PSA: iOS8 & iPad

[mike143]

As far as Android is concerned, I assure you I can tell you several horror stories about lack of support for a phone that was less than 2 years old.

I have had plenty of Androids that didn't get updates beyond what comes out of the box, besides aftermarket. That's why I will purchase Nexus devices only in the future. They are updated longer and quicker. Also note that the newest Android version coming out will actual provide a performance and battery life increase.

 

[Chuckanut]

I just updated my iPhone 5S from iOS 8.0.2, to iOS 8.1. So far, so good.

So, I decided to throw caution to the winds and update my iPad 2, to iOS 8.1 as well. It is updating right now as I type this (on my Windows 8 laptop).

What could happen? It could get better, which would be great. It could stay the same.

Thanks for being the point gal on this bleeding edge experiment. Your heroism is noted! Please keep us informed.

 

[Meadbh]

Thanks for being the point gal on this bleeding edge experiment. Your heroism is noted! Please keep us informed.

+1
W2R, risk taker, must have money to burn!

 

[W2R]

Wow, I just tried some game software that was slowed down the most, and it was back to normal!

It took an unusually long time to download/install on my iPad 2. I have only played with it for a couple of minutes, so this is NOT an exhaustive review of iOS 8.1, but it is encouraging.

Edited to add: it is still giving me problems with making a program close (well, minimize) with the usual gesture, so I have to push the button twice and do it like that. But at least it isn't jerky/slow with the program itself. Maybe if I reboot.... Edited again to add: Yes, rebooting took care of it. I'm pretty happy with this update, so far, although I have only done a few things with it so far. It's amazing how much faster my iPad has been so far, compared with the horrible slowdown of 8.0.1 .

 

[explanade]

8.1 is suppose to be a feature update, not necessarily a bug update.

But 8.2 and 8.3 are suppose to be coming too. And bug updates in between

 

[Chuckanut]

Here's something that might help if iOS 8 is running a bit slow on the older iPad.

A downgrade to iOS 7.1.2 isn’t possible anymore, as Apple isn’t supporting the previous iOS version for these devices, but OS X Daily has three simple tips for iPhone 4s and iPad 2 owners, and everyone else, to fix lag and general slowness in iOS 8.

The publication says there are some very simple tricks users can perform to improve the speed of iOS 8 on their devices, such as hard restarting their devices — the process involves pressing both the power button and the home button at the same time for 10-15 seconds, forcing a restart. Once iOS restarts, it may be faster than before.

A second trick users can try is removing all the motion and animation effects in iOS 8. In order to do it, users have to go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion, and turn the switch off.

If these two particular moves aren’t good enough, then users have a more complex “tool” at their disposal: a complete phone or tablet wipe and a fresh restore to iOS 8 (a process that may take a longer time, and should involve backing up personal data).

More details about these iOS 8 tricks users can perform to improve their experience on iPhone and iPad are available at the source link.

iOS 8 Tricks: iPhone 4s and iPad 2 slow speed and lag fixes | BGR

 

[braumeister]

Received my new iPad Air 2 yesterday.
Noticeably lighter than my old iPad 2, as well as thinner. The retina display is also very noticeably better than my old non-retina display.

But the nicest surprise was a feature that I haven't seen commented on much. The new screen has a non-reflective surface, which makes it possible to read in bright sunlight (that was not at all comfortable with my old iPad). I tried it out by standing in the bright sun in my driveway and read a few pages of text on it. No problem at all, and almost as good as my Kindle Paperwhite.

 

[W2R]

Received my new iPad Air 2 yesterday.
Noticeably lighter than my old iPad 2, as well as thinner. The retina display is also very noticeably better than my old non-retina display.

But the nicest surprise was a feature that I haven't seen commented on much. The new screen has a non-reflective surface, which makes it possible to read in bright sunlight (that was not at all comfortable with my old iPad). I tried it out by standing in the bright sun in my driveway and read a few pages of text on it. No problem at all, and almost as good as my Kindle Paperwhite.

Wow, I hadn't heard about that at all!!! That's a tremendous advantage for some of us and it might be helpful indoors as well.

Did you order your iPad Air 2 directly from Apple, or someplace else? Are there deals to be had on this device? I am surprised that you got it so soon after its announcement.

 

[explanade]

Are you using the Touch ID?

Also good idea to turn on Find my iPhone on it.

 

[braumeister]

Wow, I hadn't heard about that at all!!! That's a tremendous advantage for some of us and it might be helpful indoors as well.

Did you order your iPad Air 2 directly from Apple, or someplace else? Are there deals to be had on this device? I am surprised that you got it so soon after its announcement.

Yes, I ordered it from Apple the first day they started taking orders. No deals (although I got a $20 discount by going through a military site). I also sold my old iPad 2 for $155, which isn't a bad deal.

 

[braumeister]

Are you using the Touch ID?

Also good idea to turn on Find my iPhone on it.

You bet!
I've been trying to use my thumb on my old iPad for many months, ever since I got the iPhone 5S. Frustrating (and comical), but now that problem is solved.

 

[MichaelB]

But the nicest surprise was a feature that I haven't seen commented on much. The new screen has a non-reflective surface, which makes it possible to read in bright sunlight (that was not at all comfortable with my old iPad). I tried it out by standing in the bright sun in my driveway and read a few pages of text on it. No problem at all, and almost as good as my Kindle Paperwhite.

Wow, I hadn't heard about that at all!!! That's a tremendous advantage for some of us and it might be helpful indoors as well.

+1

Being able to read easily in direct sunlight is a real (and unexpected) improvement that will motivate me to reconsider my upgrade plan.

Is the iPhone 6 also easy to read in the sunlight?

 

[braumeister]

Is the iPhone 6 also easy to read in the sunlight?

Ask me in a year or so. Still happy with the 5S.

 

[tulak]

But the nicest surprise was a feature that I haven't seen commented on much. The new screen has a non-reflective surface, which makes it possible to read in bright sunlight (that was not at all comfortable with my old iPad). I tried it out by standing in the bright sun in my driveway and read a few pages of text on it. No problem at all, and almost as good as my Kindle Paperwhite.

Thanks for sharing this info. I was aware of the non-reflective improvements they made, but every professional review that I've read seems to imply it's not that big a difference from older iPads. I was starting to think this was marketing hype from Apple, so it's good to hear an different opinion. Now that they're appearing in the Apple stores, I should go and take a look. I'm still debating if I should get an iPad Air2 or go with the last generation iPad mini retina.

Did you get the 16GB?

 

[Ronstar]

Slightly off topic - Do any of the Apple faithful here use their iPhone or iPad as a hotspot for a laptop in areas where Wi-fi does not exist? I was told by a worker at the AT&T store that I can't use my iPad as a hotspot for my macbook. Yet I see that one of the AT&T 4g packages includes the ability to hotspot. I haven't checked into hot spotting from my Iphone yet. But I'm still using a company phone so I don't want to overdue my phone usage.

And if hot spotting is possible, does it work better with IOS8?

 

[tulak]

Slightly off topic - Do any of the Apple faithful here use their iPhone or iPad as a hotspot for a laptop in areas where Wi-fi does not exist? I was told by a worker at the AT&T store that I can't use my iPad as a hotspot for my macbook. Yet I see that one of the AT&T 4g packages includes the ability to hotspot. I haven't checked into hot spotting from my Iphone yet. But I'm still using a company phone so I don't want to overdue my phone usage.

And if hot spotting is possible, does it work better with IOS8?

That's a good question. I know my iPad doesn't allow me to setup a personal hotspot, but I have the WIFI version. I was curious enough to google the question and according to an Apple support article, you can create a personal hotspot using an iPad3 or iPad mini and later if they are the cell versions.

I know that iOS8 has made it easier for your iPad to connect through your iPhone. From what I've read, as long as both devices are associated with the same Apple ID, then you can automatically connect your iPad WIFI to your iPhone's personal hotspot. I don't have iOS8 on my iPad (too old), so I haven't had a chance to try it out, but it's the main reason I plan on getting a WIFI only iPad. I only hope that the battery drain on the iPhone isn't too bad.

 

[explanade]

If your plan allows it, you can use the personal hotspot feature in settings.

In fact ipad will give you better battery life than any Mifi.

But beware that a laptop can use cell data much more quickly, especially LTE.

 

[Chuckanut]

Wow, I just tried some game software that was slowed down the most, and it was back to normal!

It took an unusually long time to download/install on my iPad 2. I have only played with it for a couple of minutes, so this is NOT an exhaustive review of iOS 8.1, but it is encouraging.

Edited to add: it is still giving me problems with making a program close (well, minimize) with the usual gesture, so I have to push the button twice and do it like that. But at least it isn't jerky/slow with the program itself. Maybe if I reboot.... Edited again to add: Yes, rebooting took care of it. I'm pretty happy with this update, so far, although I have only done a few things with it so far. It's amazing how much faster my iPad has been so far, compared with the horrible slowdown of 8.0.1 .

So, overall, are you glad you put iOS 8.1 on your iPad 2?

I have just updated my old Macbook to Yosemite. Yosemite works best with iOS 8, as I have been told.

 

[FIREd]

Slightly off topic - Do any of the Apple faithful here use their iPhone or iPad as a hotspot for a laptop in areas where Wi-fi does not exist? I was told by a worker at the AT&T store that I can't use my iPad as a hotspot for my macbook. Yet I see that one of the AT&T 4g packages includes the ability to hotspot. I haven't checked into hot spotting from my Iphone yet. But I'm still using a company phone so I don't want to overdue my phone usage.

And if hot spotting is possible, does it work better with IOS8?

I have used my Verizon iPad as a hotspot for other iPads and for my iMac before (when our home internet connection was down). I can't use my iPhone as a hotspot, because I have to give up my unlimited data plan with AT&T in order to turn that feature on. But it is possible to use your iPhone as a hotspot if your plan allows it.

 

[Midpack]

I plan to buy an Air 2 as soon as Simply Mac gets them in. They're the only local store who'll do a trade in. Supposedly they'll give me $180 for my pristine iPad 2. I'll believe it when I see it, but it would be nice!

I've read mixed reviews on the anti-reflective screen but I hope it helps. David Pogue yahoo review: "I couldn’t tell a lick of difference between the new iPad Air and last year’s. Not in the sun, not indoors. They’re both very reflective."

My old iPad 2 is better with 8.0.2 and now 8.1, but it's really slow and glitchy. What I thought was lockup, appears to be just so slow it seems frozen. If I wait long enough (15-20 seconds) it'll finally complete the command...

 

[Meadbh]

My old iPad 2 is better with 8.0.2 and now 8.1, but it's really slow and glitchy. What I thought was lockup, appears to be just so slow it seems frozen. If I wait long enough (15-20 seconds) it'll finally complete the command...

Wondering if slow speed has anything to do with the capacity of your drive. How many GB do you have? Mine is 64 GB, still on iOS 7.1.2.

 

[Midpack]

Wondering if slow speed has anything to do with the capacity of your drive. How many GB do you have? Mine is 64 GB, still on iOS 7.1.2.

Mine is a 64GB too, but that's storage (which has little if any impact on performance) , not the memory the processor uses.

But you're right in that "RAM" on an iPad 2 is 512MB vs 1GB the 3/4/Air and 2GB for the Air 2. Reports are the Air 2 is blazing, thanks to a faster processor and more CPU memory.

 

[W2R]

So, overall, are you glad you put iOS 8.1 on your iPad 2?

I have just updated my old Macbook to Yosemite. Yosemite works best with iOS 8, as I have been told.

Definitely. It seems to work a lot better on my old iPad 2 (16 GB Wi-Fi only) than 8.0.2 did. YMMV

Purchasing the iPad Air 2 has moved from an immediate necessity, to the "gosh, it might be nice to have, maybe think about it sometime in the next year or so" category, for me. Braumeister's report comparing both was encouraging, though, and I might buy it in the next month or two just for kicks.

Yes, I ordered it from Apple the first day they started taking orders. No deals (although I got a $20 discount by going through a military site). I also sold my old iPad 2 for $155, which isn't a bad deal.

Thank you for the information. I might be looking for one soon, too.

 

[Chuckanut]

Here's a warning about the WSJ app, latest versions. This one bit me a few days ago when I tried to update the app. It get stuck in the update mode and never finishes updating. Worse, other apps being updated at the same time may get stuck with it. Not so good.

I deleted the WSJ app from my iPad.

Wall Street Journal won't load | Apple iPad Forum

The WSJ releases update to iOS app to fix bug that was preventing App Store downloads | Talking New Media | The digital publishing industry website

 

[braumeister]

The current WSJ iPad app works perfectly for me. I had a different problem when I first used it on the new iPad -- my password didn't work. Trying the "forgot password" routine didn't work either -- error was "more than one record for this email." Hopeless!

So I got on the phone to customer support, and within a few minutes my password got reset and now everything works perfectly.