[responding in android group only]

Marion wrote:

it was your choice to NOT have an sd card slot...

Q: How do you double your portable storage when you need to, Andy?
A: ?

You can't, right?
For about $10, I (we) can.

That's right, I have to rely on the general increase of on-board storage
with new models. So far, I've never outpaced the manufacturer.

With the increase in Android support life to 7 years, I did consider
purchasing the 256GB model, rather than the 128GB, but the price
increase was substantial. I'm at 34% used, despite having made zero
effort to clean anything up since the migration from Pixel3 -> Pixel5a

Pixel8a.

22GB for apps
10GB for android itself
6GB of photos
5GB of temp files
1GB of videos

the rest is in the noise.

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Marion wrote:

In all fairness to Andy, whom I know to be an intelligent and thoughtful person, I belatedly realize that Andy seems to think the sd card has only
one purpose - which is to extend the memory of the Android phone.

Which is a worthless concept nowadays... I agree.

I partly helped Andy be confused because I interchangably used the word "storage" and "memory" where that's what threw Andy off the main track.

I'm aware that with removable SDcards, you have a choice to "adopt" it
as an extension of the internal storage, or keep it separate as external
(and removable) card, no doubt you do the latter.

I just find I don't use my phone as portable storage, I have USB devices
or cloud storage for that.

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On 2025-02-01 20:17, Andy Burns wrote:

Marion wrote:

In all fairness to Andy, whom I know to be an intelligent and thoughtful
person, I belatedly realize that Andy seems to think the sd card has only
one purpose - which is to extend the memory of the Android phone.

Which is a worthless concept nowadays... I agree.

I partly helped Andy be confused because I interchangably used the word
"storage" and "memory" where that's what threw Andy off the main track.

I'm aware that with removable SDcards, you have a choice to "adopt" it
as an extension of the internal storage, or keep it separate as external
(and removable) card, no doubt you do the latter.

I just find I don't use my phone as portable storage, I have USB devices
or cloud storage for that.

The last two or three phones I bought, the memory card slot doubles use
as SIM card #2 holder, and that is way more important to me than an
extra card ⁽¹⁾. I do not need it, and in the case I would, I would plug
an external USB stick into an appropriate extender cable. I have done
this in the past.

(1) And I did not find phones with three slots in the brands I looked at.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Sat, 1 Feb 2025 19:09:15 +0000, Andy Burns wrote :

Q: How do you double your portable storage when you need to, Andy?
A: ?

You can't, right?
For about $10, I (we) can.

That's right, I have to rely on the general increase of on-board storage
with new models. So far, I've never outpaced the manufacturer.

Well, I started with a 32GB card in my free Samsung Galaxy A32-5G, and then doubled that to 64GB and then doubled it yet again to 128GB, so, YMMV.
<https://i.postimg.cc/j2VCtRPX/sdcard02.jpg>>

With the increase in Android support life to 7 years, I did consider purchasing the 256GB model, rather than the 128GB, but the price
increase was substantial.

Bingo!

How would you like to convert that (less expensive) 256GB model (almost) to
the (more expensive) 256GB model (for roughly about 8 of your Pounds)?
<https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=10&From=USD&To=GBP>

Yes. I know. It's not exactly the same thing. But, if you think about it,
maybe it is the same thing because we're talking about storage for EDITORS.

I'm at 34% used, despite having made zero
effort to clean anything up since the migration from Pixel3 -> Pixel5a

Pixel8a.

22GB for apps
10GB for android itself
6GB of photos
5GB of temp files
1GB of videos

I completely understand your argument, which is the same argument I'd make
for extended memory - which is that extended memory is no longer needed.

But I argue that it's different with portable memory than with extended.
With portable memory, fewer phones will have to be thrown away.

So phones can be held for many more years now than they would otherwise.
This is good for the environment. And for your wallet.

I realize wealthy people don't need to care about the environment, but I've been retired for over 15 years living in one of the most expensive areas of
the country, so I do need to care BOTH about the environment & about money.

With the technical plateau long ago occurring in mobile phone technology,
and with support time skyrocketing, the great news is that, (mostly because
of the EU directives on longevity), fewer phones will be thrown away.

That's good for the environment.

As you stated, I'm well aware that Samsung supports fully for 7 years in writing (as per the EU directives). As does Google. Multiple releases too. (Unfortunately I also own plenty of iOS devices, where Apple's written iOS support is a lousy 5 years only & worse yet, 1 release only at a time).

the rest is in the noise.

I might have said the same thing 3 or 4 years ago when I got my handful of
free Samsung Galaxy A32-5G phones with a "whopping" 64GB of storage.

At that time, I added 'huge' 32GB of portable storage for my editing files.

Then I doubled it (for about $10) to 64GB of portable storage for editors.
I doubled that doubling (this time for free) to 128GB for my file editors.

All done seamlessly.

If you know the brilliantly elegant trick that is.
<https://i.postimg.cc/bNGTzR6q/sdcard1.jpg> match the volume name/label

The value is that what costs you hundreds of dollars, costs me almost none.
You have to admit there is value in NOT throwing away all your old phones.

Is there not?
--
I care about the environment but I understand wealthy people don't have to.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Sat, 1 Feb 2025 19:17:31 +0000, Andy Burns wrote :

I'm aware that with removable SDcards, you have a choice to "adopt" it
as an extension of the internal storage, or keep it separate as external
(and removable) card, no doubt you do the latter.

I just find I don't use my phone as portable storage, I have USB devices
or cloud storage for that.

(f'up noted)

:) I get your point, but now you're introducing privacy + immense cost.

USB devices are fine, as I use my entire Windows computer file system as my "USB device" given I robocopy daily from the P: drive (which is the phone).

But what about the cost & privacy implications of permanent cloud storage?

How much does 256GB of that cloud storage cost anyway?
For the rest of your life?

And what are the privacy implications?
And the implications for the environment?

Let's see about the cost since that's easier to calculate:
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=how+much+does+256gb+of+cloud+storage+cost>

Taking only the quick basics, it's over $10 per month.
Google Drive: https://one.google.com/about/plans
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/plans
iCloud: https://support.apple.com/en-us/108047

Say you live another couple of decades, that 256GB of permanent cloud
storage costs you roughly around $2,500 USD (about 2,000 British Pounds).

For what costs you 2,000 pounds, I get for about ten US dollars.
(Actually, I get all my sd cards for free from Amazon Vine, but YMMV.)

And what are the privacy implications of your editor using someone else's computer to store the files that rightly belong on your personal device?

I feel sorry for people who store their editing files on someone else's computer simply because I'm well aware of the privacy & cost implications.

But I certainly fully & completely understand your position that you don't
need to pop out an sd card (nor can you on your phone) to double storage.

Still... most Android phones have an sd card slot for a good reason...
(as not everyone is wealthy enough to throw away their phone every few
years or to pay thousands just so they don't have to throw it away).

In summary, you don't need it because you're wealthy enough to buy a new
phone every few years and/or to buy increased cloud storage forever at an immense cost over that of an sd card (with some added lost-phone benefits).

But not everyone is that wealthy...
--
Nor is it kind to the environment.

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Carlos E.R. <[email protected]d> wrote:
[...]

The last two or three phones I bought, the memory card slot doubles use
as SIM card #2 holder, and that is way more important to me than an
extra card (1). I do not need it, and in the case I would, I would plug
an external USB stick into an appropriate extender cable. I have done
this in the past.

(1) And I did not find phones with three slots in the brands I looked at.

My 4 1/2 year old Samsung Galaxy A51 has three slots, but I have also
not yet needed an SD-card, still nearly half of the 128GB are free.

However newer comparable Samsung models have indeed 'only' two slots,
where second slot is SIM *or* SD-card.

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On 2025-02-01 21:18, Andy Burns wrote:

Frank Slootweg wrote:

My 4 1/2 year old Samsung Galaxy A51 has three slots, but I have
also not yet needed an SD-card, still nearly half of the 128GB are
free.

However newer comparable Samsung models have indeed 'only' two
slots, where second slot is SIM or SD-card.

Has the third slot been replaced with the capability of using an eSIM?

It is typically SIM xor sd-card. eSIM was not a choice when I bought my
last phones, and I hope not to be buying for two years more.

Maybe on higher end phones there is more choices. My price bracket is 200..300€, I do not want to carry in my pocket a 600€ gadget that can be stolen, fell to the floor or to the loo.

Also the card holder in mine is terribly fragile. I prefer not to touch
it unless there is an actual need, so I will not be inserting and
removing anything unless in dire need.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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Frank Slootweg wrote:

My 4 1/2 year old Samsung Galaxy A51 has three slots, but I have
also not yet needed an SD-card, still nearly half of the 128GB are
free.

However newer comparable Samsung models have indeed 'only' two
slots, where second slot is SIM or SD-card.

Has the third slot been replaced with the capability of using an eSIM?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2025-02-01 20:56, Marion wrote:

On Sat, 1 Feb 2025 19:17:31 +0000, Andy Burns wrote :

...

And what are the privacy implications of your editor using someone else's computer to store the files that rightly belong on your personal device?

I never need to do that.

If I had to, I would use a google editor on the cloud (which you hate),
or a new account at my host computer. And that would be very strange, as
I travel with my laptop.

I feel sorry for people who store their editing files on someone else's computer simply because I'm well aware of the privacy & cost implications.

But I certainly fully & completely understand your position that you don't need to pop out an sd card (nor can you on your phone) to double storage.

Still... most Android phones have an sd card slot for a good reason...
(as not everyone is wealthy enough to throw away their phone every few
years or to pay thousands just so they don't have to throw it away).

In summary, you don't need it because you're wealthy enough to buy a new phone every few years and/or to buy increased cloud storage forever at an immense cost over that of an sd card (with some added lost-phone benefits).

But not everyone is that wealthy...

My phone is already 2 years old, I expect to use it for two years more,
and I don't pay cloud storage.

I have never needed or felt the inclination to edit things in my phone.
At least not heavy memory things, just notes. Editing is done in my
computer.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Sat, 1 Feb 2025 21:42:57 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote :

And what are the privacy implications of your editor using someone else's
computer to store the files that rightly belong on your personal device?

I never need to do that.

Hi Carlos,

This is a good offshoot, which, let's be clear, we've dropped the Windows & Editor folks from, so everything I say below is related mainly to Android.

It's fine that you don't need to edit your files, but I was merely
addressing Andy's cloud-storage concerns, where Andy said that he could use either USB storage or cloud storage instead of sdcards.

They're not the same thing.
In fact, they're *completely* different things.

Worse, he can only do one of those two very different things.
With sdcards, I can do both.

If I had to, I would use a google editor on the cloud (which you hate),
or a new account at my host computer.

I don't "hate" the cloud, as, let's be frank, all of us store our email on
the cloud, don't we? (Even with POP it's still "on the cloud" for a while).

I just hate spending two thousand dollars to do what ten dollars will do.
And I don't like not being able to do whatever it is that I want to do.

What I was explaining to Andy is that cloud storage is completely
*different* in fundamental ways such that it's NOT interchangeable with sdcards.

In fact, I've had "that" discussion many times with the people on the Apple newsgroup who have no idea how *different* cloud storage is from sd
storage.

They're completely different. They're not interchangeable.

And that would be very strange, as I travel with my laptop.

Hmm... almost everyone travels, nowadays, with both a phone & a laptop.
Some people travel with more electronics than that (e.g., watches too).

I presume you mean you edit files using your laptop rather than using your phone - which is completely understandable. In fact, my Android is *always* mirrored on my PC screen, so, in effect, even when I'm seemingly editing
files on my phone, I'm using the PC mouse, keyboard, speakers & clipboard
to "edit" files on Android. <https://i.postimg.cc/N0G1TXcZ/scrcpy01.jpg>

But those Android files that I'm editing from the PC are *stored* on the portable storage card - which is what I double/quadruple from now & then.

Andy and you can double or quadruple your cloud storage also, but at the
cost of thousands of dollars compared to my cost of around ten US bucks.

And with a risk of losing your privacy (but the advantage is you aren't
likely to lose your data unless you stop paying the subscription fees).

But not everyone is that wealthy...

My phone is already 2 years old, I expect to use it for two years more,
and I don't pay cloud storage.

Good. Not everyone is wealthy enough to waste the earth's resources, and
I'm certainly not one to claim that I am wealthy enough to replace my phone every couple of years (which Apple people always seem to claim they do).

My phone, as everyone well knows, came to me in a handful, for free, by T-Mobile, way back in early 2021, and all three are still going strong.
<https://i.postimg.cc/Xq5SpS4D/tmopromo02.jpg>

Let's be clear that one of the reasons they're all still going strong is
that I've been able to double & quadruple the external storage over time.
<https://i.postimg.cc/j2VCtRPX/sdcard02.jpg>

This trick I'm trying to help others appreciate, is what allows me to *seamlessly* double or triple that external portable storage over time.

The word "seamless" is the important point.
It's accomplished by modifying the Volume Name (aka Volume Label).

As Android editors apparently use the Volume Name to find their files.

I have never needed or felt the inclination to edit things in my phone.
At least not heavy memory things, just notes. Editing is done in my
computer.

Hmm. How do you save a track & then edit that track when you are in the backcountry hiking & therefore you can't hope to have Internet access?

How do you add a new entry (or change an old entry) in your kdbx files?
Where do you store the (rather huge) databases that map editors save?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Andy Burns <[email protected]> wrote:

Frank Slootweg wrote:

My 4 1/2 year old Samsung Galaxy A51 has three slots, but I have
also not yet needed an SD-card, still nearly half of the 128GB are
free.

However newer comparable Samsung models have indeed 'only' two
slots, where second slot is SIM or SD-card.

Has the third slot been replaced with the capability of using an eSIM?

Not in the phones I've looked at, which were Samsung phones up through
the Galaxy A55, which is some 360 Euro. (Cheaper ones were A16, A25 and
A35.)

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Marion wrote:

what about the cost & privacy implications of permanent cloud storage?

How much does 256GB of that cloud storage cost anyway?

I have "the usual" 15GB of google storage, with 7GB used, of which 6GB
are the aforementioned photos. The other 1GB are either encrypted
before upload, or inconsequential (tickets for trains, museums, trade shows)

I pay the minimum possible for an M365 account £55/year, that's
principally for Teams usage, but since I have it, it does get used for
my work mailbox too, it comes with 1TB of OneDrive space, but I barely
touch the sides at 5GB.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2025-02-02 06:11, Marion wrote:

On Sat, 1 Feb 2025 21:42:57 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote :

And what are the privacy implications of your editor using someone
else's
computer to store the files that rightly belong on your personal device?

I never need to do that.

Hi Carlos,

This is a good offshoot, which, let's be clear, we've dropped the Windows & Editor folks from, so everything I say below is related mainly to Android.

It's fine that you don't need to edit your files, but I was merely
addressing Andy's cloud-storage concerns, where Andy said that he could use either USB storage or cloud storage instead of sdcards.

They're not the same thing.
In fact, they're *completely* different things.

Worse, he can only do one of those two very different things.
With sdcards, I can do both.

If I had to, I would use a google editor on the cloud (which you
hate), or a new account at my host computer.

I don't "hate" the cloud, as, let's be frank, all of us store our email on the cloud, don't we? (Even with POP it's still "on the cloud" for a while).

I referred to me using the google editor with google cloud, which is
gratis unless you exceed the quota of 15 gigs. I did this once, to use
the feature of two people simultaneously editing the same file, across
the pond.

I just hate spending two thousand dollars to do what ten dollars will do.
And I don't like not being able to do whatever it is that I want to do.

What I was explaining to Andy is that cloud storage is completely
*different* in fundamental ways such that it's NOT interchangeable with sdcards.

In fact, I've had "that" discussion many times with the people on the Apple newsgroup who have no idea how *different* cloud storage is from sd
storage.

They're completely different. They're not interchangeable.

And that would be very strange, as I travel with my laptop.

Hmm... almost everyone travels, nowadays, with both a phone & a laptop.
Some people travel with more electronics than that (e.g., watches too).

I presume you mean you edit files using your laptop rather than using your phone - which is completely understandable. In fact, my Android is *always* mirrored on my PC screen, so, in effect, even when I'm seemingly editing files on my phone, I'm using the PC mouse, keyboard, speakers & clipboard
to "edit" files on Android. <https://i.postimg.cc/N0G1TXcZ/scrcpy01.jpg>

But those Android files that I'm editing from the PC are *stored* on the portable storage card - which is what I double/quadruple from now & then.

Andy and you can double or quadruple your cloud storage also, but at the
cost of thousands of dollars compared to my cost of around ten US bucks.

I intentionally never edit a file stored in a flash card or usb dongle.
I edit the file on the computer, and when finished, copy it over, if
there is a need.

And with a risk of losing your privacy (but the advantage is you aren't likely to lose your data unless you stop paying the subscription fees).

But not everyone is that wealthy...

My phone is already 2 years old, I expect to use it for two years
more, and I don't pay cloud storage.

Good. Not everyone is wealthy enough to waste the earth's resources, and
I'm certainly not one to claim that I am wealthy enough to replace my phone every couple of years (which Apple people always seem to claim they do).

My phone, as everyone well knows, came to me in a handful, for free, by T-Mobile, way back in early 2021, and all three are still going strong. <https://i.postimg.cc/Xq5SpS4D/tmopromo02.jpg>
Let's be clear that one of the reasons they're all still going strong is
that I've been able to double & quadruple the external storage over time. <https://i.postimg.cc/j2VCtRPX/sdcard02.jpg>

This trick I'm trying to help others appreciate, is what allows me to *seamlessly* double or triple that external portable storage over time.

Ok, but many people do not need to do that :-)

Nor would I intentionally label several cards with the same name. I want
them different.

The word "seamless" is the important point.
It's accomplished by modifying the Volume Name (aka Volume Label).

As Android editors apparently use the Volume Name to find their files.

I have never needed or felt the inclination to edit things in my
phone. At least not heavy memory things, just notes. Editing is done
in my computer.

Hmm. How do you save a track & then edit that track when you are in the backcountry hiking & therefore you can't hope to have Internet access?

I don't do that. Never felt that need.

How do you add a new entry (or change an old entry) in your kdbx files?
Where do you store the (rather huge) databases that map editors save?

I've never done that. Ok, you are editing maps. Finally, we know what
you are doing and things start to click in place :-)


I'd probably use a tablet in that case, perhaps with a flash card, which
in my tablet is easily accessible. Big display.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Sun, 2 Feb 2025 14:41:48 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote :

I don't "hate" the cloud, as, let's be frank, all of us store our email on >> the cloud, don't we? (Even with POP it's still "on the cloud" for a while).

I referred to me using the google editor with google cloud, which is
gratis unless you exceed the quota of 15 gigs.

Hi Carlos,

Being a completely open-minded person...

I readily and publicly agree with you that the 15GB gratis cloud storage by Google is rather generous, and, in fact, I've chided the Apple people many times for their ridiculously miniscule 5GB of free iCloud storage.

Both are teasers, of course, when your data storage is at least 64GB (not
all of which are documents), but Google's 15GB is, indeed, rather lavish.

Note: To be fair to Apple owners (of which I am also), there are "ways" to
get more than the absurdly puny 5GB, but you have to play silly games.

I did this once, to use
the feature of two people simultaneously editing the same file, across
the pond.

On that topic, the Apple people always claim how great their "walled
garden" is for such things, but the fact is that if you log into a server
on the Internet - you can do on Android *everything* that Apple can do.

One of those things is what you said - which is two people editing the same file (which I've done also when collaborating with others - although as I recall - it's not exactly simultaneous - but it's close enough to work).

To add further value, in addition, at least as I faintly recall, there is
an "AirDrop" equivalent for Android (I think it's called "ShareDrop") which allows file sharing on the fly - which is - after all - what the Google
edit does (I think) anyway. The Google editor just makes it more seamless
(I think). Note: I am going off of memory from using it years ago so if I'm wrong, you're welcome to correct me that Google isn't "sharing" so much as allowing two people to work on a single "copy" - which "looks" shared.

Andy and you can double or quadruple your cloud storage also, but at the
cost of thousands of dollars compared to my cost of around ten US bucks.

I intentionally never edit a file stored in a flash card or usb dongle.
I edit the file on the computer, and when finished, copy it over, if
there is a need.

I completely understand. I have a lot of sync scripts (since my phone is mounted as the "P:" drive on Windows, where the "master" copy is stored on Windows (which has more powerful editing tools, such as Microsoft Office).

In fact, my "contacts" file is stored as an Excel spreadsheet on Windows.
Then it's robocopied to the "P:" phone drive & used there by phone apps.

So I agree with you that editing is much better done on the desktop PC.
(Good thing Andy removed the "editors" folks from this subthread, huh?) :)

This trick I'm trying to help others appreciate, is what allows me to
*seamlessly* double or triple that external portable storage over time.

Ok, but many people do not need to do that :-)

Well. OK. I agree with you (and with Andy) that if you don't even have an sdcard, the brilliant trick is worthless to you - and I agree if you use
the cloud to mimic some parts of "portable storage", you don't need it.

But....

a. I was kindheartedly trying to be purposefully helpful after all, and,
b. It *is* a neat trick that is both elegant and powerful, and,
c. It makes doubling sdcard memory absolutely seamless!

That's the part I love the most.
Doing that trick with portable memory makes doubling memory seamless!

Nor would I intentionally label several cards with the same name.
I want them different.

I fully understand, and, in fact, for years, especially since nobody can remember the crazy default volume names anyway, what I used to do was label each card by the date that they were put in service, such as (for today):
2025-0202 (for February 25th, 2025)

But what happened was I slept on my first T-Mobile free phone, and it broke
the port (somehow) so I had T-Mobile replace it - and when I popped the old card into the new phone, the old card was formatted with a name such as:
2021-0501 (for May 1st, 2021)

As a result, our beloved {OSMAnd~,OSMAnd+,OSMAnd} editor stopped finding
the gpx, kml, waypoint and map files painstakingly stored on that sdcard.

That's when I realized the "trick" would work, so when I next doubled the
size of the sdcard from 32GB to 64GB, I used the trick and it worked.

I was rather surprised when I quadrupled the original sdcard to 128GB that
it's so seamless that I could almost jump for joy.

Note: I'm well aware that, nowadays, with everything stored on the cloud, phone-to-phone data transfer is pretty much seamless too (albeit at a cost
in privacy, and maybe in subscription fees).

Hmm. How do you save a track & then edit that track when you are in the
backcountry hiking & therefore you can't hope to have Internet access?

I don't do that. Never felt that need.

Well, I can't be the only person who edits files on Android sdcards, can I?

How do you add a new entry (or change an old entry) in your kdbx files?
Where do you store the (rather huge) databases that map editors save?

I've never done that. Ok, you are editing maps. Finally, we know what
you are doing and things start to click in place :-)

Yes. I'm editing the GPX routes & waypoints more than I'm editing the maps themselves; but what I do is *draw* the desired track on an offline map.

Then I try to *follow* that drawn track, where, as you know, there is no guarantee of cellular signal deep in these rugged Santa Cruz Mountains.
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hiker+lost+ffor+days+in+santa+cruz+mountains>

Map databases are, as you're well aware, huge compared to text files; but I don't always get to control WHERE a map program stores those files.

I'd probably use a tablet in that case, perhaps with a flash card, which
in my tablet is easily accessible. Big display.

Funny you mention the tablet as I used to use the iPad for that purpose.

But that's before Android phone batteries got huge, where my free 2021
Android Galaxy A32-5G has a huge 5 Amp battery which lasts forever.

As an aside...

What I love about Android phones, as compared to Apple iPhones, is Apple
puts the cheapest possible battery into every iPhone, to the point that my
free ($200 MSRP) Android has a far better battery than any iPhone ever
made. That's why I love that the EU forced Apple to publicly state how
many cycles their phones handle and as a result, Apple was forced to
improve the battery of the iPhone 15 and up to *barely* meet the minimum lifetime for a phone to be sold in the EU. No iPhone older than the iPhone
15 can be sold in the EU as a result of Apple's use of cheap batteries.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2/2/2025 11:20 AM, Marion wrote:

What I love about Android phones, as compared to Apple iPhones, is
Apple puts the cheapest possible battery into every iPhone,

Just replaced the wife's iPhone 12 after 4+ years because the battery
was going soft. I really can't complain getting 4+ years out of a
phone. I of course could have replaced the battery for around $30 US
(Amazon) but instead got her a new iPhone 16. Happy wife, happy life.

to the point that my free ($200 MSRP) Android has a far better
battery than any iPhone ever made.

But my 5+ year old Samsung Galaxy S10+ battery is not yet showing any
problems (admittedly for my light use) so (in this example of one) your
point is made. But darn, that means no new phone for me... :-(

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On 2025-02-02 19:20, Marion wrote:

On Sun, 2 Feb 2025 14:41:48 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote :

...

Nor would I intentionally label several cards with the same name. I
want them different.

I fully understand, and, in fact, for years, especially since nobody can remember the crazy default volume names anyway, what I used to do was label each card by the date that they were put in service, such as (for today): 2025-0202 (for February 25th, 2025)

But what happened was I slept on my first T-Mobile free phone, and it broke the port (somehow) so I had T-Mobile replace it - and when I popped the old card into the new phone, the old card was formatted with a name such as: 2021-0501 (for May 1st, 2021)

As a result, our beloved {OSMAnd~,OSMAnd+,OSMAnd} editor stopped finding
the gpx, kml, waypoint and map files painstakingly stored on that sdcard.

That's when I realized the "trick" would work, so when I next doubled the size of the sdcard from 32GB to 64GB, I used the trick and it worked.

Ok, now that I understand what type of editor you are talking about and
the scenario, I can agree that changing the label of the card is the
thing to do.

It is a particular scenario.

Then, remember that you can just edit the label to anything without
formatting, in Windows. There is a "label" command in MsDOS that should
still be able to do the trick.


That said, it happens that I can not quadruple the storage in my tablet, because the maximum size it accepts is not that large.

...

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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On Sun, 2 Feb 2025 13:20:17 -0700, AJL wrote :

What I love about Android phones, as compared to Apple iPhones, is
Apple puts the cheapest possible battery into every iPhone,

Just replaced the wife's iPhone 12 after 4+ years because the battery
was going soft. I really can't complain getting 4+ years out of a
phone. I of course could have replaced the battery for around $30 US
(Amazon) but instead got her a new iPhone 16. Happy wife, happy life.

I keep my wife happy by allowing her half of the Amazon Vine choices! :)
<https://amazon.com/vine/about>

As for the iPhone, we had an iPhone 12 mini which was recently upgraded but
the $89 cost of Apple replacing the battery wasn't anywhere near the $30
you quoted. Did you perhaps not have Apple replace the battery for you?
<https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/battery-replacement>

to the point that my free ($200 MSRP) Android has a far better
battery than any iPhone ever made.

But my 5+ year old Samsung Galaxy S10+ battery is not yet showing any problems (admittedly for my light use) so (in this example of one) your
point is made. But darn, that means no new phone for me... :-(

As you appear to be well aware, anecdotal evidence of just you, or just me, isn't science; however, the EU is forcing all phone makers to specify in writing how many charge cycles the battery will take until it goes to 80%.

Apple knew the jig was up so they beefed up the latest iPhones when the EU enacted that regulation (which takes effect later this year, in fact).

At this point, due to the outlandishly cheap crappo batteries Apple puts in
the iPhone, no iPhone older than the iPhone 15 is allowed to be sold there.

Even the iPhone 15 & 16 *barely* squeak by.

Meanwhile, most Android phones easily *double* the EU minimum charge cycles
- which shows more than anecdotally so - how crappy Apple batteries are.

Android batteries are, by and large, fantastic.

Mine can start my car! :)
--
Poor ole' Apple has to finally tell the truth about their crappy phones!

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On Sun, 2 Feb 2025 23:20:45 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote :

Ok, now that I understand what type of editor you are talking about and
the scenario,

Well, that's only one type of editor, but it's an editor that most of us
can agree that if we had an sdcard, that we'd want to store the (admittedly huge) map data on that sdcard, which then needs to be edited at times.

I can agree that changing the label of the card is the thing to do.

I think most people perhaps don't understand the genius of my advice
because they, themselves, never bothered to try to overcome problems.

So they've never experienced a seamless non-cloud phone-to-phone upgrade.
I have.

It is a particular scenario.

I agree that about many Android phones sold today don't have a portable
storage slot (or it does double duty for the SIM card perhaps); but last we checked, most Androids still came with the portable storage sdcard slot.

Given that is coupled with the fact that {OSMAnd~/OSMAnd+/OSMAnd} is a
common offline map application, people have to store its data somewhere.

It either takes up a lot of space on the sdcard0 internal memory.
Or not.

For those with sdcards & OSMAnd, it's easier just to match the volume name. But, you can manually change the directories out from under this editor.

But not from all editors - which is the point of bringing up editors.
BTW, I learned this the hard way, as you can see from the images below:

<https://i.postimg.cc/nr8KNVby/sdcard06.jpg> OsmAnd~ Data storage folder
<https://i.postimg.cc/mrzHRxwB/sdcard07.jpg> OsmAnd~ Move to ext sdcard
<https://i.postimg.cc/vZ1RtXhc/sdcard08.jpg> OsmAnd~ Moved to ext storage

Then, remember that you can just edit the label to anything without formatting, in Windows. There is a "label" command in MsDOS that should
still be able to do the trick.

I used to write, decades ago, tutorials on MSDOS DEBUG programming, in the Peter Norton days, but it has been a long time since I messed with that.

However, to your value-added point, yes, you can change the sdcard volume
name (aka volume label) using the DOS "label" command & the File Explorer.

Here's how to change the volume name through the command prompt:
1. Win+R > cmd
2. Label P: 2025-0202 (e.g., to label it as February 2nd, 2025)
3. Press "Enter"

You can also change the volume name through File Explorer:
1. Open File Explorer:
2. Right-click on your SD card:
3. Select "Properties":
4. In the "General" tab, change the text in the "Volume Label" field:
5. Click "OK"

Both methods work without affecting the data on your SD card.
This is actually a *much better* idea than the one I had espoused!

Since this offshoot is only on the Android newsgroup, I'm gonna forward it
to the rest of the groups so that others can benefit from this useful improvement - which - I must admit - is sheer genius due to the fact that a (quick) format isn't needed (and hence, existing data isn't in jeopardy).

Note: You generally do NOT have existing data on a new sdcard though. :)

That said, it happens that I can not quadruple the storage in my tablet, because the maximum size it accepts is not that large.

Well, OK. I get that. For me, 128GB on my free Samsung works fine.
I just looked up how much it can take, and mine appears to be 1TB.

Lucky me. :) (I suspect by the time 1TB sdcards get to be about ten bucks,
I'll pine for a new phone (even as I'm happy with my free Galaxy A32-5G).

It's the iPhones that I have which always die (as AJL & I discussed earlier
in this thread) where my free ($200 MSRP) phone has a better battery than
Apple has ever put in any iPhone ever sold - where those iPhone batteries
are so bad, the EU will forbid Apple from selling their iPhone later this
year. Apple, being scared of the EU, finally upgraded the iPhone 15 to
*barely* meet the minimum charge-cycle lifetime expectations - which means
no iPhone older than that can be sold in the EU later this year.

Meanwhile, almost every Android phone not only easily met the battery charge-cycle lifetime requirements, but most *doubled* the minimum spec.
--
Fancy that: Apple puts the cheapest components they can into the iPhone.

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On 2/2/2025 3:28 PM, Marion wrote:

On Sun, 2 Feb 2025 13:20:17 -0700, AJL wrote :

What I love about Android phones, as compared to Apple iPhones,
is Apple puts the cheapest possible battery into every iPhone,

Just replaced the wife's iPhone 12 after 4+ years because the
battery was going soft. I really can't complain getting 4+ years
out of a phone. I of course could have replaced the battery for
around $30 US (Amazon) but instead got her a new iPhone 16. Happy
wife, happy life.

As for the iPhone, we had an iPhone 12 mini which was recently
upgraded but the $89 cost of Apple replacing the battery wasn't
anywhere near the $30 you quoted. Did you perhaps not have Apple
replace the battery for you?

I would have replaced the iPhone battery myself. On Amazon they go for
between $11 and $30 US. And most would have been delivered on my
doorstep tomorrow morning. Amazing service. They come with tools and instructions.

It's not that hard to do. I replaced one in one of the wife's earlier
iPhones. For no apparent reason the battery swelled up like a balloon
causing the case to pop open. Surprisingly the phone still worked. I
left it on a cookie sheet for calls (in case of fire) until the new
battery arrived and was installed.

I now have the wife's old iPhone 12 to play with (another toy) and may
splurge and install a new battery. Probably the $11 one...

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On Sun, 2 Feb 2025 17:01:45 -0700, AJL wrote :

As for the iPhone, we had an iPhone 12 mini which was recently
upgraded but the $89 cost of Apple replacing the battery wasn't
anywhere near the $30 you quoted. Did you perhaps not have Apple
replace the battery for you?

I would have replaced the iPhone battery myself.
On Amazon they go for between $11 and $30 US.

I can get them for free on Amazon, but Apple historically requires you to "register" the battery, which requires Apple-specific proprietary tools.

Even genuine Apple batteries still need that registration process (AFAIK).
<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255025403>

And most would have been delivered on my
doorstep tomorrow morning. Amazing service. They come with tools and instructions.

Oh, I get, on average, three Amazon items a day, so I'm well aware they practically hop your fence at 4AM to deliver packages to your doorstep!

I don't pay a dime for all that stuff I order off of Amazon though.
<https://amazon.com/vine/about>

But they do gross up my income with a 1099NEC for the imputed charges.
<https://accountinginsights.org/how-to-report-amazon-vine-1099-nec-income-on-your-taxes/>

It's not that hard to do. I replaced one in one of the wife's earlier iPhones. For no apparent reason the battery swelled up like a balloon
causing the case to pop open. Surprisingly the phone still worked. I
left it on a cookie sheet for calls (in case of fire) until the new
battery arrived and was installed.

Hmm. Are you aware Apple settled that battery-swelling lawsuit last week?
<https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-20-million-apple-watch-settlement-could-mean-a-payout-for-you-heres-how-to-qualify/>

I now have the wife's old iPhone 12 to play with (another toy) and may splurge and install a new battery. Probably the $11 one...

Oh. OK. Well, I was assuming you paid for AppleCare, which is a
ridiculously expensive way to get batteries replaced for about $30, as it actually costs thousands over the years to pay for AppleCare for the rest
of our mortal lives just for the "privilege" of paying "only" $30 to
replace Apple's cheap batteries (which barely meet EU lifetime specs).

You have to remember I deal a lot with Apple owners who, by and large, fall
for every marketing trick in the book - which is why I asked you about it.

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On 2/3/2025 1:13 AM, Marion wrote:

On Sun, 2 Feb 2025 17:01:45 -0700, AJL wrote :

As for the iPhone, we had an iPhone 12 mini which was recently
upgraded but the $89 cost of Apple replacing the battery wasn't
anywhere near the $30 you quoted. Did you perhaps not have Apple
replace the battery for you?

I would have replaced the iPhone battery myself. On Amazon they go
for between $11 and $30 US.

Apple historically requires you to "register" the battery,

IIRC there was a warning in "Settings" battery health that I had a
non-Apple battery installed. Wasn't a problem for me since I seldom
checked battery health.

which requires Apple-specific proprietary tools.

The iPhone replacement battery I bought came with non-Apple brand tools
just as the current crop of Amazon replacement batteries do according to
the listings.

I don't pay a dime for all that stuff I order off of Amazon though. <https://amazon.com/vine/about>

You pay with your time.

But they do gross up my income with a 1099NEC for the imputed
charges. <https://accountinginsights.org/how-to-report-amazon-vine-1099-nec-income-on-your-taxes/>

Yup. Your time is taxable when you're paid with "free" stuff for it.

It's not that hard to do. I replaced one in one of the wife's
earlier iPhones. For no apparent reason the battery swelled up
like a balloon causing the case to pop open. Surprisingly the
phone still worked. I left it on a cookie sheet for calls (in case
of fire) until the new battery arrived and was installed.

Hmm. Are you aware Apple settled that battery-swelling lawsuit last
week? <https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-20-million-apple-watch-settlement-could-mean-a-payout-for-you-heres-how-to-qualify/>

I wasn't. But I see the recovery is $20 to $50 a phone. Hardly worth the
effort even if I could remember which which earlier iPhone it was.

I recently filled out an online form for a similar Verizon lawsuit that
said I might get $100 US. I got a whopping $13. Waste of time...

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On Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:19:28 -0700, AJL wrote :

I would have replaced the iPhone battery myself. On Amazon they go
for between $11 and $30 US.

Apple historically requires you to "register" the battery,

IIRC there was a warning in "Settings" battery health that I had a
non-Apple battery installed. Wasn't a problem for me since I seldom
checked battery health.

Yes. Indeed. The fact you're aware of that is a further indication that you actually performed the task, as the Apple clueless don't know about that.

which requires Apple-specific proprietary tools.

The iPhone replacement battery I bought came with non-Apple brand tools
just as the current crop of Amazon replacement batteries do according to
the listings.

Even genuine Apple batteries perfectly installed get that warning if you
don't also "register" the battery - which is - IMHO - an Apple-only thing.

I don't pay a dime for all that stuff I order off of Amazon though.
<https://amazon.com/vine/about>

You pay with your time.

Indeed. But I've been kindly helping people for free my whole life.

But they do gross up my income with a 1099NEC for the imputed
charges.
<https://accountinginsights.org/how-to-report-amazon-vine-1099-nec-income-on-your-taxes/>

Yup. Your time is taxable when you're paid with "free" stuff for it.

Yes. I pay taxes in order to kindly advise people what products to buy.

It's not that hard to do. I replaced one in one of the wife's
earlier iPhones. For no apparent reason the battery swelled up
like a balloon causing the case to pop open. Surprisingly the
phone still worked. I left it on a cookie sheet for calls (in case
of fire) until the new battery arrived and was installed.

Hmm. Are you aware Apple settled that battery-swelling lawsuit last
week?
<https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-20-million-apple-watch-settlement-could-mean-a-payout-for-you-heres-how-to-qualify/>

I wasn't. But I see the recovery is $20 to $50 a phone. Hardly worth the effort even if I could remember which which earlier iPhone it was.

I agree with you that, in general, the only people who get anything, are
the lawyers - but it's always good to keep Apple in check since they lie so much that the only time Apple seems to tell the truth, is when forced to.

It's actually shocking how much Apple lies are *believed* by Apple owners.

I recently filled out an online form for a similar Verizon lawsuit that
said I might get $100 US. I got a whopping $13. Waste of time...

Completely understand. I'm still waiting for my Philips Respironics check.

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Frank Slootweg wrote:
Carlos E.R. <robin_listas> wrote:

On 2025-02-03 14:09, Kenny McCormack wrote:
In article <m0br40Ff8v9U2>,
Arno Welzel <usenet> wrote:
...
I don't call an SSD a flash media.

Why not? SSD *is* flash storage. Just because there is a controller
which takes care of wear leveling, the storage technology itself is not
different to that of SD cards.

Chill out, man.

People often use terminology in idiosyncratic ways. That doesn't make them >> wrong. I understand Carlo's frame of reference, and I accept it. You
should do likewise.

Just for one example:
In some circles, unless it is a 4 footed mammal, it is not an

"animal".

I assume Carlo's use of terminology is similar.


This minute, I do not know how to name SSDs. I'm confused.

To avoid this kind of senseless non-discussions, I tend to call things
as they are normally called, not by their technology. AFAIC, using the
term "flash card"/"flash media" is outdated and

ambiguous terminology.

So SSD, (Micro)SD-card, USB memory-stick (not just USB stick, as there
are other type of USB sticks), etc.. If needed, add the capacity or/and subtype (i.e. SD, SDHC, SDXC, SDUC). 'Problem' solved.

Good advice


This is a response to the post seen at: http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=682928603#682928603

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