W4LLY

Before you start rolling your eyes and bashing me, I've been here on the forums since I got my Eris the day before thanksgiving and have tried my best to help and share all knowledge gained and offered my tips and services. I've been with the phone now for 3 months and love it, it's my baby <3. All this is is trying to optimize it to it's fullest. This is NOT a bashing thread, I just want some answers without "omg ur stupid lolz". There are a lot of intelligent people on here like Caddy and OTD, so I'd love to hear what you all have to say.

I've honestly been quiet on here lately because I dont' really have any problems with my phone :P. Like i said, this is me just wanting to know the trust/best way to use my phone.

I read OTD's Signature link to "Why you shouldn't use a Task Killer"

It all makes sense to me. I understand that the coding does it's job and auto-kills things. I'm scared though, and want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong.

I have been using Advanced Task Manager for a while, and it's the only thing that keeps my phone from lagging to a halt.

Maybe you guys' can help me understand my phone better, so I won't have to rely on this.

This is what I have at the moment:

providers.htccdma
Quick Calander (Exclude from end all)
Foursqure
Start Up Auditor (Exclude)**
Handscent (Exclude)
ATM
Beautiful Widgets (Exclude)

Free MEM: 34mb, Number of Processes: 7.

The process tab also has stuff like Sense running, but also Stocks (which I dont use..but if i kill it, they come back).

Now, when I start my phone up, with all things killed, the most I ever saw was 80mb.

1.) Do we know what the memory capacity is on this device, or if this information is even close to accurate?

2.) I notice that when the phone get's down below what it is now, it starts to lag a bit. Is this just me.

3.) Am I doing something wrong? If so, PLEASE tell me.

I love my phone, the only thing I can say bad about it at all is the random bits of lagging up. I know some don't experience this, but I don't know.

*I've been using Start Up Auditor, and it does a good job of keeping the default message program from popping up as well as a few other things. Is it bad of me to be doing this, since the system will automatically do it?

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Last edited by W4LLY; 02-07-2010 at 12:09 AM.

Scynthetic78

Have you tried clearing your cache?

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ericlmccormick

A task killer is good for occasional use, like when you first boot or you install something that goes rouge. Outside of that, the system will take care of itself. The only thing I have really had a problem with are home replacements. I have tried a bunch and even though most are cool, they make the system lag like crazy for the most part. And the only other time I have had lag is when running multiple things that take a lot of CPU cycles and bandwidth. Such as running Pandora, Waze and Browser all at the same time.
Some programs really do not like being shut down through a task killer, one of these is Locale, great program, worth the money, but if I kill it accidentally through a 3rd party program I have to reboot the phone before it starts up again.
Most programs, when not in use don't use any cycles but the killing and restarting will use cycles and therefore can kill your battery faster. If you have a problem with they system lagging, use a task manager to see which program is causing the problem and kill only that. Also make sure that when you exit out of program, you use the back button and not home, it makes a difference.
Hope this helps

W4LLY

I have 0 Battery issues. My battery always get's me trough the day. I do use the back button to close out.

I like my kill-switch. Because sometimes I don't have time to wait for the phone to kill the idle tasks by itself...and i need to use my phone to look something up quickly, or answer a call.

Last edited by W4LLY; 02-07-2010 at 01:21 AM.

pjwren13

I understand the whole process of using the back button to exit out of most programs but what about the browser if you hit the back button it goes back to the previous viewed page?

jamezelle

to start off "bash bash roll eyes.....oh and your stupid" JUST KIDDING!!!


nah but seriously

1) ram the max is 288MB source HTC Droid Eris (HTC Desire) Specs | Technical Specifications | PDAdb.net - Comprehensive Database of PDA, PDA Phone, Smartphone, PNA & Mobile Device Specifications (ooh a link to back me up....not trolling )
but of course the android core (acore) takes up a lot as well as the radio (calls data sms) yea that all uses ram! so for apps running we have a lot less to work with.

2) yea at that point it will bog a bit

3) no....your not. when we get root and you run a basic android rom it will fly because sense takes a lot of ram to run. so it can lag sometimes.

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aleis

i just found the widget for advanced task killer lol
my only thing is, i use google listen, tunewiki with keepscreen. if i forget and leave these running...android does not kill them. the battery dies before then do!
keepscreen makes it so that the screen stays on for whatever app u specify. i need that so when im using google maps it doesnt go to sleep. or when im using tunewiki while driving the screen stays up so i can change music.
its MY preference. so if i get a call and forget to close those apps (which by the way do not have dedicated end or close options) i have to use taskmanager or they will drain my battery. so for me it works, i am past the point of debating it.
so, do whatever works best for your applications.

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jkmasi

providers.htccdma -Can anyone tell me what this is?

I uninstalled Beautiful widgets because I think it caused sudden bouts of crippling lag. I haven't had lag so severely since I uninstalled.

rmartin27

When the eris gets to 30mb or less is when you will see your lag. I normally boot up with 103mb after I turn it on and then kill my apps. Clearing your browser cache is important. I do mine about everyday.

W4LLY

Yea, been doing the cache thing, no biggie. I do want to know what the provider is.

I understand that Sense takes up alot of ram/causes lag...but that's one of the 2 main reasons I got this and not a droid or the Motorola Devour.

Frisco

Yes. And I'm not sure what the advantage of that is; I tested it by simply browsing the web for a while, backing out via hitting the back arrow, then checking the cache.

Then cleared the cache, browsed the exact same news pages (CNN and CBS News), killed the browser on the last page by hitting the home button, then checked the cache and it was within a few kilos of the same size as when backing out.

So, the cache stores it all and needs to be cleared irrespective of how the browser is exited. My question is similar to yours; what advantage is there in backing out of the browser? There may be one, but it is not reducing the cache size (which would seem obvious anyway, but I did want to be sure and tested it, this being a phone device and not my laptop computer).

OfTheDamned

With the browser the main reason to back out is that the cpu does not continue to run as it does when you simply hit the home button. When you close out on a static page (like the google homepage) the memory is set free a little more quickly than with other pages. Pages that have flash and constant updating tend to remain open for a while longer in the memory.

These have been my findings at any rate. I am sure that someone will come along to argue with everything I just said shortly.

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W4LLY

OTD: Do you know what the providers.htc is?

Also, I'm curious what apps you run on a typical basis, if that's not too intrusive.

OfTheDamned

Do you mean com.htc.providers? I think this has something to do with the web connections for peep, weather, etc. The only thing I have really ever seen about it is when someone has a problem with a "connected" htc application.

The apps that I run on a fairly regular basis are:

Aldiko Reader
Ambling BookPlayer
Astraware Sudoku
Browser
Documents to Go
FeedR
EasyMoney
Gentle Alarm
Google Talk
Gmail
Magic 8-Ball
Million Dollar Poker
Music Junk
OI Safe
Pandora
Peep
People
Shazam
Shop Savvy
Slacker
Speed Forge 3D
SportsTap
Texas Hold'em Red Poker Club
USA Today
Google Voice
Waze
WeatherBug Elite
Wolrd Poker Tour

Widgets:
Photo Album
Music Player
HTC toggles - Wifi, Bluetooth, Gps, Mobile
SportsTap
Clock/weather
Calendar (mini version)
People (mini version)
Bookmarks
Peep
HTC battery

Frisco

Great info. Was that tested by monitoring the CPU? If so, how?

OfTheDamned

I noticed it when I had Astro on my phone at one point.

cmack

I posted the following text on another thread. Simply put, this elaborates on what OTD is saying about backing out:


Try an experiment and you will no longer question yourself:

First, make sure you have Astro file manager on your phone. Then the first time, open your web browser and browse around and hit the home key. Go into Astro -> Processes and see what the CPU is (who cares about the memory, the CPU is what will slow the phone down). When I did this, my browser was using 56% of the CPU.

Now go back to the browser, browse around and hit the back button to get out (or open a new window, close the window you were using and then back out). Now open Astro and see what your CPU is at. Mine is at 0% when I do that.

Hope this helps.

pjwren13

OTD with all those programs how much storage memory do you have left. I uninstalled a few programs I liked having but rarely used because my internal phone memory got down to about 68 % remaining and I thought that it might be causing the phone to lag. With all those programs how much do you have left?

OfTheDamned

Just looked and I am at 56 right now. I have not cleared my cache today though and I have been online a bit. Those aren't all my apps though. Most of mine don't take up too much room though. The big ones for me are speed forge (7Mb), docs2go (7Mb) and word poker tour (5.5Mb). Most of the others are 2 Mb and below.

smacky

Really? I know you get lag, but it doesn't bother you how bad it is with all that running?

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Ryobi

I call BS. Backing out of the browser does absolutely nothing.

OfTheDamned

Not all of that is running. Those are just the apps I run on a regular basis. I really don't have any lag, with the exception of the keyboard in landscape.

BTW, I just cleared my cache and I have 67 Mb free now. Also, I noticed that Waze is up to 6 Mb and Slacker is up to 4 Mb. Since both of these store data and not cache the will be uninstalled and reinstalled later tonight.

Ok, if that is what you prefer to believe. I go by what I have done and what works for me. Since I always back out of the browser and I don't have any problems then I will stick with it. You do what you like.

Ryobi

TaskPanel Lite all the way baby! Give it a try, it won't bite.

OfTheDamned

Do I look like someone that is afraid of things biting? :P

I really don't need any of that stuff on my phone. It runs just fine on its own.

patches152

just as a sort of point of reference, i cleared my cache (it's set to 6MB max in the browser settings, idk how much of that it was actually using) and my app memory went from like 23-26MB all the way up to 36MB.

i'm an ex-blackberry user and i sort of got the app memory/check open apps OCD from that, but i'm learning quickly to forget it and just use the phone.

so as far as performance slipping, should we even use a task killer or will an occasional reboot suffice?

hrbib21

The problem with a reboot alone is that most of the apps on your phone will be running afterwards. I use ATM to kill them after restart.

OfTheDamned

How often are you guys restarting your phones? I hardly ever restart mine.

vido.ardes

If you can't have a discussion without fighting, don't post. This constant bickering between members is scaring away newer users and it has stop.

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Frisco

I can't see what you're talking about, moderator. Honest. I've read the entire thread this morning and have learned a bit from it.

No disrespect to you intended, but where is the "bickering?" This thread looks productive; users are offering their experiences.

(back on topic)

OTD asked, "How often are you guys restarting your phones? I hardly ever restart mine."

Mine gets rebooted after the browser cache is cleared, and that's done at random times now when I've noticed I've been using the browser a lot. It's an old habit from the way I use my computer (when the Windows 7 hard drive is in, and back in the early days of Windows .. I now use Mint Linux by default and don't do the reboot thing with that OS).

Caddyman

i restart my phone maybe every 5th day or longer.

i do use ATM, the kill switch widget, maybe 1 or 2 times a day...other then that there is no task management.

i do not back out of the browser cause i always forget too, in dolphin you can hold the back key and it will give you quit options

i get good battery life (easy 1 day)

i get very little lag, even running known laggers (like dxtop)

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aleis

i do whats not popular, use atm dont back out browser and do not clear cache. my phone still smooth.
when it does get laggy...kill button

OfTheDamned

You rebel!

BTW, I don't believe that ATM will get rid of the cache. Clearing it may reduce your lag.

aleis

i dont get too much lag...i think that has to do with using the dolphin browser setting it to save to the SD.
i dont clear that either...
waiting for android to get like winmo to have an app to clear ALL cache!
wait...is it one?
SOMEONE LET ME KNOW!

OfTheDamned

I think there is an app that will do that, but it is only available to those with root access.

aleis

this slightly makes me wanna cry...i mean...why is it that the eris is the last android phone to be rooted!
i cannot WAIT until the nexus one is on verizon...or the HTC incredible!
then, soon as they drop the eris will get rooted that day lmao!

W4LLY

FTR: I cleared my cache, and freed up 2 mbs.I don't use my browser alot. Still at around 32mb on average with everything I want to be running running. :-/

OfTheDamned

Can you list your apps W4lly and the mb per app? Maybe we can see something that could be causing problems.

jason721

What is ATM?

Frisco

An unneeded (for most users) application called Advanced Task Manager.

aleis

wow its really becoming "The advance task manager people Vs The NO task manager people"

i think its a great task manager that manages your apps that are running. you can kill them by shaking the phone setting intervals to automatically kill task or just hit end task. u can also make a widget to have one touch kill all. and you can exclude apps that u do not want to be killed.

JrzDroid

come check out YES, you need a task killer app for the Eris. PERIOD.
you'll see how heated the TK vs. NO TK is going

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OfTheDamned

See that is just it. I am not really against task killers, I am just against others forcing them down people's throats. When someone tells another user that they NEED to install a task killer/manager I think they need to reevaluate that. The first step towards determining a problem is to find out the source and then figure out the treatment. If someone finds out that they need a task killer/manager on their phone after that, then good for them. Why the nut job started targeting me as the one to be proven wrong I have no idea.

Frisco

You can have your garage filled with day-glow surfboard polish.

You can make potato and chopped ham soup instead of coffee in the morning.

You can dress up like Darth Vader when you go to church.

You can do all sorts of things that others don't feel the need to do.

And it's free.

pjwren13

Ok, I would like to know whats up with this? On my phone right now using Astro Process Manager my phone is showing only 28 mbs of RAM. The processes running are as following:
Google Partner Setup - 11.05 mbs
Touch Input - 16.35 mbs
System Tray Monitor - 11.70 mbs
Calender - 12.65 mbs
Add Program Activity - 12.87 mbs
Android System - 25.18 mbs
PC Synchronization - 12.40 mbs
Lookout Mobile Security - 12.45 mbs
WeatherBug Elite - 19.57 mbs
Visual VM - 14.05 mbs
Dialer - 19.98 mbs
LocBot Pro - 15.02 mbs
Browser - 19.22 mbs
Mail - 16.07 mbs
Gmail 14.13 mbs
Messages - 15.91 mbs
HTC Sense - 29.95 mbs
Astro - 16.73 mbs
AudioManager - 11.50 mbs

Now my Phone has been sitting here idle for about 10 mins or so and is lagging terribly. Should the system be shutting some things down to free some of that memory back up or do I just have to open another program so that it will reallocate some of the memory? My Eris, which btw I think kicks ass runs at about this much RAM everyday. I would love to know how all these people have 50, 60, 70 mbs of RAM constantly?

OfTheDamned

How much CPU are those using?

pjwren13

When I touch the screen to scroll thru in Astro I get 63 on Astro and 25 on Android System the rest are mostly 0 with and occasional 1 here or there. Not touching the screen and it goes down to 8 Astro and 6 Android System.

mhotovec

I'd say you need to clear some cache. My browser is only holding 6.87mb, and 4.49 of that is cache (which I just cleared). Your mail, gmail and messages are holding more ram than mine also, but I suppose that could be data and not just cache.

In case you don't know, you can clear your cache in settings/applications. Sort them by size then start looking at/clearing the cache of the apps that are taking up the most space.

OfTheDamned

I just downloaded Astro real quick and pulled up the process manager.

Looking at apps CPU/Mem:
Touch input 0/14.05
Messages 0/10.49
Google Voice 0/9.38
Dialer 1/17.34
Settings 0/11.31
Mail 0/10.77
Android system 9/25.77
PC Synchronization 0/10.22
HTC Sense 0/31.25
Clock 0/10.38
Calendar 0/12.98
SportsTap 0/15.23
FeedR 0/11.09
WeatherBug Elite 0/11.49
EasyMoney 0/11.06
Slacker 0/10.39
Astro 13/15.83

I am pretty sure this is talking about actual RAM usage though. I am showing 68 MB of ROM free right now, which is what others are probably talking about too.

pjwren13

I think they are too. But as you know ROM is where the program is stored, RAM is what the program is using to run smoothly, and CPU usage is what percentage the processor is allocating towards a given process. If you a process is working really hard then it will have a high CPU usage. That's why you would see the CPU usage go up say when you open a program. But the RAM is what is actually getting used when multiple programs are running. The more RAM you have the more programs you can run or the faster an individual program can run. Thats always been my understanding if I'm wrong in that with the Android system please let me know. Linux Is a new system for me. I'm more used to how Windows works.