Topic: Question about SD cards...

[tendoboy1984]

So Nintendo allows 3DS users to download games  to SD cards, yet both Google and Microsoft block this feature on their smartphones. Why is this?

[ShyGuy]

They will in a few years, then it will be hailed as "innovation"

[NWR_insanolord]

Nintendo doesn't let you NOT put games on the SD card. Apart from DSiWare, everything on the 3DS runs off that card. Also, to state the obvious, the 3DS and phones are apples and oranges.

[Wah]

Only thing i'am worried about is if my 3DS breaks you cannot transfer your games onto a new DS.

[BranDonk Kong]

Performance is usually the reason. SD cards are typically slow (or can be slow), running an app off of one takes longer than running off the internal flash memory.

[tendoboy1984]

Performance is usually the reason. SD cards are typically slow (or can be slow), running an app off of one takes longer than running off the internal flash memory.

But the 3DS and Vita have no problems running apps and games from SD cards (or whatever the Vita uses). Your point is moot.

[azeke]

3DS games are usually smaller or something...

I booted and played a Wii U game through SD Card using USB adapter, so that system would think it's a hard drive.

Loading times were visibly longer that if loaded from external HDD.

[BranDonk Kong]

Performance is usually the reason. SD cards are typically slow (or can be slow), running an app off of one takes longer than running off the internal flash memory.

But the 3DS and Vita have no problems running apps and games from SD cards (or whatever the Vita uses). Your point is moot.

Your mom is moot. Ask Google and Microsoft.

[MegaByte]

So Nintendo allows 3DS users to download games  to SD cards, yet both Google and Microsoft block this feature on their smartphones. Why is this?

Google used to let you, before internal storage got cheaper, but then they rerouted the "SD card" to internal storage.

[BranDonk Kong]

Organization is another reason Google is not (officially) supporting SD cards anymore. Say you download a game that downloads an additional 1GB file (resources, etc). If you lose or change your SD card, then you need to download it again - or if the app data was on there it will be lost. People then want to move apps to SD, which causes problems that normally wouldn't be there. I can't say that I'm excited about it (and I still have a 32GB microSD in my RAZR HD, but now both storage areas are completely full), but it makes sense.

[NWR_insanolord]

Organization is another reason Google is not (officially) supporting SD cards anymore. Say you download a game that downloads an additional 1GB file (resources, etc). If you lose or change your SD card, then you need to download it again - or if the app data was on there it will be lost. People then want to move apps to SD, which causes problems that normally wouldn't be there. I can't say that I'm excited about it (and I still have a 32GB microSD in my RAZR HD, but now both storage areas are completely full), but it makes sense.

And Nintendo's decision to exclusively run everything except DSiWare off the SD card sidesteps these issues.

[BranDonk Kong]

Multi-user support is another reason (Android).