The 'telephone' task on my 6680 is using about 460kb of memory, when i bought it it only used 100kb. Some apps close because of lack of memory. Does any1 know wat mite be causing this?

The 'telephone' task on my 6680 is using about 460kb of memory, when i bought it it only used 100kb. Some apps close because of lack of memory. Does any1 know wat mite be causing this?

460k sounds normal, actually, for a phone that's being well used.

The 6680 is particularly RAM challenged, mind you. What apps are you trying to run? I suspect you're trying a few real memory hogs. Do tell!

Steve Litchfield

This memory problem, or should I say, any memory problem is one that has plagued me for some time now. I upgraded from a 7610 to a 6682, only to have the 6682 force me to choose which applications I want to run.

ie.
The 7610 would allow me to play music while writing an email and leaving a webpage open in the background. Unfortunately, the 6682 forces me to choose between messaging, music, or web.

Very very poor. This shouldn't be an issue with a smartphone and hopefully those 32 megs of ram on the N70 will fix this. Any ideas Steve?

The 7610 would allow me to play music while writing an email and leaving a webpage open in the background. Unfortunately, the 6682 forces me to choose between messaging, music, or web.

Something's wrong then. Those three apps shouldn't use up your 7MB (or thereabouts) of available RAM.

Install TaskSpy (http://www.pushl.com/) and you can keep a better eye on what's going on. I'm suspecting you've got extra stuff auto-loading (desktop/virus checker?) that's wasting memory.

Also, which music player and which web browser are we talking about?

I regularly have music playback, Web, Messaging, Calendar, Notes, Clock and several more, all open on my 2 year old 6630...

Steve Litchfield

Alright, so I did put taskspy on there, and nothing seems to be using up an unreasonable amount of ram. ie phone - 400k messaging - 500k and contacts - 168k. When I open opera up, it closes everything else. Opera takes up 588k when the home page is loaded. I don't have any virus scans installed. The only apps that should be running in the background are salling clicker and vizrea snap. Even without those two apps installed, I have these issues.
I neglected to mention that this is the second 6682 that I've had that does this. I'm almost ready to accept that the phone is just "less powerful" than the 7610. I can clearly see that I'm not using all the ram, but I'm not sure what else to think. I've only had this particular 6682 for 3 days, so it can't be filled with junk. Any other ideas?

please help me how to activate my mms globe// this is my handyphone 09164882719 and this is my email add: rolls_12037@yahoo.com

Alright, so I did put taskspy on there, and nothing seems to be using up an unreasonable amount of ram. ie phone - 400k messaging - 500k and contacts - 168k. When I open opera up, it closes everything else. Opera takes up 588k when the home page is loaded. I don't have any virus scans installed. The only apps that should be running in the background are salling clicker and vizrea snap. Even without those two apps installed, I have these issues.

Ah. Opera. Great web browser, but it uses a lot of RAM. The built-in Web should use a lot less.

How much RAM do those two extra background apps take? Note that anything Java-based will also use a up a huge amount of RAM. Stick to native C++ apps where possible.

Mind you, if you must have Opera and all the rest running *all* the time, you need an N70, with its 32MB of RAM, I think! 8-)

Steve

Ah. Opera. Great web browser, but it uses a lot of RAM. The built-in Web should use a lot less.

Also worth noting that the RAM useage shown by TaskSpy doesn't tell the whole story. For example, firing up Web here on my 6630, TaskSpy shows it using 500k, but the overall RAM hit is 1.5MB, as that's the amount the RAM free just went down by.

It's perfectly possible to keep all these apps going at once though, as long as you steer clear of Opera, Java-apps etc.

On my 6630 at the moment, I've currently got running:
Calendar
Messaging
Contacts
Web
OggPlay
TaskSpy
Log
Notes

and I've still got 3MB of RAM free.

Steve Litchfield

Well that certainly did it. The reason I never tried it, was that the 6682 that I returned because it never really worked, wouldn't even let me use web and messaging (another reason to return it) and I assumed that this would be the same way. However, using the new one, I opened up all the apps that you said you had open on your 6630, with no problem. I'll just steer clear of opera. Salling clicker doesn't really use any ram or resources when it's on standby, and when I'm actually using it, i'm not going to be on the web. Vizrea...well that's just something fun for now, its background processes don't seem to have any effect either.
Your recommendation to the N70 was well placed too, as I had just watched the podcast where you spoke of its 35 megs of ram. I'd get one if I could, but being a lowly cingular customer, not only do they not offer it, but it doesn't have 850 mhz. (if the n80 comes out during the next 25 days, i'm grabbing one)
I do have one final question as long as we are on the subject of memory. I've noticed that taskspy and possibly one or two other apps have a "compress memory" function. what does it do? I imagine that it's not like defragmenting a hard drive. Just curious. Thanks for your help though, I feel much better about this phone now.

I do have one final question as long as we are on the subject of memory. I've noticed that taskspy and possibly one or two other apps have a "compress memory" function. what does it do? I imagine that it's not like defragmenting a hard drive. Just curious. Thanks for your help though, I feel much better about this phone now.

Glad to help! Compress memory simply reclaims the little bits of memory left over by previously run programs. Doesn't usually do a lot, but every little sometimes helps!

Steve Litchfield

Wow, well I regret to inform you that I'm exactly back where I started. If i try to check my email, with music playing and web open, everything else quits! I give up. Must've been expecting too much out of this. Thanks anyway.

Wow, well I regret to inform you that I'm exactly back where I started. If i try to check my email, with music playing and web open, everything else quits! I give up. Must've been expecting too much out of this. Thanks anyway.

You've got me interested now. What music player are you using? And can you list the exact running apps (i.e. name and TaskSpy-quoted size) before you go into email?

Steve Litchfield

Alrighty, well here's a list with only taskspy running

taskspy: 124k
EiksrvBackdrop: 300k
Menu: 136K
Telephone: 444k
SysAp: 92k
Autolock: 92k
Screensaver: 100k
-------------------------
That's 1.288 Mb

When mail is launched, it initially takes up 160k, but after an email check, that goes up to 288k. For music, I use nokia's bundled Music, which is taking up 196k right now, while playing. I've tried using gallery, but that uses 364k and behaves no differently. This leads to me to believe that it might be something other than ram. I noticed that taskspy reports a nearly 100% spike of cpu usage when email is checked, but I don't know how accurate that is. Mp3 playing, on the the other hand, registers as 0%... Was that what you were looking for?

Hmmm... Gallery can be a big RAM hog. Another idea is that maybe you've got tons of text messages in Messaging?

I've currently got
Telephone
OggPlay
Log
Messaging
Contacts
Web
Calendar
TaskSpy

all running happily together, and I've still got 2.5MB free RAM. Connecting to my POP3 mailbox only knocks this down 200K or so.

Steve Litchfield

Yea, I've got about 9.5 megs of messages, but they're all stored on the card, which has about 325 megs free at the moment. I'm starting to think that it's not a ram problem anymore, simply because I can have just as many apps open as you, yet when I do a task (such as connect to a mailbox) the problems occur.

What happens on your 6630 when you have web open, music playing, and try to connect to a mailbox?

Yea, I've got about 9.5 megs of messages, but they're all stored on the card, which has about 325 megs free at the moment. I'm starting to think that it's not a ram problem anymore, simply because I can have just as many apps open as you, yet when I do a task (such as connect to a mailbox) the problems occur.

What happens on your 6630 when you have web open, music playing, and try to connect to a mailbox?

It all works perfectly. But then I don't have 9 and a half MEGABYTES of stuff in my Inbox!!!!!! No wonder you're having problems. I think it's time you radically rethought your approach to mobile messaging! 8-)

I keep my text messages below 100, they're onyl temporary things anyway. And email is cleared out effectively whenever my desktop connects to the POP3 server, plus I clear out my sent and drafts boxes regularly, so there's rarely more than a few kilobytes hanging around my Messaging system.

Steve Litchfield

If 9.5 is a lot, then I won't even get in tohow much I used to keep (needless to say, it was several times larger than what I have now). I don't save too many messages, most are just copies of emails, which may contain mp3's or powerpoint files. I'll empty the inbox and outbox, then give it a shot in a little.

If 9.5 is a lot, then I won't even get in tohow much I used to keep (needless to say, it was several times larger than what I have now). I don't save too many messages, most are just copies of emails, which may contain mp3's or powerpoint files. I'll empty the inbox and outbox, then give it a shot in a little.

So you actually kept copies of all these in your local message folders on your smartphone?

Anyway, yes, have a really good clearout and then try again!

Steve

Yea, ok, same thing. I emptied both boxes which brought it down to a mere 268k of messages which are just in my saved folders. I even tried playing a lower bitrate mp3, just in case --> no dice. I emptied the cache also, and have restarted several times. It can't just be my phone, because the other one I had did precise

(grease fire)

ly the same thing. What do you think?


edit: and no, i do keep copies, but they're all in folders on the card. I don't really keep anything the phone because the limited space and, to be honest, i trust the card more at this point :)

Yea, ok, same thing. I emptied both boxes which brought it down to a mere 268k of messages which are just in my saved folders. I even tried playing a lower bitrate mp3, just in case --> no dice. I emptied the cache also, and have restarted several times. It can't just be my phone, because the other one I had did precise

(grease fire)

ly the same thing. What do you think?

TaskSpy's figures only give (I think) figures for the app's size in RAM, not for the amount of data space allocated to each.

If I was to try playing detective, I'd probably start each app in turn after a reboot, noting the amount of free RAM at each stage. That way, you can see how much Web or Messaging (open these first, btw) are really trying to get allocated.

Steve Litchfield

That's actually how I got the figures initally, and web itself is only taking up 176k on launch and after loading allaboutsymbian.com the usage is only 548k. Could this perhaps be a matter of too many processes? I seem to have plenty of available ram.

That's actually how I got the figures initally, and web itself is only taking up 176k on launch and after loading allaboutsymbian.com the usage is only 548k. Could this perhaps be a matter of too many processes? I seem to have plenty of available ram.

No, there's no limit on processes in Symbian OS. What figure is the free RAM dropping by for Messaging? And at what free RAM figure does the OS start closing things down?

Steve Litchfield

Ok so here's what I've done:

After bootup: 6046k free
After Opening Messaging: 5536k free (taskspy only reports 200k allocated for messaging)
Checking email: 4956k free (taskspy reports 308k allocated)
After closing messaging: 5540k free

I can't determine what point the OS closes the apps down because once I reach that point, taskspy itself is closed :) If was to take a guess, I might say...somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5 - 3. But when I open up all those apps that you did, I can operate with 2 free.

Unfortunately I have to head out for a few hours, but i'll be back to check back here in...hopefully...less than 3 hours, thanks again for your help

Ben

Oh, and I checked my mail with all the apps open and it worked perfectly, perhaps it has something to do with actual processor usage? It spikes dramatically when connecting to email and yet, doesn't register mp3 playback.

Ok so here's what I've done:

After bootup: 6046k free
After Opening Messaging: 5536k free (taskspy only reports 200k allocated for messaging)
Checking email: 4956k free (taskspy reports 308k allocated)
After closing messaging: 5540k free

I can't determine what point the OS closes the apps down because once I reach that point, taskspy itself is closed :) If was to take a guess, I might say...somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5 - 3. But when I open up all those apps that you did, I can operate with 2 free.

Several interesting points here. First is that my 6630 has 8.5MB free after booting. I can't believe the 6680 is THAT much worse - is it an Orange unit, by any chance, with extra software loaded at boot time?

Also, Symbian OS doesn't generally start closing things til WELL under 1MB free, so 2.5 to 3 doesn't sound right.

Steve Litchfield

Nope, I've got cingular, doubt there is a whole lot of extra stuff running at boot, but i'm surprised that you have so much more available at boot. Also, at the moment, everyone on cingular is unable to text, mms, or access the internet. very helpful indeed. Every so often, the phone can do the three things that I want, so maybe it can barely do them when fresh after bootup, but after a few hours loses..."residual ram"(just to doing general things) would compress memory be of any use? :) or does turning it off do more.

Nope, I've got cingular, doubt there is a whole lot of extra stuff running at boot, but i'm surprised that you have so much more available at boot. Also, at the moment, everyone on cingular is unable to text, mms, or access the internet. very helpful indeed. Every so often, the phone can do the three things that I want, so maybe it can barely do them when fresh after bootup, but after a few hours loses..."residual ram"(just to doing general things) would compress memory be of any use? :) or does turning it off do more.

Worth a try, but I'm running out of ideas. I've no idea why the OS would start closing stuff at 2.5Mb of RAM free... it lets me get down well below 1MB free on my 6630. And to get to that I had to open over 20 applications at once! 8-)

Keep up the detective work!

Steve

No worries, I'm pretty much out of ideas myself. I'm usually the one that helps people with their phones, so I know what it's like to be on your end. I don't think that I'll reset it or anything, but just deal with not leaving things open until my next phone, which won't be for a little more than a year (unless cingular launches the n80 in the next week or two) Thanks again, I'll let you know if I come up with anything that works. Oh, and when does the next episode of the smartphones show come out???

Smartphones Show 5 comes uot late this week, if I can get Rafe's video report back from 3GSM, with stuff on the E70.... Watch this space!

http://www.smartphones-show.com/

Steve Litchfield

Just out of curiousity, are you running Nokia Album on your phone? Thanks.

Just out of curiousity, are you running Nokia Album on your phone? Thanks.


nope


Also, I found that the phone only quits apps when i'm surfing pages that aren't made for mobile web...makes sense. i guess.

nope


Also, I found that the phone only quits apps when i'm surfing pages that aren't made for mobile web...makes sense. i guess.

Just as an addendum, in case any of you hadn't already seen it, this thread inspired me to write

http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Keeping_It_Clean.php

Hope it's useful!

Steve

Just as an addendum, in case any of you hadn't already seen it, this thread inspired me to write

http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Keeping_It_Clean.php

Hope it's useful!

Steve

Ha! I was wondering if my phone had any information about it. In fact, I was reading the article on my phone when it ran out of memory again :)

Anyway, I almost dumped it for the HTC wizard, but realized that cingular doesn't allow data plans on family plans, data would cost me twice as much, and I wouldn't be able to sync with my mac...so i think i'll stick it out with this. i've put so many hours on this phone talking to cingular, that i don't want to jump through any more hoops. on the other hand, if you guys have any questions, i'd be happy to answer them. after all, i've gotten enough info out of steve, i figure i owe a little something

Edit: While we're all here, does anyone know of a US version of tomtom or something equivalent?

Just out of curiousity, are you running Nokia Album on your phone? Thanks.

why did you ask this?

I just bought a 6682 and am experiencing frustrations with memory problems, too. A (mobile) developer friend of mine claims the 6620 actually has 2X as much RAM as the 6682, which would explain the different behaviors... but I don't know if that's actually correct, or not.

If the memory problem didn't exist, I'd be giving this phone an A+. And if you're at all a Yahoo user, I strongly urge you to check out yahoo "go" for the 6682... I was already a big user (although not necessarily a "fan") of yahoo address boox and mail, and having it magically all sync'd down transparently to the phone is pretty freakin' awesome.

I just bought a 6682 and am experiencing frustrations with memory problems, too. A (mobile) developer friend of mine claims the 6620 actually has 2X as much RAM as the 6682, which would explain the different behaviors... but I don't know if that's actually correct, or not.

No, the 6620 has only a couple of MB more RAM free at most. See http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/s60history.htm

For solving/working around RAM problems:
a)Rant at Nokia [doesn't do any good but it makes us all feel better]
b)Read my http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Keeping_It_Clean.php

Hope this helps!

Steve Litchfield

I am having similar problems with my 6680....there is something wrong with the RAM...even when all I have running is "telephone" it only gives my 400K free RAM (I have 1,600K of messages) and the other memory amounds are minute so I won't even mention them....

I constantly get low memory warnings...

I contacted Nokia and they told me I should to it to a Nokia repair centre...

I have also come into contact with someone else with the same problem as I am getting so I know it is not a one-off thing.

Wirelessly posted (Nokia6630/1.0 (5.03.08) SymbianOS/8.0 Series60/2.6 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

The 'telephone' task on my 6680 is using about 460kb of memory, when i bought it it only used 100kb. Some apps close because of lack of memory. Does any1 know wat mite be causing this?

460k sounds normal, actually, for a phone that's being well used.

The 6680 is particularly RAM challenged, mind you. What apps are you trying to run? I suspect you're trying a few real memory hogs. Do tell!

Steve Litchfield

Games

Wirelessly posted (Nokia6630/1.0 (5.03.08) SymbianOS/8.0 Series60/2.6 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

The 'telephone' task on my 6680 is using about 460kb of memory, when i bought it it only used 100kb. Some apps close because of lack of memory. Does any1 know wat mite be causing this?

460k sounds normal, actually, for a phone that's being well used.

The 6680 is particularly RAM challenged, mind you. What apps are you trying to run? I suspect you're trying a few real memory hogs. Do tell!

Steve Litchfield

Games

Games

All depends on what sort of games. Stay clear of Java games and you'll be fine.

And, to the other poster, 400K of free RAM? That's an order of magnitude too low! Restart the phone and list here everything TaskSpy tells you immediately after the restart. I just can't believe your figures!

Steve