SoftRAM

SoftRAM and SoftRam95 are computer programs, of which manufacturers claimed that they can " double " the available memory in Windows without additional hardware. But it turned out that the program is not able to influence at all the memory management. The developers Syncronys clarified in July 1996 with the FTC, the indictment has been filed in connection with the employment benefits of the program. The software received the 2006 PC World magazine entitled " Third Worst technical product of all time".

SoftRAM

SoftRAM was developed for the Windows 3.x operating system. The program came in May 1995 to market and sold over 100,000 times.

Most memory problems at the former Windows version, have been caused by the lowest megabyte of memory, the conventional memory by this became full. Windows dismissed for this reason, for each program, launched a program segment prefix ( PSP) to. Some utilities DLLs refused the assignment in this memory area, in order to have more conventional memory for other programs. In the programming, the PC was a standard procedure which was used by other memory optimization programs. SoftRAM also promised to increase the memory by data compression. This also related to the virtual memory that is swapped out for lack of space on the hard disk, increasing the number of read and write accesses should be reduced to the swap file. In addition, the page file has been increased to a setting that can make even the normal PC user.

SoftRam95

SoftRam95 is designed for Windows 95 and came August 1995 on the market. Syncronys sold more than 600,000 packets at a list price of 170 DM (USD 79.95, GBP 60).

After the start of sales of Windows 95 was quick to announce that the operating system is very " memory hungry " and at least 4 megabytes of RAM, better still 8 MB ​​needed to run smoothly. Syncronys SoftRAM marketed as the cheaper alternative to buying memory, for those computer systems which would otherwise have difficulty to use Windows 95 because of the lack of memory at all.

Investigation by the FTC

The German computer magazine c't analyzed in December 1995, the program and found out that it does not even begin to try to provide the function for which it was advertised. In operation SoftRAM can process the data unchanged by the device driver, ie precisely at the location where the data should be compressed so as to comply with the promised program function. The supplied driver is really just a slightly modified version of Microsoft's "Windows Development Kit ". Nevertheless SoftRAM feigns greater system resources by 3.1 secretly increased the swap file on Windows and corrupted the system status. Additionally there is a wrongly set debug flag that the source code was compiled. Thus, the program is run compared to the original Microsoft drivers significantly slower. Another test from PC Magazine revealed that SoftRAM requires the same time to process the data, as well as the RAM size to verändern.Dies led the technical editor for the evaluation that was " SoftRAM free of any function". Further analysis from Dr. Dobb 's Journal came to the same devastating result. Investigations of PC World found that the program only increases the size of the disk cache. Experienced PC users can manage easily without the need for money has to be spent on a special program likewise. In addition Syncronys used on the packaging the "Designed for Windows 95 " logo, although SoftRAM was not certified by Microsoft.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began in late 1995 with their investigation. She came to the conclusion that Syncronys ' advertising statement " false and misleading " is. They also noted that "neither SoftRam95 the RAM on a Windows 95 PC enlarged still a working speed acceleration, memory expansion or other measurable acceleration program on a Windows 95 PC generates. ". The survey asked the manufacturer in December 1995 to a product recall of SoftRAM and SoftRam95. Several end users sued Syncronys. The company agreed with both the customers as well as with the FTC in 1996. As part of the settlement with the FTC Synconys agreed to give for other products from their home every software buyer discounts.

Syncronys introduced in 1999, finally filing for insolvency after other software products had due to their poor quality sold poorly. A large number of creditors were customers, who until then had not yet received any discounts for the purchase of SoftRAM.

Footnotes

Credentials

  • CNN: Software Allegedly doubles trouble instead of memory
  • "Placebo forte " - c't to SoftRam95
  • SoftRam95: " False and Misleading " (Andrew Schulman 's archive page )
  • Inside SoftRAM 95 Analysis by Mark Russinovich, Bryce Cogswell, and Andrew Schulman
  • The 25 Worst Tech Products SoftRAM ranked third worst tech product by PC World.
  • Overheard about ... SoftRAM 95
  • Windows software
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