just to want to confirm something for my ordered transformer.

[brandysnap]

you can install and play games from the microsd card right?

ive only got a 16gb model ordered and that might fill up quick with my habit of buying any and all games, so im relying on the microsd slot being able to have apps and games installed on it and to be playable from it.
if not i need to cancel and rethink.

 

[vferrari]

No, you can't install apps to the micro SD card (not sure if the latest update to 3.2 fixed that), only to internal memory. However, 16GB of internal memory should be plenty of space for all your games & apps. Use the microSD for your large digital multimedia files (pics, movies, music).

Sent from my SPH-P100

 

[miked]

Re: 3.2 update..still cannot move apps to the micro SD.

 

[brandysnap]

damn.

is this something thats unique to tablets/honeycomb, because i thought you could do it on 2.2 etc?

is there any workaround (i vaguely remember reading something about app2sd or some such program, does it work on honeycomb/tablets?) or can the apps at least be stored on the microsd even if they cant be played?

 

[vferrari]

It already seemlessly uses the internal memory (16GB or 32GB) just as if it were an external memory card for app storage just like all post-froyo android devices (in fact, on Honeycomb, the apps-to-sd feature is more automated such that the user doesn't have to worry about whether an app was written to accommodate apps-to-sd as was the case for pre-Honeycomb), its just that you can't extend that memory using a external memory card at this time. The apps to SD feature you are referring to for earlier versions of Android were essential for phones and pre-honeycomb tablets that had very limited internal working memory on the order of 128MB to 1GB and until Froyo came along with apps2SD capability (unless you rooted and hacked your device) all your apps had to reside on that limited internal working memory which necessitated the development of apps2SD capability in Froyo and use of external 8GB to 32GB memory cards to provide additional app storage capability . Think of the new Honeycomb tablets as having that external memory capacity "built-in" such that you shouldn't have to worry about putting apps on an external memory cards (they still have limited internal working memory - but automatically use the extended internal memory for app storage as needed). That's why manufacturers and google have been slow to provide external memory capability for app storage the Honeycomb tabs as its simply not needed. The extenal card can be used for data and multimedia files, however. Only under EXTREME circumstance would you ever have need to fill an entire 16GB (and obviously 32GB) memory card simply with apps (necessitating the feature to extend app storage to a "secondary" card - the microSD card slot in the case of the Transformer and other similar tablets). I have over 100 apps on my transformer and am not close to meeting any internal memory limit.

 

[brandysnap]

im a heavy user vferrari - for instance my ipad 64gb is completely full with over 500 games i purchased from the app store, all sorted into different folders for rpg's, racers etc. etc.
i can see myself eating through 16gb extremely quickly if games on the device are any where similar in size terms (gameloft new games usually come in at 500mb+) and quantity.
first thing im going to do on the device is purchase all the games in the tegra zone and then any that gameloft, EA, chillingo, alawar etc have released.

i see the lack of sdcard support as totally stupid. making me think instantly that its there really as a 'weve got something that apple hasnt... but its essentially useless' feature.

 

[vferrari]

Ok - you probably fall into the EXTREME case I mentioned above (seriously, I own several android devices and post on several android phone and tab related forums - and your are definitely on the very tip of the bell curve in terms of app usage and I'll leave it at that because my intent is not to inadvertently insult you, just to point out that your case is VERY unusual). Perhaps you should stick with Apple (ipad2?) until you get confirmation that the Honeycomb tablets are updated to be able to use SD cards for app storage (will reiterate that the onboard microSD and dock installed Full SD slot and usb ports to which I can install multiple 500GB portable (FAT32 formatted) HDDs are ideal for non-app data and multimedia files that are EXPECTED to take up some serious storage would provide an amazing ability for expandable app storage should that capability ultimately be deployed). Your other choices are to chance it that Honeycomb updates to extend app storage to removeable storage will occur faster than your appetite and ability to fill the 16GB of internal memory or to go for a 32GB model to buy additional time until you run out. Also, you may want to do some research to see how Apple iOS game footprints compare to their android counterparts as I have no clue in that department other than to say that even the most footprint heavy games (and apps for that matter) have very rarely exceeded 20MB and most are in the 5MB-10MB realm though I have heard of larger games. Good luck.

 

[Detonation]

You must have a lot of money and a lot of free time to be piling up games like that haha. Anyways, if you don't need EVERY game installed at all times, you could back them up to the SD Card and then uninstall them from the internal device memory. This can easily be done with a program like Titanium Backup, which can copy the actual app file and app data to a specified location (sd card), and can then can re install and restore it at a later time. This does, however, require that you root the device.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

Astro File Manager will allow you to backup your apps/stuff without root. It's free.