Firm releases Readyboost App for Windows XP

[Siliconbits]

I've just copied and paste the whole thing from their website. One license costs USD 30 and allows up to four USB drives to be connected and used as a cache. You've got a trial version on their website as well.

I have no link with them BTW (http://www.eboostr.com/).


Boost Windows XP with Flash Memory

MDO Ltd. announces the release of eBoostr, a complete replacement for Microsoft ReadyBoost technology for Windows XP.

Upgrade the performance of your PC without upgrading its components. Get ReadyBoost-like technology in Windows XP. Overcome ReadyBoost limitations and use up to four inexpensive flash devices to speed up your system. Add more speed to your PC without upgrading!

If you could improve the performance of your computer by upgrading just one item, that would be memory. Adding more RAM speeds up Windows and applications, allowing the system to access the hard disk less often. This is especially true for older PCs with 256 or 512 MB of RAM, and laptop computers with slow hard drives.

Upgrading computer components can be costly, and is not always possible. Buying and plugging a USB flash memory stick, on the other hand, is neither expensive nor complicated. That is why Microsoft developed a new technology called ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost uses flash memory plugged into a computer to enhance operating system responsiveness, decrease loading time, and improve computer performance.

Unfortunately, Microsoft ReadyBoost is only available in Windows Vista. Since the day Microsoft announced its ReadyBoost technology for Windows Vista, the company made it clear that no ReadyBoost upgrade will be released to support Windows XP and older operating systems.

eBoostr is a third-party implementation of speed-enhancing technology based on using flash memory to enhance the responsiveness and performance of a Windows XP computer. eBoostr works similar to Microsoft ReadyBoost, providing many of the same benefits to the end user.
Improved Performance with No Costly Hardware Upgrades

eBoostr improves the performance of any PC without having to upgrade its components or the operating system. Using flash memory allows Windows XP to access hard drives less frequently, which results in improved performance and responsiveness of Windows XP and all applications.
No ReadyBoost Limitations

ReadyBoost is a great technology, but it has its limitations. Its current incarnation does not support more than one flash memory stick or card at a time. ReadyBoost requires using fast flash memory that can be more expensive than the typical flash drive found on everyone?s desk. Finally, ReadyBoost helps the most to those with little amount of RAM installed, and provides slim benefits to PCs with a gigabyte or more of RAM.

eBoostr overcomes these limitations. While it works great with ReadyBoost Certified devices, eBoostr also supports slower, less expensive flash memory sticks and cards, allowing for a really inexpensive way to improve your computer performance. eBoostr is not limited to a single stick or card, and supports up to four flash units simultaneously. Finally, unlike ReadyBoost, eBoostr provides noticeable performance benefits even to PCs that are stuffed with RAM sticks to the max.
Laptop Friendly

Laptop computers benefit from reduced hard drive activities even more than their desktop siblings. Notebook hard drives are slower than desktop disks, and system responsiveness rises to the new level with the use of flash memory and eBoostr. Less hard drive access results in reduced power consumption, which leads to improved battery life. Work faster and longer on your Windows XP laptop with eBoostr!

 

[Nothinman]

Lovely, more snakeoil for people to ask about right next to the defrag threads...

 

[SunSamurai]

What a bunch of bullshit. How does a slow-ass USB drive constitute as a cache now?

Why dont I just fucking invent some new software that uses a floppy drive to improve the preformance of shutting these people the fuck up =D

 

[jonmcc33]

Originally posted by: aeternitas
What a bunch of bullshit. How does a slow-ass USB drive constitute as a cache now?

It's the same thing in Vista but now it's in Windows XP. Typically only computers with low amounts of RAM benefit. The funny thing is that RAM is so cheap these days I see no reason not to just upgrade that instead.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: jonmcc33

Originally posted by: aeternitas
What a bunch of bullshit. How does a slow-ass USB drive constitute as a cache now?

It's the same thing in Vista but now it's in Windows XP. Typically only computers with low amounts of RAM benefit. The funny thing is that RAM is so cheap these days I see no reason not to just upgrade that instead.

1) Makers of systems that are selling into the mass market are loading the units with the bare minimum that will work with Vista.

2) Many people that purchase such systems are very reluctant to open the case for fear voiding a warranty.

3) Many, if they open their systems, will balk at trying to remove a memory stick.
They would go to a Geek Squad or local store to upgrade the memory.

4) However, such people have no worries about plugging in a USB drive and running a CD installation if they think that it will help their systems running faster.

 

[jonmcc33]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
1) Makers of systems that are selling into the mass market are loading the units with the bare minimum that will work with Vista.

2) Many people that purchase such systems are very reluctant to open the case for fear voiding a warranty.

3) Many, if they open their systems, will balk at trying to remove a memory stick.
They would go to a Geek Squad or local store to upgrade the memory.

4) However, such people have no worries about plugging in a USB drive and running a CD installation if they think that it will help their systems running faster.

That's all true and I pity anyone that goes to the Geek Squad.

 

[mechBgon]

I advise caution here. Their domain is recently registered in Russia, and they have multiple domains promoting the same thing, a tactic often seen with vaporware and fraudware. Always remember Rule #1 of the 10 Immutable Laws of Security. Law #6 also applies :evil:

 

[0roo0roo]

all the vista ready boost reviews i've seen show it has little benifit. its ok if its a feature that is included with your new pc. but to pay for it extra..no thanks. anyways a n00b computer user who can't even open their pc up for cheap memory upgrades is unlikely to install such software either.

 

[kevinthenerd]

I'm going to give it a try. Some stuff went down recently that put me in a tight spot, and my little $30 upgrade is going to have to wait another paycheck. (I only have a half gig. I want to add a gig.) I have a jump drive laying around that I don't use for anything, so I'll go ahead and plug it in. It'll be fun trying to get stupid stuff like this to work.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Ok, I'm running a half gig with a gig on the USB. I disabled the hard drive swap file.

In comparison to the old performance, it's ripping a new one. I definitely need RAM eventually.

Edit: damn trial

 

[0roo0roo]

somehow i doubt ~5mb/s or whatever you get from ur stick is ripping a new one.

rams just too cheap these days to fiddle with such nonsense

 

[Canterwood]

Funny how in XP its seen as 'such nonsense' whilst in Vista its regarded as 'a cool new feature'

 

[0roo0roo]

heh well it certainly was when it first came out. a free boost from our left over flash sticks was a tempting idea.

now i rarely hear it mentioned anymore

maybe ms overestimated the speed increase over time of flash memory when they first developed the idea..who knows.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
somehow i doubt ~5mb/s or whatever you get from ur stick is ripping a new one.

rams just too cheap these days to fiddle with such nonsense

actually 10.43 MB/s

I think the advantage comes from the fact that the seek time is so much faster than my crappy (and probably quite fragmented) 80 gig hard drive.

I'm asking way too much out of the 512 megs I have. It's sad to think that I used to have a Celeron 233 with this much RAM. I had the board maxed out.

 

[kevinthenerd]

That 10 MB/s is device-limited. USB 2.0 can do 60MB/s. That's 30MB/s even if you allow 50% overhead. While my PC2700 RAM can do 2700 MB/s, that's with fully synchronous data acquisition, not random-access, and that's also assuming that there's enough of it left to use. When it swaps out to the hard drive, it's a whole different story. The USB doesn't have to beat the RAM; it has to beat the hard drive to see an improvement.

By the way, USB 3.0 will do 600MB/s. That sounds exciting for research applications. Typically, extremely large problems are stored on hard drives, worked a piece at a time. If you had a large USB RAID of sorts it might make improvements.

 

[kevinthenerd]

USB RAID: http://www.bigbruin.com/reviews05/thumbraid_5

 

[BigPoppa]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: jonmcc33

Originally posted by: aeternitas
What a bunch of bullshit. How does a slow-ass USB drive constitute as a cache now?

It's the same thing in Vista but now it's in Windows XP. Typically only computers with low amounts of RAM benefit. The funny thing is that RAM is so cheap these days I see no reason not to just upgrade that instead.

1) Makers of systems that are selling into the mass market are loading the units with the bare minimum that will work with Vista.

2) Many people that purchase such systems are very reluctant to open the case for fear voiding a warranty.

3) Many, if they open their systems, will balk at trying to remove a memory stick.
They would go to a Geek Squad or local store to upgrade the memory.

4) However, such people have no worries about plugging in a USB drive and running a CD installation if they think that it will help their systems running faster.

Item 1 is quite wrong anymore. When Vista was first released this was absolutely true. Vista Basic machines with 512MB of ram were my least favorite computers ever. I'd say for the past 3 months it has been quite the shift. DDR2 is dirt cheap. Most computers we sell (I work for Geek Squad) come with at least 2GB, most anymore are maxed at 3GB for Vista32 and we do carry a couple 64bit machines and I think all or most in my store are running 4GB of ram.

Originally posted by: jonmcc33

That's all true and I pity anyone that goes to the Geek Squad.

You're going to run into different technical levels at every store. I'm confident that you would have no problem with the technical proficiency of me and my top 4 repair agents working on say, your grandparents computer. You may balk at pricing (flat rate, its competitive with your standard mom and pop computer repair billed hourly), et al, but technical proficiency shouldn't be a sticking point.

Feel free to search for my posts, I offer help here quite freely when I have solutions.

 

[EarthwormJim]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
somehow i doubt ~5mb/s or whatever you get from ur stick is ripping a new one.

rams just too cheap these days to fiddle with such nonsense

My Cruzer gets nearly 30mb/s read times, and 15mb/s write times.

It's the low access time that is the benefit though.