newbie question: running apps from MS

[GodOD]

So just so I have this straight: I have an NX70V/U and my internal memory is filled at it's limit, so I'd like to use my 128mb memory stick more. When you're running apps from a memory stick you need to have however much space on the internal memory (if the app is 2mb you need 2mb free internally) to run it, right? Is this just how it is and does this seem to suck to anyone else? Also, what's a good app to use for better organizing files on the MS? Zlauncher? Thanks.

[ayasin]

Originally posted by GodOD
So just so I have this straight: I have an NX70V/U and my internal memory is filled at it's limit, so I'd like to use my 128mb memory stick more. When you're running apps from a memory stick you need to have however much space on the internal memory (if the app is 2mb you need 2mb free internally) to run it, right?
Yes, plus whatever other dynamic memory requirements the app has.

Is this just how it is and does this seem to suck to anyone else?
Well it's analogous to running an app off your hard drive. The app doesn't _run_ on the hard drive, it's just stored there. When you run it, it's loaded into RAM and run from there. Imagine what happens when you open 30 copies of IE on your machine. That "thrashing" of the drive is the "virtual memory" (basically trying to treat the hard drive as extra memory by loading and unloading memory pages to it). It's _very_ slow (among other problems) that's why they don't run apps normally that way.

[GodOD]

got it. i don't know why i never thought of it like that. so i guess you guys keep most of your apps on a MS then and keep a decent amount of space available internally, right? do keep them in the 'launcher' directory on the MS then or can you use another program to organize and create other folders to store the apps on the MS??

[berliner]

Most apps can be run off the MS. For those than can't, try Powerrun. Powerrun transfers the files to RAM when you run the program and then transfers them back to the MS when you are done. I have about 30-40 apps and databases installed on my NX and still have 4MB free of RAM. The only time memory becomes a problem is when I want to use memory intensive databases like Mapopolis maps which must be in RAM. For that, I'm looking forward to a 32 or 64MB future Clie.