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What's New in RAM Charger 8?

If you're wondering about all those versions of RAM Charger leading up to number 8 -- you didn't miss them, we skipped them. The skip to 8 is to show compatibility with Mac OS 8 and also indicate the substantial changes to the RAM Charger 8 PowerPC mode and the greatly modified/simplified user interface. Detailed changes from previous versions of RAM Charger (called OptiMem, before that) are too many to be listed. The new manual (copied onto your disk when you install the software) gives all the details about this new version. And the similar More About This Mac Pro Manual is also installed on your disk so you can understand all the options in that product, as well. Major changes in RAM Charger 8 include:

• There is a new RAM Charger Pull-down Menu, that is accessible in all applications, toward the right end of the menu bar. This menu displays information about the computer's current memory use, and provides access to the other RAM Charger feedback and configuration windows. This provides the benefits of the RAM Charger v2 Heads-up display, in a simpler, less intrusive manner. Thus users will find less need to keep the Heads-up window open on their desktop (but it is still available in v8, and has been slightly simplified, for those who still want it).
  
• The basic RAM Charger settings for an application are now displayed right in the Finder's Get Info window for the application, where Mac users are accustomed to looking for information about an application's memory requirements. Most adjustments may be made right in the Get Info window, without opening the more comprehensive RAM Charger Application Settings window.
  
• The setup and tuning of the optimized memory management for applications is simpler and more automatic than before, so users will have even less need for any active operation of RAM Charger. The viewing and adjustment of memory settings in the RAM Charger Application Settings window is simpler than before, making it easier to use. Settings may now be viewed and changed for an application even while it is running. The basic setting, of whether an application is RAM Charged or not, is now shown right in the list of all applications, for easy browsing.
  
• There is a More About This Mac window that provides a display based on the Finder's About This Macintosh window, but with additional features related to how memory is being used. An optional second window is provided that simulates how memory would be used if RAM Charger was not working. More details are available here.
  
• The memory management optimizing code for RAM Charger 8 has been significantly enhanced. The Power Mac implementation has been accelerated beyond the "native" (PPC mode) or "fat" (providing both PPC and 68K modes, with selection based upon the mode of the client code) methods normally used. RAM Charger 8 includes unique procedures to choose the best combination of 68K and PowerPC code, depending on the active configuration of system and application software. The result will reduce the previously low overhead of using RAM Charger, further.
  
• There is an improvement to the memory management of Adobe Photoshop, and other applications that tend to hold on to memory that they are not actively using at the moment. This appears in two places: a) The Squeeze option offered in the RAM Charger Applications Settings window will use additional measures to take back unused memory from applications whenever they are switched to the background, and b) The Squeeze item available in the RAM Charger Pull-Down Menu allows you to request that the active application release unused memory whenever you feel it might be useful (for example, right after you have closed a big document in Photoshop).
  
• The installation process is improved. It is now simpler, complete Read Me First notes are accessible in the installer, the full manuals and Read Me files are installed onto the destination disk, and the installer is a single, compressed file including both RAM Charger 8 and More About This Mac.