FAQ: Why is ListPro slow to copy and paste items in big lists?

ListPro’s file format is designed such that adding an item causes all subsequent items to be moved over to make room. On a Windows Mobile 2003 or 2002 device, and on the desktop, doing this is generally very fast due to the speed of storage memory.

Windows Mobile 5 devices store data in non-volatile flash memory which is much slower to write to than the DRAM used in older devices and the hard disk on your desktop PC. As a result, on a Windows Mobile 5 or newer device, adding items to a very large list may be noticeably slower.

This is also true for lists stored on a storage card for any Windows Mobile device (even 2002 and 2003 ones.) Storage cards all use the same type of memory that is built-in to newer devices, so the same performance issue applies.