# ipad vs ipad 2 internet speed test



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20043455-1.html

The above test gives me an interest for the first time in possibly getting an iPad 2. I use my iPad extensively for web browsing, I do probably 80% of my home web browsing on it (I much prefer leaning back in my recliner to sitting at a computer desk!).

Cnet compared the iPad to the iPad 2 to see how the improved graphics capability of the iPad 2 would do at rendering websites. They also tested the Xoom Android tablet, by the way). The iPad 2 did significantly better than the iPad at processing complicated websites! I don't need to spend the money, but this is tempting! I spend a lot of hours web browsing on my iPad.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Thanks for posting.  Judging from the video, the ipad is just a tiny bit slower than the Zoom but they didn't show the ipad2 -- just said it's on a par with the Zoom.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

mlewis78 said:


> Thanks for posting. Judging from the video, the ipad is just a tiny bit slower than the Zoom but they didn't show the ipad2 -- just said it's on a par with the Zoom.


They label the video "ipad", but this is the iPad 2 in the current test. They tested the original ipad vs. the Xoom a few weeks ago when the Xoom was first released, and the Xoom beat the original iPad fairly handily. The site displays the videos consecutively, so you see both the iPad vs. Xoom and the iPad 2 vs. Xoom, and then you see the "first look" at the Xoom. It's clearer in the numbers:

Web site Motorola Xoom Apple iPad 2 Apple iPad
CNET.com 5 seconds 6 seconds 12 seconds
CBSNews.com 6 seconds 10 seconds 16 seconds
GiantBomb.com 5 seconds 5 seconds 6 seconds

Apparently for simple websites without a lot of graphic elements or especially moving stuff, they are quite close (see the GiantBomb.com results). But if the site gets complex at all, the iPad 1 falls behind. Xoom is actually fastest at this, but I don't find it attractive at all on other features, even though I'm an Android phone user and fan!

I happened to find this shortly after reading a review of the iPad 2 on tipb.com, where, he mentioned another browsing problem I've already noticed with the iPad 1--If you switch between tabbed websites, it often has to reload the whole tab because you switched away briefly then came back to it. I've noticed this myself, though I didn't know the explanation for it. Apparently the increased RAM on the iPad 2 gives it a better ability to not have to wipe out tabbed sites that are out of view so it can use that RAM on your currently-viewed website. That review got me poking around so that I found the CNET test. The tipb.com review is here:

http://www.tipb.com/2011/03/15/ipad-2-review/

Under "New Guts, New Glory", he discusses the browsing issues that are improved on the iPad 2.

I'm a-thinking. With luck I'll calm down on this overnight....


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

Is your iPad running iOS 4.3?  Safari is supposed to perform a lot better with this update.  Granted, it still can't be a match for the 2's dual core processors, but I was just curious to know if there was a noticeable improvement with iOS 4.3 (I have not yet updated my iPad).


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

planet_janet said:


> Is your iPad running iOS 4.3? Safari is supposed to perform a lot better with this update. Granted, it still can't be a match for the 2's dual core processors, but I was just curious to know if there was a noticeable improvement with iOS 4.3 (I have not yet updated my iPad).


I updated to iOS 4.3 (see my thread on using sharing). I'd vaguely read there were Safari improvements, but haven't noticed any changes.

The upgrading process was painless, though it always makes me slightly tense!


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

Safari IS faster on 4.3, but primarily on Javascript-heavy sites.  And it doesn't help the page-reload problem, which is a function of the iPad 1 having almost no RAM available to use for browser cache.  iPad 2 has 5-6 times as much memory available for programs (and therefore also for browser cache) than the first-gen.


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