KB Info : Memory Problem

[superknight]

I would like to know which of the following programs that can be installed into a SD card and run smoothly :

1. Agile messenger.
2. Pocket T.V.
3. Microsoft Reader.
4. eWallet.
5. Mapopolis.
6. Mortplayer (Mp3)

Would also like to know the answers to calvinyeap's questions.

Thanks.

[benyeap]

OK, I tried reading this forum 3 times now, I am still confused... here r some of my questions, hope u guys can help...

(My current understanding. RAM - is shared by both storage and memory, as shown in >settings>memory; and Flash ROM is where they stored all the preloaded sware, and is restored to the device when hard-reseted)

1. How do you install into applications into Flash ROM?
2. Can I assign less memory for my Flash ROM and assign them instead into my RAM?
3. How to check the available space left in my Flash ROM?

1. Yes u can install softwares into the Flash ROM (built-in storage), just click 'No' when Activesync prompted u the message about installing to the default location and then choose installing to the Flash ROM (it is called Ipaq file store for Ipaq device and most other devices call it as built-in storage).

2. U can't assign the Flash ROM memory to be used as RAM purpose.

3. Go to Settings>System tab>Memory>Storage Card and then choose Built-in Storage selection instead of Storage Card. There u go, u will see the available memory space left.

PS: I think I will go rest now, answered about 20 questions in MPC today already... online too much while working.

[calvinyeap]

So in the case of O2 mini, I have 64MB RAM and I check the storage, it's only 7.6MB... is this normal? Isn't suppose to be 64MB as well?

[benyeap]

So in the case of O2 mini, I have 64MB RAM and I check the storage, it's only 7.6MB... is this normal? Isn't suppose to be 64MB as well?

The 7.6MB is the available main memory not the total memory. Every program u open, it will take some main memory space. In order to free those memory, u will need to soft reset the device.

Btw, storage is not the RAM but main memory is. In most cases,

Main memory = RAM
Built-in storage = Flash ROM
Storage card = SD card

[calvinyeap]

So in the case of O2 mini, I have 64MB RAM and I check the storage, it's only 7.6MB... is this normal? Isn't suppose to be 64MB as well?

The 7.6MB is the available main memory not the total memory. Every program u open, it will take some main memory space. In order to free those memory, u will need to soft reset the device.

Btw, storage is not the RAM but main memory is. In most cases,

Main memory = RAM
Built-in storage = Flash ROM
Storage card = SD card

okok... let me try explain how i get the 7.6MB... I went to Settings>Systems>Memory>

1st tab>Memory... I have total 57.41MB so this is RAM right, the one got slider for both memory and storage wan...
2nd tab>Storage Card. Here I have 2, one 'storage card' (SD) and another just 'storage'... this wan total 7.6MB onli... so is this wat u called as FlashROM? The part that I dont understand is that how come they say got 64MB RAM and 64MB Flash...

sorry for being so blur with this...

[JJ007]

calvinyeap,

yes XDA mini only have 7.8MB of storage ROM available for user, it is a fairly expensive piece of real estate so use it wisely

[JJ007]

KPTan

quote ""you have to unlocked the ext rom to do that''

sound interesting! I heard a few time on external ROM, and u mentioned únlocked'' how exectly it works and what advantage?

[infitro]

So in the case of O2 mini, I have 64MB RAM and I check the storage, it's only 7.6MB... is this normal? Isn't suppose to be 64MB as well?

The 7.6MB is the available main memory not the total memory. Every program u open, it will take some main memory space. In order to free those memory, u will need to soft reset the device.

Btw, storage is not the RAM but main memory is. In most cases,

Main memory = RAM
Built-in storage = Flash ROM
Storage card = SD card

okok... let me try explain how i get the 7.6MB... I went to Settings>Systems>Memory>

1st tab>Memory... I have total 57.41MB so this is RAM right, the one got slider for both memory and storage wan...
2nd tab>Storage Card. Here I have 2, one 'storage card' (SD) and another just 'storage'... this wan total 7.6MB onli... so is this wat u called as FlashROM? The part that I dont understand is that how come they say got 64MB RAM and 64MB Flash...

sorry for being so blur with this...

me too, so confusing. the 1st tab (memory) is not 64MB probably due to some preloaded programs? and where did this 7.6MB (storage) come from? the SD is also not fully available, only 24xMB. strange..

rgds,

[hishamh]

I thought benyeap did a wonderful job trying to explain all this, but since there still seems to be great deal of confusion over this issue, I will try to clarify:

Let's compare your Pocket PC with your PC.

1. RAM on both machines is exactly the same - it is used to keep programs and files at the ready for immediate execution. In both cases, you will find even on a freshly rebooted machine, that the available RAM is less than theoretically available. Why? Because the OS itself requires some files to run. Even a hard reset PPC will have less than the maximum available RAM - just like a Windows machine. If you have Pocket Hack Master or Dinarsoft Memmaid, you can actually see the system files loaded in RAM and their sizes.

Ok, after a reboot if you open a program further RAM is required, because Windows Mobile, like Palm OS or Windows, does not do execute-in-place. In other words, even with the program itself in RAM, WM requires the executable to be loaded into the program execution area for it to run.

This covers the first tab under your memory settings screen.

2. Flash ROM, Built-in-storage, Ipaq Storage, all refer to the same thing - the ROM that is available on your device. This is (using the PC analogy) your PPC's 'hard drive'. This is where the operating system is stored, as well as additional applications included by the manufacturer (e.g. camera software, backup software etc.). WM2003SE IIRC takes about 32MB on its own, without modifications. So if your device has 64MB ROM, almost half of that is taken up by the operating system alone. The manufacturer applications will take up a bit more, depending on how much was included. What's left is available to the user as non-volatile memory. So if you have 7.8MB in built-in-storage, the OS and included apps are taking up the remaining 56.2MB.

So this covers the second tab under your memory settings.

3. As to the issue of differences between the face value of memory cards, and their actual available memory, the discrepancy is due to differences in measurement. Advertised numbers use 1,000kb for each MB (ISO standard), but the OS uses 1,024kb per MB (traditional value). There is also a small amount of space that is required by the file system. As a result, actual MB is always smaller than advertised.

For instance a 256MB card will have only a maximum of 250MB that will be actually recognised by the OS. A 1GB card will only have a maximum of 976.5MB available. In practice, both will have even less due to the file system information that has to be written in as well.

I hope this clears up the confusion.

[infitro]

hishamh & all,

BIG thanks for shedding some lights on memory stuffs, really useful!

[jamil_mhmd]

1. 'Storage' is already a part of ROM so you can straightaway install there. BTW if you want to access mor mem on ROM you can install 'ExtROM Tools' which exposes a part ROM (This part is where all those progs come after u hard reset). But for me, I just do backups on my PCs, so I make use of the Ext ROM for other purposes
2. No you cannot take part of ROM to assign them in RAM. They are 2 different modules.
3. The only way to know free space on ROM is to calculate free space on 'Ext ROM' and 'Storage', because I assume the 3rd part of the ROM is already taken up by the OS

[porkchop]

oh thanx for the explaintion........so meaning those "memory" indication in the settings-memory menu are just "rom sizes". Well the more "free memory" the better rite? this refering to the free program memory (the more free memory will it affect speed and loading time?) eg. i got 20mb free program memory, compared to another with 10mb free program memory, will the one with 20mb free program memory be faster than the other? or both will be the same?

[benyeap]

oh thanx for the explaintion........so meaning those "memory" indication in the settings-memory menu are just "rom sizes". Well the more "free memory" the better rite? this refering to the free program memory (the more free memory will it affect speed and loading time?) eg. i got 20mb free program memory, compared to another with 10mb free program memory, will the one with 20mb free program memory be faster than the other? or both will be the same?

Provided if the application that u r running is RAM demanding. Otherwise the speed difference for an extra 10MB RAM is insignificant.

[calvinyeap]

hishamh, thanks for your explanation... Finally... I got it all figured out... hehe

[areanlim]

Weird thing happen to me a few days ago. After using my O2mini for more than 4 months, suddenly one day when I was using the file explorer. Walla, I suddenly saw a new memory under my device called "Extended_ROM". I investigated & it's total over 18M & contains cabinet files of softwares that has already been pre-loaded into the machine. I checked the control panel under memory & it's also there with 3m available to spare. My RAM still showing 57M, Storage still showing 7M & Storage card still showing almost 500M. It's been there for a few days until I finally decided to soft reset the machine today & now it's totally gone. How the heck did I manage to turn on this mysterious elusive Extended_ROM in the first place? And how do I get it back?