Browsing on the ipad

[v-600]

I tried to think of a way to put this so it doesn't sound like I'm complaining. I probably failed. If you want to avoid the grumble, skip to the question at the end.

Do you find browsing the web on your ipad a pleasant experience?

How do you generally look at sites? One at a time or many at once, following links as they come?

I constantly find that I am frustrated with my mini 2.

Typically, for example, I tend to go to a sites front page and skim for articles I want to read, opening a new tab for each. On my surface each tab loads in the background ready to click to rapidly. The ipad doesn't load until you navigate to the tabs, and then runs out of memory if you leave the tab.

This means constant page loading when browsing. Its not a huge problem, but it is an annoyance.

Am I doing it wrong? Do I need to change my habits to fit the ipads limitations? Does everyone else do the same thing and just put up with the load times?

 

[TheStu]

You're definitely complaining, but it's valid.

The answer to your question is Yes. Not sure if the Mini 4 and Air 2 are better about it or not as they have 2GB RAM. I just briefly tested on my 6s (also 2GB RAM); it seems that it is loading in the background, but I only did 3 or 4 tabs, on wikipedia (so mostly text).

 

[JAG87]

Yes you are. Get a news feed app.

 

[Eug]

Yes you're complaining, but I agree: It's a valid complaint.

That's why it's a big improvement on the iPads with more memory. The mini 2 is not suited to extended browsing IMO. I find the screen too small for this, but even if you don't mind the screen size, the memory limitation is really irritating. It's not perfect on the iPad Air 2, but it's noticeably better. Less tab reloads. The other benefit of the iPad Air 2 (and mini 4) is you can run two (tiny) browsers side by side. This is different from tabbed browsing, since both are active and scrollable at the same time.

My friend with the iPad Pro loves it for browsing though because:

1) It's superfast.
2) It's got 4 GB RAM.
3) The screen is big so two side by side browsers are easy to read.

His main complaint with it though is that it's heavy. While you can hold an iPad Air 2 up for a long time, you can't with the iPad Pro.

Actually, my main complaint with the iPads in general for browsing is the delayed screen redraws on some pages when you scroll. If you scroll down the page, sometimes even on the iPad Air 2, there is a blank space for a second or two, which I find incredibly annoying. It's a Safari issue though, because that issue doesn't necessarily occur in other browsers.

 

[v-600]

Yes you are. Get a news feed app.

I am looking into newsfeed apps. Any recommendations?

Apple's news seems like a good place to start. I already use flipboard for news on other devices (cross platform is desirable) but it doesn't always get everything from some of my frequently visited sites.

I bought the mini2 to serve primarily as an ebook reader and podcast client (its also taken on the surprise roles of spotify/plex remote and mobile hotspot) which it does superbly. Like i said, an annoyance more than a deal breaker.

 

[JAG87]

I am looking into newsfeed apps. Any recommendations?

Apple's news seems like a good place to start. I already use flipboard for news on other devices (cross platform is desirable) but it doesn't always get everything from some of my frequently visited sites.

I bought the mini2 to serve primarily as an ebook reader and podcast client (its also taken on the surprise roles of spotify/plex remote and mobile hotspot) which it does superbly. Like i said, an annoyance more than a deal breaker.

I use Feedly, but take your pick. For me, the less clutter the better, and Feedly can be very minimalistic when configured right.

 

[JasonCoder]

Tap and hold on a link to add to reading list. Then consume your reading list as you wish, at your leisure. It's still not instant access tabs like on a regular computer but can be a bit more easy to consume.

 

[Midwayman]

Yah, the 1gb devices are painful. Even with 2gb on the air 2 I usually go to my PC if I'm really trying to get something done. Too many site have javascript or whatnot that doesn't work well on the air 2 and my password manager is much better on the PC.

 

[Phynaz]

Install an ad blocker, reduced this issue on my Air by a huge amount.

 

[Eug]

The problem with the ad blockers is several websites still don't work right.

 

[Phynaz]

Purify has a whitelist.

 

[Eug]

Purify has a whitelist.

Yes, but it does get irritating to have to add websites to a whitelist.

Plus last time I tried Purify it actually made surfing worse because IIRC there would be more screen rendering delays, enough to be noticeable. Haven't tried it recently though.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Overall, I like the experience of browsing on an iPad, but you're absolutely right and that annoys me sometimes too.

 

[Ichinisan]

I had the same tablet for a while. If you can't get a mini 4 with 2GB RAM, ...

- Disable tabs for a little bit of extra space on the screen (zoom out to view tab thunbnails when you want to manage them)

- Get the "Purify" content blocker, which integrates with Safari. It helps A LOT with the 1GB RAM problem.

 

[Ichinisan]

Yes, but it does get irritating to have to add websites to a whitelist.

Plus last time I tried Purify it actually made surfing worse because IIRC there would be more screen rendering delays, enough to be noticeable. Haven't tried it recently though.

You don't have to whitelist. Hold the reload button and you'll see an option to load the page without content blockers.