# Computer Reseller News on SoftRAM 95

## Articles by Jodi Mardesich

Reprinted with permission of Jodi Mardesich. Copyright 1995. All rights reserved.

Computer Reseller News, November 6, 1995, page 8

## Double or Nothing?
Questions Arise over Syncronys Utility

Syncronys Softcorp.'s SoftRAM 95 software utility product for Windows 95 apparently does not do exactly what it advertises.

SoftRAM 95's package claims it will "double your memory," and ads claim that "4 [Mbytes] becomes at least 8 Mbytes. 8 Mbytes becomes at least 16 Mbytes." However, according to a National Software Testing Lab report, SoftRAM 95 does not offer any benefits to Windows 3.x or Windows 95 users.

"In the Windows 95 environment, SoftRAM 95 offers no significant performance improvement. By comparison, adding more RAM to a typical Windows 95 system provides a dramatic improvement to the average system response time," the report states.

Windows 95's increased memory demands have fueled interest in memory enhancers, which optimize memory via software instead of expensive memory upgrades. SoftRAM is the top seller in its category, according to PC Data, a Reston, Va., market research firm. SoftRAM was No. 3 on both PC Data's business software and Windows 95 software hit lists for September.

However, some believe SoftRAM 95 is an outright hoax. "He's trying to imply there's a bug, but when a program consistently--on any machine you run it on--fails to deliver its whole ostensible purpose, is it a bug?" asked a consultant, who did not wish to be named.

After NSTL released its report, which was commissioned by Syncronys competitor Connectix, Syncronys commissioned its own test from the XXCAL labs in Los Angeles. That report states that under Windows 3.1 and 3.11, SoftRAM increases RAM dramatically.

"It effecitvely doubled the system's RAM, from 8 [Mbytes] to 16 Mbytes, in a manner equivalent to adding more physical RAM," said Rainer Poertner, chairman of Syncronys. "You can run more and larger apps concurrently.

However, NSTL and at least three independent parties have completed tests that they claim prove the Windows 3.1 version does not offer any benefits either.

Then there is the problem of the product's Windows 95 certification logo. Although the SoftRAM box displays the "designed for Windows 95" logo, SoftRAM did not pass logo certification. "They jumped the gun and printed the box before they got the logo," said Rob Bennett, product manager for Microsoft Personal Systems division. While the company told Microsoft it would change the boxes, the box pictured in ads still shows the logo.

Syncronys officials said 650,000 copies have been sold since May.

"The Windows 95 version obviously has a bit of a problem, although that, again, is not reflected in returns, " said Poertner. "The problem is in the interaction between SoftRAM 95 and the dynamically assigned virtual memory with Windows 95. The performance we expect to see is not delivered on a consistent basis."

Poertner said Syncronys is releasing a free upgrade, issuing a patch via online services and the Internet; has set up a 24-hour toll-free support number; and will return customers' money if they're not satisfied. In addition, Syncronys is putting a new sticker on all boxes in the channel that state the product is for Windows 3.1 only.

-- Jodi Mardesich

Computer Reseller News, November 13, 1995, page 10

## Egghead Pulls SoftRAM 95

Syncronys Softcorp., maker of SoftRAM 95, was hit with a double whammy last week.

At least several Egghead Software stores said they pulled the software from their shelves until Syncronys can release a version that works with Windows 95. Egghead's corporate offices did not return phone calls last week.

At the same time, sources said the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Syncronys.

Syncronys officials said that 650,000 copies of SoftRAM 95 have been sold since May, but the company's balance sheet suggests many of those copies are sitting in distributors' warehouses and have not been sold through, analysts said.

The company reported $10 million in sales for the most recent quarter, ended Sept. 30, but listed $7 million in accounts receivable.

Syncronys, meanwhile, admitted last week that the Windows 95 version does not work. "The Windows 95 version obviously has a bit of a problem, although that again is not reflected in returns," said Rainer Poertner, chairman of the company. "The problem is in the interaction between SoftRAM 95 and the dynamically assigned virtual memory with Windows 95. The performance we expect to see is not delivered on a consistent basis."

While Poertner said the Windows 3.1 version works well, several independent parties disagree with that. Mark Russinovich, a research scientist in the department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Oregon in Eugene, posted a report on the World Wide Web that he said proves the 3.1 version of SoftRAM does not work either.

Russinovich began benchmarking the software soon after he bought it. Once testing showed no improvements, he began to disassemble the code. "I could not find any compression being used anywhere," he said.

Michael Schwab, director of purchasing at D&H Distributing Co., Harrisburg, Pa., which carries SoftRAM competitor RAM Doubler from Connectix Corp., said SoftRAM's woes will not hurt sales of memory enhancer products. Connectix, San Mateo, Calif. has not shipped RAM Doubler's Windows 95 version.

--Jodi Mardesich