Q: iPad Safari crashing regularly

larfl1:

I'm curious to know: upon receiving your replacement iPad 1, did you restore it from a backup, or restore as new?

Post upgrading to IOS 6 Safari is now crashing more frequently than ever before. It crashes anytime memory consumption of browser croses 150-160 mb. This is far less stable as compared to ios5.1 where safari used to work till 250 mb.

Can we expect a patch for this ?

no you need to upgrade to ipad mini.

Iphone 3G, ipad 1 wonder which device they cripple next...

larfl1:

I have received 2 replacement iPads and they both suffered the same problem.

The 2nd one did not have OS5 on it and I did not restore or install any apps.

Same Safari crash issues.      

I see a lot of complaints about crashing while using Safari and AppAdvisor but my iPad 1 crashes while I'm doing anything!!!  Looking at new daily Apps, looking at my News Apps, looking at my Weather App or just playing one of my game Apps!!  PLUS now it's losing battery power faster than is use to.  And the kicker is that this is a replacement iPad  because my original iPad started losing battery power and the warranty was up last month.  Tried everything that has been mentioned on this site and nothing has worked.   I am waiting to go to the Apple store until I cool down. 

I bought the high end iPad thinking it would last longer than 2-1/2 years.  SILLY ME!!!!

The fact that one of jimsimp3's replacement iPads crashes with iOS 4x still installed tells us a lot. Once, iOs 4 and the Apps of that time period were rock-solid reliable, including Safari. If Safari is crashing under that combination of hardware and software, my conclusion is that this definitively is an iOS and App software problem affected by inadequate memory or bad hardware. However, it still does not explain why some iPad 1s are not affected. So, other variables could be at play, such as: the Web sites visited, bad hardware, upgrades and how upgrades are downloaded and installed, etc.

jimsimp3 and larfl1: If these were my iPad 1's, I think I'd go ahead and try another "restore as new" to iOS 5x by downloading and installing the update through iTunes. That's what worked for me. In fact, as I think back, I actually did two "restore as new" procedures (once to fix the problem for myself and a second a few weeks later when I gifted the iPad 1 to my sister). After my initial restoration, I gradually added my Apps back (using a list and saved screenshots of every page as a guide) and started using it heavily again. I did encounter a few minor crashes, but nothing alarming. At some point a few weeks later, my iPad 3 arrived and I decided the original iPad was stable enough to gift to my sister and so I did the second "restore as new" (and she now has been using it for months with only an occasional crash, and no complaints).

If yours is even crashing under iOS 4, you've nothing to lose. Maybe you even should try two restores (one over top of the other).

You also might want to ask a priest to perform an exorcism :)

A note: obviously my sister introduces more variables by not re-installing all the same Apps, by visiting different Web sites and developing different Web surfing habits...

I had a new, refurbished, Ipad 1. I did not restore from backup and did not choose any options such as notifications, etc. Washington Post crashed Safari within first half hour of use. Given the camera, maps, and other problems with Apples IOS devices I doubt I will buy another one of these devices again. Apple is rushing devices and software to  market without adequate testing. Apple is like the American car companies of the 1970's, with the Ipad and Iphone the new Chevy Vega and Ford Pinto.

I am trying a restore to original today as the crashes are increasing and becoming more annoying.

larfl1: In my view, your comparison of Apple products to the cheapest and worst cars of the 1970's simply is off-base. I'd venture to say that most consumers (myself included) believe the opposite is true: Apple sets the gold standard by which all other consumer computing devices are compared. Apple may not have created the longest-lasting device in the case of the pioneering iPad 1, but three years ago, it was a revolutionary, ground-breaking product that was breathaking — and years ahead of its time. It just is not unusual to see such bleeding edge technology quickly fall by the wayside as improved updates are released and competitors rush out cheap knock-offs.

I also had hoped my iPad 1 would last me 3-4 years, but my usage surpassed its capabilities, even though this model still serves my sister and significant other well. With any new technology, we early adopters take our chances. Meanwhile Apple, just keeps moving forward at a blazing pace.

You still have some re-installation steps and more testing to try and I sincerely do wish you luck. But I also realize that at some point, you may have to move on, which is what I reluctantly concluded when I purchased a new iPad 3 just a few months ago. If you think that competing Android or Windows alternatives are going to be any different, you're in for a rude awakening. They'll have their own unique issues, and they'll stll be a few years behind Apple in their development too.

As for newspaper Web sites: these companies always do things on the cheap -- and these days often are a day late and a dollar short. I used to work in the newspaper industry as a photographer and editor and I know how they do things. So, I would not necessarily judge Apple's hardware by the performance of any single Web site, even those produced by big newspaper companies. Apple's hardware and software aren't the only variables here. Web developers have a long history of browser compatibility issues and things are no different today. The .html code on the Web sites are in various stages of being transitioned to .HTML5 and a couple of different versions of CSS also are being used. Everything is changing so quickly, and these also could be issues that have rendered that original iPad as a less than ideal tool.

By the way, Apple is fixing Maps flaws at a rapid pace and I actually like the new Maps navigation much more than the old Maps with Google data. It's not perfect, but it's good enough to start over.

I've used Apple products since the late 70s and never experienced what I'm experiencing now re: the crashes. It's happening to the original right up to the most recent release. Most simply haven't used their iPads enough to have experienced the crash. That doesn't mean it doesn't occur. It's primarily a random occurrence and difficult to pinpoint. What makes me angry is that sr. iPad technicians are pretending it's not a common occurrence, and are trying to make us believe each case is unique, or user related. It's v5.1 related on the original. One tech finally admitted the new OS is has far more capability than the hardware can support. Right now I'm using my 2nd iPad 1 w/o using Bluetooth or WiFi to see if I crash, and if I do, how long it takes. I've even crashed in Apple mail. It was also suggested that I compose my messages in Notes, then cut and paste into a reply, or comment online. My workaround has been to select and copy as I draft a reply. Beats losing the whole response if I do crash and have to repost. Then it's simply a matter of pasting it back into the reply. So far I haven't crashed.

Geopix: Please see betwills as she or he had similar experiences to me.

Please understand that at the time I wrote that post I was very angry. I talked to 4 different SENIOR service advisors.  3 of them made promises they did not keep and when I called and left voice mails they did not return my call.

I first reported this problem in March, 2012, two years after the launch and less than two years from the date I acquired the Ipad. More than one Apples service advisor told me this was a very rare problem. The posts about the problem seem to indicate my problem is anything but rare. The 2nd senior advisor said it was extremely unlikely another refurbished Ipad  would have the same issues. He regarded the chances of three Ipads having the problem with Safari as astronomical. If it did he would send me an Ipad2.

The 4th said sorry we are no longer going to make any more updates or fixes to that device.The had dixed the problem in IOS6.  Apple will not provide a mechanism to revert back to IOS4. Also, the upgrade to an Ipad2 was not something Apple would do.

My comparison the Ipad to the Vega,  was not clear. Specifically there are several things they share in common. The Vega was put together very quickly. From design to assembly line speed was empathized. With the Ipad it has been form over reliability. The Vegas were assembled so quickly the workers left tools in the cars. For example, customers found wrenches in their doors. GM assigned the tasks of determining flaws to the customers. Similarily, the Ipad customers were the unwitting beta testers of IOS5. I understand those on the cutting edge of technology bleed, but IOS5 was the improved version. To use another car analogy, I have always loved the Jaguars. I consider them beautiful cars. But, their history of unreliability is such I would never consider buying one.

You make a good point that other Android, Windows, etc.tablets and phones will have their own problems. Therefore,  I will carefully research my next tablet or smart phone purchase and try to buy the one that closest meets my requirements. Yes, Apple has won the lifetime achievment Emmy, but that does not mean I should assume the company will continue in the same vein. Especially , in light of the antenna problem, and the Iphone 5 follies. The camera that does not work properly and the maps that the CEO, Tim Cook, apologized for. (BTW, your maps statement was the worst part of an otherwise well written post). It's time to scrape off the sticker of the little kid holding an Iphone ******* on the Google logo from my car's window. Brand loyalty is so 20th century.

As to me reinstalling, I have done so six time. Twice with the first Ipad and four times with the replacement. I have three times went back to the factory setting with no apps installed and everything turned off. No notifications, etc. The last time was yesterday, five minutes into using Safari it crashed. As to those nasty, not well built, cheap websites; my five year old Imac ( 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 gb Mhz DDR2 SDRAM) handles them all with aplomb.

Last, if some Apple products are only useable for two years perhaps Apples should consider a new name for those devices, the Ilemon brand.

larfl1: I know this is incredibly frustrating. I went through all this too, until I just stopped fighting it, so I feel for you.

I also wish I could offer some more troubleshooting ideas. We're all at a loss here, because the problem seems so capricious and random. Have you written Tim Cook or complained to the manager at your local Apple Store?

Good luck.

Still crashing, still frustrated and now I can add that it's taking my iPad longer to come on when I press the home button!!!  I've done everything everyone has suggested - turned completely off, make sure there is nothing running in the background, ALWAYS clear history and cookies AND I have 47.9 out of 64G left on my iPad memory.  I don't use iCloud either.  So, am I the only one that feels like a lab rat?  Like the original iPad was an experiment to see what would and would not work and how long it would last? How they could improve and do better than anyone else?

If I heard correctly, and if I'm wrong I apologize, you can renew your Apple Care on the new iPads BUT you CANNOT renew your Apple Care on the original iPad!!! Is it because they know they are not fixable or just not worth it to be fixed? Or they just don't CARE to bother to fix them? 

Anyway, enough ranting just one more question - Has anyone else noticed that a lot of the new apps DO NOT work on the original iPad or they CANNOT be downloaded on the original iPad?  Just asking.

Oh, by the way, I added the memory bit because I looked at my diagnostics it it shows "Low Memory" for all my crashes!!!!!

Hey,

Be happy it lasted this long!  According to a couple of Apple fanboys here, our devices are EOL....End Of Life!  Why should Apple give a crap about us when rich fanboys and girls are happily tossing their gen ones to go get a new one?  Just think, this week you can go out and get an Ipad mini!  Who in their right mind would want to continue to use an old dinosaur of a device like ours when you have all those new shiny Apples to choose from!?  I mean for a few hundred dollars you buy yourself a couple of years of joy before your new device becomes EOL! 

I for one will never again be a part of this scheme.  I like getting my money's worth.