[scrosler]

Originally Posted by FormerPalmOS

Rather than quote multiple posts, here's my thought on UC vs. OEM and main memory vs. SD. UC anything that is designed to install to \program files, or that you may want to upgrade later, or that for some other reason doesn't work if not baked in. So yes, that means UC by default, bake only if you have to. Manilla has got to be the worst program ever in terms of the number of files it installs into \Windows...

BTW Scott - you should make it clear on your first page that your ROMs and kitchen support UC.

OEM always install to \windows. A .provxml can then later copy files to another directory but the originals are still baked into \windows. A cab will install to wherever it is told to in the .CAB. You can change this if you have a cab file editor but some programs may not like having their install directory changed.

Second, anything baked in is stored in IMGFS compressed. This means after it is found (the search time referred to earlier w.r.t. too many things in \Windows), it has to be decompressed then loaded to program memory. If installed after boot, it is not stored compressed so it should load faster.

Only exception to this is certain DLLs and EXEs. If you bake a frequently used application or driver into the ROM, then you can turn DLLs and EXEs into modules. They don't execute any faster, but they load faster since the OS does not have to find a virtual memory slot for them - their VM location is set prior to baking (that's what G'Reloc does - in case you were wondering). The faster load time is offset somewhat by decompression time. But you only get this benefit if the DLL or EXE is moduled in an OEM then baked in. Can't be done with a CAB. BTW - I believe Scott is doing this with many of the OEMs in his new release. Should be good!

Note - there is little to be gained from modularizing a DLL or EXE that is always resident. Turning something into a module only speeds up its load time - once it's loaded, it runs the same speed. But that load time is what makes the thing appear "laggy" sometimes.

Finally on SD vs. main memory, one advantage of SD is that you don't lose the installation when you re-flash, though you do lose any registry settings and the start menu links - unless you back those up. I expect main memory to be faster in terms of raw access (wider bus, no internal bridge or SD controller) but have not benchmarked it to be sure. Also, you can fine-tune the cache parameters and I/O parameters for SD(especially for SDHC) outside of the XIP - those parameters for the on-board flash must be cooked into the XIP and have to therefore be one size fits all.

FPOS

Whoooaaa.... Thats alot of info!

Gonna try the new ROM?