[sagec]

Thanks. Very informative. I may be an exception, but I have Flash disabled. I don't know if it still can be a cause for a crash in the disabled state though. Is it possible that the browser app code (e.g. Air?) itself has a bug?

So, my guesses :-)

If Flash is disabled, it shouldn't be causing crashes, so we can't blame Adobe in your case.

Do we have it on good authority that the browser is written in Air? It has the feel of a native QNX/C app to me.

In the end, I'm fairly certain that the browser code itself does have some crash producing bugs.

[anon(375378)]

Since the upgrade, my browser, video, and picture viewers all open then immediately close three or four times before they finally stay open. With the browser, it freezes from time to time. I am defintely looking forward to the next bug fix to get my PB running smooth. Its getting a little tedious having to constantly re-open my browser to get it working.

[mistamikel]

Mine only does it on a select few sites ie xda devs. Wonder why ??

[sagec]

Also, even if Android runtime is isolated and unlikely directly impacts browser stability, can it be that it just takes up too much memory leaving the browser too little to run?

If this is the case, there could be an OS Level memory management issue, unless we are talking extremely low values of Free Memory where the OS decides to close running apps...

QNX uses virtual memory addressing, so keep in mind that the Free Memory value shown in Settings is just how much physical RAM is not allocated to the OS or Application processes. Even if this value is somewhat low, say 150MB, the OS can address more "memory" by using virtual addresses beyond the installed 1GB of RAM and page/swap portions of other process out to the flash storage (NAND). What I don't know is if some of the built-in flash storage is reserved as a swap file, or if there is a minimum threshold of available physical memory/RAM where the OS decides to close running apps, or where a running app may hit an out of memory error due to low physical RAM. Another issue could be if the swap file needs to expand, but the user is low on flash storage, what then?

I wish we had detailed system logs, we could narrow this down a lot more with a crash stack trace...

[peargood]

My browser seem to crash when I have too many tabs opened. And it will crash a few times more before it'll stay open. *le sigh*

[kill_9]

I tend to browse with multiple tabs (around 3), and for quite a time (30+ minutes). Nothing else is running in the background

Strange behaviour considering I presently have 9 tabs open in the web browser, on of them streaming a radio broadcast all night while I have been busy developing a website on my notebook computer and using the tablet to test the website from an external address. In the other tabs I have the web portal for two academic institutions open and several other websites. I was logged into one of the web portals to watch a lecture and before that I was playing Asphalt HD with the web browser still running. No crashes except in Asphalt because apparently I am a bad driver at high speeds.

[kill_9]

QNX uses virtual memory addressing, so keep in mind that the Free Memory value shown in Settings is just how much physical RAM is not allocated to the OS or Application processes. Even if this value is somewhat low, say 150MB, the OS can address more "memory" by using virtual addresses beyond the installed 1GB of RAM and page/swap portions of other process out to the flash storage (NAND). What I don't know is if some of the built-in flash storage is reserved as a swap file,

The BlackBerry PlayBook does NOT use NAND for swap because that would burn-out the NAND memory in relatively short order.

[docfreed]

I haven't had any crashes using that free browser app (called SimpleBrowser).

It's ok but you can't bookmark anything..the only downfall.

Not So, I have a whole list of bookmarks. I am using SimpleBrowser+ (paid version) and it works extremely well. The only "poof" I have had was on XDA-Developers site (also crashed in the native browser)

[Dark_Horse]

For me, the new Browser on OS2 is quicker but crashes far more often than the 1.x version. On my virgin Playbook with nothing else installed, it will often load a website page and then immediately after it's finished, completely bomb out to the PB desktop. Sometimes, you click a link and the page flashes up for half a second and doesn't even finish loading before the browser quits and returns you to the desktop. Happens irrespective of the site, whether it's Javascript heavy or just a plain site, there doesn't sem to be any pattern.

Real PITA as you have to open the browser back up again and navigate back to the page you want.

As a side note, I'm used to browsing on a desktop with Firefox and Adblock. I'm shocked at how truly rubbish the browsing experience is on a non-ad blocked browser like the one on the PlayBook. All manner of crap flashing up and slowing down the speed, I'll wager that the PB browser bombing out is almost certainly down to poorly coded piece-o-s**t third party ads which are causing the crash.

Seriously thinking about buying SimpleBrowser+ just for the ad blocking.

[sagec]

The BlackBerry PlayBook does NOT use NAND for swap because that would burn-out the NAND memory in relatively short order.

This is an Old Wive's Tale.

Microsoft concludes that using cheap MLC NAND USB flash drives / SD cards for swapping via ReadyBoost they should last for 10 years: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/tomarcher/ar...02/615199.aspx

Post install, QNX creates swap file per their docs:

"If this is the first time you've rebooted after installing the OS, sysinit runs /etc/rc.d/rc.setup-once, which creates various directories and swap files"
http://www.qnx.com/developers/docs/6...g.html#Booting

[Atilla33]

New 32gig Playbook user here. Did the 2.0 update right out of the box.
I have no store or side loaded apps, everything is stock.
My browser has been crushing from day one.
No other applications are running so I don't think it is a memory issue.
Did a few security wipes and reduced browser history to minimum but still get multiple crushes every session.

I noticed a lot of the times I happen to touch the screen during a crush so the bug may be partially related to touching.

[Mr_Figaro]

I don't know if it's just my playbook but everytime I clear my history for example when I press CLEAR ALL,it seems to close itself and it happens quite often. It does seem tohappen more often on os2.0 than it did on os 1xx. After it crashes, sometimes I'm not even able to click browser again without restarting the playbook...no idea why

My browser crashes on other occasions as well. However, the above reason is when my browser crashes the most frequently after hitting the "Clear All" button trying to get rid of my old history, cache and cookies.

[kbz1960]

I think it has to do with images files or there is something wrong with way the video driver handles things but who knows. Just hope that we'll be seeing one of those incremental updates to fix some of the bugs.

[Dark_Horse]

I noticed a lot of the times I happen to touch the screen during a crush so the bug may be partially related to touching.

Good point! Mine always crashes just after I have clicked a link.

[sagec]

My crash profiles can be broken down as follows:

While loading a page and I'm just watching the device
-Smurfberries link

While scrolling on the page:
-CrackBerry.com last night
-Bing.com last night
-CNN, various and sundry occasions

I've never had the "tap a link and poof" scenario to-date.

[VKM2F]

The fairly constant crashing of my browser/apps is really the only thorn for me regarding the Playbook. Usually at least once every time I sit down and use the Playbook. Really frustrating as the browsing experience is so great otherwise.

[GTRGTR]

Did a security wipe for OS2.0 and have been cruising web fine for couple of weeks. However over last 48 hrs the browser has been crashing way too many times a day, to a point where I've reverted back to iPad.

Have loaded no extra apps or any sideloading etc. Browser has been crashing anything from 30 secs from start up to 20 mins. As I've mostly been using sites where you need to login (forums) or enter choices (eg. Autotrader) , I have to enter all details again after crashes. Agggghhhhhhh. Have restarted PlayBook but still have probs.

Sorry blackberry, love the PlayBook but if it can't be reliable for basic browsing ill be buying a 2nd iPad. Have never had to this issue from a year's use of iPad

Will leave it a couple of weeks to see if RIM release patches, otherwise it will be on Ebay.

In meantime do others suggest wiping tablet and starting again?

[kennyliu]

Did a security wipe for OS2.0 and have been cruising web fine for couple of weeks. However over last 48 hrs the browser has been crashing way too many times a day, to a point where I've reverted back to iPad.

Have loaded no extra apps or any sideloading etc. Browser has been crashing anything from 30 secs from start up to 20 mins. As I've mostly been using sites where you need to login (forums) or enter choices (eg. Autotrader) , I have to enter all details again after crashes. Agggghhhhhhh. Have restarted PlayBook but still have probs.

Sorry blackberry, love the PlayBook but if it can't be reliable for basic browsing ill be buying a 2nd iPad. Have never had to this issue from a year's use of iPad

Will leave it a couple of weeks to see if RIM release patches, otherwise it will be on Ebay.

In meantime do others suggest wiping tablet and starting again?

I am not sure if that helps, but would appreciate if someone who's desperate about browser crashing took the time and performed a wipe/debrick to see if that improves browser behavior.

I would do it myself, but seeing the poll results, I am just afraid doing a wipe can make things worse for me.

[sagec]

@kennyliu,

I tried the debrick procedure, but the crashing has remained constant...

We have 4 PlayBooks, 3 @ 16GB and 1 @ 64GB (mine :-D). I "formatted" three of them, but stopped there as it wasn't helping.

Format and reinstall (aka Debrick) steps I followed:

1. Shut down PlayBook
2. Open BlackBerry Desktop Software
3. Plug in PlayBook to laptop
4. Click Update prompt from BDS
5. Let it rip

[kbz1960]

I have debricked, wiped, haven't installed anything other than email in the native client. Still the same thing, some days it never happens and other days it happens a few times or more. Today my browser didn't go poof but my native email app did once.

Bug fix is needed wherever it is. Hope RIM gets it out soon as I love my PB but I can see this can really PO some people and turn them away yet again. For me I can live with it for now but some days ….........

Edit: I would like to know what is different from the 66 that voted never from the rest.

[apengue1]

I would love to try a debrick but unfortunately, when I plug in my turned OFF pb to dm (I also wiped before) and hit the update prompt, it tells me the latest software is already installed, so I guess I'm stuck. Also, it won't let me restore after I wiped.. Even after a clean reinstall, DM still thinks I'm on 1.0, AND at the same time tells me I have the latest software when I try to update. I even wiped another time, same results all around.

[kbz1960]

I would love to try a debrick but unfortunately, when I plug in my turned OFF pb to dm (I also wiped before) and hit the update prompt, it tells me the latest software is already installed, so I guess I'm stuck. Also, it won't let me restore after I wiped.. Even after a clean reinstall, DM still thinks I'm on 1.0, AND at the same time tells me I have the latest software when I try to update. I even wiped another time, same results all around.

How about dm open, pb on, connect, after doing, finds it restart pb, choose update when prompted.

[Mr_Figaro]

Format and reinstall (aka Debrick) steps I followed:

1. Shut down PlayBook
2. Open BlackBerry Desktop Software
3. Plug in PlayBook to laptop
4. Click Update prompt from BDS
5. Let it rip

First I did a security wipe and later proceeded with my first time ever trying the debrick method today. I did all of the above and gave up after 3 attempts debricking (each session under an hour). It completed everything in the downloading and installation, but at the very end it always says there was an "error". Forgot the exact words or sentence, but that was the "gist" of it.

Pretty sure I failed with my 3 attempts on debricking my PB; however, each time after my "error" it will reboot on its own and ask me for my location and BB ID etc. After I fill them out my PB starts working again after the WI-FI downloads a "software update" of about 25 MB. I know it wasn't a perfect/complete installation, but my PB still works now.

Anyone know how incomplete my PB's installation was if after 3 attempts it always says the BB software had an "error" with installation?

[Chrisy]

I discovered today that my browser force closes when I try to use Frommer's travel guide.

[kbz1960]

First I did a security wipe and later proceeded with my first time ever trying the debrick method today. I did all of the above and gave up after 3 attempts debricking (each session under an hour). It completed everything in the downloading and installation, but at the very end it always says there was an "error". Forgot the exact words or sentence, but that was the "gist" of it.

Pretty sure I failed with my 3 attempts on debricking my PB; however, each time after my "error" it will reboot on its own and ask me for my location and BB ID etc. After I fill them out my PB starts working again after the WI-FI downloads a "software update" of about 25 MB. I know it wasn't a perfect/complete installation, but my PB still works now.

Anyone know how incomplete my PB's installation was if after 3 attempts it always says the BB software had an "error" with installation?

I get that error every time I've done it. It comes up after the playbook starts to reboot again. Nothing wrong it did it.