what for and why do OMNIA 2 reserved 50% of it RAM?

[Guest uMP2k]

i think a new cooked ram is the only solution

Unfortunately it does not seem that that will be any help. From what I read in this thread, he reserved RAM is not something that our cooks can actually access within WM.

Very very sad about this - the Omnai II was looking like a great device.

[Guest alaamac199]

All in all, one has to agree that it was really f****** stupid to include only 256 mb ram in O2. Could've made it 320 and make it 10 bucks more

expensive but noooooo.... I'm really pissed at my Omnia at the moment. Really really. Running SPB+MSkipProPlus+S2U2 on L5 rom I have 20 mb free after soft reset :-(

I'm not sure if this is helpful but I get around 83 MB free after a soft reset running SPB Mobile shell + My Mobiler+Orientation Settings in Background (but both Samsung WIZ and Widgets disabled) ..

in the attached screen shot , directly after a softreset (with the previous apps running) connected to ActiveSync via Bluetooth and took the pic via my mobiler .. I got around 76 MB free ..

I know those aren't perfect numbers since it has 256 MB Ram .. but not really bad Numbers .. I mean 83MB is a good amount and enough for almost anything.. 

During Daily usage it drops to around 50 MB .. 

My Device version is (PDA : I8000JPIJ3)

[Guest fx1971]

I'm not sure if this is helpful but I get around 83 MB free after a soft reset running SPB Mobile shell + My Mobiler+Orientation Settings in Background (but both Samsung WIZ and Widgets disabled) ..

in the attached screen shot , directly after a softreset (with the previous apps running) connected to ActiveSync via Bluetooth and took the pic via my mobiler .. I got around 76 MB free ..

I know those aren't perfect numbers since it has 256 MB Ram .. but not really bad Numbers .. I mean 83MB is a good amount and enough for almost anything..

During Daily usage it drops to around 50 MB ..

My Device version is (PDA : I8000JPIJ3)

Are you running WM6.1 version?

[Guest rodrigofd]

Hi, after reading last posts from this thread i thought i'd drop some light to the issue, so you can better understand some facts myself and others, already have dig into...

First of all, at least I8000 and I8000L, DO HAVE 256 MB of physical RAM memory. That is a fact. (there are complex technical proofs into WM core and i won't bother with that here).

Second, WinMobile 6.5 has some common components, and a particular, device-specific part, (kernel) that is written BY PHONE MANUFACTURER.. That is to say, samsung wrote WM 6.5 kernel for Omnia2 I8000.

Among other tasks, this kernel is resposible for handling or memory related tasks, and of course determines how much physical memory can be allocated by windows programs, services and drivers.

At least with current means, no chef can mess with this kernel, so rom cooking cannot in any way modify fixed available memory (which varies between 139 - 140 MB of RAM , for various WM 6.5 published roms) . So cooked roms will have same avail. memory as their base roms.

This kernel cannot in ANY WAY be used from another device, not even another samsung one.

However, program closing issues, seems to be more related to a WM configuration issue, than of a kernel issue, which however is not completely discarded. Proof of this are those several reg.changes that can improve this annoyance.

At the moment i've heard and read about lots of people complaining about a disastrous memory handling or availability in all omnia2 -similar generation models (920, B7610, I8000, I8000L etc) ..

After lot of investigation, and collaboration from WM hacker experts, all clues point that remaining physical memory is used DIRECTLY by some hardware components and windows drivers... much likely the video controller within CPU S3C6410... (3D, 2D etc)...

In any case, all this stuff is hard-coded in kernel (NK.EXE).. so either, 1) an insanely skilled programmer manages to hack and crack I8000 kernel, so as to make more available physical memory, assuming that at least some of it ACTUALLY CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE, and stealed for whatever use it is being given to ... or 2) wait for a samsung update that changes this situation....

i talked to a XDA guru (cmonex) who is willing to help (as a job = $$$) and i am collecting a bounty to do so .. she will dig into it on february ...

[Guest monyozt]

count me to join your project.. i and some my friends interest to help some $$ (i hope it will help)

Edited January 13, 2010 by monyozt

[Guest johnchan]

Very annoying... most other devices have the FULL RAM available... not reserved by the device drivers and stuff.

Anyway, regarding the bounty, is it to be paid to the developer assuming it is actually doable/done? Or is it being paid just to "look" at it, even if nothing results?

[Guest janekx]

If they reserve RAM for video why? TouchWiz is horrible useless so many users use today or 3rd party SW and they eats less resources. In case of player It takes near 7 MB of ram so is working in user memory. The Samsung decision is bad, better make free mem as much as possible and then use it then reserve 100MB that is I think used in 30 %, but we cant handle with it.

I not need display as TV like HD2 , and have problems handle device because of big display, I dont need super fast 1Ghz processor that consumes battery in 1/2 day, I need device like O2 but with many free RAM to have Skype, ICQ, browser and mail in multitask and not worry about that stupid auto app close, give me 1 and half day on battery and If I will want enable FPU.

This Samsung done for customers to claim 256MB of RAM and this is lie.

[Guest La Traviata]

So basically Samsung have messed up an otherwise (potentially) very powerful phone in a way that cannot be fixed by anyone except Samsung. However, going by the responses members of this forum got from Samsung and posted here, Samsung are denying that there actually is a problem. Or don't consider apps auto closing on a high-end multi tasking phone like O2 to be a problem. Or don't understand the question. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but this doesn't sound like we can expect a fix for the problem coming from Samsung anytime soon.

Edited January 13, 2010 by La Traviata

[Guest alaamac199]

Hi, after reading last posts from this thread i thought i'd drop some light to the issue, so you can better understand some facts myself and others, already have dig into...

First of all, at least I8000 and I8000L, DO HAVE 256 MB of physical RAM memory. That is a fact. (there are complex technical proofs into WM core and i won't bother with that here).

Second, WinMobile 6.5 has some common components, and a particular, device-specific part, (kernel) that is written BY PHONE MANUFACTURER.. That is to say, samsung wrote WM 6.5 kernel for Omnia2 I8000.

Among other tasks, this kernel is resposible for handling or memory related tasks, and of course determines how much physical memory can be allocated by windows programs, services and drivers.

At least with current means, no chef can mess with this kernel, so rom cooking cannot in any way modify fixed available memory (which varies between 139 - 140 MB of RAM , for various WM 6.5 published roms) . So cooked roms will have same avail. memory as their base roms.

This kernel cannot in ANY WAY be used from another device, not even another samsung one.

However, program closing issues, seems to be more related to a WM configuration issue, than of a kernel issue, which however is not completely discarded. Proof of this are those several reg.changes that can improve this annoyance.

At the moment i've heard and read about lots of people complaining about a disastrous memory handling or availability in all omnia2 -similar generation models (920, B7610, I8000, I8000L etc) ..

After lot of investigation, and collaboration from WM hacker experts, all clues point that remaining physical memory is used DIRECTLY by some hardware components and windows drivers... much likely the video controller within CPU S3C6410... (3D, 2D etc)...

In any case, all this stuff is hard-coded in kernel (NK.EXE).. so either, 1) an insanely skilled programmer manages to hack and crack I8000 kernel, so as to make more available physical memory, assuming that at least some of it ACTUALLY CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE, and stealed for whatever use it is being given to ... or 2) wait for a samsung update that changes this situation....

i talked to a XDA guru (cmonex) who is willing to help (as a job = $$) and i am collecting a bounty to do so .. she will dig into it on february ...

I'm not a programmer or a developer .. but I used to have a HTC TyTN II .. and I remember that programmers and cookers were able to play with the Ram size .. Page Pool and such things .. isn't it also possible on the Omnia II ?? 

[Guest alaamac199]

Are you running WM6.1 version?

Yes , I am .. 

because there's no WM6.5 Official version for my Device right now .. 

[Guest Goodge]

The "memory reserved for things like video memory" theory would seem logical, except when you compare the amount of memory a process (like Opera) uses to the memory it "takes" from the system. When I look at Opera in the Task Manager, it says it's using 4MB. But if I close it, I get back close to 20MB of Program Memory (shown in "Memory"). It seems to me that this extra usage is for the OpenGL textures. But wouldn't that have gone in the "reserved memory" if the reserved memory was infact for things like video memory?

[Guest johnchan]

I suspect the Automatic file cache size is responsible for some of this...

However, from what I can see, this isn't the "memory leak" that some of us are seeing... in fact, I think the automatic file cache size is increasing as we use the device (of course when it first boots up, there are very few files in use, so the automatic cache is small).

I'm sure that WM itself has some memory leaks regardless, but not everything is attributed to the memory leaks.

[Guest nipip]

Just talking from common sence...

Reducing the amount of reserved memory in favor of multitasking will do a mess with other functions (ie: video performance) , sure there is a reason to reserve such ram.

Two points of view:

1- ram usage could be more polished, and samsung for an obscure reason leave it like this.

2- there is a lot of things running in a little box to make a great device.

I'm coming from omnia 1 with only 128mb and that was fine o run spb, opera, etc after all.

[Guest Nablet]

I don't have much installed on my phone and get 70MB on fresh reboot. I've been following this thread for a while and I've come to understand the phone much better now. I do agree that it could have been better but the question is what do you need so much RAM for? I haven't had mine and I haven't customised it, not really interested to do so, other than remove the obvious Samsung nonsense.

Can you guys tell me what you're running in the background that actually needs all this memory?

[Guest zula]

I don't have much installed on my phone and get 70MB on fresh reboot. I've been following this thread for a while and I've come to understand the phone much better now. I do agree that it could have been better but the question is what do you need so much RAM for? I haven't had mine and I haven't customised it, not really interested to do so, other than remove the obvious Samsung nonsense.

Can you guys tell me what you're running in the background that actually needs all this memory?

I would be satisfied if I could get a Manila working + mp3 player + gps navigation with the ram we have. I haven't tried it, but I suspect that O2 can't actually do that, and beeing a high end winmo phone it is very disappointing to me.

On my old xperia I can run manila 1.3 al full speed with 100mb ram free. When I bought an Omnia2 i thought that, at least, i could do the same.

[Guest Snow02]

1) Rodrigo has given an answer to where the 'missing' RAM is. I tend to believe his explanation to be the likely reason.

2) I personally have not been limited by the RAM issue, however, I don't run a RAM heavy UI. With the ram tweaks mentioned a few pages back I can run any reasonable number of applications at the same time (9+). But I do agree that there should be more available and that the advertised RAM value is a form of false advertising, while being 'technically' true.

[Guest Nablet]

I would be satisfied if I could get a Manila working + mp3 player + gps navigation with the ram we have. I haven't tried it, but I suspect that O2 can't actually do that, and beeing a high end winmo phone it is very disappointing to me.

On my old xperia I can run manila 1.3 al full speed with 100mb ram free. When I bought an Omnia2 i thought that, at least, i could do the same.

How much RAM does GPS use? I've never used it and doubt I ever will but just wondering.

[Guest redzone321]

less then opera mobile 10 . not sure on a hard number but my guess is 10-20 mb if that. Garmin XT.

I have no prob running GarminXT and music and a chat program but only from a fresh boot.

How much RAM does GPS use? I've never used it and doubt I ever will but just wondering.

[Guest damienloh]

Just realised the Point UI Home 2 with PointSense is taking up about 20MB of memory! :)

[Guest corny2007]

I've just been handling the HD2. My god, it's fast. I'm pretty sure a lot of that is due to the free memory (200 Mb), not just the CPU which is only ~20% quicker (in pure clock and actual benchmarks). I would like some of that!

[Guest ANGEL_666]

This picture from old review of GsmArena. In prototype versions of firmware, as we can see, memory was more, than enough! 

[Guest corny2007]

This picture from old review of GsmArena. In prototype versions of firmware, as we can see, memory was more, than enough!

Good find. URL: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i8000_omni...eview-362p3.php

[Guest pajaa]

deleted

sorry

Edited January 14, 2010 by pajaa

[Guest Michael Pang]

This picture from old review of GsmArena. In prototype versions of firmware, as we can see, memory was more, than enough! 

from this image, it is 24M more than our current available memory. 164-140=24.

what the hell samsung. my available memory after several days of use drop to 30-40M. even worse than my old i900. my i900 always release memory (not much memory leak). sigh, suppose Omnia II should be better than i900, isn't it? when available memory drops to certain level. i cannot keep program run in background and it is forced to close.

Edited January 15, 2010 by Michael Pang

[Guest Nablet]

To be honest will the O2 have enough memory to run MSN, play music and surf the net at the same time?

I don't really need the phone to do more but my wife is looking at the HTC Leo. If we get that I will, in effect, appropriate that when I go travelling but I don't like the screen on the Leo.