From XsysInfo to Sys Actvity?
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Tim SPRACKLEN
iPF Noob
Thanks for that; let us know how you get on with this.
Tim
Tim
jsh1120
iPF Noob
Just wondering. I purchased Xsysinfo before it was neutered and then unfortunately lost its functionality with the update. But frankly, I never really found it necessary to use it except on very rare occasions. In fact, I think I've "freed" memory on my iPad 2 perhaps three times in the six months I've owned the device. I do reboot the entire system fairly regularly (old habits die hard) so perhaps that's the reason, but I'm thinking this functionality may be more useful on the original iPad than on the iPad 2 with more memory. Thoughts?
I think you're on to something, jsh1120. I use XSysInfo all the time - but I have an iPad1, so I feel I need it.
In defense of XSysInfo, it has gotten yet another update. Now, you pull the screen down (similar to pulling down to refresh) and it'll clean the memory. It's not as good as the original version - it's slower to clean and you don't have the deep clean option - but at least it does some of what it did in the first place.
Since I managed to keep the older version, I would be interested to see if Sys Activity does better than either version of XSysInfo. Problem is, for $1.99 (USD), I'm not that interested.
Anyone have both?
Cause yeah, it goes back to the fact that I like to use a RAM cleaner on my iPad1, seems to make stuff run better (with less crashing).
Marilyn
In defense of XSysInfo, it has gotten yet another update. Now, you pull the screen down (similar to pulling down to refresh) and it'll clean the memory. It's not as good as the original version - it's slower to clean and you don't have the deep clean option - but at least it does some of what it did in the first place.
Since I managed to keep the older version, I would be interested to see if Sys Activity does better than either version of XSysInfo. Problem is, for $1.99 (USD), I'm not that interested.
Anyone have both?Cause yeah, it goes back to the fact that I like to use a RAM cleaner on my iPad1, seems to make stuff run better (with less crashing).
Marilyn
jsh1120
iPF Noob
Thanks, Marilyn. I hadn't noticed the feature you mentioned. In fact, I've paid almost no attention to XSysInfo since it was neutered. Didn't realize it had been updated yet again. As you note, it clears a substantial amount of memory. (Just tried it and it went from 77MB to nearly 300MB free.) On the other hand, unless one is running up against the limit there's no real advantage to having "free" memory. And with one or two possible exceptions over the last six months I haven't found anything "crashing" on my iPad 2. I say "possible" because those were cases where the system appeared to be either freezing or unstable. Simply rebooting solved the problem.
I do resent some of the limitations of Apple's pseudo-multitasking but I have to say that on the whole the benefit is an extremely stable OS. Almost nothing I've been able to do upsets it.
I do resent some of the limitations of Apple's pseudo-multitasking but I have to say that on the whole the benefit is an extremely stable OS. Almost nothing I've been able to do upsets it.
OP
OP
info
iPF Novice
I had not noticed the update to XSysInfo either. I have both programs but don't think that they are both necessary (after iOS 5 neither may be needed). Sys Avtivity might have been worth it if XSysInfo had not repaired the memory cleaner... and Sys Activity does not do deep cleaning.
On the iPad 2, XSysInfo seemed a bit buggy before, it made the screen flash as it was clearing the memory and that may have been a symptom of why they had to make a modification. While Sys Activity is a bit more visually appealing, it does not support landscape mode. It does recover memory very smoothly though, at least it says it does. I believe that these programs may help us avoid constant rebooting.
On the iPad 2, XSysInfo seemed a bit buggy before, it made the screen flash as it was clearing the memory and that may have been a symptom of why they had to make a modification. While Sys Activity is a bit more visually appealing, it does not support landscape mode. It does recover memory very smoothly though, at least it says it does. I believe that these programs may help us avoid constant rebooting.
Thanks for the info on how to use XSysinfo in it's new guise. I hadn't been able to find any information on the developer nor updates since it was pulled from iTunes. Having paid for the App originally, I presume that iTunes is unable to delete it from existing users, but it does raise the question of compensation if iTunes unilaterally bins or removes functionality from an app that thousands of users have paid for when it was sanctioned by iTunes!
Huh. I did not know XSysInfo was gone from the App Store. Wonder what happened?
Sometimes, apps get pulled as the developer fixes it or updates it (Gmail anyone?). Then they come back. Sometimes, they just get pulled, never to return. Wonder which one it is in this case.
Regardless, I believe you can request a refund of the app purchase from Apple. I've never tried...
Marilyn
Sometimes, apps get pulled as the developer fixes it or updates it (Gmail anyone?). Then they come back. Sometimes, they just get pulled, never to return. Wonder which one it is in this case.
Regardless, I believe you can request a refund of the app purchase from Apple. I've never tried...
Marilyn
jsh1120
iPF Noob
I'm surprised about its disappearance, as well. My guess is that whatever Apple found to be unacceptable in the first version (which led to neutering the app) may not have been fully corrected in the second version. Or, as Marilyn suggests, it may just be a temporary elimination to fix problems or add features. Revisions for iOS 5 may well be the issue. I have noticed that Xsysinfo appears to "crash" frequently since the iOS 5 update. Not sure if that is actually the case or whether the use of the task killer just kills the Xsysinfo app when it's done its job. In any event, that, too, may be the source of pulling it.
Have to admit that (as I may have mentioned in a previous post) as an iPad 2 owner I've not found Xsysinfo's task killing feature to be much more effective than those "close door" buttons on elevators that mollify the occupants but don't accomplish anything. YMMV if you're an iPad 1 owner with only half as much actual memory to use. (God, I hate Apples confusing reference to "memory" when they mean storage rather than RAM.)
In general, Apple's (again misleading) approach to "multi-tasking" should not require the use of a task killer. (That's actually true in the Android world, as well, but that's another discussion.) However, I suspect that as applications have been added and rewritten to take advantage of the 500K RAM available in the iPad 2 and as people have simply added more and more apps to their iPad 1's, the memory management in the iPad 1 may not be as successful as it was when the original iPad was introduced. Thus, apps like Xsysinfo may be more beneficial for iPad 1 owners than for those who have iPad 2's.
On a related topic, if I'm not mistaken (and I may be) I think the price of "Sys Activity" has been reduced to $.99 from $1.99. I haven't used it but it claims to have the same functionality as Xsysinfo. So that remains an alternative for those who are OCD about freeing memory. (Have to admit I'm often one of those folks though I'm not convinced it's worthwhile.)
Have to admit that (as I may have mentioned in a previous post) as an iPad 2 owner I've not found Xsysinfo's task killing feature to be much more effective than those "close door" buttons on elevators that mollify the occupants but don't accomplish anything. YMMV if you're an iPad 1 owner with only half as much actual memory to use. (God, I hate Apples confusing reference to "memory" when they mean storage rather than RAM.)
In general, Apple's (again misleading) approach to "multi-tasking" should not require the use of a task killer. (That's actually true in the Android world, as well, but that's another discussion.) However, I suspect that as applications have been added and rewritten to take advantage of the 500K RAM available in the iPad 2 and as people have simply added more and more apps to their iPad 1's, the memory management in the iPad 1 may not be as successful as it was when the original iPad was introduced. Thus, apps like Xsysinfo may be more beneficial for iPad 1 owners than for those who have iPad 2's.
On a related topic, if I'm not mistaken (and I may be) I think the price of "Sys Activity" has been reduced to $.99 from $1.99. I haven't used it but it claims to have the same functionality as Xsysinfo. So that remains an alternative for those who are OCD about freeing memory. (Have to admit I'm often one of those folks though I'm not convinced it's worthwhile.)
