Contacts per megabyte?

Posted by anthonyx26 on November 4, 2008, 10:41 pm

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I get this question a lot from clients yet I'm never really sure how to
answer them It seems like a fairly straightforward-enough question....how
many contacts can I fit on my Windows Mobile device? But I have no clue how
to estimate how many contacts can fit on their device.

So this begs the question..._approximately_ how many contacts can one
reasonably expect to fit in one MB of space on the device?

And where does the contacts file reside on the device (so I can monitor its
size)?

Cheers,
- anthonyx26

Posted by Chris De Herrera on November 5, 2008, 10:41 am

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Hi,
You can store approximately 16,000. However the largest amount I have
personally heard used with Windows Mobile is 11,000. Keep in mind that with
larger and larger numbers of contacts will require a faster CPU in order to
perform efficiently when searching these contacts.

--
Chris De Herrera
http://www.pocketpcfaq.com
http://www.pocketpctalk.com
http://www.tabletpctalk.com
http://www.mobilitytalk.com

>I get this question a lot from clients yet I'm never really sure how to

>answer them It seems like a fairly straightforward-enough question....how

>many contacts can I fit on my Windows Mobile device? But I have no clue

>how to estimate how many contacts can fit on their device.

> So this begs the question..._approximately_ how many contacts can one

> reasonably expect to fit in one MB of space on the device?

> And where does the contacts file reside on the device (so I can monitor

> its size)?

> Cheers,

> - anthonyx26

Posted by Todd Allcock on November 5, 2008, 1:46 pm

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>I get this question a lot from clients yet I'm never really sure how to

>answer them It seems like a fairly straightforward-enough question....how

>many contacts can I fit on my Windows Mobile device? But I have no clue

>how to estimate how many contacts can fit on their device.

> So this begs the question..._approximately_ how many contacts can one

> reasonably expect to fit in one MB of space on the device?

> And where does the contacts file reside on the device (so I can monitor

> its size)?

The Contacts/Calendar/Tasks database is a file called PIM.vol in the
device's root folder. It can't be manipulated (i.e. backedup and restored
by copying to/from the device) without causing major problems, but you can
certainly monitor it's size. Mine is currently 3.42MB, and holds about 700
contacts and 300 calendar entries. Supposedly it's pretty inefficient in
it's storage of notes and pictures embedded in contacts and appointments (I
tend to keep a lot of notes in my contacts!) so mine might not be the best
example of a "normal" PIM.vol file size.

To dodge, er, um, answer your question, in my experience, I find that the
devices become "sluggish" far sooner than they runs out of physical space if
you put "too many" contacts (more than a few thousand) on them. WM5
particulary- WM6 seems to handle them a little better.

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