'Memory is Running Out, and So Are Excuses For Software Bloat' (theregister.com)
- Reference: 0180458135
- News link: https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/12/26/0628235/memory-is-running-out-and-so-are-excuses-for-software-bloat
- Source link: https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/23/memory_software_opinion/
"Its successor is not orders of magnitude more functional," the column notes. The author draws a parallel to the 1970s fuel crisis, when energy shortages spurred efficiency gains, and argues that today's memory crunch could force similar discipline. "Developers should consider precisely how much of a framework they really need and devote effort to efficiency," the column adds. "Managers must ensure they also have the space to do so."
The article acknowledges that "reversing decades of application growth will not happen overnight" but calls for toolchains to be rethought and rewards given "for compactness, both at rest and in operation."
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/23/memory_software_opinion/
never happen (Score:1)
But since you can't afford a decent computer anymore, we'll let you rent one in the cloud that can run our shitty, bloated software
Re: (Score:2)
Hopefully not, at least in the commercial space. If so, that presents a massive opportunity for Linux and other FOSS tools to gain an advantage where it really matters if they do take this approach; on the bottom line.
At some point arguments like: $xxx for RAM (per server, per month) + $deity-knows-what in commerical software licenses (again, per month since we're renting in the cloud) vs. let's say a reasonably achievable target of 1/3 of that on RAM (per otherwise identical "hardware") + no software c
I am doing my best at Ahodzil (Score:3)
I am working on energysaving for software, with energyrating as part of it at [1]Ahodzil [ahodzil.com]. Hopefully I will be able to make the code optimisation build framework available next year along with the energyrating. It goes beyond the compiler (and PGO) by checking if the code is necessary against a baseline of an "optimal code formula" based on decades of accumulated programming (and most codebases are just manipulating a database anyhow).
[1] https://ahodzil.com/
Good luck vibe coding for efficiency (Score:2)
I'm sure the models trained on stack exchange examples will produce exactly the optimized code every CTO is hoping for when they promote the "AI".
Shared (Score:2)
We also have to look at shared memory. Once you go load DirectX or something, you (should) have one copy that is shared. I guess some idiot might statically link this stuff. But yes, Windows software is like the fat ass who takes up three airline seats.
Who the fuck cares about 70MB (Score:2)
Seriously whoever wrote TFA really sucks at making any point. No one cares about 70MB for an app which usually doesn't run. WhatsApp is a chat program and consumes close to 700MB when you include all the webview processes it launches. Teams blows through more RAM than every other Office app combined running at the same time and it is intended to be an always running background program.
This has to be the dumbest "case study" example I've ever seen, and while I haven't checked yet I can almost guarantee I kno
The funny part (Score:2)
The funny part is that the "agentic OS" shit in windows, copilot required 16 gigs of ram for system to be certified to be copilot ready (or whatever it was that microsoft calls their copilot branding for OEM systems).
And rumor mill suggests that low end OEM systems are going back to 8 GB now. AI demand has caused... reduction in AI capable systems.
From GPU-poor to RAM-poor (Score:1)
Hunger increases intellect.
Bizarre wishful thinking (Score:2)
I just don't see incentives for most companies to seek much memory efficiency. Even if the calculator app takes a gig of RAM, few will notice and fewer will make purchasing decisions based on ram usage. Most people function just fine with 8gb. Even when they go over, the system still works thanks to ssds and virtual memory. Dell is not going back to mostly shipping mostly 4gb systems.
Re: (Score:2)
I have not run out of memory on my computer in years. Unless you're doing something very unusual, RAM is not the limiting factor. CPU speed is more of a problem.
Re: (Score:2)
No, but they're supposedly going back to 8GB systems after most low end systems having been moving towards 16GB for a while.