Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Check out the hottest Windows Mobile devices at our Expansys store!


Digital Home Thoughts

Loading feed...

Laptop Thoughts

Loading feed...

Android Thoughts

Loading feed...




Go Back   Thoughts Media Forums > WINDOWS PHONE THOUGHTS > Windows Phone Talk

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-10-2010, 08:41 PM
Jason Dunn
Executive Editor
Jason Dunn's Avatar
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
Default How Important is a Removable Storage Card to You?

It's poll time! As you know, Windows Phone 7 devices do not allow for removable storage cards in the traditional sense; even if you happen to find a phone with a microSD card slot that you can access, once you put a card in that slot it will force a hard reset. If you take the card out, it's unreadable on any device but your phone - the data on it is encrypted for speed and security. That essentially makes it non-removable storage. So the question is, does this matter to you? For me, it doesn't - I have an 8 GB microSD card that's inside my HTC HD2, and it literally hasn't been taken out from the day I put it in there. Before that, it was in my Samsung Jack, again never getting removed. For some of you though, this is an issue - you need to be able to remove the cards and use them in your laptop, desktop, etc. Vote in the poll - please generalize; I didn't want to cover every possible time frame - and sound off in the comments. Will the lack of removable storage stop you from buying a Windows Phone 7 device?

__________________
Want to contact me personally? Use this. Want to read my personal blog? Check it out. Want to follow me on Twitter? Here you go.
 
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-10-2010, 08:55 PM
BobbyCannon
Pupil
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 33
Send a message via MSN to BobbyCannon
Default Not removable is better.

Have a non-removable card is much better. I come from Windows Mobile and I have to say it is really nice not having to think about were my "stuff" is stored. I love it that Windows Phone merges the two memories together and it just works.

Even on my Windows Mobile device I never removed the card. MicroSDHC cards are too small to be handling anyway...
__________________
Bobby Cannon
[email protected]
http://www.sharpdeck.net
 
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-10-2010, 09:03 PM
Craig Horlacher
Contributing Editor
Craig Horlacher's Avatar
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 524

In WinMo day's I used it often. Since I got my Droid X(I know, I'm posting in the wrong forum but I didn't see this on Android Thoughts) it's very rare.

I used to love having an sd slot so I could take pictures with my point and shoot, take the card out, and review them on my 4" screen Pocket PC. Even with a microSD card slot I had an sd adapter that I would put it in so I could use it in my camera. It was also handy to transfer files to PC's. People often had card reader's around even if they didn't have a mini-usb cable.

With my Droid X I think two major things have changed. It has DLNA which I use to put photo's on my PS3 now. It has an awesome camera! At least for outdoor shots it's excellent! Video too! I can even get good indoor shots sometimes. I use my point and shoot much less and, since I have a good Facebook app, I can easily upload pictures directly to facebook without using my PC or PS3. It was just clunky, at least for me, in WinMo.
 
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-10-2010, 09:35 PM
Jason Dunn
Executive Editor
Jason Dunn's Avatar
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160

Quote:
Originally Posted by vector View Post
I used to love having an sd slot so I could take pictures with my point and shoot, take the card out, and review them on my 4" screen Pocket PC. Even with a microSD card slot I had an sd adapter that I would put it in so I could use it in my camera. It was also handy to transfer files to PC's. People often had card reader's around even if they didn't have a mini-usb cable.
Yeah, I think back in the SD card days, there was a natural device to device synergy - but for me at least, when the switch to miniSD then microSD happened, it basically killed that scenario. It wasn't easy or convenient, so I basically went back to there being no interaction between my camera and my phone.
__________________
Want to contact me personally? Use this. Want to read my personal blog? Check it out. Want to follow me on Twitter? Here you go.
 
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-10-2010, 09:55 PM
iharkins
Neophyte
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4
Default I think you're asking the wrong question

I think the real reason people are taking issue with the lack of removable storage on WP7 is due to the low capacities of most of the WP7 handsets. If WP7 is to compete with the iPhone then there should be options available for 32GB or more.

8GB is woefully inadequate and ruled out every phone here in the UK other than the HD7 and the LG which both have 16GB. I went with the HD7 in the end but 16GB doesn't go that far. I'm happy enough with the HD7 but the next generate of WP7 handsets really has to sort this out and increase the capacity to at least 32GB if they're to be taken seriously.
 
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-10-2010, 10:01 PM
benjimen
Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 123

I think a more appropriate and relavent question would be "why bother". This hairbrained hard-resetting to upgrade your available storage with memory that is much slower than what could be on-board doesn't make any sense at all. If it's not removable, why bother with a card?

32GB has long been plenty for me, I'd much rather just purchase a device with that much built into it. The purpose of a storage card has always been for the convenience of swapping it out, this isn't likely something Microsoft will be re-defining with the consumer-public.

Hopefully the next generation WP7 devices will be better in this regard, they should just offer them with either 32gb or 64gb and call it a day.
 
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-10-2010, 10:02 PM
GreatDay
Pupil
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 30

Like you, I don't ever remove the thing, but the idea of being able to and the option to swap in one for movies and what-not was always intriguing. I'm also one who has a ton of apps for "just in case" that also never get used. Maybe it's time to get-over-it; I just always initially fight these changes that suddenly take away choices. Guess we'll see how this all shakes out.
 
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-10-2010, 10:20 PM
Lee Yuan Sheng
Contributing Editor
Lee Yuan Sheng's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,503

I think the move to microSD has curbed the desire to swap cards. They're so tiny and flaky that my mindset is to just leave them in there.
__________________
Baka. Soku. Zan. - The justice behind the dysORDer.
 
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-10-2010, 10:23 PM
WyattEarp
Sage
WyattEarp's Avatar
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 652

Wow, I haven't used an SD card in like 4 years now. I switched from a WM device to an iPhone back in 2007. I thought SD cards in devices were nice until it just became a chore to remember what was on each on. After using an iPhone, switching SDs on a mobile phone just seems antiquated. I think they're fine for cameras and video cameras but not for phones. Once you get a device with 16 or 32GB on it, memory cards become useless. It's no different than the iPod, Zune or any worthwhile media player which will have lots of flash storage over the use of memory cards. My only issue with the use of memory cards in WP is how it wipes the device if removed. It would have been more efficient to use built-in storage instead of going the cheaper route. On top of that these devices cost the same as an iPhone for example but with less memory. The also require specific types of memory cards that meet WP standards which I'm willing to bet won't be the cheap cars many like to purchase. I see the while HDSD thing happening again.
__________________
Making use of mobile tech like no other.

Last edited by WyattEarp; 11-10-2010 at 10:30 PM..
 
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-10-2010, 10:31 PM
Ed Hansberry
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Ed Hansberry's Avatar
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228

In the old days, I'd swap cards between my phone and camera, but SD/MicroSD has killed that today as Jason pointed out.

Now, I never remove the card, unless I get a new phone or larger capacity card, and I haven't done either in almost 2 years.
__________________
text sig
 
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:20 PM.