What's the need for so much "free" memory

[Cheechwhiz]

I guess this is sort of a newb question.
I manage to keep 2.5-3.5megs free by moving stuff onto the MS and clearing the various caches. I have no trouble with programs working efficiently enough for me. My wireless hookup works as speedily as the Net choke points will allow it to.
Is it just a "game" to see how much memory you can free up or is there some operant reason that I am not aware of the makes it important?

[n2ifp]

Programs load faster from RAM. Some don't like the delay of waiting. Additionally, those who use the memory stick for bluetooth or some other device in the memory stick slot. Consequently, there is no extra external memory, so getting a few extra megabytes in RAM can be critical.

Yes, for some it could be a game too, but remember there are varied and legit reasons for doing so.

[Narniahopper]

Most apps won't hotsync from the memory stick, and these are some of the largest, most important apps people have. Wordsmith, Documents to Go, Mail programs, these are the things that usually work well from RAM or flash but not from MS.

Also, it's important that you keep enough RAM available to open your largest MS app. If you have a 3 MB app on your MS, you still need that room available in RAM to load it when the time comes around. I occasionally need over 4MB's free to open and edit documents I have stored on the MS.

[rldunn]

Also, apps run from the MS use up more battery than apps from from RAM or ROM.

[Rick 098]

Also u cant just pick ms of trees.

[rhart00]

I have to have somewhere to store all my porno