MEMORY confusion

[Guest michhy]

Hi, I've been using a Palm and PocketPC for years, and this is my first smartphone. I'm way confused by the memory management and usage.

On a PocketPC, this is what memory mean:

Storage RAM - For storing files and data

Program RAM - For temporary program running (swap space)

FlashROM - non-volatile memory in Flash area (can be used for storage)

On a smartphone, I dont get it anymore:

Storage RAM - iactivesync wont let me store things into this area at all

Program RAM - i guess its the same, as virtual memory

FlashROM - this is where activesync lets me store my stuff!

So now, why is it so? If on the smartphone, Storage RAM is not for storing files, then why have it at all? Why not allocate ALL of it for Program memory? weird right? And I'm also confused as to why some plugins that shows our free memory, would read the free space of Storage RAM and not FLashROM, since that is what we use for storing data anyway? thanks a lot.

[Guest Disco Stu]

Can you rephrase that in terms of the file structure, please.

For example, where (which folders) are you trying to paste things using ActiveSync.

I'm not familiar with PPC but would have thought the memory was defined the same way as with Smartphones.

You may be able to save things to the Windows folder but you will lose them when you reboot.

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

The phone does not call the memory allocations as you have listed them above.

On the phone you have

Physical Memory this is the same as RAM on the PC and is used for all running processes.

Storage (also known as IPSM on 2002) This is the equivilent of the hard drive on the phone any information stored on the phone is kept here.

[Guest michhy]

Thanks for the replies guys. OK let me post some images to get it easier understood. So as you guys can see from the pictures, there are 3 types of memory on the smartphone:

Storage Memory - ??? (i have got 10.06MB that I cant use at all?)

Program Memory - same as RAM on a PC (awarner said)

Flash Memory - this is where IPSM resides! so isnt it weird?

ss003.jpg

ss002.jpg

ss001.jpg

ss000.jpg

[Guest gpcarreon (MVP)]

OK here is how I understand it. I use SP Task Manager and Xbar1 to show system status.

For the Physical Memory counter, I've got a total of 12.64M but with running programs in the background (SP TM, Power Calendar, tmail.exe etc = 9.72), my Free Physical Mem dropped to 2.92M. The difference of 9.72 reflects the 77% that Xbar registered (upper left corner of my screen)

The IPSM counter says I have a total of 7.50MB phone/IPSM space but have only 1.63MB space remaining.

:wink:

[Guest michhy]

PZEE, your snapshot tells a lot, so here, I took a few more, using SP Task Manager (same as yours) to show you what I'm talking about. Do you now understand which "Storage Memory" I'm referring to?

My total RAM is = 28.21 MB

My total FlashROM is = 8.18 MB

But do you see that the IPSM folder (where I can save stuff) is actually pointing to my FlashROM and not RAM? If that is the case, isnt my RAM wasted, because Program Memory is only allocated 17.66 MB, where 10.55 MB is gone to god-knows-where!

Can you help me with this?

storage.JPG

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

That's the wonder of a confusing Task Manager which is why I always

recommend using the one from www.binarys.com

What this is showing you is the ROM memory used by the OS it is not wasted as it is not accessible to the user.

[Guest gpcarreon (MVP)]

Thats it. :wink:

[Guest ronny]

Thats it.  :wink:

off topic

pzee what version of task manager do you use? why does it show a sandisk sd card? :lol:

[Guest michhy]

So are the storage in RAM or ROM? thanks :lol:

[Guest Disco Stu]

Storage is therefore RAM (random access memory) as its clearly not ROM (read only memory)

[Guest michhy]

Hmm, anyway we can access the FlashROM? Its Flash, so we can write in there. I used to do it on my windows mobile 2003, so I usually put in my calendar, addressbk and todo list into the FlashROM area to prevent data loss (in case of internal batt failure, lol)

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

That's your problem, you are thinking PPC not smartphone :lol:

The two systems handle memory differently due to things as the PPC does not power off it only hiberates as such but the phone does.

[Guest michhy]

yes awarner boss, sorry boss.

no more relating them two, boss :lol: