Multiple Apps / Battery

[chronster]

Originally Posted by FatFrosty

Technical related question: Wouldn't empty ram use just as much juice as occupied ram, granted the ram isn't being accessed/processed?

That was always my understanding, and if this is true then dormant programs that aren't running any processes in the background shouldn't matter.

The cpu doesn't need to maintain any processes located in empty ram. The programs running in the background use up cpu cycles, which results in battery drain. The reason people's phones get warm from heavy use is because of the cpu pulling juice from the battery, which causes resistance. The more juice needed, the more resistance, the more heat. If it gets bad enough, you get a worse effect since warm batteries drain quicker.

[ScrapMaker]

Originally Posted by chronster

The cpu doesn't need to maintain any processes located in empty ram. The programs running in the background use up cpu cycles, which results in battery drain. The reason people's phones get warm from heavy use is because of the cpu pulling juice from the battery, which causes resistance. The more juice needed, the more resistance, the more heat. If it gets bad enough, you get a worse effect since warm batteries drain quicker.

If you aren't actively using an application, then it really won't pull a drain.

The reason people's phone gets warm is because of the RADIO, not the CPU. Our devices use very little power in PDA-mode.

If you have a data connection open, then your battery will die quickly.

[Palladium]

Originally Posted by chronster

The cpu doesn't need to maintain any processes located in empty ram. The programs running in the background use up cpu cycles, which results in battery drain. The reason people's phones get warm from heavy use is because of the cpu pulling juice from the battery, which causes resistance. The more juice needed, the more resistance, the more heat. If it gets bad enough, you get a worse effect since warm batteries drain quicker.

Ram Refresh is a hardware function, it does not matter whether there is data there or not. So there is no additional power draw just from having the memory in use. Most Properly written programs (i.e. programs that don't poll when idle but actually wait for events when idle) will not use any CPU cycles when their threads are idle hence no additional power draw.

Also, the resistance is there whether power is being drawn or not, it is the current draw that changes (e.g. P = I^2R)

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

If you aren't actively using an application, then it really won't pull a drain.

The reason people's phone gets warm is because of the RADIO, not the CPU. Our devices use very little power in PDA-mode.

If you have a data connection open, then your battery will die quickly.

Correct on Point 1, I concur on point 2 (I see 60-90 mA MAX when pushing the applications processer extremely hard (with the blacklight OFF), I agree on Point 3.