Ram Size

[RHCA]

For me 256 would make it ok, I dont like 128 so much

 

[squeakypants]

I very much doubt it will change. Definitely not 512mb.

Sorry, bud.

 

[peca]

640 KB must be enough for everybody.

 

[God Ginrai]

640 KB must be enough for everybody.

Tell that to someone who's trying to emulate a 64 MB N64 rom. ;P

Anyways, I'm fine with 128, although I won't have any objections if they decide to put in more.

-God Ginrai

 

[JakeK]

I like the wording of the Poll. It clearly states the OP's opinion, 128 is 'okay' but 256 would make it the 'best.' Why would it make it the best, from what I read it wouldn't make much difference.

 

[dabomb3627]

not much difference? could make all the difference in porting some games, or getting flash/java with firefox

 

[Squidge]

This isn't Windows, a web browser doesn't need 256MB in order to display flash/java.

 

[flatmush]

Seriously if you've ever seen some of the stuff that came out for the psp, you will know that 128mb is overkill for a console like this. And besides I don't use memory intensive crap on my pc so why would I want to on a console.

 

[Zarneth]

Didn't someone already state with reasonably certainty that the ram comes pre-soldered to the arm chip? And that we're already getting these chips a few months before the normal catalog release date too? (I'm sure I read something like that) What's with these polls that keep popping up once something's been all but completely confirmed not possible, already decided or impractical. Though at least this poll seems to have had more than 15 seconds thought put into it. :huh:

The only significant advantage of more ram is multitasking. It's not x86 so we're hardly just going to be throwing any random bloated linux distro on there. Any programs that take up more than 128mb ram on their own are probably too bloated to be usable on such a tiny screen as it is.

 

[hal9000]

One missing option:

[X] We have no choice anyway. RAM is on the SoC and its size is 128 MB.

 

[fishybawb]

For me 256 would make it ok, I dont like 128 so much

You don't think 128MB is enough, or you just have some strange prejudice against the number 128?

Big Numbers Sell More Units
© Intel Corporation

Maybe Craig should go back to the 1Gb (note small "b") technical spec, he'd sell twice as many Pandoras

 

[Yrx]

lol, 6 people are extreme so far. I wonder how many of them were actually serious.

 

[fusion_power]

128MB is more than enough for a Gaming Handheld Console.

Such a Hardware should never be to "big" by the way. Many ressources tend to make Devs lazy and fabricate unoptimized Software. I'm a fan of Optimized Software who squeezes everything out of the available Hardware - but this philosophy is very rare these days.
If Consoles ca ndo amazing Things with "just" 64 or 32 MB RAM or less I think, 128MB for the Pandora is good. And a good reason to OPTIMIZE the Software if a program needs more RAM.

 

[atomicthumbs]

Why?

 

[Shiny]

Tell that to someone who's trying to emulate a 64 MB N64 rom. ;P

Is that an offer? ;D

I think that 128MB should be fine. Some programs will just have to be optimized for the Pandora's memory constraints. It's more than enough for what I'll be using it for.

 

[FlippantBird]

Some people just need to remember that there was a time when desktop computers didn't have 128mb of ram. My first computer was a pentium 133mmx with 96mb, and I could easily run Internet Explorer with Avant Browser with multiple tabs open, winamp, and MS Word at the same time, on Windows 98se. Not to mention that 128mb is unprecedented in a handheld gaming device, yet people are asking for more? The pandora is going to kick ass just the way it is.

 

[C B Felterbush]

The fact is that it is 128MB, therefore this poll is useless. However it may be user upgradeable. I wonder how many of you are going to Need the extra ram when it means tearing into your machine and chopping and mending with your soldering iron.

 

[jdh2550]

I tend to favor an open door to upgrade in the future.

I don't think past OS's (Win 98 indeed? Oh what fun!), or "purist ideals" (if we give developers more they'll just get lazy) are particularly pragmatic. They're more just hot air. Why not 64MB RAM and an ARM-6 - that would bring the price down - we'd just have to make the developers all work a little harder, no? ;-)

I answered 512MB - not because I want or need 512MB but just in recognition that I want as open a system as possible. More memory lowers the bar and lets more folks port more stuff to this platform. Open is good, a low entrance bar is better (and if it produces dross that offends you then don't load it on your system).

The SOC does not have any memory "in it" - but the 128MB RAM is soldered directly to it making user upgrade nigh on impossible (according to MWeston the RAM is supplied by someone other than TI and is also subject to its own NDA). So, memory isn't likely to change anytime soon (aside from CraigIX's cryptic comment on the Why 128MB thread...)

Having said all that I think this is a terrible poll (it's biased and it doesn't encourage well thought out replies). Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[nubie]

not much difference? could make all the difference in porting some games, or getting flash/java with firefox

This isn't Windows, a web browser doesn't need 256MB in order to display flash/java.

Even on windows with 10 tabs in Firefox and two of them Youtube my entire WinXP SP2 system was using less than 128MB RAM, a sizeable chunk of that is my badly written "HD Audio" drivers for my onboard Realtek Codec.

So, YOU SIR ARE AN ASS (just to let you know, 128mb is fine, for now.)

Where is the 2GB option?!?!?? IT CLEARLY SUPPORTS 2GB MODULES, I want my poll option to max this sucker.

. . . Just to point out how ludicrous this is, even if it requires more memory in the future (For what I don't know, we would have n64 and PSX already, and Quake III)

There is a Youtube video of a guy replacing an OMAP, perhaps if the memory modules (WHICH ARE 1. NEW and 2. NON-STANDARD, and 3. UN-AVAILABLE EXCEPT IN 128MB Right now) become available in larger sizes someone will offer a service to upgrade your ram.


I will now predict the future, the service will cost $150, but since the RAM upgrade will cost $150 as well, you might as well buy a newer Pandora, so you will re-evaluate the "NEED" for more ram and notice that everything is running fine, in fact more than you could have imagined is running with no memory problems whatsoever.

Once we start running out of ram there will be a cheaper model (due to all the chips dropping in price and volume production of the plastic bits and PCB's) that comes with the extended memory options (the larger memory chips will be available at more reasonable prices in the future.)

Why the hell does this poll exist, if I am going for more ram why not go to 1GB or 2GB? That way you can really rub $ony and M$ and Apple$ noses in their crap handhelds.

I just noticed the "soldering iron" remark, no this would require a hot air desoldering station, the ram is BGA piggybacked onto the OMAP itself, so it is almost a single package.

 

[gaterooze]

128mb on an ARM handheld DOES NOT EQUATE TO 128mb on an x86 desktop computer.

PLEASE understand that. I think some people are in the trap of thinking, "oh, if my computer only had 128mb it would run like a dog" -- they are two completely different situations. Quick example: Squidge said that he got a game requiring 128mb minimum on PC to run on the GP32 in under 8mb RAM, no sweat.

As MWeston has described, 128mb will be more than enough for everything you could want to do on the Pandora.

More memory would raise the price, expand the physical size, and lower the battery life -- for neglible benefit.