Why close instead of minimize?

[webagogue]

Why close instead of minimize.

Okay, before people start frothing at the mouth about how horrible the memory management is on PocketPC just hear me out.

When I had a lesser PocketPC with only 16MB TOTAL memory, closing made sense to me. If I recall correctly, one of the major reasons I wanted to kill programs was because it just "felt right." There were probably speed/performance issues but I cannot recall that clearly.

Fastforward three years. My iPAQ 4150 has over 50MB available and I install most of my apps on my 128MB SD card. Memory is not an issue. With all of my applications open I use less than 10MB. Maybe GPS software hogs memory - I don't know. I took a chance and didn't bother installing a closer.

And I've never looked back.

My PocketPC actually seems to run better when I don't kill processes. I used to soft reset at least two or three times a day when using a closer whereas now I might reset ever few days (this is WinCE afterall). Apps start more quickly. On more than one occaision my newly entered data has been saved because the app minimized instead of closed when I accidentally tapped the "X." Seems like plusses all around.

Anyone using newer hardware recently have a real need for an app closer? If not, with memory on PocketPCs increasing every year, is a closer necessary anymore?

[socrates63]

For most users with current 64MB (I know, it's actually less than that but for argument sake...) PPCs, I agree with you that closing apps for memory conservation reasons is not as important or pertinent as it once used to be. Heck, call me living on the edge, but I found myself with 3 apps running together the other day. 0X

Just a sidebar...it's kinda strange but I bemoaned the fact that the Palm OS 4 on my Sony Clie did not support multitasking, but here I am on a PPC not taking advantage of its multitasking abilities more often.

I have an iPaq 2215 and I've installed most of my apps to the SD card, but something tells me that running multiple apps eats up CPU cycles, and I just "feel" that closing unneeded apps will help my PPC perform better. Does anyone have numbers to show how PPC performance is impacted by the number of running apps? I'm sure the performance will differ based on the type of apps running and their resource requirements.

[milkman dan]

right now I am using a 3670 that comes with 64 megs of ram, and if I don't kill my programs manualythis thing takes a crap on me, menus take 5-15 seconds to open >_< I run emulators though, so I guess that would take up a bit more memory. What kinda of program killers do you guys use? I just use the built in striped down taskmanager to close programs, is there some sort of better way of doing this? I don't know why programs don't show up in the bottom taskbar, it would make alot more sense if they did >:| that's my $0.02

[socrates63]

I just use the built in striped down taskmanager to close programs, is there some sort of better way of doing this?
Ah, the 3670...I broke two of those before moving on to a Sony Clie and the 2215. Are you referring to the iTask program? I tried it and I didn't like it.

I'd recommend you give Wisbar or Wisbar Advanced a try; they're freeware and very popular. They're very simple to use and set up, and if you're into eye candy like I am, they're skinnable. Many people ooh and ahh-ed when they saw my iPaq running with a Wisbar skin and matching Today theme. One other thing, they can display the icons of running apps at the top of the screen, so instead of displaying the current program's name, you can display the icons of all running programs. It's not the bottom of the screen as you suggested, but the same idea.

I first used Pelmar Wisbar and then moved on to Wisbar Advanced. But after upgrading to Spb Pocket Plus 2, that is what I use as my task manager, and I haven't had WA running for the past several weeks.

My most used apps: Pocket Informant, Palm Reader, MS Reader, Pocket Word, Pocket Bible. The apps start up fast enough that closing/starting them isn't much of an issue timewise. I think it's mainly habit from the WinCE days and using an 8 MB Nino that I've conditioned myself to always close apps after finishing with them. Either that, or I'm just the anal sort, or both.

[iant54]

I close most programs after using them because I've finished using them for the time being - I might not need to use the program again for a couple of days, so to me it makes sense not to leave it open. Programs like Pocket Informant and Cash Organiser, I leave open - since I'm now using the Close Button from SPB Pocket Plus, I can specify which programs minimise rather than close.

[Kowalski]

in the earlier days, devices had less memory but programs were using less memory too. when i surf the internet, i have BT open, wfxbrowser(multitab) and wmplayer only three programs but my program usage exceeds 20 megs. also i install critical programs to ram because this way programs run faster and more stable, so i dont have much ram left.
thats why i use close instead of minimize

[Steven Cedrone]

As it is now, I have a ton of apps and data on my Pocket PC! I am nearing the point where I will need to delete things (or buy a larger SD card). I need as much free mem as possible (what little I have left) so I use close, as opposed to, smart minimize...

Steve

[CoreyJF]

My dell 624 is sitting in a fedex truck, so I am not sure if I will use the close or min function on that device until I do some testing tonight. But my 4150 ipaq did not run as smothly as webagogue does. At least for me it was very much dependant on the software I was running. I found video to by choppy if I was running other programs.

[milkman dan]

Are you referring to the iTask program?
Actually, I was refering to the start>settings>memory>running programs little application that comes in all PPC2002 machines. theiTask program was about as usefull as a cracked LCD

[socrates63]

In that case, you definitely should look into something like Wisbar. It sits at the top of your screen, and with one tap, you can open its menu with options to close apps and another tap to close apps. So, with two taps, you can close all opened apps or the current app or everything but the current app. I'm sure you'll find it more convenient than using the task manager built into the OS.

[VoodooEx]

I recommend using the new version of Spb Pocket Plus to control which application to close and minimize.

I leave my Agenda Fusion and Cash Diary always running.

[Blue Zero]

I close because it put less stress on the cpu, therefore less battery consumption...

Its that simple :wink:

[webagogue]

I close because it put less stress on the cpu, therefore less battery consumption...

Its that simple :wink:

Forgive my ignorance... if there is no action being taken by the open program, isn't the load on the processor at or very near zero?

[milkman dan]

not when that program is decompressing mpegs :D and thanks for the wisebar tip, I will give that a whirl

[Kowalski]

if there is no action being taken by the open program, isn't the load on the processor at or very near zero?
this is exactly true

[dmjames]

Thats right, or alternatively Spb Pocket Plus does much the same, you can opytion the close button to minimise, close or show menu. I usually keep frequently used apps like PI, Calculator, Mail open, closing others after using them.

[Blue Zero]

Forgive my ignorance... if there is no action being taken by the open program, isn't the load on the processor at or very near zero?

Thats only if the program itself stay inactive, then it will be near zero processor activity, however try and minimize a running Window Media for example and your battery will drain like there no tomorrow...

And many, many program stay active when its minimize, such is Mp3 players, games or time related software are just a few I could think of at the moment.

Besides, if you dont close unnecessary program it will eventually eats up all your memory. And top it off, try having 50 programs running at the background, and see would your battery goes down quick...

[ctmagnus]

Besides, if you dont close unnecessary program it will eventually eats up all your memory.

Actually, the Pocket PC OS's memory management would tend to kick in, in order to prevent this from happening.

[minimage]

I use a much better word processor than Pocket Word, but there is a price: if I have too many other things open (and just one could be too many) when I run it, I will see the PPC version of the hourglass, until I soft-reset. That is why I keep a task manager/closer always in sight. If I'm not planning to do any word-processing, I minimize.

[pocketman]

if you wonder if you need to close or minimize,..

well, if you don't close, they will get closed by themselves. :roll:

yes, cause there is max number of programs running in the same time. this includes all the OS programs. and this number is very low . I think 32.

so if you open more programs, then the older ones will be closed.

[Janak Parekh]

Actually, the Pocket PC OS's memory management would tend to kick in, in order to prevent this from happening.
In an ideal world, this would work perfectly. In fact, it's Microsoft's rationale as to why they believe in Smart Minimize, as opposed to close. However, as others have suggested, it doesn't work quite so well. The worst offenders of this are Reader and Windows Media Player, both of which not only eat up RAM, but are (at times) difficult to close and slow the unit down noticeably when running in the background. Media Player is particuarly egregious because it locks files, which prevents manipulation in File Explorer, and it prevents the Pocket PC from doing its normal power-down sequence.

--janak