Expandable Memory

[boarder981]

Hey guys!

I am brand new to this forum, but I consider myself a well-read techie. I have never actually owned an Android device, but I feel like it always tops the competition. Anyways, I was looking to find a way for me to have my music library (which is very large aprox= 80 GB) with me. I did some research and it sounds like some tablets allow expandable memory. Could I expand using a harddrive? Would there be expansion size limits? If it does allow this, will native music apps be able to compile the files on the drive or would I have to play each one? Thanks in advance!

 

[leeshor]

Welcome to the forum

Tough, (lots), questions. Many of the tablets available have USB ports and the mainstream tablets certainly will allow you to attach a USB, hard disk that either uses one USB port for power or plugs into an outlet for power. I have been able to use 1TB drives NTFS formatted with no problems.

There is also the Google Music option. If you have the music on your PC and you install the Google Music client it will sync up to 20,000 files to the cloud and they will all be available on your tablet.

If you are using iTunes there are other options.

As far as indexing or cataloging that may be a different story as it's difficult to index on media not always available, (or removable). However, if you get a tablet with a microSD card slot there is an app called JetAudio that WILL index that into a playlist. A 128GB microSD card sounds like a/the solution.

 

[boarder981]

I do use Google Play, but that would mean I would have to be in a Wi-Fi hotspot because I am far to cheap to purchase data (also it wouldn't be very cost effective to stream music!) I would like to be able to use the music as you would any other music you have on your device HD. I don't want to have to search through folders. I want to be able to see the music in a list and be able to sort it by artist and album and what not.

I like the external HDD idea because of the size, however it sounds like I wont be able to index it (?). Sounds like microSD is my best bet. Would it act as a seperate drive? or would it treat it as one with the internal drive?

Also would I get more options if I root?

 

[leeshor]

You probably saw my suggestion about JetAudio. Though it won't index an external HD it will index a USB Flash drive.

 

[boarder981]

So what tablet should I get? I was think a nexus 7.

 

[leeshor]

So what tablet should I get? I was think a nexus 7.

Nice 7" tablet but a little shy on connectivity..

 

[meweslow]

Hi, You guys seem to be talking about external drives... I need help. I can put movies/music on a thumb drive and it goes well, but when I plug in a 1TB external, it just whirrs and flashes. Thinking the tablet need some extra time for a drive this big, I let it whirr for about an hour before I got frustrated. Please, in simple to follow step by step... how do I get my tablet to see my drives? Thanks

 

[leeshor]

Hi, You guys seem to be talking about external drives... I need help. I can put movies/music on a thumb drive and it goes well, but when I plug in a 1TB external, it just whirrs and flashes. Thinking the tablet need some extra time for a drive this big, I let it whirr for about an hour before I got frustrated. Please, in simple to follow step by step... how do I get my tablet to see my drives? Thanks

It's possible your Pipo doesn't like the format of the drive. NTFS "should" work. Try going to settings - storage and see if it can be mounted. I'm assuming you know that the drive works OK otherwise.

Another possibility is that the drive isn't getting enough power from your Pipo. A powered USB hub might help.