Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 33

Hi All,

Happy new year.

I read somewhere recently (don't remember where) that either the processor or Palm OM is limited to 8Meg. Is this true? And if so, does anyone know if either Motorola or Palm are working to develop palm devices not bound by this 8 meg limit?

Thanks.

Ron

------------------

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: California
Posts: 108

If the palm OS wasn't able to go over 8MB, how could you put the memory upgrade module in your visor deluxe (well, mabee because it's flash). However, on Palm IIIx's you can get 8MB cards from TRG or some other company and then you would go over 8mb, even without flash. If this were true, wouldn't you have problems with this.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 70

I think the confusion comes because the Motorola Dragonball EZ processor chip cannot address more than 8MB *per bank*, at a maximum of two banks. So what does this mean?

The Visor has either 2MB or 8MB built-in on bank 0 (the first one). Memory found on Springboard expansion slots has been routed to the processor as bank 1 (the second).

The PalmOS cannot address more than 16MB total, because the processor couldn't address more than that. (Older non-EZ dragonballs maxed out at 6MB per bank, or 12MB total.) The Springboard slot has exclusive rights to slot 1, so unless a new chip and OS comes out, visors will never have more than 8MB of built-in RAM, and the processor can only address a maximum of 8MB on Springboards. Now, for MP3 players that have 32MB or more storage, the expansion module will be responsible for its own memory addressing -- the Visor won't even mess with that.

Hope this helps.
________
William

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 33

William, Thanks a lot. That certainly does make sense to me. So if 16Meg is the max for addressing (8Meg per bank) then it sounds like adding color and other multimedia features will push this limitation by making apps bulkier.

Have you heard if Motorola & Palm have any plans of extending these limitations? 16Meg seems kind of small, reminds me of the old DOS/640k limit.

Ron

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 103

So how does TRG get around this limitation with the TRGPro? They claim that the IBM MicroDrive 320 is compatible with their unit. Do they have to divide the 320 into 8MB sub-units so that you only see 8 of the 320MB at a time?

------------------
Thanks,
Jay

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 295

The IBM MicroDrive is a storage device, like a hard drive, not memory.

MB <><