Simple questions about SDRAM

[orngcobra]

Ok...Just ordered the TMobil pocket pc phone from amazon, $300! and I know a lot about computers but for some reason I'm not finding good info that I need on the web.

There is one thing I dont completely understand about the sdram, what does the SD ram do and what do I have to do if I get a card w/more memory? Is it just for storage? I know it comes with 32mb ram and 32mb sdram but is the sd that comes with it internal or is it a card that goes in the external slot?
If I get a card w/more memory can I just slide it in the slot and go?
I saw some cards that were being sold by companies like bluetooth, is that a different os or just software?

thanks for your help!

[Pony99CA]

There is one thing I dont completely understand about the sdram, what does the SD ram do and what do I have to do if I get a card w/more memory?

First, let's not call it "SDRAM". (I hope the Pocket PC Phone doesn't call it that.) SDRAM is a type of memory for PCs. What your device has (I think) is a Secure Digital (SD) memory card.


Is it just for storage? I know it comes with 32mb ram and 32mb sdram but is the sd that comes with it internal or is it a card that goes in the external slot?

The O2/XDA/etc. devices only have 32 MB of internal RAM currently. I think some (all?) are including a 32 MB SD card which uses the SD slot.


If I get a card w/more memory can I just slide it in the slot and go?

Yes and no. Yes, the memory will probably work, but you obviously won't have any data from your old card on the new card.

To get your data over to the new card, you'll need an SD card reader connected to a PC (which is probably an extra expense). Here's how I'd do it:

1. Create a new directory on your PC.
2. Put your old card in the SD reader.
3. Copy the data on the SD card to that new directory.
4. Remove the old card from the SD reader and put the new card in.
5. Copy the data from that directory on your PC to the new card.

If you're just going to buy a new SD card before you use your Pocket PC Phone, you can safely ignore all of that.


I saw some cards that were being sold by companies like bluetooth, is that a different os or just software?

Bluetooth is a communicatoin protocol allows devices to communicate without wires. It is not an operating system, nor is it just software. Bluetooth cards are little radios, so there's hardware, and they will require software drivers.

Also, any non-memory devices (like the Bluetooth card) will require an SDIO slot, not just a simple SD slot (which is intended for memory only). The T-Mobile Web site (http://www.t-mobile.com/products/features.asp?phoneid=163904) just says this phone has "SD memory expansion", so I would not assume it will support SDIO.

Steve

[Peter Foot]

The O2/XDA/etc. devices only have 32 MB of internal RAM currently. I think some (all?) are including a 32 MB SD card which uses the SD slot.

O2 in the UK have announced a 64mb version, so I would expect other XDA variants will be made available with this larger memory shortly.

[anthonymoody]

Pony99CA,

As has been stated, the SD slot on the XDA is *not* SDIO and therefore only functional for memory cards, not things like bluetooth cards. Also, pocketpctechs.com can upgrade the internal ram to 64 or 128 if you want more internal ram. Finally, some programs dont function so well if stored on an SD card (as opposed to internal ram), so while a big fat 128 or 256 sd card is great, it is not equivalent in functionality to an equivalent amount of internal ram.

TM