Take NetworkAcc for example. That app is filled with reviews of users not knowing if the app did anything at all (it doesn't). So if their network is running a little faster, they'll associate it with the app and think they're getting value they actually aren't.

In the end, it's BlackBerryCool's job to educate the users about what a 3rd party app can do, and whether these claims are factual, to avoid a placebo-type effect that cheats the user out of their hard-earned money.

There are so many apps out there that provide real value for money. Let's focus on those.

Take NetworkAcc for example. That app is filled with reviews of users not knowing if the app did anything at all (it doesn't). So if their network is running a little faster, they'll associate it with the app and think they're getting value they actually aren't.

In the end, it's BlackBerryCool's job to educate the users about what a 3rd party app can do, and whether these claims are factual, to avoid a placebo-type effect that cheats the user out of their hard-earned money.

There are so many apps out there that provide real value for money. Let's focus on those.

I think the user needs to care about “RAM”. Why? Well, the more objects are flying around and not collected by the GC the more memory is wasted. Yes, bad techniques are bad and a GC cannot do anything about that. But that's not the point.

Make it simple: Every time my Curve 8900 had such a slow response time, I opened the menu and hit “Boost Memory!” (I am a MemoryBooster user and also tried other such apps too). Every single time the memory was “boosted”, the GC was fired (the hour glass was showing) and I got a message “xx MB recovered”. I don't know if it was actually that much, but what I know is: the device responding a lot faster right after it. That's a fact, nothing to discuss. I used that probably a couple thousand times and it was always like that.

I am feeling it works and that's all that matters

1. Memory DOES equal space. On the blackberry platform, transient and persistent flash memory are at a premium. These two are considered memory from the standpoint of the end user. It is important to note that memory “boosting” applications have absolutely no control over these mechanisms. The end user does not usually see nor care about RAM, unless the VM throws an OutOfMemoryException

With respect to garbage collection, the memory manager will initiate a full GC when the backlight turns off, the device is locked, and many other idle states. The depletions in memory that people often see are due to poor java programming practices. Leaks in java are due to concrete references being built up in data structures over time and not released.

2. Memory boosting applications can't (as in it's not possible) ensure that garbage collection happens more often. This is purely perceived. If you notice your memory dropping, you have to think about what kind of memory it is and how it impacts your device. If flash memory is dropping due to transient flash consumption, it's not something that a 3rd party application like a memory booster can fix.

1. Memory does not equal space
Your screen shot in the top is about space or better disk space which the BlackBerry refers to as “memory”. This is totally misleading because memory can mean a lot of things. The memory improving applications do not do anything with your space and therefore, you will not see any effect in the screen shot shown here (when you use such memory applications).

2. Memory is RAM
So as these memory apps do not do anything with the disk space, what do they work with? From computers we all know hard disk drives (HDD) and RAM (Random Access Memory). These memory apps work on the RAM. Which is memory too as you can see.

3. Memory / RAM boosting
The garbage collector actually takes care of that RAM automatically. However, for some reason the BlackBerry's garbage is configured as seldom as possible. This leads in a longer battery life but the device might appear slower. So such memory boosting apps (I like these names ) make sure the garbage collection happens more often which improves the BlackBerry's speed. At least it feels like it.

4. A tight data plan
As memory is RAM a tight data plan has nothing to do with this topic. There is no data transfer happening with these memory apps. I would loose that comment

I think it’s great that you’re publishing these kinds of informative articles. If I can add a little tidbit, here’s some info about how the garbage collection system works on the BB:

There are a few different kinds of garbage collection that take place on the device. For those interested, see here: http://www.blackberry.com/knowledgecenterpublic/livelink.exe/fetch/2000/348583/800451/800724/How_To_-_Interpret_GC_messages_in_the_Event_Log.html?nodeid=1498929&vernum=0

The biggest thing to note is that the underlying device software has access to memory statistics that 3rd party applications do not. The native memory manager is far better equipped to determine and execute memory cleanup because it has a full view of the active memory state. Developers have access to only one call that can potentially affect the global memory state on the device: System.gc() (or rather, Runtime#gc()). In fact, as you mention, simply calling System.gc() can do nothing depending on the state of the VM.

In this sense, 3rd party developers really have no REAL control over the device’s global memory state.