Apps like the one listening for MMS messages. If they close then you don't get your message. Or a GPS program that suddenly shuts down for no reason. It makes your PPC appear less reliable.
Surur
If something depends on staying running all the time - it should be a service, not an app. Plus, in WM5, the State and Notification Broker will help with a lot of these cases - without requiring a service.
As for the GPS app, I can just restate what I said that a properly behaved Pocket PC app returns to its previous state if it is restarted after being closed by the system. The only thing you would notice is that there is a delay to reload the app instead of just switching to it.
Is RAM really drawing that much battery? I would think the CPU is the big culprit...ARM based processors, for example, generate a ton of heat.
It sounds like there is a lot of room for some exciting innovation and improvement over the next few years.
Maybe it's time to go back to get that electrical engineering degree
Yes, RAM draws a lot of power because it stores memory in a leaky capacitor. Why is it leaky? Because it's cheap. You wan't RAM that isn't leaky? It's called SRAM (a completely different technology), and it's super expensive (per bit) compared to RAM.
Most of the memory innovation and improvement that can be made in the next few years is not with the devices, it's with manufacturing processes. There's already tons of RAM alternatives (FRAM, MRAM, OUM Ram, etc) using totally new and different technologies, but again: expensive. Prices are coming down as they develop better materials and processes, but most of these technologies still won't be competitive with RAM for another 5-10 years, maybe more (the date keeps getting pushed out as RAM continues to get cheaper).
I personally suggested something I called Core-dump Flash RAM a while ago, that would have all the benefits of RAM and Flash combined - but it was met with widespread skepticism. It would require a new kind of Flash memory using the standard Flash unit cell where all the periphery was replaced with super massively parralel multiplexing circuits to cache a core-dump of up to 1GB from the RAM within seconds - this allows you to instantaneously do a suspend while completely turning off the RAM. It could be done, and it's uses could transform the handheld industry, but the idea seemed to just make everyone grumpy.
I think a lot of you may be missing the point: If there is a suspend mode then you'll be writing the contents of RAM to the hard drive -there will not be any power going to RAM once you shut the PDA down...
I routinely surf the web with only 16MB of program RAM free with no problems, so were are these "weird program errors" going to come from if I have nearly all of the 64MB of RAM in my x50v to run applications?...
Last, but not least, storing data and applications won't be limited to the ROM built into the device: I'll be able to use CF and SD for data storage. Both are a lot faster than the ROM built into my Axim...
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I routinely surf the web with only 16MB of program RAM free with no problems, so were are these "weird program errors" going to come from if I have nearly all of the 64MB of RAM in my x50v to run applications?...
Try loading this page with 16Mb free. (BTW it works fine on my loox 720).
Something that greatly concerns me, and should concern most corporate users, is that if my pocket PC should ever all into the wrong hands, I?m secure in the knowledge that when someone does a hard-reset, all of my data will be gone. Please, someone correct me if I?m wrong, but if this should happen with WM5, after someone did a hard-reset to gain access to my device, my sensitive data would still be there for them to use. Even if I encrypt my data, they still have something to hack. Am I wrong? (I really hope so).
We?ve always had this sort of storage since the beginning, in the form of memory cards. In previous versions, we had a choice of using ROM or RAM, now we don?t.
Am I missing the something?
Thanks
One feature of Exchange, which many corporate people use, is that you can remotely wipe your device clean if you should loose it. You don't have to wait for someone else to do it for you.
Since WM5 will use FlashROM (PS) to store all programs then manufactures will need to start making devices with more memory real soon. I have 94MB worth of software on my PPC alone (exluding games which I keep on SD card). So what are people like me to do? The X50v and hx4700 are the ones I like the most but neither of them have a big enough FileStore and giving up software is not an option. So with WM5 just around the corner it seems like a step backwards instead of forwards when it comes to memory. I have always hated advertising of the amount of memory in PPCs and its not the amount you get to use. I hope that it does change.
I think RAM and Flash are both important, and I want plenty of both. I still use an iPAQ 5555 despite the fact that its stuck at WM2003--its 128MB RAM/48 MB Flash is a big reason I have kept it.
I want RAM for program storage/execution and data storage space. RAM may take battery to refresh, but its fast! I want Flash for program and data storage. Currently I backup to a 512 MB SD card. It would be nice to have 128 or 256 MB RAM (yes, with a BIG battery) and 512+ MB flash on a device--that way it could "mirror" the system RAM to Flash while the PocketPC is "idle". That way a backup to SD card would be: wait for RAM to flash sync, and then simply copy to SD card.
Many devices have slow built-in ROM--they could spend a bit more and put faster Flash in, and maybe oem's will start to do that, but they haven't in the past. With fast flash and RAM memory we will start to take advantage of these fast processors.
Since WM5 will use FlashROM (PS) to store all programs then manufactures will need to start making devices with more memory real soon. I have 94MB worth of software on my PPC alone (exluding games which I keep on SD card). So what are people like me to do? The X50v and hx4700 are the ones I like the most but neither of them have a big enough FileStore and giving up software is not an option. So with WM5 just around the corner it seems like a step backwards instead of forwards when it comes to memory. I have always hated advertising of the amount of memory in PPCs and its not the amount you get to use. I hope that it does change.
Right now you can store many if not most of your programs on an external Flash card if you want to and if you know what you are doing (it's kind of tricky with some programs). Are they going to remove that capability with WM5?
I just with they'd hurry up and develop miniature fuel cells for handhelds, and have fuel dispensing machines on every corner. Then we wouldn't have to worry about battery life - just remember to add an ounce every couple days.
Re: I?m still not convinced. Here?s why:
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