Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Posts: 173

Best Memory Solution for Medical Apps?

Okay...I'm going to try again...

I have a Visor Prism and an 8 mb ram module. I think I need some more memory. I'm not sure whether to get (a) a 16 mb module or (b) something that uses SmartMedia cards.

My large programs include ePocrates (1-2 mb), Tarascon's ePharmacopeia (1-1.5 mb), WordSmith, Action Names, All Money, TextPlus, Noah (dictionary), MyBible, BibleReader and some large documents, like medical textbooks and Bible commentaries.

I just got another 64 mb SmartMedia card for $36, so I was leaning towards MemPlug.... However, the simplicity (except for that compacting thing) of the RAM modules is alluring...

Thanks

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 23

Hi,
I've not been able to get Epocrates to run off any external RAM source. I have a 16MB module that contains a drug reference, 5MMC, 5MEC, a Primary Care text, Harrison's Pocket, and Tabers, and Medcalc. The module is pretty packed but has most everything I need except for Merck. Handheld Med and Skyscape are making their books work with external RAM. Memplug.com has a list of medical software they have tried with the Memplug using their PiDirect software. The SMC are supposed to be slower to access than Compact Flash which could be a problem with a large medical database. Memplug does make a CF module. The CF cards seem to be better supported at present for medical databases. You might consider that route. Brian

Registered: Jun 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 11

I'm the Tech editor for the student newspaper at UCSF and I've been following the whole memory thing for exactly the reasons you guys have been pointing out. I have a VDx and I've tried the FlashPlus and the 16MB Flash Module from Hagiwara. I would have to say, at this point, the choice is 16MB Flash Module, hands down!

The CF eats battery power (20 days w/o, 14 days w/), the 16MB module doesn't eat the battery power noticeably. Also, the Flash module runs at real time with no additional software or drivers. the FlashPlus requires using Launcher III or VFS aware programs; and it is slow. the delay in loading programs is quite noticeable. Also, you can load all apps and most databases on the module no prob. Currently, if you have a VDx, the CF solutions don't support loading databases, only app executables.

The only drawback is the price. The 16MB module is quite pricey. However, it does allow you to load lots of the medical programs all at once; I haven't been able to fill it past capacity with all my med apps, yet.

My review of this (and lots of other medical applications of PDA hardware and software) can be found at our newspaper's online website. Our website is:
http://www.ucsf.edu/synapse/

Click on Technology for the PDA stuff. Note: I just started the Technology Page in May, the number of reviews is currently lacking; but I hope to fill it soon with Medical program reviews (ie, ePocrates Rx, ePocrates qID, 5MCC, Lexidrugs, Patient Tracker, PalmPatient, etc) and SpringBoard modules that could be helpful in medicine (ie, Targus Total Recall Voice Recorder for dictation, Xircom Wireless Ethernet for wired schools like UCSF, EyeModule for taking pictures of patients for presentation, etc).

-Wender

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Wender Hwang
Synapse Technology Editor
UCSF School of Medicine, Class of 2004

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Utah
Posts: 14

purplemd, fellow Palm-Psych-O here...

I have to say, I haven't tried MemPlug yet, but I have the new Clie 710 with it's mem stick (in my wifes clutches at the moment) and I have tried Innopocket's CF option on my Prism and VDX, and I am sticking with my Prism with the 16 MB upgrade (yeah baby!) and Hagiwara's 16 MB SB Module. I love the speed and ease of the Flash module and it's ability to run many, if not most of todays medical databases directly.

I run Noah Pro, 5MCC, LexiDrugs, PsychDrugs, Interact, Epocrates, Epocrates QID, PT Tracker, AltMeds, Harrison's, The Merk, DSM-IV, DeGowin & DeGowin, and a couple other misc. texts. All these fit on my internal/external memory and run flawlessly (if you can get past that blasted compacting problem!). Then I stuff a bunch of other medical texts on my 64MB CF card to take with me for additional reading (if I ever get to it .

However, I would love to hear more about Sony's MS and MemPlug. I am certainly no authority on these forms of memory expansion. How do these two options handle running large databases? Are there ways to run them directly from the expansion memory without moving them over into internal memory? I would love to hear more myself. Thanks.

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JC