Available RAM

[KoukiFC3S]

The Nexus has 512MB of ram, but it looks like only 350MB is available for apps.

Anyone know if other phones with 512MB have about the same amount available?

 

[Kloneicle]

The Nexus has 512MB of ram, but it looks like only 350MB is available for apps.

Anyone know if other phones with 512MB have about the same amount available?

I noticed that also, felt kinda shafted. This is my first Android so not sure myself.

 

[IXDoubleDXI]

Weird...when i got mine on Sunday, I had 941mb available for apps. I'm down to 855mb. I had anticipated on it being 512mb, but this is a pretty sweet bonus. Can anyone else confirm their storage capacity?

 

[kalex]

storage for apps is 1GB. 512MB is the amount of RAM for running apps. different storage

 

[gabbott]

The EVO depending on the ROM has about 320-340 available for apps. The NS has 1GB for apps. Space was never a concern for me with installing apps on my EVO. The NS should allow for A LOT of apps to be installed.

 

[AndroidOne]

The EVO depending on the ROM has about 320-340 available for apps. The NS has 1GB for apps. Space was never a concern for me with installing apps on my EVO. The NS should allow for A LOT of apps to be installed.

Agree completely, and in addition to the 1GB of internal app storage you can also move many apps to the virtual SD card built into the Nexus which offers an additional 16GB.

How is that being shafted...

 

[KoukiFC3S]

But we are talking about RAM, not the ROM.

ROM is where you install apps. The Nexus has 1GB, which is decent.

RAM is where apps go when you are using them. So the more ram, the smoother it'll be when multitasking. Just checked my Xoom, and it has 700MB according to the system panel app.

Edit: also checked my gf's LG Optimus, and it has 425MB of RAM available!

 

[gabbott]

But we are talking about RAM, not the ROM.

ROM is where you install apps. The Nexus has 1GB, which is decent.

RAM is where apps go when you are using them. So the more ram, the smoother it'll be when multitasking. Just checked my Xoom, and it has 700MB according to the system panel app.

Edit: also checked my gf's LG Optimus, and it has 425MB of RAM available!

With android memory management don't always think of things as more available RAM is always better. Having apps you use often already loaded in RAM can be faster than having to load it every time it is used. One of the reasons task killers aren't recommended. For example, just looked on my EVO and I have 140meg of RAM available. It runs quite smoothly.

 

[AndroidOne]

But we are talking about RAM, not the ROM.

ROM is where you install apps. The Nexus has 1GB, which is decent.

RAM is where apps go when you are using them. So the more ram, the smoother it'll be when multitasking. Just checked my Xoom, and it has 700MB according to the system panel app.

Edit: also checked my gf's LG Optimus, and it has 425MB of RAM available!

You are correct, you were talking about RAM, my mistake.

I agree with the previous poster, Android is quite efficient in terms on RAM management to perform its multitasking functions. As him I have also noticed my Evo (and Epic) running with free RAM numbers below 200 with no problems.

Android memory management automatically closes idle processes and programs when there is need for additional RAM to execute a new request (run a program for example). If you want to "reclaim" some of the RAM in use, you can manually close programs in memmory that you opened and are no longer using. However, be aware that many programs will keep a process idle on memory at all times if it needs to perform some periodic function like sync information, update a widget and others. So even if you close them, they are likely to open and install the process again.

As you, I was quite worried about this memory level when I started on Android - coming from WM, memory was always an issue as it impacted performance in a major way. Overtime and after lots of research I learned more about how this works and discovered there is little penalty for "low RAM" in Android as opposed to WM.