always been slow in making their laptops with latest processors and rams. Simply, Apple doesn't care about making fastest computers or tablets in the world.

2. Steve said multiple times that apple is in focus with maximizing battery life and performance. Apple cares about both.

3. Playbook is not out yet and it doesn't exist. Those specs can change anytime.
 
Yeah, it's so pitiful that the iPad can't run a cutting edge game engine with insane texture quality and not be able to surf some webs at the same time

:rolleyes:
 
Stirolak123 said:
Thats the thing. The ipad should never have been in the same userbase or app space as the other idevices. It should have been a tablet computer like they advertised it not a big ipod touch.
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I'm pretty sure Apple has never advertised the iPad as being a "tablet computer." Not in those exact words.

Stirolak123 said:
Exqctly, my setiments are the same. At least lower the price if ur other and more portable devices are as powerful or more so.
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iPhone is actually more expensive than the iPad. iPad 16GB is $499. iPhone 16GB is $599. It's $199 only when you sign up for a two-year contract.
 
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