2nd App Review_A fresh look at the newest Aerize Loader V 1.1.0

[elfaure]

If you are reading this for the first time, go to the end of this thread and read "180 Turn-My Final Words". This initial write up is flawed.
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This is the second review for this application. I am presenting this review as a fresh look at a very promising appliation that can, in many ways, break thru the memory limitations typically found on RIM devices. A previous review of an older version of this software can be found here also.

Keep in mind the previous review is of an older version 1.0.0 of this same software. If you choose to read the previous review, be forwarned that the software has been upgraded since that time and the current offering V 1.2.0_2008 version is fully functional and is highlighted in this review.

What is Aerize Card Loader. Well in my opinion it's the best and most widely misunderstood berry app there is. It's the app we've all been waiting for. It's an app that allows you to STORE (not run, execute) third party apps on your media card! You can think of the media card (Micro SD or SDHC) just like a PC hard drive. Programs get stored here. They don't run here (No OS or mobile device can execute from Micro HD type NAND flash memory). From here they get loaded into executable memory, an entirely different kind called NOR flash memory, and executed.

Relevent to this discusiion is and indepth understanding of EEPROM based flash memory types and limitations. First internal device flash random acesss memory (ram) is NOR type flash memory. This is byte addressible memory, the kind programs execute in. Information can be written and erased byte by byte, or one byte at a time. This is the internal memory type on all RIM devices. Size is limited to 256Mb for this type of flash memory.

Micro SD(HC) flash memory is the NAND type, which is block addressible memory. Programs CANNOT RUN IN IT, but programs and databases can be stored on it. Furthermore, programs that are executed in NOR flash can address and read and write data to databases stored in NAND flash.

How this program buys you memory (file free) is that it stores programs on Micro HD rather than device internal memory and then loades from Micro HD into device (exectutable, NOR flash).

Now it gets a bit tricky. Some apps like BBSmart Alerts, monitors that watch other events, apps that load on startup, or any app that goes TSR (terminate and stay resident) typically sees no gain in my eye. Because when these apps are ended (closed, terminated) they are still resident in memory. Basically any app that still shows up on the switch application ribbon. These are all of your TSR's that are running, if you've closed all running applications. Like the phone, messages, messenger, these apps and similar behaving apps cannot be closed once opened. The only way to get back this memory is to reboot, wiping the RAM (volitle) memory.

So this is huge folks. Think about this. How many themes do you have loaded eating up valuable (executable) memory space? You can only load one at a time, yet to store them you have to take up internal memory. Not any more. What about those oodles of free and paid widget or productivity apps you've got? How many do you actually load and run during each uptime session? Just a few right? Now you can move (most) of them over to Micro HD.

Most apps I've tested work fine loaded on Micro HD. Memoryup. Google Maps, Themes, nearly everthing that is NOT TSR you can see gains in offing to the card. The only app I've found that wouldn't card load was Virusguard.

Although some apps do glitchy things (erronious nuicance errors but they still run like when I loaded MemoryUp it sees 0Mb file free at initial launch and beeps, but it runs fine after that and showns the correct amount of used and free mem). The apps I still DM load are MemoryEye, BBAlerts, and Beamreader, BBlight. Basically anthing that is either a monitor or sms server I DM load. The rest is off to the card.

Just a heads up. I'm booting into over 24Mb file free and have 82 installed apps. This software really works if you understand it's limitations and play games with it's configuration and selectively choose with apps to NOT load with it. Internal memory is limited by design type to 256 Mb. External flash is really not. If you can't have fun in 8 or 16Gb of flash (that's 32 or 64 times the fun you are having right now), go get a laptop and a pocket Seagate FreeAgent!

I hope this review will stimulate others to check this awesome SW out and share their gains (or losses), sucesses (or failures). My trail is over and I'm buying this SW tomorrow. I think it's 20 and I'd gladly pay 5 times. I am quite impressed.

Edit: I just bought it and it was only 9.99 list and out the door for 7.99 after a "mh20off" coupon was applied. What a steal.

It's also worth noting that I'm non-BES and was able to delete
S/MIME
MDS
DOD Certificates
BB Maps
BB Messenger
From my OS in order to achive these results with 82 installed apps on a 32Mb NOR RAM device (83xx).

Yes I have a bluetooth keyboard. Thumbs ain't sore.

Edit: I am running V 1.2.0 not V 1.1.0 as previously cited. The software says the former while the included manual says the latter. I have updated this post but can't edit the poll to reflect the current software version.

Also I found two different "allow" permissions for browser filtering and am using the smaller text option due to some OTA download error "Incorrect Password!" Issue I found involved with the new option to "save to SD Card" during an OTA download. I will look into this with Aerize and report back.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BatterdStarfish]

Good review must of taken you ages writing all that on your BB.

I would of used this, but it only holds the data. Still uses up my precious Storm Memory

[elfaure]

Anyone who thinks my thumbs must be sore is mistaken. This Freedom bluetooth KB rocks!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[YaBoiD]

Thanks for the review. The only point in which your mistaken is your statement regarding no OS or Mobile device being able to(execute,run) apps from the micro sd card. The Windows Mobile devices do have that option.

[elfaure]

Android Can Not Run Applications from a Memory Card - Brighthand.com Smartphone and PDA Discussion Forums

"No OS can execute programs from MicroHD (NAND FLASH MEMORY)"
Including WM and Android.

It's due to the fact that programs require a memory structure that allows addressing on a byte level independant of OS. The "exec" bit plays into what you claim but you are incorrect. Program bits that change cannot be updated in NAND flash. Only NOR flash. Every OS loads programs into NOR flash to run.

Associated databases that support 256K or higher block data transfer can be split off from their parant app by the card loader and allowed to be READ FROM OR WRITTEN TO while remaining in NAND flash.

(Note: I may have bit and byte transposed in places. I never could get that straight. )

Android Can Not Run Applications from a Memory Card - Brighthand.com Smartphone and PDA Discussion Forums

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[elfaure]

Why don't any comments I got or replies I post show up here on this thread?

Edit: Oh, that's what threaded mode does. Don't like that. Back to linear mode. I was wondering what the difference was...

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[digitalb0y]

I need a poll option for "I do this instead:"

http://forums.crackberry.com/f35/sto...loader-222293/

[elfaure]

No that is not how Aerize works.

It works just like your OS in terms of transparancy. Once the apps are loaded ONCE to the card they install a hook to a homescreen icon on your desktop that is just a small graphic icon that gets loaded into NOR RAM everytime you reboot.

So once installed they are there until you delete them. Each time the app is launched the mem hook links to the SD stored app and then loads it into RAM from SD. When you close out the program, so long as it's not a TSR, it will be removed from RAM but the hook is not. It remains there on the home screen as a TSR hook icon. This program can't be fully understood until you play with it for a day at least. This is the same way WM devices work less using MS software to do the same thing.

THanks for the info regarding saving OTA local copies.

[digitalb0y]

Okay. I will revise my post then. Thanks for the clarification, I should have tried or at least read more about Aerize. When I heard you have to reboot when "closing" apps and that they couldn't run from the card (because of the limitations you mention above) I didn't see the big deal. Hopefully someone will still find SD app installer storage useful, but I certainly don't have to position it like the Aerize app doesn't deserve a look. I am currently trying to learn better ways to potentially store more settings info in the .jad files. So maybe it will ultimately help people looking for similar functionality, but either way hopefully it will help the curious learn about the way apps are installed and run. That's what it's doing for me.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[elfaure]

That's probably the main reason I posted this. To get people like yourself talking to other people like mself about how they can use this app to their advantage one way or another.

The simple fact of storing installed apps on the SD card frees up the sum of all apps stored this way from RAM so you get memory back in this way. Everyone seems to be stuck on "the apps don't run off the card". Who really cares where they run so long as there's a significant mem gain by doing so? That's the real beauty in this app. The hook size is trivial.

[digitalb0y]

Well, it's not the hook size that bothers me to be honest. It's the fact that the nature of this type of solution necessitates reboots when closing a program.

I'll have to examine it but I think it would be much better if you could leave the integral parts on the sytem partition and only move the rest over while usung the app. That way when you close up shop, it would maintain speed and free up space without making you wait 5 minutes before you can use the phone again.

I think an option to optimize for your choice between seemless uptime vs maximum free space would make this app truly worthwhile to me.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[elfaure]

Very few apps require reboot after unload. Maybe 5 of my 82. For those that do just load those with DM. You can mix and match and it's all transparant. Get the demo. Play with it.

[elfaure]

Well I'm back to finish off this review, and I must admit, with my tail between my legs. I was fooled by this program, and the fact that my device utilities were giving me erronious feedback as some were not functioning properly, because they were card loaded. MemoryUp for example. I also found that Options_Status was incorrect in cases. My data was flawed. Then I saw the light.

Some of what I previously posted I found to be incorrect. Specifically with respect SAVING MEMORY and to my discussion of "HOOKS". There are no hooks. There is no memory saving technology here. Its just a .cod file app loader, and it loads them into your SVRAM from your SD card. That's it. Real simple. Consider it an on-device DM loader who's only difference (less not being able to load some programs and having some programs not function properly once loaded) is the file format of the source files. This program uses .cod files. DM uses .jad and .alx files. End of story. This program does nothing more than DM, and due to limitations described above, does less. You might also consider a list of OTA bookmarks on the device an alternative solution (less you need connectivity to load apps) and save yourself the coin.

The only practical use for this program is traveling without a laptop or PC access, you could unload some stuff, and load some other stuff in its place, on device. For that purpose I will still use it for. But only with a subset of apps that load and executre properly with the card loader.

This program will not "run" programs from the SD card, it will only load them into memory. This program will not save you any memory by using it. This program will not save you any memory loading programs, and in fact, may cost you some memory. Why I can't answer, but it has been my experience.

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The first review pretty much sums it up and is pretty much correct, less some bugs have been fixed. Save OTA to card now works, although it goes away from view while downloading sometimes, but it still saves the app to the card. You can find it here:

http://forums.crackberry.com/f35/aer...-review-60919/

And some other related reviews here:

Interesting Discovery Aerize Loader

New Aerize Card Loader 1.1.0 | BerryReview.com »

[elfaure]

Suggest we close this thread.
THKS