It is a trade off, Chrome does what you want but you will lose up to 50% of your battery life. Windows 10 fixed the keyboard pop up issue with IE.
Love it but it keeps freezing
- Thread starter a.colleen
- Start date
More food for thought on Chrome....
http://thenextweb.com/opinion/2015/05/14/why-im-breaking-up-with-google-chrome/
http://thenextweb.com/opinion/2015/05/14/why-im-breaking-up-with-google-chrome/
brocharlieb
Member
Interesting conversation about Chrome leads me to a question. My work email is operated by Google, and frequently doesn't seem to work well with my Surface RT. Should it work better with S3?
My speculation is it may work a little better but it depends on the exact nature of the problem which is Google sticking it to Microsoft IMO and so ... No, it wont be much better because they will keep changing it to keep moving the target. Every time MS zigs they will zag.
I'll have to disagree with GreyFox7. There might or might not be an ongoing struggle between Google and Microsoft over compatibility between Outlook and Gmail/Calendar/Contacts/etc. This became critical for some users when Google discontinued Exchange ActiveSync for its free, consumer Gmail service. That left Outlook users dependent on IMAP for mail and eliminated access to the Google Calendar on those accounts. Google's implementation of IMAP is, to be charitable, non-standard. Outlook's implementation of IMAP is similarly non-standard. Anyone whose experience with Gmail is based on trying to use Outlook with it would be justifiably frustrated.
For paid Google Apps for Business accounts, which brocharlieb might be using, ActiveSync is still available but worked poorly with Outlook on the Windows RT platform. I didn't even try on the S3 because of a better alternative.
Because the S3 runs a full, non-crippled version of Windows 8.1, I was able to install the Google Apps Connector for Outlook. It runs between the Google server and Outlook, appearing to Outlook to be a pure MAPI server. For the past six years I have used that program on various Windows machines for several years and have never had an issue with it except the amount of time it took to sync my data the first time. Whatever battle there may be between Microsoft and Google, they have played well enough together in our company that I have felt left out when I read about everyone's issues.
I gather that brocharlieb is clergy. If his work email is provided by a Google Apps for Nonprofits account through his church, I don't know if the same kind of access is provided. I think it works, but I haven't tried it myself.
Accessing Gmail using a web browser, whether using Internet Explorer or Chrome, is pretty much the same experience on the S3 as on any other windows machine. Memory requirements have to be watched on the 2 GB versions. Using multiple tabs with Internet Explorer on my former S2 slowed it down, but the S3 just runs in 4 GB with six or seven tabs open. Because of its well-known memory leak, Chrome has to be periodically shut down and restarted. The S3 works better than the S2 for web mail because it is faster and can be had with more memory.
For paid Google Apps for Business accounts, which brocharlieb might be using, ActiveSync is still available but worked poorly with Outlook on the Windows RT platform. I didn't even try on the S3 because of a better alternative.
Because the S3 runs a full, non-crippled version of Windows 8.1, I was able to install the Google Apps Connector for Outlook. It runs between the Google server and Outlook, appearing to Outlook to be a pure MAPI server. For the past six years I have used that program on various Windows machines for several years and have never had an issue with it except the amount of time it took to sync my data the first time. Whatever battle there may be between Microsoft and Google, they have played well enough together in our company that I have felt left out when I read about everyone's issues.
I gather that brocharlieb is clergy. If his work email is provided by a Google Apps for Nonprofits account through his church, I don't know if the same kind of access is provided. I think it works, but I haven't tried it myself.
Accessing Gmail using a web browser, whether using Internet Explorer or Chrome, is pretty much the same experience on the S3 as on any other windows machine. Memory requirements have to be watched on the 2 GB versions. Using multiple tabs with Internet Explorer on my former S2 slowed it down, but the S3 just runs in 4 GB with six or seven tabs open. Because of its well-known memory leak, Chrome has to be periodically shut down and restarted. The S3 works better than the S2 for web mail because it is faster and can be had with more memory.
Telstar1948
Active Member
Interesting reading about Chrome. I ended up going with Chrome because I have a GN3; naturally, things sync well between my phone and Chrome.
As I mentioned in another thread some time ago, after getting my GN3, I couldn't get Outlook 2013 to sync properly using the calendar, contacts etc. I had my MS account set to connect with my Google account, but alas and alack, things just wouldn't sync properly. I finally went with eM Client for email, calendar etc. on the desktop on my SP3 and One Calendar (MUI) also. Everything syncs between desktop, MUI and the GN3. So, I don't use Outlook or the People app because of things just not syncing properly.
Back to Chrome: if my favorites, tabs etc. from IE 11 would have synced with my GN3, I would never have installed Chrome. As it is, I think I'm stuck with Chrome if I want the browser stuff in sync with my phone.
If anyone knows differently, say on...
As I mentioned in another thread some time ago, after getting my GN3, I couldn't get Outlook 2013 to sync properly using the calendar, contacts etc. I had my MS account set to connect with my Google account, but alas and alack, things just wouldn't sync properly. I finally went with eM Client for email, calendar etc. on the desktop on my SP3 and One Calendar (MUI) also. Everything syncs between desktop, MUI and the GN3. So, I don't use Outlook or the People app because of things just not syncing properly.
Back to Chrome: if my favorites, tabs etc. from IE 11 would have synced with my GN3, I would never have installed Chrome. As it is, I think I'm stuck with Chrome if I want the browser stuff in sync with my phone.
If anyone knows differently, say on...
The only time I've had the S3 lock up is when I was running Chrome. It can run in the background (those extra processes you see in Task Manager) without a problem, but if I ran Chrome on the screen it would eventually lock up. I'm guessing there is some sort of issue with the screen driver and Chrome. I have uninstalled Chrome and am relying on IE. Without Chrome it runs just fine.
iTechnology
New Member
I'm having a similar issue with a new Surface 3 (not Pro), where we've never added any applications, we've run the updates, and the only app running is IE for an intranet site that isn't a problem for other Surface 2 and 3 tablets or PCs. The symptoms are that IE is on, then it switches to the Home screen (icon screen, not Desktop), and on occasion will freeze on that view. A power button pressed for 8+ seconds is required at that point.
The freeze hasn't happened more than a couple of times, so normally, pressing the desktop icon takes you back to the regular view with IE (IE isn't crashing if it hasn't frozen). My IT partner and I have been unsure whether the freezes might be a user issue or a touch screen issue, but when it freezes at a screen where nobody is actively using it leads me to an internal (maybe touch screen or driver) issue.
Again, since we haven't added any apps, and Chrome isn't installed, it may simply be a defect with that particular Surface.
The freeze hasn't happened more than a couple of times, so normally, pressing the desktop icon takes you back to the regular view with IE (IE isn't crashing if it hasn't frozen). My IT partner and I have been unsure whether the freezes might be a user issue or a touch screen issue, but when it freezes at a screen where nobody is actively using it leads me to an internal (maybe touch screen or driver) issue.
Again, since we haven't added any apps, and Chrome isn't installed, it may simply be a defect with that particular Surface.
Argus Tuft
Member
Chrome is NOT the problem! I use Firefox and have the same freezing/lock-up problem. Randomly, and sometimes several times a day.
Agreed. I'm going to close the Edge browser completely while I'm on Firefox to see if that helps.
