Memory card app installation not happening for a while, but will eventually

[Andor]

The question of 'when will Android enable memory card app installs?' has been something that's been an issue right from the G1's release.

Yet there's still no information or dates on when we'll see this functionality for the G1.

Here's an interesting set of exchanges from the Google Groups android dev:
http://groups.google.com/group/andro...cd7b67d98acba#

On Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 1:52 PM, al74

Nothing that Google has to do? Open source project?

I am probably in the wrong place then because as far as I am aware, nobody other than Google (and perhaps HTC or T-mobile) can actualy change the code on the only existing device currently implementing this platform. In fact, I was surprise to discover that even what we thought to be a simple task, such as adding Hebrew fonts so that the G1 will be able to read Hebrew is not possible without root access.


Any patches that are contributed and accepted into the Android open source project will become part of the standard platform, and thus part of any future updates that are delivered to phones.

(Though of course ultimately it is up to the vendor to decide the exact software they deliver as updates, I think it would be an extremely unusual case for someone to take a platform update except some parts, especially if that part is something like an apps on SD cards feature.)

And this really has little to do with Google. If I were to go out and buy a
G1 from the store, I couldn't replace the software on it just like you
can't.

Those certificates are owned by the phone manufacturer and/or
carrier, not Google.


The fact that it is not on your roadmap for Q1 2009 is frustrating, as I don't see how users like me can actualy enjoy the benefit of the App Market with the limited internal storage capcity most of us already almost exhusted. Without the app market, Android is no better than a regular cell phone with a nice touch screen.


I totally understand about the desire to be able to have apps on the SD
card, and the pain of not being able to do so. I hope I have indicated that
we have certainly put some thought into it and have I think a pretty good
plan of how to accomplish it, but unfortunately I can't at this point give
you a time when that will happen.

As far as the roadmap goes, you may not realize that shipping significant
new versions of the platform (which this would be) in Q1 of 2009 essentially
means being feature complete about this time right now. So even if we all
decided that yes, this is the highest priority thing to work on, and we're
going to start coding right now... well, it isn't going to be in the Q1
2009 roadmap. We don't yet have a roadmap beyond that, though, so after Q1

it's a fair amount more open about what will be delivered.

--
Dianne Hackborn
Android framework engineer

[OGizME]

This is Bull SH!T I I am about to run out of space on the internal memory. Is there still no fix for this Critical issue.

[zildjianpro]

sadly no. I spoke to a TMo rep last week and they said that they were working on issues..this being one of them...but they did didnt have a time frame as to "when" this would come out. In another words they were fucking clueless. Gonna have to sit and wait it out.

[androidtapp]

Definately an issue :-(

I recently asked an Android App developer about this, he basically stated it was a security permissions issue with Linux OS. Even if you could install on the SD card, the app probably wouldn't work

[jimy]

I thought there was an application for this.

[kevza]

Apart from the battery life, this is the only other thing that dissapoints me.

[PunkZanyJ]

well, if it's a security issue, I understand it not being on a fast track. I'd rather have a phone that's solid security-wise than being able to install apps onto the SD Card.

Just means you have to be a little more choosy about what you download and keep. Honestly, though, the apps download, install, and uninstall so quickly that if there's something you need for just one day, or one instance, you can download it in a minute.

So those of you that like to show off, right before the party, while you're getting dressed, download all the snazzy apps to show off, and then uninstall them the next morning :P

In a way, this is a good thing. Developers who want people to download and keep their software installed are going to have to have a lot of the bugs worked out. We just don't have the real estate to be helping them test their apps on our phones. So now they have a reason to really put forth the effort, otherwise folks won't even bother.

I honestly only have like 3 apps I consider "necessary" at this point, and those would be Locale, Twidroid, and PhoneFlix. Everything else is "nice", but I could easily do without ShopSavvy, myLite, and Bubble for awhile if something else "necessary" came along.

They really need to improve battery life because having 100 apps on your phone isn't going to be nothing if the battery craps out after 2 hours.

[heyarnold]

Sigh, its asinine design flaws like this that make me regret getting a G1. I might just break down and get an unlocked HTC Touch Pro... Outside of all of the politics/buacracy/BS, I just want a phone that works. I want to BUY applications without having to worry about running out of space. Unless someone actually addresses these problems, the G1/android will fail. Oh yea, why aren't they advertising this phone on TV?? Sometimes i wonder if this whole thing is being done half a**ed on purpose.

[rdhcobra]

well thats a bas........ i was just wondering as well to what they were gona do about that haha , i only just noticed it as well (i know bit late, only had my phone a week tho ) and about the comment on the battery , i love it, i have an N95 and they said the battery on that was bad, and that was true, i get the G1 expecting the same......but NAW!! its 10times as better am well happy with it.

[Andor]

Latest rumors circulating are that this memory card app install issue will get fixed in the next update (due this month), along with improvements to the G1's battery consumption.

Whether or not this is the case remains to be seen, but that's 'the word on the street'