The Return of the Micro SD slot?

[Shocky]

What is the point of a 1080p display with high PPI if you are only drawing a UI from the days of America Online 4.x? I will never understand flat design and people's love of it. It is boring, hideous and unnatural. All the depth and beauty just gone. And now websites are doing it. Oh, and it isnt enough to go flat. Every update after makes it more and more like Fisher-Price.

Agreed, the flat design looks horrible to me, I've tried a few icon packs with flat icons and immediately changed back as they look boring.

 

[mikedt]

And you're not.

They don't even try to do DRM in China, no point, and the government is not interested. Apple doesn't sell songs, iOS apps only from iTunes. In fact nobody sells or rents music online here. Google.cn used to have a free streaming and download service, but found they couldn't compete with the likes of Baidu and Tencent, and both of which are legal and have full approval of the record labels. Same with movies and TV shows, most things I watch I stream in HD from PPTV.

IMO any content you "purchase" that has DRM and depends on remote servers to authenticate it, it's not yours forever. It's only leased to you, and of course something like that can revoked or discontinued at any time, e.g. Sony Connect or Microsoft Zune.

 

[EarlyMon]

They don't even try to do DRM in China, no point, and the government is not interested. Apple doesn't sell songs, iOS apps only from iTunes. In fact nobody sells or rents music online here. Google.cn used to have a free streaming and download service, but found they couldn't compete with the likes of Baidu and Tencent, and both of which are legal and have full approval of the record labels. Same with movies and TV shows, most things I watch I stream in HD from PPTV.

IMO any content you "purchase" that has DRM and depends on remote servers to authenticate it, it's not yours forever. It's only leased to you, and of course something like that can revoked or discontinued at any time, e.g. Sony Connect or Microsoft Zune.

What does that have to do with iTunes?

They dropped music DRM years ago.

They fought the record labels against it, they finally capitulated, and then cut a deal with Amazon AFTER Apple for no-DRM music.

 

[mikedt]

What does that have to do with iTunes?

They dropped music DRM years ago.

They fought the record labels against it, they finally capitulated, and then cut a deal with Amazon AFTER Apple for no-DRM music.

I know that of course, ...but I think Nickdalzall was trying to compare Google Music pay monthly with iTunes Store purchases, AFAIK Google streaming and music is heavily locked down with DRM, and only plays in their software and may have to be on-line as well. But in this country we don't have to deal with things like that, thank you Baidu and Tencent.

 

[EarlyMon]

I know that of course, ...but I think Nickdalzall was trying to compare Google Music pay monthly with iTunes Store purchases, AFAIK Google streaming and music is heavily locked down with DRM, and only plays in their software and may have to be on-line as well. But in this country we don't have to deal with things like that, thank you Baidu and Tencent.

We don't have to deal with it here either, we all have choices.

I recommend http://magnatune.com/

Music you can play from your SD card.

Are we done with the other?

 

[nickdalzell]

This wasn't intended to be a debate regarding the ethics or lack thereof of the RIAA.

the point was, Google does not offer a service akin to Amazon MP3, and their apps are heavily reliant on the cloud, which won't work properly when you're in a fringe area. people assume Google Play is the best thing since the smartphone was invented, or that Android is essentially useless without, but i disagree. in fact, i would argue that Android is better off without Google trying to turn it into iOS with their locked down, cloud-dependent, anti-fork, anti-SD slot crap.

Besides that, their apps are heavily limited, and there are more features in the AOSP or skinned variants that Google is trying so hard to squash. for what reason? no idea here. i'll get back to you on that.

In my experience, Android works a lot better off with no Google apps at all. in fact, all my complaints which i often blamed Android for were more likely the fault of Google's apps entirely, nothing to do with Android. since 'de-googling' my devices they are lag-free, smooth, better on battery, never reboot by themselves, and i do not have to simply 'get used to it or you hate change' because Google needlessly updates something without my permission. Simply put, the Play Store and its associated apps are not that important.

Along with the SD slot, i'd love to see the AOSP stuff return. i would love to have Android Market instead of the crappy Play Store. at least i'd have the apps, but none of their incorrect compatibility or download error garbage, and a better UI IMO.

 

[EarlyMon]

I don't think that Google is trying to squash things as much as they are simply about building a base that benefits those who agree with their approach.

Nothing prevents OEMs for building in complete SD card support.

Google dropped it a long time ago. Everything said about KitKat on this has already been said during Jellybean and before.

Don't like Google media services? Don't use them. There are tons of other choices.

Want SD card support? Buy a model with an SD card and use SD card aware apps. Again, tons of choices.

This whole thread is the biggest non-issue I've ever read here.

This was a new fear over two years ago.

Today, it's been beyond proven to be no big deal.

Want Google to support SD cards with their devices and services?

Sorry. Ain't happening.

Want your car to fly?

That ain't happening either. You have to choose an airplane.

Complaining about how Google is destroying SD card access when they're firmly back in the market is like complaining that your car doesn't fly.



Btw - if you think that the Android Market was error free without compatibility issues and download problems then that indicates that you didn't use it very much.

As far as Google not offering what Amazon does -

 

[Medion]

Nothing prevents OEMs for building in complete SD card support.

With all due respect, this part is incorrect as of Android 4.4. Any OEM wishing to use Android KitKat on their phones absolutely must adhere to Google's new guidelines on MicroSD access for applications. It was optional on Honeycomb, but was recently made mandatory. It is severely limiting for power users at this time and I personally think that Google should have given developers a heads up. Because while the changes have existed since 2011, the APIs to get around it and the mandate to use it both hit at the same time in October 2013 with absolutely no warning to developers.

I've found some limited workarounds, but for the most part, you need root access or a custom ROM using XML changes in order to regain full R/W access to the SD Card.

Google dropped it a long time ago. Everything said about KitKat on this has already been said during Jellybean and before.

I suspect that you may be confusing the dropping of the physical SD Card slot (Google did it in 2011 on the Nexus, and many OEMs followed suit) with the recent changes to MicroSD access in KitKat. It's a complete reversal. Anyone who has/had an Android device with MicroSD that got the update to KitKat is in for a world of change. For power users, it's a world of hurt.

Want SD card support? Buy a model with an SD card and use SD card aware apps. Again, tons of choices.

My phone has MicroSD support. Applications have VERY limited access to it since KitKat. The only application of mine that truly takes advantage of the MicroSD slot is Google Music.

This whole thread is the biggest non-issue I've ever read here.

For a lot of Nick's complaints, I agree with you. But in terms of MicroSD access, he's absolutely correct. Nick being right about something makes me feel like we're in bizarro world...

This was a new fear over two years ago.

The big change was API level 19 and MicroSD access. Officially, we got this on September 3rd, 2013. The first device to see it was the Nexus 5 on 10/31/13. The first MicroSD-capable device to get hit with it was the Galaxy S4 GPE in roughly mid November, and that's when people started to realize just what Google did to MicroSD access. It became bigger news when non-GPE devices started to get it (February-ish).

Today, it's been beyond proven to be no big deal.

It's a HUGE deal to anyone with a MicroSD-capable device and a non-rooted non-custom KitKat build.

Complaining about how Google is destroying SD card access when they're firmly back in the market is like complaining that your car doesn't fly.

And that's the crux of it right there. You and Nick are discussing two different things - physical availability of MicroSD slots in phones (you), and the destruction that is API 19 (Nick).

I agree with you on everything else, but the MicroSD changes Google made in API 19 have me reconsidering my allegiance to Android.

 

[EarlyMon]

https://developer.android.com/about/versions/android-4.4.html

Android 4.4 APIs

API Level: 19

Android 4.4 (KITKAT)isanewreleasefor the Android platform that offers new features for users and app developers. This document provides an introduction to the most notable new APIs.

...

User Content

Storage access framework

On previous versions of Android, if you want your app to retrieve a specific type of file from another app, it must invoke an intent with the ACTION_GET_CONTENTaction.This action is still the appropriate way to request a file that you want to import into your app. However, Android 4.4 introduces the ACTION_OPEN_DOCUMENTaction,which allows the user to select a file of a specific type and grant your app long-term read access to that file (possibly with write access) without importing the file to your app.

If you're developing an app that provides storage services for files (such as a cloud save service), you can participate in this unified UI for picking files by implementing a content provider as a subclass of the new DocumentsProviderclass.Yoursubclass of DocumentsProvidermustincludean intent filter that accepts the PROVIDER_INTERFACEaction ("android.content.action.DOCUMENTS_PROVIDER"). You must then implement the four abstract methods in the DocumentsProvider:

queryRoots() This must return a Cursorthatdescribesall the root directories of your document storage, using columns defined in DocumentsContract.Root.

queryChildDocuments() This must return a Cursorthatdescribesall the files in the specified directory, using columns defined in DocumentsContract.Document.

queryDocument() This must return a Cursorthatdescribes the specified file, using columns defined in DocumentsContract.Document.

openDocument() This must return a ParcelFileDescriptor representing the specified file. The system calls this method once the user selects a file and the client app requests access to it by calling openFileDescriptor().

For more information, see the Storage Access Framework guide.

External storage access

You can now read and write app-specific files on secondary external storage media, such as when a device provides both emulated storage and an SD card. The new method getExternalFilesDirs()works the same as the existing getExternalFilesDir()methodexceptit returns an array of Fileobjects.Before reading or writing to any of the paths returned by this method, pass the File object to the new getStorageState() method to verify the storage is currently available.

Other methods for accessing your app-specific cache directory and OBB directory also now have corresponding versions that provide access to secondary storage devices: getExternalCacheDirs()and getObbDirs(),respectively.

The first entry in the returned Filearrayis considered the device's primary external storage, which is the same as the File returned by existing methods such as getExternalFilesDir().

Note: Beginning with Android 4.4, the platform no longer requires that your app acquire the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGEor READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGEwhenyouneed to access only your app-specific regions of the external storage using the methods above. However, the permissions are required if you want to access the shareable regions of the external storage, provided by getExternalStoragePublicDirectory().

Please explain more closely how Google mandated an API that won't let developers read and write to an SD card, when they can.

They restricted access to SD card shared files after a lot of people complained about security concerns (that I didn't particularly agree with), and now require different calls for access.

Is that the complaint?

Or am I still just missing the point?

Because it sounds like legacy methods for access are broken, and not access itself.

You have to update your app to the new API if you're a dev, yes?

 

[nickdalzell]

there are also the loss of customization. don't like the all-white icons and loss of signal packet transfer arrows? tough nuggets. can't work around that even with root. Google forced that one. the loss of SD Access too, same issue. how long before Google locks down Android until it ends up being as locked tight as iOS? they also don't want us using other app markets. they are really pushing the 'necessity' of Google Apps/services. the Galaxy S5 has been forced by Google (who forced Samsung to comply) to lose most of the Samsung alternatives which in my personal experience work a lot better than Google's. Someone please explain why Google even cares about TouchWiz that they'd want Samsung to 'tone it down?' why do they even care? why do they care if Amazon's Kindle Fire doesn't have Play Store to the point they force them to use it?

As for the Android Market, i had used it since my first Android tablet, my Kyros MID7015 (which i still have). i used it until my Optimus V got the Play Store not long after it got Gingerbread. soon as i got the little pop-up saying 'Android Market is now Google Play' things took a turn for the worst. Android Market never gave me 'Package file is invalid,' 'Could not be downloaded due to an error', or 'No Connection Retry' (with strong signal mind you) or 'not compatible with your device'

Android Market's UI was better too. Google Play's first incarnation wasn't too bad, but when they went with the horrid flat design mockup and started adding Wallet, things got even worse. have you ever had Wallet screw up forcing you to re-purchase some app you paid for long ago? i have. often enough that after the third time i had to re-purchase Nova Prime i gave up on Play Store. the newest version of the Play Store disabled the ability to use the menu hard key, so now you have to tap the Store icon up top to get a screen-hogging sidebar. what was wrong with hitting menu, and selecting 'my apps' or 'settings' from a less real-estate hogging bottom bar? Amazon Apps is the only one that retains such function and gives you the option to update. it doesn't pull the invisible update crap Google does.

YouTube. oh there's another one. newer versions make it harder and more annoying to back out of a video using the back key. when i hit back during my viewing of a video, i expect to go back to the search i was previously on. now, they reduce the currently playing video to the lower right quadrant of the screen, where the sound annoyingly continues as i am trying to peruse my search. the only way to truly dismiss it now is by swiping it away, like a notification. this adds an unnecessary step and an additional swipe mark on my screen for no reason. it's not a feature. the only way to work around it is by using the older YouTube app. another reason i feel updates are mostly crap. i hardly update anything as a result. they hide features i use often, or change the UI to an unfamiliar state, disable other features, or add in annoying features that require extra steps to dismiss.

Android is a lot better off losing Google. it worked before they took over and most of the annoyances can be halted or prevented by losing ties with Google Apps

 

[SulkyAndroid17]

Please explain more closely how Google mandated an API that won't let developers read and write to an SD card, when they can.

They restricted access to SD card shared files after a lot of people complained about security concerns (that I didn't particularly agree with), and now require different calls for access.

Is that the complaint?

Or am I still just missing the point?

Because it sounds like legacy methods for access are broken, and not access itself.

You have to update your app to the new API if you're a dev, yes?

I think we've already discussed this here. Perhaps, Medion can give a more complete answer here.

 

[Medion]

Please explain more closely how Google mandated an API that won't let developers read and write to an SD card, when they can.

They can't.

In its simplest explanation, the old method required that a developer requested permission to use the SD Card. Doing so granted broad read/write permissions to the entire SD Card. This means that apps could create folders anywhere and everywhere, to include inside the /android/data subfolders created by other apps. The benefit for the user was that we could use a file manager to access the MicroSD for anything that we wanted. The downside was that apps could mess with the data from other apps, or even do some pretty malicious things.

With the new API, applications that request the permission simply gain broad read access, but zero write access. However, all apps can now write to their app-specific folder without any permission (and this is the part that you bolded). Any application can write ONLY to their specific subfolder within the /android/data folder on the MicroSD. File managers cannot do squat outside of reading the MicroSD and writing to their specific subfolder.

We do now have content providers though. An application can designate something within their subfolder as a "Document," a "Picture," or some other designations. This will allow those the built in file picker (Storage Access Framework, or SAF) to show these as available to be opened/edited by other applications.

So, how does this affect some simple scenarios? In the past, I'd throw some pictures and music onto my SD Card. For pictures, you could view them with any gallery application, and make edits to them. Now, you can view but edits cannot be done (even with the AOSP gallery application built into my phone, despite Google stating that most system apps have this ability left in). For Music, PowerAmp can no longer download custom album art. Keep in mind, this limitation is only for media stored on the SD. It doesn't affect media stored on internal storage.

And therein lies the problem. When you have a 16GB phone and a 64GB MicroSD, the desire is to keep your media on the MicroSD. I used to use FolderSync to keep my media synced from my cloud provider to my MicroSD so that it was available locally for when a high-speed data connection wasn't available. Or, I'd like to swipe through baby photos with a friend at work without waiting for them to load. Can't do that anymore unless I either pre-load it via USB connection (and manually update instead of using cloud synchronization), or store it within my limited internal storage.

They restricted access to SD card shared files after a lot of people complained about security concerns (that I didn't particularly agree with), and now require different calls for access.

Those different calls don't grant the same access as before.

Or am I still just missing the point?

Because it sounds like legacy methods for access are broken, and not access itself.

You have to update your app to the new API if you're a dev, yes?

That's what I initially thought. When I found this problem (being on the first affected device), I had a chance to talk to the developers of Astro, ES File Explorer, Foldersync, and several others. I even loaned my phone to one of them via mail. The first response from them was along the lines of, "this sucks, but thankfully the OEMs aren't doing this!" That was followed by the KitKat leaks for the S4 and the Note 3, and that's when we realized what Google has done.

There are some workarounds on some Samsung phones that have been updated to KitKat (but not the S5, which came with KitKat). The community considers this a bug on Samsung's part and will be fixed in an update, thus closing that loophole. As of now, the only way to completely restore MicroSD read/write access on a broad scale is to root and run an XML fix (and there's even an app that will do it for you). I want to, however, talk about this part:

Note: Beginning with Android 4.4, the platform no longer requires that your app acquire the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGEor READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGEwhenyouneed to access only your app-specific regions of the external storage using the methods above. However, the permissions are required if you want to access the shareable regions of the external storage, provided by getExternalStoragePublicDirectory().

This is the content provider part that I was talking about. A developer can share part or all of their subfolder by tagging certain files as belonging to a specific content provider, such as images, videos, documents, etc. These then become sharable to other applications. But the entire SD Card outside of /android/date is read only, permanently (except for the Samsung bug on some Touchwiz models). And when I use FolderSync to load media into its MicroSD subfolder, it's blocked by .NOMEDIA and cannot be read by standard galleries. And the galleries that can view hidden files cannot edit because they don't have consent to access those. The reason the developer of FolderSync cannot support SAF is because it doesn't truly create content, it just syncs. A Camera application, for example, can explicitly tell SAF, "Hey, I'm creating an image. Now I'm creating a video. Share these with SAF." Foldersync cannot do this because it has the trust the user, and the typical user is unaware of these things.

I apologize if I failed to convey what's going on here. But the bottom line here is that, in the end, this will be a positive change for the majority of users. However, file managers are basically on their way to becoming extinct. I really wish that I could find the interview link, but one of Google's project managers openly complained about how, "everytime I sneeze another file picker appears," or words along those lines. Google, like Apple, doesn't want you going through folders. They want you to go through content in a more modern and intuitive way. This isn't about killing the MicroSD or pushing cloud services, as some conspiracy nuts might think. It's about security and ease of use for the mainstream users.

Power users like myself need to adapt, and I already have. Nick is still raging against the machine. I was there several months ago. He'll calm down soon, I hope

 

[Medion]

there are also the loss of customization. don't like the all-white icons and loss of signal packet transfer arrows? tough nuggets. can't work around that even with root.

Yes, you can. And here's a half-assed non-root attempt. With root, you can completely replace it.

the loss of SD Access too, same issue.

SD access isn't gone, it's just different. I'm with you in that I don't like the change, but I have adjusted to it, and you can to. Let me know when you're done raging, and I can help you through your SD issues.

how long before Google locks down Android until it ends up being as locked tight as iOS?

The slippery slope argument? If Android becomes iOS, then you can complain. Until then, let's not deal with "ifs."

they also don't want us using other app markets.

Google allows it. They haven't stopped Appbrain, Amazon, etc. Use them.

they are really pushing the 'necessity' of Google Apps/services.

My phone, bone stock, allows me to disable any built in service. My prior Galaxy S2 allowed me to disable any built-in Google app, but not most of Samsung's apps, IE, I could disable Google Music but not Samsung's Music player. Google wants their stuff installed on all phones (I don't agree with this), but they let you disable and use another service (something Apple and Samsung won't do).

the Galaxy S5 has been forced by Google (who forced Samsung to comply) to lose most of the Samsung alternatives which in my personal experience work a lot better than Google's.

False. Samsung went with that UI before they had those negotiations with Google, and all of the leaks prove that. Google started going flat about 18 months ago with their apps. Mobile websites went flat. MS was already flat. Now iOS has gone flat. Samsung is going with the trends.

Someone please explain why Google even cares about TouchWiz that they'd want Samsung to 'tone it down?' why do they even care? why do they care if Amazon's Kindle Fire doesn't have Play Store to the point they force them to use it?

Samsung is licensed to use GMS. They have to comply with some things (though Google is fine with TouchWiz, so long as it doesn't grossly deviate from Android design philosophy as their new tablets have). Amazon doesn't use GMS and forked Android, so they can do whatever they want. GMS licensees cannot fork Android or they lose their GMS license, hence why Samsung hasn't done it.

As for the Android Market, i had used it since my first Android tablet, my Kyros MID7015 (which i still have). i used it until my Optimus V got the Play Store not long after it got Gingerbread. soon as i got the little pop-up saying 'Android Market is now Google Play' things took a turn for the worst. Android Market never gave me 'Package file is invalid,' 'Could not be downloaded due to an error', or 'No Connection Retry' (with strong signal mind you) or 'not compatible with your device'

You realize that Android Market = Google Play, right? It was a name change. Had they still called it Android Market, you'd still have the same issues. The old version back when it was called Android Market would never display an incompatible app. Now you can use it to follow links to apps that are not available for your device.

Android Market's UI was better too. Google Play's first incarnation wasn't too bad, but when they went with the horrid flat design mockup and started adding Wallet, things got even worse. have you ever had Wallet screw up forcing you to re-purchase some app you paid for long ago? i have. often enough that after the third time i had to re-purchase Nova Prime i gave up on Play Store. the newest version of the Play Store disabled the ability to use the menu hard key, so now you have to tap the Store icon up top to get a screen-hogging sidebar. what was wrong with hitting menu, and selecting 'my apps' or 'settings' from a less real-estate hogging bottom bar? Amazon Apps is the only one that retains such function and gives you the option to update. it doesn't pull the invisible update crap Google does.

Many people prefer the new UI. Before it was Google Wallet, it was still done through Google Checkout (the precursor to Wallet). I've never had the error you've described, but Google Play has a 1-800 number and I've used it. They'll give you a refund for anything. Got one refund for an app I purchased 3 weeks prior, and another refund for an app purchased 18 months prior. They are insanely helpful. And the best part? Google doesn't hide the number! Go to play.google.com, click the question mark in the top right (near the settings gear), and there's a "CALL US" button!

YouTube. oh there's another one. newer versions make it harder and more annoying to back out of a video using the back key. when i hit back during my viewing of a video, i expect to go back to the search i was previously on. now, they reduce the currently playing video to the lower right quadrant of the screen, where the sound annoyingly continues as i am trying to peruse my search. the only way to truly dismiss it now is by swiping it away, like a notification. this adds an unnecessary step and an additional swipe mark on my screen for no reason. it's not a feature. the only way to work around it is by using the older YouTube app. another reason i feel updates are mostly crap. i hardly update anything as a result. they hide features i use often, or change the UI to an unfamiliar state, disable other features, or add in annoying features that require extra steps to dismiss.

I love this near feature, and so do many others. You can't please everyone.

Android is a lot better off losing Google. it worked before they took over and most of the annoyances can be halted or prevented by losing ties with Google Apps

It never worked before Google took over because it didn't exist before Google took over. However, there are plenty of unlicensed Chinese phones sans-GMS. Or, just install CM sans G-Apps.

 

[nickdalzell]

i will not calm down one bit. i feel saddened that so many of us 'get used to it' and as a result nothing changes. we just allow Google or whomever to keep forcing their will on us because they know we will eventually 'adapt'.

come on!

Also, let me know if you can ever get the old Nature UX look back in the Galaxy S5. Google forced Samsung to tone it down so badly there is no way to bring the previous look back. we know TouchWiz is buried into frameworks and that's not easy to change.

i would rather plan ahead than wait until after Google turns Android into iOS, and then all we can hope for is to 'get used to it. Google knows best'

seriously when did we become iSheep? or do you actually prefer our devices turned into dumbed down flat designed LeapPads because some morons can't properly use a smartphone?

BTW i hate Google's design aesthetics. the loss of menu hardware key features, the unnecessary swipe away gestures in both YouTube and Play Store, etc. in a way, i would prefer Samsung's forks over Nexus UI anyday. there is a reason i use Galaxy stuff and not Nexus.

Android Market was never Google Play. remember, Android existed before Google took over. those were the days of CupCake, Donut, Eclair and lastly, FroYo. once Gingerbread was out it got into the Google Skynet. ever notice the old AOSP apps are stuck in the days of FroYo or Eclair? the old AOSP Search, YouTube app, Camera, even Market are stuck in time if you still use them (possible only on older products sadly)

The Android Market had an entirely different UI. no ties with Google. no compatibility filter, no download errors, no ties with Wallet. it didn't enable auto updates on its own at first launch.

Android Market was not the only one to get Google'd. remember Gallery? it's now Photos. on the KitKat base ROMs, there are no Gallery apks. there is only Photos. Messaging is no longer there either. only Hangouts. Google is systematically removing everything in favor of their own crap. their own limited, featureless and bland apps that hardly work correctly. it will not be long before the skinned variants that i prefer (mostly because they work, and don't adhere to Google's hideous design, aka buttons look like buttons, menu key works, etc) will die off like MotoBlur and Sense. i wouldn't be surprised if we all have flat design Nexus devices or lookalikes if we let Google's iron-fisted grip on Android continue.

Lastly, i will never understand the sudden love of flat design. perhaps i'm just old enough to remember DOS and the Prodigy Service which were all flat designs, and once computers could display more than a lousy 16 colors, got HD monitors the use of flat design (once due to design and processing power constraints then) became obsolete and 3-D interfaces became the norm, along with easy on the eyes warm tones. now we appear to be reliving the days of the PS/2 again. sure, in a more modern sense, but it's so sterile, boring, bland and unnatural. for those who are too young to remember when flat design was normal in computing, and feel it's just something new and trendy, i leave you with this...and you will realize that when skeuomorphic screenshots are put aside a flat design screenshot, the former looks like an upgrade to the latter, which appears dated:

Prodigy Service from 1989-1991:



and remember, we no longer live in the late 1980s, so why would we use a 1980s interface these days? we have far more than 640K of RAM to work with. flat design is out of date, over twenty years out of date.

 

[Medion]

i will not calm down one bit. i feel saddened that so many of us 'get used to it' and as a result nothing changes. we just allow Google or whomever to keep forcing their will on us because they know we will eventually 'adapt'.

come on!

There's more to getting used to it. It's about adapting. You find ways around their negative changes while fully embracing the positive changes.

There are billions of smartphone users in the world. No change will please everyone. I'm upset about some of the changes too. But instead of complaining, I found ways around them and moved on. Let me know when you're ready, and I'll help you get around your issues.

Also, let me know if you can ever get the old Nature UX look back in the Galaxy S5. Google forced Samsung to tone it down so badly there is no way to bring the previous look back. we know TouchWiz is buried into frameworks and that's not easy to change.

That is the new Touchwiz. The old Touchwiz was never meant to land on the S5, so you cannot access it on the S5. It's not buried there and Google didn't force this change.

i would rather plan ahead than wait until after Google turns Android into iOS, and then all we can hope for is to 'get used to it. Google knows best'

seriously when did we become iSheep? or do you actually prefer our devices turned into dumbed down flat designed LeapPads because some morons can't properly use a smartphone?

You seem to hate change in general. Simple solution - don't update past 4.3 and don't update your apps. If you like them as they are, keep them as they are. How is this so hard? If you download a software update, there will be changes. The whole point of a software update is to change something.

And to keep things clean, that's my last response to you until you calm down. I don't want to get this thread locked as I'm very interested in the conversation with Earlymon. I've found some decent workaround for the MicroSD issues, and the sooner he's caught up to speed, the sooner we have another great mind offering some ideas.

EDIT: I just read what you edited into your post. Wow, you are truly delusional if you think Cupcake, Donut, etc. weren't done by Google. Also, Youtube and Android Market (among others) NEVER had AOSP variations. AOSP, by definition, is OPEN SOURCE, and Google never open-sourced those apps. That was part of the brew-ha-ha over why Cyanogen couldn't bundle them in the first place.

 

[EarlyMon]

Medion - many thanks for the clarification, I've got to give this a bit more thought.

Nick - you can stick to the topic with some room to wiggle in and out of it just like the rest of us.

This isn't your personal soapbox and taking over the thread with unrelated complaints?

That's enough, make other threads if you have to, the SD card issue is big enough and that's what people reading the title expect.

On-topic +/- 10% or so is fair enough.

Minor thread cleaning performed, let's carry on like buds. Pissed off buds is fine, I don't judge - but like buds nonetheless ok.

The game ladies and gentlemen is 5 SD card stud, and jokers are not wild.

 

[nickdalzell]

ok, on topic:

Google couldn't kill the physical SD card slot in phones, so instead they kill the ability to use it properly. does anyone not see the 'we know best' Apple-like mentality at work here? as usual i do not buy their BS reasoning. at all. i still stand firm on them wanting us to use the cloud. heck, regarding the Nexus reasoning, they mention the cloud often to make it like internal storage or expandable storage to make up for limited storage as being a non-issue because everything is on the cloud.

the cloud again, is only good if you live in a town with 24/7 365 4G LTE availability. sadly, that is not the reality for everyone. kill the SD card option you kill most of your customer's use of the device.

 

[Rxpert83]

I'm not sure you can say you are killing most of your customers use. Id be willing to wager more people are in a "usable data" area than not.

SD cards are great for those who have low data plans or are in areas where fast data isn't readily available, but you also have WIFI or the USB OTG option for storing music, movies, podcasts, ect

 

[nickdalzell]

OTG would reduce portability for those who need an SD card to store their music, photos or videos while on the go. i could never imagine a dongle hanging out of my phone. it would just invoke the nightmare that was the CompactFlash adapter that i once had to use for better storage capacity in the PocketPC era.

 

[Rxpert83]

OTG would reduce portability for those who need an SD card to store their music, photos or videos while on the go. i could never imagine a dongle hanging out of my phone. it would just invoke the nightmare that was the CompactFlash adapter that i once had to use for better storage capacity in the PocketPC era.

Its not a perfect solution, but it is a solution for those moments where you know you need more storage for media, such as road trips or plane rides.

 

[nickdalzell]

wouldn't it make more sense to have internal slots to store things on rather than reinvent the corded CD-ROM drive of sorts? OTG is not the same nor is it as portable. in the age of the digital world we are in now, reducing portability makes zero sense. and, until we all have perfect 4G coverage worldwide the 'cloud' will ultimately fail. no one wants their music to stop as they are jogging because they jog in a no-coverage area. and i am sure a jogger wouldn't like a dongle jutting out of his/her phone, either.

is it just me or are we going backwards? didn't corded adapters, dongles, simple flat designs become obsolete in the late 1990s? heck, i remember the 'ultraportable subnotebook' computers. anyone remember the Compaq Contura Aero? tiny little laptop, marketed as an ultraportable and 'subnotebook'. sadly, it had no floppy disk drive (then, akin to SD cards) and you had to plug in a primitive PC Card drive to get that. assuming the notebook was used and moved from one place to the next, it would make sense to eventually move towards a slot to store files onto, such as a SD Slot. that way the whole computer is even more portable.

it just makes no sense to reduce portability today. i for one won't miss my Contura Aero with its gawdy corded expansions. if i recall correctly, they made corded PC Card CD drives, floppy drives, even batteries.

During the Pocket PC era, they made PocketPC phones. not exactly smartphones, as the card was a CompactFlash card carrying a GSM chip. the chip would add an icon to make or receive phone calls, but not add data or internet features. you still needed a modem for that.

but i had one, a HP Jornada. nice little thing, if a bit ahead of its time. i got the GPS kit for it. what that was, amounted to miles of cable, a suction-cup mount antenna for the windshield, and an external power plug (because the battery life sucked anyway). looking at OTG, it just reminds me of using that gawdy GPS kit vs. having it all integrated into the device.

 

[Rxpert83]

I'm not disagreeing with you, more storage is certainly better in situations without coverage.

I'm just saying other solutions exist

 

[mikedt]

wouldn't it make more sense to have internal slots to store things on rather than reinvent the corded CD-ROM drive of sorts? OTG is not the same nor is it as portable. in the age of the digital world we are in now, reducing portability makes zero sense. and, until we all have perfect 4G coverage worldwide the 'cloud' will ultimately fail. no one wants their music to stop as they are jogging because they jog in a no-coverage area. and i am sure a jogger wouldn't like a dongle jutting out of his/her phone, either.

is it just me or are we going backwards? didn't corded adapters, dongles, simple flat designs become obsolete in the late 1990s? heck, i remember the 'ultraportable subnotebook' computers. anyone remember the Compaq Contura Aero? tiny little laptop, marketed as an ultraportable and 'subnotebook'. sadly, it had no floppy disk drive (then, akin to SD cards) and you had to plug in a primitive PC Card drive to get that. assuming the notebook was used and moved from one place to the next, it would make sense to eventually move towards a slot to store files onto, such as a SD Slot. that way the whole computer is even more portable.

it just makes no sense to reduce portability today. i for one won't miss my Contura Aero with its gawdy corded expansions. if i recall correctly, they made corded PC Card CD drives, floppy drives, even batteries.

Don't you ever use external hard drives with your laptop sometimes, maybe to backup important data? Nothing 1990s or backwards about that.

Here's the thing, USB OTG, i.e. plugging external drives into your mobile device is NOT intended to replace removable internal storage, i.e. SDs. You're not meant to be walking around with a hard drive or CD-ROM permanently attached to your phone. It's something you might do occasionally, say to copy some videos or something onto your mobile device. The SD is definitely here to stay, look at Oppo their two previous phones, Find 5 and N1 didn't have SD, the new one, Find 7a has SD, very likely because customers demanded it.

 

[nickdalzell]

i was somehow getting the image of OTG actually replacing SD. glad to see that's not the case. however, if KitKat keeps us from moving music to the SD card, we would still be limited to the internal storage capacity of our device, which essentially makes us as limited as we would be with a Google Nexus device....where OTG would indeed be the only workaround. that, would be going backwards.

 

[mikedt]

i was somehow getting the image of OTG actually replacing SD. glad to see that's not the case. however, if KitKat keeps us from moving music to the SD card, we would still be limited to the internal storage capacity of our device, which essentially makes us as limited as we would be with a Google Nexus device....where OTG would indeed be the only workaround. that, would be going backwards.

Actually I do have a KitKat 4.4.2 phone, Gummy ROM, and I've got over 3,000 MP3s on the SD, as well as videos, photos and documents. Tthe internal storage is for the apps, some of which can also store their data on the SD, if desired, e.g. Autonavi off-line satnav which I use. The phone does USB OTG, but at moment I don't have a cable.