Motorola MPx Will Have an Unusual Memory Arrangement

Possibly the most highly-anticipated device of this year is the Motorola MPx, an upcoming cellular-wireless Pocket PC that skirts the line between a handheld and a smartphone. Though Motorola officially announced this device last month, some details about it are still coming to light.

Kevin Goulet, Motorola's director of product operation, has given an interview with WebTalk Radio in which he said that the MPx will use a Texas Instruments OMAP 200 MHz processor. It will have 64 MB of ROM and 32 MB of RAM.

Non-typical Memory Setup

On a typical Pocket PC, this 32 MB of RAM would be shared between programs and files being stored and running applications, while much of the 64 MB of ROM would be devoted to holding the operating system, with whatever is left over going to additional Storage for the user.

However, Jonathan Blackwell, a communications software developer, reported in the Pocket PC Thoughts forums that the MPx will be anything but a typical device.

According to Mr. Blackwell, all of the 64 MB of ROM on this upcoming wireless device will be devoted to holding the user's applications and files. The operating system will be stored elsewhere. The 32 MB of RAM will only be used to hold currently running programs, an arrangement similar to the one used by desktop computers.

The primary advantage of this setup is, if the handheld undergoes a hard reset, none of the files and programs stored on the device will be lost. The disadvantage is that the user won't be able to change the amount of memory devoted to Storage or running applications, as can be done on current Pocket PCs.

The MPx will run the recently-announced Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, which Mr. Blackwell says has the ability to handle this unusual arrangement built into it. If he's correct, it seems likely that other future handhelds will use it.

More about the MPx

With its dual hinges, the MPx will take advantage of the Windows Mobile 2003 SE's ability to switch on the fly between portrait and landscape modes, but its display will be at the standard resolution of 240 by 320 pixels. The MPx's screen is going to be 2.8 inches, well below what many Pocket PC users are accustomed to.

It's going to be 3.9 inches long, 2.4 inches wide, and .95 inches thick (99.7 x 61.2 x 24 mm). It will weigh 6.15 ounces (174 g).

As well as both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the MPx will be able to connect to GSM/GPRS wireless networks for voice and data. It will support 900/1800/1900 MHz, which is bad news for Americans, many of whom depend on 850 MHz for good connections.

It will have an SD slot for additional storage. This will support SDIO, allowing the MPx to use non-memory peripherals that attach via the SD slot.

According to Motorola, this cellular-wireless device's battery is good for either 180 minutes of talk time or 140 hours of stand-by time.

In Europe, it will cost 749 euros, which converts to about $910 U.S. Of course, this is the cost before any subsidies from wireless carriers.

Motorola is expected to release this device sometime around the middle of this year. It is not yet known which wireless carriers will offer it.

Related Links

• Brighthand's First Impressions of the Motorola MPx
• RumorMill™: Sony Ericsson Developing P900 Replacement