Burning question! Program and Storage Memory in ROM

[Guest nlk77]

Apparently, our MPx200 internal Program Memory (AT&T set) is only abt 17.77MB, but I've checked with other countries' MPx200 such as the ROM in Singapore, they provides 24MB of Program Memory which is essential for running many apps. There's an addtional Storage Memory in our ROM, which is about 10.6MB (AT&T set). For Singapore ROM, it's about only 3.8MB of Storage Memory.

Please assist in the clarification of the Storage Memory space in our ROM, what is it for? It seems that the extra space is of no use. Instead, the Singapore ROM utilized the extra space and shifted it to the Program Memory, making it 24MB instead of the usual 17.77MB from the AT&T sets.

To view your System Info, use either Resco Explorer 2003, or File Manager to view it. You will know what I'm talking about.

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

For view the system memory try Task Manager by Binarys www.binarys.com

this will give you the exact details you need.

I would not rely on the task manager that comes with the phone as it is misleading and not very helpfull. :?

The phones all have the same hardware setup, you have

your Physical memory wich is 17.7MB this is used for running

your apps and is basically the same as the ram in your pc.

then you have the IPSM which is about 10MB this is the same

as the harddrive on your PC.

The other memory on your phone is the ROM image which is not accessible.

Using Task Manager you can kill any unwanted process to

free up more than enought Physical memory about 12MB free.

You mention 3.8MB for the Singapore IPSM that would more likely be the ammount of free space left in the IPSM all this is down to is where apps etc have been installed to.

I always use the storage card and with the masses of apps

and games I have on the phone I still have over 6MB free left

in the IPSM.

It is highly unlikely they have a smaller IPSM as this would get used in no time at all, and would cause problems with the running of the phone, from apps not being able to be installed to SMS etc being unable to be sent.

[Guest nlk77]

Hi sir,

I've CHECKED> It's the ROM that makes all the difference between AT&T using only 17.77 MB of Program Memory while the Singapore ROM uses a 24MB Program Memory. They've indeed changed the additional Storage Memory (NOT THE IPSM IF YOU CHECK IT OUT AGAIN USING THE FILE MANAGER OR THE RESCO EXPLORER) and reduced it to 3.8MB. Thus letting users to be able to install more programs in their external card if desire. The IPSM Memory is left untouched and is the same as other ROMs, which is 11.03MB.

FYI. :)

How I wish other ROMs will do the same as the ROM flashed in Singapore.

A message to share with the lot in case you're thinking whether the Program Memory can be expanded, it can but all depends on whether AT&T want to release a larger Program Memory for users.

[Guest scott2eyes]

Right- I've done a bit of experimenting...

Here’s what “System Info” (the Motorola program, Version 1.00, Build 13485) says about my MPx200 (bought in December, on the UK Orange network;

Memory (RAM)

Total: 17.1/24.8MB (60%)

Program: 7.3/17.8MB (41%)

Storage: 9.8/10.6MB (92%)

Flash Storage

Internal: 1.5/10.3MB (19%)

SD Card: 10.5/122.1MB (9%)

(Binary's Task Manager verifies the IPSM and Program Memory figures, by the way- but doesn't give the "Storage" memory. Or if it does, I haven't figured it out yet...)

The first figure is the amount free, the second figure is the total amount. My free IPSM space (Flash storage, Internal) is pretty low, mainly as a result of it being cluttered with half-made homescreens, random pictures which have yet to become a part of half-made homescreens and so on... However, I notice that I apparently have a slightly smaller IPSM space available than the 11.03MB you quote, which seems odd...

Straight away though, it looks to me like the 24MB figure you've got for the Singapore ROM's storage memory is the total of Program and Storage memory. (Where did you get your figres from?)

Opening a few WMAs, web pages and generally faffing about with the phone to try to use some memory brought the free "Program" memory down as far as about 4.1MB, and the Storage memory down a fraction to 9.6MB. Closing all the programs took the Program memory back up to about 7.3, but didn't change the Storage memory.

(A soft reset brought free Program memory to 11.1MB and Storage memory to 10.1.)

So... this "storage memory" must be being used by something, or it wouldn't change- however slightly (unlike the "backup battery"!)

I would take a wild guess and say that it's to do with operating as a phone (ie. making calls, sending text/email messages and so on); if that's the case then I would presume that more RAM=more stable, but like I say, that's a wild guess...

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

(NOT THE IPSM IF YOU CHECK IT OUT AGAIN USING THE FILE MANAGER OR THE RESCO EXPLORER)

1, No need to shout, the reason I refer to using binarys Task Manager is that this gives you the only relevant information you need. It does not show the system memory that is reserved for the system rom.

Thus letting users to be able to install more programs in their external card if desire. The IPSM Memory is left untouched and is the same as other ROMs, which is 11.03MB.

what has the above got to do with what you can install on the storage card? the whole point of the card is to allow you to install all your apps, games and movies etc there and so keep the phones memory free.

The only information you need (as I said above) on your phone is the following;

Physical Memory this is the ram the os and apps etc use

IPSM the phones internal storage that is usable by the user

Storage Card This speaks for it's self.

this gives you

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

I would take a wild guess and say that it's to do with operating as a phone (ie. making calls, sending text/email messages and so on); if that's the case then I would presume that more RAM=more stable, but like I say, that's a wild guess...

When you write an SMS etc this uses the IPSM, that is why if you get low

on your IPSM storage space you can lose the ability to send SMS until

you free up some space ie remove old SMS or large ringtones etc.

[Guest nlk77]

Hi all,

Thanks for the returns. First Thing First, there's a misunderstanding here regarding the usage of CAPs, I've always thought that using CAPs are just to scrutinize on the importance of a sentence and nothing related to any anger whatsoever. My apology if have. :)

Ok back to the main topic, to clear all confusion, lets use the MPx200 default ProgramsSettingsAbout option. Here's my result from Singapore ROM:

Available Storage: 4.39MB

Total Storage: 11.03MB

Available Memory: 19.18MB

Total Memory: 24.3MB

Processor: ARM OMAP710

and so on...

Now notice the difference between the Total Memory you have in your MPx200, it should read 17.77MB for the AT&T Rom and the generic ROM. I don't know about any European ROMs so you guys might wanna check it out.

This Total Memory taken from the default About (from Settings) is equivalent to the Phys. Memory (from Binarys), Program Memory (from Resco) and Program Memory (from File Manager).

To clarify scott2eyes, here's the details I got it from File Manager's System Info:

Total Memory: 28.41 MB

Storage Memory: 3.52 MB

Program Memory: 24.89 MB

IPSM (Flash): 11.03 MB

Now as you can see, apparently there's a huge shift of about 7 MB from the Storage Memory (reads from File Manager's System Info) to the Program Memory. This is to allow the users to install more apps than other ROMs. I cannot confirm whether is it really the case from what the staff told me, but I do know that the more I install apps, the lesser Available Program Memory I have, regardless of where I install the apps in the SD/MMC, or the internal memory.

Please share your new learnings.

Thanks and regards.

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

Without playing with the ROM the simple solution could be the

memory allocation could be down to memory support.

This would be the same as the dupod which is the Chinese

equivelant of the SPV, it needed a larger memory to handle

language.

Can you get the ROM version information please?