First off, I'm a Limey living in the UK so my comments refer to UK products (Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 SM600 2014 Edition, and a Tesco Hudl2 8.3 Tablet). Both devices run Android 4.4.2.
I've read a lot of the stuff regarding Android 4.4 and its interaction with micro-SD cards, but I hadn't fully appreciated all the consequences. I understand the issue with apps and accept that I can no longer move them to the micro-SD card - this is not a problem for me as I don't use large numbers of apps. But I hadn't realised I would be unable to store my own data on the card without a lot of faffing about.
I bought the Hudl2 last week with the intention of taking it on holiday to Australia over Christmas and so I want to store pictures, music and various documents and maps pertinent to my itinerary. I put a 32Gb card (which I had been using in the Samsung) into the Hudl2 and it worked properly straight away. I was able to download apps and move them to the card. A folder of pictures already on the card, plus some mp3 files were all accessible and playable. For various reasons I had to reset the tablet to its factory settings, and since then I have been unable to copy new stuff to the card. I can create folders using File Manager HD but when I connect the tablet to my PC via USB cable, I can't copy anything over; I get an error message saying the card is full. I am able to get my iTunes music files onto the card by using iSyncr but it's really annoying not to be able to easily copy anything I want. The workaround seems to be to remove the card, put it in an adapter and plug it straight into my computer. Using this long-winded method I am able to copy stuff onto the card and the data is subsequently readable by the apps on the tablet.
This ridiculous situation is totally unacceptable. I want to know what right Google has to make it so difficult for me to freely use a storage medium that I own, and put my own data onto it to use on an Android device which I also own! It's not like they've secured the card and totally locked any access to it - I can still write stuff to it, just not when it's in an Android device.
I've read a lot of the stuff regarding Android 4.4 and its interaction with micro-SD cards, but I hadn't fully appreciated all the consequences. I understand the issue with apps and accept that I can no longer move them to the micro-SD card - this is not a problem for me as I don't use large numbers of apps. But I hadn't realised I would be unable to store my own data on the card without a lot of faffing about.
I bought the Hudl2 last week with the intention of taking it on holiday to Australia over Christmas and so I want to store pictures, music and various documents and maps pertinent to my itinerary. I put a 32Gb card (which I had been using in the Samsung) into the Hudl2 and it worked properly straight away. I was able to download apps and move them to the card. A folder of pictures already on the card, plus some mp3 files were all accessible and playable. For various reasons I had to reset the tablet to its factory settings, and since then I have been unable to copy new stuff to the card. I can create folders using File Manager HD but when I connect the tablet to my PC via USB cable, I can't copy anything over; I get an error message saying the card is full. I am able to get my iTunes music files onto the card by using iSyncr but it's really annoying not to be able to easily copy anything I want. The workaround seems to be to remove the card, put it in an adapter and plug it straight into my computer. Using this long-winded method I am able to copy stuff onto the card and the data is subsequently readable by the apps on the tablet.
This ridiculous situation is totally unacceptable. I want to know what right Google has to make it so difficult for me to freely use a storage medium that I own, and put my own data onto it to use on an Android device which I also own! It's not like they've secured the card and totally locked any access to it - I can still write stuff to it, just not when it's in an Android device.