iPad Pro IPAD Pro 9.7 - 2GB Ram and Safari tabs

[Rogifan]

More ram is better but even on my 12.9" iPP Safari tabs reload at times, especially if I have an open tab that I haven't used in a while. And sometimes I have to close and reload Safari because the content doesn't render as fast as I'm scrolling. I've found that pressing the sleep wake button to get to the power off screen and then long pressing the home button until the screen refreshes frees up some memory but it definitely causes all Safari tabs to re-load.

 

[jamesrick80]

RAM tends to come in powers of 2. Also, it's quite likely that unlike the big Pro, the small Pro only has space for one RAM module so it's either going to be 2GB or 4GB.

Another thing, given Apple's economies of scale, they're probably better off buying more 2GB LPDDR4 rather than make a small order of 1GB LPDDR4 just so they can put 3GB on the small Pro.

If it comes in powers of 2, Samsung had at least 3 major devices in the past with 3 gb ram...don't think that's true.

 

[rui no onna]

If it comes in powers of 2, Samsung had at least 3 major devices in the past with 3 gb ram...don't think that's true.

Even then, that still means Apple will be ordering less 2GB modules (so perhaps a smaller discount) and then they also need to buy a relatively small amount of 3GB modules specifically for the iPad Pro 9.7. Also, does anyone aside from Samsung make 3GB RAM modules? I know Apple tries to avoid parts that are sole-sourced.

The point is that without the benefit of virtual ram on disk, there is no guarantee that you won't see reloading no matter how much ram you have. I acknowledged it helps.

+1. I've seen Firefox use 6GB or more on my PCs. Having 4GB RAM just raises the bar. It doesn't entirely eliminate the limits. Mayhaps,when 32GB is base storage on all iOS devices, we might eventually see virtual RAM implemented.

That said, I wouldn't recommend picking a tablet based solely on the amount of RAM it has. For me, ergonomics matter more in a tablet. If 12.9" fits your usage, then great, go for that and enjoy the increased RAM. Otherwise, if 9.7" form factor will work better for you, then choose that.

 

[Count Blah]

I don't think the small Pro's 2 GB of RAM would be a problem.

The Apple defenders said the same about the original Air - including your first like.

Just saying.

 

[Wackery]

The Apple defenders said the same about the original Air - including your first like.

Just saying.

If the iPad Pro had 512mg of ram they would still defend it and say "it's all you need", "that's the way iOS works". Classic,

 

[rui no onna]

If the iPad Pro had 512mg of ram they would still defend it and say "it's all you need", "that's the way iOS works". Classic,

Not really. I'm sure I have a post somewhere saying the iPad 3 should have had 2GB RAM.

It's just that after years of being subject to Apple's stinginess when it comes to RAM, I've stopped expecting better from them. That said, I find their products and ecosystem to be the most suitable for my family at the moment so for now, I continue to use Apple stuff. All things considered, 2GB is workable enough (definitely more workable than 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB was). It may not give the most optimal experience for everyone but it should be good enough for most.

And yes, I'm actually one who has tons of tabs open at a time. Apparently, you can't have unlimited tabs in Safari. I didn't count how many but I've hit occasions when I can't open a link in a new tab because I have too many tabs open.

 

[NavySEAL6]

The video posted between an Air 2 and 12.9 Pro makes no sense. The Air 2 was released in 2014.

I have an Air 2, the first iOS to device to get 2GB Ram. I've never had an issue with tabs reloading. Depending on what's on the tabs, you can do 15-25 easily.

I bet the 9.7 Pro handles better, or at the very least the same. The screen size didn't change, so the 2GB Ram is not the bottleneck. This is likely why the Air 1 didn't fare well with 1GB.

 

[rui no onna]

I bet the 9.7 Pro handles better, or at the very least the same. The screen size didn't change, so the 2GB Ram is not the bottleneck. This is likely why the Air 1 didn't fare well with 1GB.

The first Air was when the switch to 64-bit and iOS 7 occurred. Given the performance of the iPad 4 (1GB RAM) on iOS 6, I reckon both those things required more RAM. We now have split screen and multitasking but both are available on the Air 2 also. I don't see any reason why the Pro 9.7 will require significantly more RAM to function than the Air 2 (at least with both running the same iOS version). Really, the primary issue with the Pro 9.7 is pricing particularly in light of the Air 2's recent price drop.

 

[jomsjoms]

The first Air was when the switch to 64-bit and iOS 7 occurred. Given the performance of the iPad 4 (1GB RAM) on iOS 6, I reckon both those things required more RAM. We now have split screen and multitasking but both are available on the Air 2 also. I don't see any reason why the Pro 9.7 will require significantly more RAM to function than the Air 2 (at least with both running the same iOS version). Really, the primary issue with the Pro 9.7 is pricing particularly in light of the Air 2's recent price drop.

You don't see any reason why the Pro 9.7 would require more RAM? Did you even watch the video? The 9.7 only opened 20 tabs and it was already reloading/refreshing. That alone is a reason "for my own personal usage of the IPAD" since I often use more than 25 tabs at a time. Again, this is for my own usage we are talking about and not the majority which is why I stipulated in the beginning that I use IPAD for browsing with more than 25 tabs at a time.
[doublepost=1459661951][/doublepost]

The video posted between an Air 2 and 12.9 Pro makes no sense. The Air 2 was released in 2014.

I have an Air 2, the first iOS to device to get 2GB Ram. I've never had an issue with tabs reloading. Depending on what's on the tabs, you can do 15-25 easily.

I bet the 9.7 Pro handles better, or at the very least the same. The screen size didn't change, so the 2GB Ram is not the bottleneck. This is likely why the Air 1 didn't fare well with 1GB.

The video actually makes sense as it compares an IPAD with 2GB ram as against that of a 4GB one. It shows how much better 4GB ram does in terms of loading/refreshing tabs in safari given that 20 tabs were opened.

You say that your Air 2 does 15-25 tabs easily. This is what I remembered too when Air2 was first released. IIRC, it was able to do 25 tabs without any reloading/refreshing. Apparently though, it is not the case in the video I posted which is what made me scratch my head and halt my purchase for the time being.

 

[rui no onna]

You don't see any reason why the Pro 9.7 would require more RAM? Did you even watch the video? The 9.7 only opened 20 tabs and it was already reloading/refreshing. That alone is a reason "for my own personal usage of the IPAD" since I often use more than 25 tabs at a time. Again, this is for my own usage we are talking about and not the majority which is why I stipulated in the beginning that I use IPAD for browsing with more than 25 tabs at a time.

Please read the post again. I said there's no reason for the Pro 9.7 to require more RAM than the Air 2. Would the experience with 4GB RAM be better? Sure. The same could be said for the Air 2. However, while the upgrade would've been nice, it's not necessary yet. Just saying, if Apple balked at putting 2GB RAM on the iPad Air and iPhone 6/6+ when those devices were in greater need of a RAM bump, I'm not really surprised they didn't put 4GB on the Pro 9.7. Honestly, since this is Apple, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the next refresh still had 2GB.

Mind, I have watched the video and in some of the tabs, it was hard to tell if the Air 2 was actually refreshing the tab or just re-rendering the webpage.

I will reiterate this.

That said, I wouldn't recommend picking a tablet based solely on the amount of RAM it has. For me, ergonomics matter more in a tablet. If 12.9" fits your usage, then great, go for that and enjoy the increased RAM. Otherwise, if 9.7" form factor will work better for you, then choose that.

It's pointless to buy a tablet with 4GB RAM if you end up not using it because it's too big.

 

[rasputin1969]

While I personally would not buy the 9.7 (I sketch on large canvas's and Procreate can only support 9 layers at 4000x4000 on the 2GB model, but supports 29 layers on the 4GB) I think for your needs the 9.7 is better. Yes you'll see some tab reloads however the 9.7 form factor is much better when browsing. It's just a pity Apple upped the price so much.

 

[parajba]

Because the average person isn't trying to open and leave open 25 tabs on a tablet; let alone a desktop. I can't say I've EVER even had 15 tabs left open at once; it slows down even a PC with 8gb of RAM. At most I will have 3 pinned in chrome and 5-8 tabs; so 10-11 max ever.

Even my gen 4 i5 8gb RAM Lenovo laptop slows down with too many tabs open.

You can only ask so much from a mobile device if you refuse to change your usage habits.

+1.

What he said.

Could not have used better words.

 

[iregret]

I just did this with 17 tabs on a 9.7" iPad Pro. None refreshed.

 

[oldmacs]

OP, can i make a suggestion?

Go into an Apple store and simulate your usual tab browsing experience on a 9.7 inch iPad Pro and a 12.9 inch iPad Pro and see how it goes. The way I also see it is that software updates will introduce new ram eating features in the future as well as websites getting more resource hungry, which means that your available ram for keeping tabs open will shrink as time goes on. Not sure how long you like to keep devices, but for me its a big deal given I plan on having my next iPad for 5-6 years.

 

[Meever]

You actually can't even multitask with that many tabs open. I've had eight or so tabs opened and did some split screen stuff. The tab safari was on didn't need to refresh. But all the other tabs did.

I think you should get a Windows 10 tablet with 8-16 gigs of ram. Running the lightest browser you might be able to have your 25 tabs opened along with whatever else.

Good luck!

 

[TheLondonFella]

What would be the best add-blocker available? It's ok for me to pay for the software. I would like to test it on my friend's ipad air 2 and see how many tabs I could open before it refreshes. Thanks

Crystal works perfectly.

It's simple.

You just install it, and forget about it.

Makes a huge difference.

Web pages load in an instant on this 9.7" Pro.

Plus, once you've had a taste of True Tone you'll not want to go back ...

 

[stulaw11]

You actually can't even multitask with that many tabs open. I've had eight or so tabs opened and did some split screen stuff. The tab safari was on didn't need to refresh. But all the other tabs did.

I think you should get a Windows 10 tablet with 8-16 gigs of ram. Running the lightest browser you might be able to have your 25 tabs opened along with whatever else.

Good luck!

It's not even that, it's just unreasonable. Im running 8gb on the laptop Im typing on and 10 tabs on Chrome is almost a GIG of active RAM, that's on top of the system and anti-virus and the background processes. I dont have much running besides the tabs (a very light antivirus and dropbox desktop 0-app and a few tiny apps like Slack) and am using 60-65% of RAM; that's 60-65% of 8 GIGS and only 10 tabs.

Could I get 25 open, sure. Will it slow down the system from there? Yup big time. Even with 8gb of RAM and on a real PC (Lenovo 4th gen i5).

One has to be realistic with what an iPad can do, let alone even a laptop with 8gb can do, and this request simply is not.

 

[stylinexpat]

I saw one today at the Apple Store in Japan. I played around with a few on display. I currently own an iPad Mini 2. I honestly did not see a day and night difference between the two. It is better and maybe faster but there really was not a huge "WOW" factor while looking at one.

I personally prefer the size of the iPad Mini. Anything bigger and one falls into the laptop area. iPad Mini will fit into most Slingpacs while the iPad Pro will almost require a small backpack or a huge Slingpac to fit in.

RAM to me is important not only for Safari tabs but for stock applications as they too require more RAM.

 

[qap]

The iPad Pro 12,9" has more pixel so it needs more ram, not the double but the pixel is more, so 4GB on iPad Pro 12,9" is not like having 4gb on the iPad Pro 9,7" but something like 3/3,5gb (is an approximation).

I can't understand why the problem is with older tabs...if it's an old tab maybe you will open after a lot of times, instead, just drag the old tab near to the newer tabs and it will not be reloaded.

 

[Wackery]

To all the people saying "you don't need that many tabs", you sound like the apologists who defended the iPhone 4 antenna gate by saying "you're holding it wrong".

 

[rui no onna]

You actually can't even multitask with that many tabs open. I've had eight or so tabs opened and did some split screen stuff. The tab safari was on didn't need to refresh. But all the other tabs did.

I think you should get a Windows 10 tablet with 8-16 gigs of ram. Running the lightest browser you might be able to have your 25 tabs opened along with whatever else.

Windows has a pagefile. Even with 2GB RAM, you could have hundreds of tabs open and none of them will reload (yes, I've done this, 10 windows x 20 tabs each). Granted, if you only have HDD and not SSD, you'll be in for some severe HDD thrashing when opening old tabs and it's possible for the system to be brought to a screaming halt that you might end up wishing for tab refreshes instead. Thankfully, SSDs are a lot cheaper now. My first SSD cost me $2.50/GB. Mind, at that time, I believe Apple was charging $6.25-12.50/GB for storage upgrades.

However, Windows still makes for a poor tablet experience due to a lack of finger/touch-optimized software. Between frequent Safari tab refreshes or a severe lack of apps, I'd rather take the tab refresh.

 

[TheRealAlex]

I have 4 Safari Tabs OPen and 3 Chrome Tabs Open both in Side By Side 9.7 inch Pro here. No Resfreshing No Stutters Hicups Sorry about 7 Tabs is as much multi tasking as I can do. Closing out and Luanching Youtube happens instantly

Going back again Opens up all 7 Tabs in Side By Side with No Refreshing.

I saw a Video someone did 20 Tabs.

 

[oldmacs]

To all the people saying "you don't need that many tabs", you sound like the apologists who defended the iPhone 4 antenna gate by saying "you're holding it wrong".

Exactly. The OP wants advice as to which iPad is best for him based on how he likes to use an iPad. He is not asking advice on how others think the iPad should be used.

Plenty of people open a lot of tabs. I currently have 30 open on my Macbook, with very little fuss. Its what happens when you do a lot of research work.

 

[macmee]

With regards to safari tabs reloading, why doesn't mobile safari write old tab memory to a pagefile to avoid the reloading problem?

 

[rui no onna]

With regards to safari tabs reloading, why doesn't mobile safari write old tab memory to a pagefile to avoid the reloading problem?

Because iOS doesn't have a storage-backed pagefile.