# Safari on iOS, you are a steaming pile **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 27, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497 "2013-01-27T01:03:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/1 "2013-01-27T01:03:02Z")
Seriously. An iPad 2 has 512 MB of RAM, and thanks to being based on Darwin/xnu like OS X, you have an honest-to-god virtual memory manager. So why is it that if I’m composing a post on- say- SDMB, and have the temerity to open another tab to look up a reference, you feel it necessary to _dump_ the tab I was JUST on? You can’t keep one fucking browser tab in RAM long enough for me to look something up without reloading the other tab and trashing anything I’ve already typed in the text field? _Seriously?_ Anyone who says tablets are good enough to replace desktops/laptops should be beaten with reeds. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/2 "2013-01-27T01:29:25Z")
I don’t know about anyone else here that owns iOS devices, but I have no problems doing the tasks your mentioning on an iPad 3, and the only “difference” it has is a better graphics GPU, 1024 MB of RAM instead of 512, and a retina display. And with 512 MB, you can do a heck of a lot. So RAM shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you haven’t updated to iOS 6.0.1, I would recommend you go ahead and do that. That may fix your problems. But that really shouldn’t be a reason why your iPad isn’t working properly. iOS 5.1.1 was completely fine. Yes, tablets are not “there” yet and have a long way to go before they can be laptop/desktop replacements, but I seriously haven’t experienced the shit you’re talking about. So you either may want to visit someone who knows about these products, contact Apple, or even better, post a video on YouTube about the issue you’re having, and then post the link here. That way, we may be able to tell if it is the iPad that’s not functioning, or is it just that you don’t know how to use it yet (not meant as an offense). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/3 "2013-01-27T02:00:39Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Anyone who says tablets are good enough to replace desktops/laptops should be beaten with reeds. Steve Jobs went to Reed College, you know. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/4 "2013-01-27T02:15:01Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Anyone who says tablets are good enough to replace desktops/laptops should be beaten with reeds. Who says that? Seriously, mine works fine. It won’t replace a laptop but mostly because of the keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/5 "2013-01-27T02:20:31Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > I don’t know about anyone else here that owns iOS devices, but I have no problems doing the tasks your mentioning on an iPad 3, and the only “difference” it has is a better graphics GPU, 1024 MB of RAM instead of 512, and a retina display. And with 512 MB, you can do a heck of a lot. So RAM shouldn’t be a problem. Thank you for agreeing with me. > [@](#): > > I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you haven’t updated to iOS 6.0.1, I would recommend you go ahead and do that. That may fix your problems. But that really shouldn’t be a reason why your iPad isn’t working properly. iOS 5.1.1 was completely fine. I apply updates as soon as I receive the notification. So I’ve been on 6.0.1 for a long ass time. Nice try, kid. > [@](#): > > Yes, tablets are not “there” yet and have a long way to go before they can be laptop/desktop replacements, but I seriously haven’t experienced the shit you’re talking about. So you either may want to visit someone who knows about these products, contact Apple, or even better, post a video on YouTube about the issue you’re having, and then post the link here. That way, we may be able to tell if it is the iPad that’s not functioning, or is it just that you don’t know how to use it yet (not meant as an offense). Look, you little dickhead. I’m not some dyed-in-the-wool gray-haired jackass who can’t figure out these consarned pee-cee things to save my life. I’ve been around computers longer than you’ve been alive, and I regularly seek out advances in technology. I’ve been involved with smartphones since before the iPhone and I don’t need some adolescent jackass lecturing me. I start composing a post or reply on SDMB. It’s the only tab I have open in safari. I open another tab to look something up. I get that done and switch back to the previous tab which reloads and wipes out anything I’ve typed. There’s no excuse for that. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/6 "2013-01-27T02:21:08Z")
Have no issues with my iPad 3. And there are plenty of other browsers you can download. Chrome, for one. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/7 "2013-01-27T02:28:58Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Have no issues with my iPad 3. > > And there are plenty of other browsers you can download. Chrome, for one. Ah yes, Chrome, which is gimped by the fact that it can’t use Safari’s Nitro JavaScript engine, nor can it use its own V8 JavaScript engine. So Chrome on iOS is gimped by design and slow as shit. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/8 "2013-01-27T02:30:26Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Look, you little dickhead. I’m not some dyed-in-the-wool gray-haired jackass who can’t figure out these consarned pee-cee things to save my life. I’ve been around computers longer than you’ve been alive, and I regularly seek out advances in technology. I’ve been involved with smartphones since before the iPhone and I don’t need some adolescent jackass lecturing me. Funny, with your stated extent of experience, I’d think you’d have learned to avoid Apple products by now. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/9 "2013-01-27T02:31:45Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you haven’t updated to iOS 6.0.1, I would recommend you go ahead and do that. That may fix your problems. But that really shouldn’t be a reason why your iPad isn’t working properly. iOS 5.1.1 was completely fine. It wouldn’t help. Safari only lets you have so many tabs open, and unlike every other browser on my iPad, it doesn’t tell you when you’re about to run out of memory and cause the browser to crash. I’m not sure there’s a set number, but I’ve had the same thing happen on my iPad 3; it’s one of the reasons I prefer Atomic. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/10 "2013-01-27T03:07:01Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Funny, with your stated extent of experience, I’d think you’d have learned to avoid Apple products by now. Can’t argue with the truth! But, to be honest, **Nonny** was one year old when you came over here from AOL, so **jz78817** ’s extent of experience may only go back to when you and I were already sick of fucking around with our computers. You and I learned that lesson from Apple IIs. Posted from an HP laptop half Nonny’s age, with XP-Pro-by-God that usually doesn’t do anything stupid, though Chrome is starting to piss me off. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/11 "2013-01-27T03:08:25Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > It wouldn’t help. Safari only lets you have so many tabs open, and unlike every other browser on my iPad, it doesn’t tell you when you’re about to run out of memory and cause the browser to crash. I’m not sure there’s a set number, but I’ve had the same thing happen on my iPad 3; it’s one of the reasons I prefer Atomic. I was going to suggest Atomic, but the OP is being a real dick so I won’t. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/12 "2013-01-27T03:10:07Z")
I’d like to second (or third) not using Safari. I use Mercury browser and it doesn’t dump anything when I navigate to other tabs. The free version is good enough. It lets you keep 10 tabs open, 2 more than in Safari. And it has a pretty good ad blocker. ---
**Author:** ![Jimi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Jimi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimi)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/13 "2013-01-27T21:42:56Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Seriously. An iPad 2 has 512 MB of RAM, and thanks to being based on Darwin/xnu like OS X, you have an honest-to-god virtual memory manager. So why is it that if I’m composing a post on- say- SDMB, and have the temerity to open another tab to look up a reference, you feel it necessary to _dump_ the tab I was JUST on? You can’t keep one fucking browser tab in RAM long enough for me to look something up without reloading the other tab and trashing anything I’ve already typed in the text field? _Seriously?_ > > Anyone who says tablets are good enough to replace desktops/laptops should be beaten with reeds. Best bet is to have a deck in here. [http://forums.ilounge.com/](http://forums.ilounge.com/) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@The\_Dord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dord)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/14 "2013-01-27T22:22:50Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Seriously. An iPad 2 has 512 MB of RAM, and thanks to being based on Darwin/xnu like OS X, you have an honest-to-god virtual memory manager. So why is it that if I’m composing a post on- say- SDMB, and have the temerity to open another tab to look up a reference, you feel it necessary to _dump_ the tab I was JUST on? You can’t keep one fucking browser tab in RAM long enough for me to look something up without reloading the other tab and trashing anything I’ve already typed in the text field? _Seriously?_ > > Anyone who says tablets are good enough to replace desktops/laptops should be beaten with reeds. At least you’re not stuck in the 5.0 world with an iPad 1 that crashes constantly. (Be it browsing youtube videos for too long, or playing simple games like Ghostbusters) ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/15 "2013-01-28T01:57:52Z")
Does this seriously not happen with an ipad 3? ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/16 "2013-01-28T02:04:00Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Does this seriously not happen with an ipad 3? No, it doesn’t. I have one. I didn’t experience any issues with Safari. ---
**Author:** ![miamouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/17 "2013-01-28T03:08:24Z")
There are a lot of things on communications devices which users blame on the devices hardware/software manufacturer, but really are restrictions which the ISP or cell phone company have demanded. Ask yourself what exactly happens when your browser has to reload a page that has already cached. It uses more bandwidth. Tangentially related: [How to Bypass Stupid Voicemail Instructions - The New York Times](http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/how-to-bypass-stupid-voicemail-instructions/) ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/18 "2013-01-28T03:35:37Z")
Keeping in mind my experience is with an (old n busted) iPhone 4, I 100% support the pitting. I’ve had fucking Safari reload the window I was writing a post in just because I had to go to another window for a link or cite. It’s not like I fell down the Wikipedia rabbit hole and ended up on that other tab for awhile, either. There definitely other browser options like you guys have mentioned. I have Mercury and Dolphin, myself. They _are_ better than Safari except for the exact reason **jz78817** brought up: they’re a LOT slower. A [Buzzfeed article](http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/the-problem-with-chrome-for-ios?s=mobile) (I know, I know! 😛 But it’s a decent summary with a link to John Gruber’s more detailed analysis) explains the difference in JavaScript engines and has benchmark comparisons: > [@](#): > > Mobile Safari, the default browser in iOS, uses a Javascript engine called Nitro, which in turn uses a technology called “just-in-time” compilation, or JIT, to execute scripts more quickly. The technical details aren’t too important here — John Gruber has a good explanation here, if you want it — but the effects are. JIT makes Nitro faster, and Nitro makes Mobile Safari faster. This is great, if you’re using Mobile Safari. > > But other apps that want to include a browser function, be they Facebook or an actual alternative browser like Chrome, don’t get Nitro. And developers can’t use their own engines, either. For security reasons, the browser developers get to use in their apps is a variant of an older, pre-Nitro version, called UIWebView. > > (snip) > > It’s fine — it renders pages with the same fidelity as Mobile Safari. But this is what all alternative browsers in iOS are forced to use. And it’s slower. Noticeably slower. Like I said, I have an old-ass iPhone 4, so I’m sure that the issue is just way more noticeable for me than it is for those with 4Ses/5s or 3rd gen+ iPads. I’ve made multiple attempts to completely change to a non-Safari browser. But the UIWebView engine is SO slow and laggy (Mercury liked doing absolutely nothing after I tapped a link. Not frozen or loading, but literally like I never did anything) I end up going back to Mobile Safari. For me, the thing that makes it aggravating is that Apple intentionally neuters 3rd party browsers with an older JavaScript engine to try to cancel out/compensate for all the reasons Safari sucks(limited number of tabs/windows, dumps a tab from memory after a ridiculously small amount of time/activity, etc). ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/19 "2013-01-28T04:35:20Z")
I have the same problem with my iPad. It is extremely annoying to write a reply, quickly go to another window to check a quick fact, and come back to find your post gone. Of course, if I remember, I copy the typed answer into a buffer before moving to another screen, but I shouldn’t have to. And I don’t remember until its too late almost all of the time. It’s just not a natural thing to do… Copy the stuff that you’ve written so you can paste it back in when you return. It sucks and I hope my next iPad upgrade fixes this. ---
**Author:** ![Doughbag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Doughbag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughbag)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497/20 "2013-01-28T12:18:19Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I have the same problem with my iPad. > > It is extremely annoying to write a reply, quickly go to another window to check a quick fact, and come back to find your post gone. > > Of course, if I remember, I copy the typed answer into a buffer before moving to another screen, but I shouldn’t have to. And I don’t remember until its too late almost all of the time. It’s just not a natural thing to do… Copy the stuff that you’ve written so you can paste it back in when you return. > > It sucks and I hope my next iPad upgrade fixes this. So, the product you bought doesn’t do what it should and you are willing to buy the next shitty product in hope it’s going to be a better pile of shit? :smack: Apple – It’s a sad statement, that you have a problem with a device that costs €479 in its cheapest form; That is advertised to a laptop replacement to do internet apps like Facebook, YouTube, Emailing and browsing the internet and then crashes, closes tabs, freezes… and plainly doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do and requires you to MUST have iTunes and only iTunes to manage it. The solution is easy – simply AVOID Apple products. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safari-on-ios-you-are-a-steaming-pile/648497.md?page=2)