Why does the stock sd card have half it's storage unallocated?

[noobyme]

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by noobyme

deleted attempt to post Reddit page as iamge

A bit curious as to why you tried to post the original Reddit item as an image.

However, the Nia is specified with 8GB of storage and what you are showing is 16GB of storage. Much like several times in the past where Kobo has used a larger capacity card (4GB instead of 2GB, 8GB instead of 4GB), the factory image has the same size FAT32 partition which would be exposed over USB. It's likely easier just to keep using that image than trying to match changes in card size.

You can safely extend the partition to increase the available storage. My original Glo went to a 16GB µSD card with no issues. My Clara HD currently has a 128GB µSD card installed.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Much like several times in the past where Kobo has used a larger capacity card (4GB instead of 2GB, 8GB instead of 4GB), the factory image has the same size FAT32 partition which would be exposed over USB. It's likely easier just to keep using that image than trying to match changes in card size.

You can safely extend the partition to increase the available storage. My original Glo went to a 16GB µSD card with no issues. My Clara HD currently has a 128GB µSD card installed.

Agreed. When you clone a disk image (and this is directed to the OP), the original partition size is included in the transfer. When I cloned my 2GB Mini µSD disk image last month onto a newer 32GB card, it was suddenly a 2GB card. I had to expand the partition size afterwards. It’s not surprising that Kobo would batch clone thousands of cards at a time, regardless of the destination cards’ actual capacity. They probably got a better deal on the larger cards than the smaller ones.

[noobyme]

Originally Posted by DNSB

A bit curious as to why you tried to post the original Reddit item as an image.

However, the Nia is specified with 8GB of storage and what you are showing is 16GB of storage. Much like several times in the past where Kobo has used a larger capacity card (4GB instead of 2GB, 8GB instead of 4GB), the factory image has the same size FAT32 partition which would be exposed over USB. It's likely easier just to keep using that image than trying to match changes in card size.

You can safely extend the partition to increase the available storage. My original Glo went to a 16GB µSD card with no issues. My Clara HD currently has a 128GB µSD card installed.

I see thank you for telling me! I was having a hard time using this website on mobile regarding the reddit image, and I had already posted the same question on reddit so I thought I'd just use that image

[Quoth]

Gparted seems good. A windows user can access it by booting Mint Installer (which doesn't install unless you double click on Install) which is a Live Linux that lets you edit existing disks and gparted for partition resizing or copies.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Gparted seems good. A windows user can access it by booting Mint Installer (which doesn't install unless you double click on Install) which is a Live Linux that lets you edit existing disks and gparted for partition resizing or copies.

But can you merge the two partitions with the SD card in place on the Kobo without having to open it and remove the card?

[Quoth]

You can only access the public partition via USB Mass Storage. You'd have to remove the card to change that or any partition(s).

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Gparted seems good. A windows user can access it by booting Mint Installer (which doesn't install unless you double click on Install) which is a Live Linux that lets you edit existing disks and gparted for partition resizing or copies.

You can do something similar with a Mac. Since I have a Raspberry Pi running as a server, I just use Gparted there when I need to fix partitions on Kobo cards.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Ashjuk]

Originally Posted by DNSB

It's likely easier just to keep using that image than trying to match changes in card size.

It's nothing to do with ease of installing the image, they have to keep the size available as 8Gb for legal reasons.

As you pointed out the Nia is specified (advertised and sold as) as having 8Gb of storage, and, therefore, it has to ship with 8Gb.

If you had some Nias coming onto the market with 8Gb and some with 16Gb, there would be hell to pay legally.

Even though the device is specified as 8Gb those that only had that would feel short changed if they found out others had 16Gb, and lawsuits would soon be flying.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Ashjuk

It's nothing to do with ease of installing the image, they have to keep the size available as 8Gb for legal reasons.

As you pointed out the Nia is specified (advertised and sold as) as having 8Gb of storage, and, therefore, it has to ship with 8Gb.

If you had some Nias coming onto the market with 8Gb and some with 16Gb, there would be hell to pay legally.

Even though the device is specified as 8Gb those that only had that would feel short changed if they found out others had 16Gb, and lawsuits would soon be flying.

Then how did Amazon get away with advertising 2GB and sending some Kindles with 4GB?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Then how did Amazon get away with advertising 2GB and sending some Kindles with 4GB?

As long as the minimum as advertised capacity was shipped, there would be no mis-representation and no basis for a lawsuit. OTOH, if they had said 4GB and shipped 2GB, that would have been a good basis for a lawsuit.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by Ashjuk

It's nothing to do with ease of installing the image, they have to keep the size available as 8Gb for legal reasons.
…
If you had some Nias coming onto the market with 8Gb and some with 16Gb, there would be hell to pay legally.

Excellent points. Although keeping the disk image the same for ease and economy aren’t wrong, they’re not likely the primary reason why as you explained.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Excellent points. Although keeping the disk image the same for ease and economy aren’t wrong, they’re not likely the primary reason why as you explained.

Though they could be and there is no legal reason against silently providing extra storage, only less.
No need to check which size of card it is in production.

[JSWolf]

It would have been nice if Kobo had given users the full storage on the card.