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PalmOne has released an important upgrade to the ROM of the Tungsten T5 handheld, the company's flagship device until just a few weeks ago when it introduced the LifeDrive Mobile Manager.

ROM Update 1.1 fixes several bugs and addresses a significant drawback with the way the Tungsten T5's FAT-based file system handles its 256 MB of non-volatile memory: A type of memory that enables data to survive in the case of an accidental power drain.

So instead of 14 bytes of data taking up 14 bytes of RAM—as in previous palmOne devices—the Tungsten T5 requires that a minimum of 512 bytes be used no matter a file's size.

The net result is an increase in the amount of space required for each data entry, or less storage than there should be. PalmOne's Treo 650 experienced the same problem, which was exasperated by the smartphone only having 32 MB (23 MB user available) of non-volatile RAM.

Update 1.1 purports to improve the way the handheld manages memory. Those who've installed it report this to be true. The ROM upgrade also appears to make the Tungsten T5 more stable and reliable, as palmOne advertises it should on the company's support page.

Enhancements to Tungsten T5 with ROM Update 1.1:

 Resolves problems caused when synchronizing large databases and files

 Fixes problems in the Calendar relating to Birthdays or recurring notes

 Fixes an issue with the Find feature and Calculator application

 Provides non-volatile file system improvements

The update also includes enhancements from ROM Update 1.0 (released back in October 2004):

 Fixes a problem in the Calendar that can cause a crash when the default view is changed from Agenda to Month View

 Fixes an issue in Contacts when using the Menu drop down list for new entries

 Adjusts the Palm OS® soft keyboard to prevent system instability in certain situations