Nexus 7: Is lack of SD card port a deal breaker for you?

[tacitus]

The thing about storage is no matter how much you have you will fill it up.

While that may be true for some people, I'd wager we'd be surprised how few iPad and (especially) Kindle Fire users even come close to running out of space on their devices. And I think the more people and families own multiple devices -- phones, tablets, laptops, media centers, etc. -- the more the pressure on in-device storage will slacken.

As for the survey -- well, of course I would prefer to have an SD-card slot available, but it's not a deal-breaker that there isn't one. The other specs of the device are compelling enough (for the price) that it makes the Nexus 7 mighty tempting.

If there aren't better options available by the end of August, I'll probably end up buying one.

[tacitus]

Originally Posted by Phogg

A restriction in quantity is as important to some as a restriction in selection. Attempting a semantic shell game in an attempt to point out that a restriction in memory is not the same as a restriction in app selection does zip to dispreove that the restriction in storage space limits the usefulness of a device in comparison to a device with available expansion.

True, but you have to remember that Google will have paid good money to find out what the majority of potential customers want in a $200 tablet device, and the odds are that an SD-card slot is pretty low down on the totem pole. It's also likely true that (a) most Kindle Fire users haven't come close to running out of storage, and (b) the majority of Nook users have never even put an SD card into their device.

The Nexus 7 won't lose more than a handful of sales to existing 7-inch tablets over the lack of an SD-card slot.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by tacitus

True, but you have to remember that Google will have paid good money to find out what the majority of potential customers want in a $200 tablet device, and the odds are that an SD-card slot is pretty low down on the totem pole. It's also likely true that (a) most Kindle Fire users haven't come close to running out of storage, and (b) the majority of Nook users have never even put an SD card into their device.

The Nexus 7 won't lose more than a handful of sales to existing 7-inch tablets over the lack of an SD-card slot.

I disagree. I think Google and Amazon are hoping to push people into their clouds. That is why no SD card slot.

At least Google has the option for a larger internal memory.
And the built in GPS chip is a selling point for me.

[petermillard]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

And the built in GPS chip is a selling point for me.

This. 7" screen and offline mapping makes for an interesting proposition, at a similar price to e.g. the entry-level 6" TomTom GPS; in that context, all the tablet-ey goodness is just a bonus.

An SD slot would be nice to have, but not a deal-breaker for me; a 32Gb option would be good, but as Seaking says, they could introduce one at a later date.

But here's the thing; I've used 32Gb iPads since they were first introduced, and the only time I come close to filling them is when we go away on holiday - which Is exactly the kind of time I'd want a 7-incher to be doing tablet-ey things instead of sitting in the van as a GPS. A few weeks between pre-order and shipping means I'll probably already be on a plane by the time it's delivered, so it's a non-sale to me right now, sadly. Shame, as it's almost exactly what I've been waiting for.

[Kumabjorn]

I use my Galaxy Note as a car navigator, the 3G and GPS works in tune to get maps to the device so I can drive without thinking about where I'm going.
A tablet similar to the Nexus7 would be ideal, with its larger screen, as a GPS device in the car, not having 3G it forces me to download maps from Google before leaving. If I have enough free storage, that won't be a problem, but if it is one thing I've learned over the last 30 years, it is that data will expand to fill available storage. Hence, it is only a matter of time before i would be clamoring for an external SD card to load maps on.

[taosaur]

I've been excited about this tablet since before it was a Nexus device, but being locked down to just 5-10GB of user accessible storage probably is a dealbreaker. Movies and games aside, you can't even fit all that many graphic novels in that space, and definitely not with any selection of music and/or audiobooks. Even PDFs stack up quickly. 32GB is about the minimum manageable storage for me.

Regardless, I have no particular itch to upgrade from my Nook Color. The Nexus 7's biggest draw is the sharper screen, and I'm not likely to have much of a toy fund until the next generation of tablets, anyway.

[Teknikal]

Specs are nice price is nice but storage is terrible some games alone are close to 2gb an HD movie is probably about there as well.

I'm also at the stage were I won't buy anything without a microSD slot I like the idea of being able to put a 64gb SDXC card in if I really needed to, 16gb is really nothing these days I'm sure I'd have it filled in the first day without even trying.

[smithno]

The N7 sounded tempting until I got to the no removable storage! One of the things that keeps my Dell Streak 7 relevant is the SD card. I can put stuff to read in the evening on an SD card and get work done without having a laptop in my lap. I'll stick with the Streak a able longer...

[Scarpad]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I doubt that a hard disk will work - the power requirements would be too great. USB-OTG is designed for USB sticks, not power-hungry devices like hard disks.

I Have a 16gb stick and 32 gb sticks are dirt cheap now so no problem

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Scarpad

I Have a 16gb stick and 32 gb sticks are dirt cheap now so no problem

Except that we've subsequently discovered that the Nexus will not read USB sticks.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by smithno

The N7 sounded tempting until I got to the no removable storage! One of the things that keeps my Dell Streak 7 relevant is the SD card. I can put stuff to read in the evening on an SD card and get work done without having a laptop in my lap. I'll stick with the Streak a able longer...

I just looked up the Dell Streak 7, looks pretty sweet! I like that you can use prepaid 3G with it. Maybe some day I'll get one.

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Except that we've subsequently discovered that the Nexus will not read USB sticks.

Say what?
I've read that it supports USB OTG, my Galaxy Note does and in a cinch I can always bring a dongle and USB memory sticks along. If I can't do that with a Nexus7 then it is off the table immediately.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Say what?
I've read that it supports USB OTG, my Galaxy Note does and in a cinch I can always bring a dongle and USB memory sticks along. If I can't do that with a Nexus7 then it is off the table immediately.

Yes, it supports USB-OTG, but only for things like mice and keyboards. According to the Nexus user guide, it doesn't support USB memory sticks via USB-OTG.

[taming]

However, there is already one click root for the device and there is an app, Stick Mount, in the Play store that works to make this feature functional. It's up to Google to decide if they want to enable this functionality in a future release, of course.

[Dulin's Books]

did someone get stick mount working?

ah- yes they did http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...1743052&page=2

Nexus 7 with StickMount reads NTFS & FAT32 but not exFAT. Also I'm unable to write to NTFS either.