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Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,358
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards

So I'm considering a Chromebook, I know that they are usually 16GB or 32GB of storage. That is not nearly enough in my opinion. I'm not tech savvy that's the reason I'm asking for advice. I know not all Chromebooks are equipped for expandable storage, I was wondering how can you tell (if you can't see it in person)? Also how exactly does an SD or Micro SD card work?  Do you purchase an SD or micro SD card for a Chromebook? Do you need to buy an adapter for it, and what size card do you get? Lastly does the SD card have to always stay in the slot on the Chromebook or can you take it out? These may sound like silly questions to some, but I would appreciate any help.

Super Contributor
Posts: 365
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards

I am crazy happy with my Toshiba cromebook. soooooo fast! mine was from Costco and it came with an SD card. when saving things, it asks where to save, so I could save pix onto the SD card. 

 

I have a  desktop to most things live there. I basically use the chromebook on my lap in living room for shopping and checking the news. I rarely save anyhing so the storage size isn't important to me. 

 

when searching, the description will say if it takes additional storage via SD cards. and what size. no adapter: just pops into the SD slot; push it and it pops back out to remove. 

 

HTH

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,153
Registered: ‎05-22-2012

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards


@Jordan2 wrote:

So I'm considering a Chromebook, I know that they are usually 16GB or 32GB of storage. That is not nearly enough in my opinion. I'm not tech savvy that's the reason I'm asking for advice. I know not all Chromebooks are equipped for expandable storage, I was wondering how can you tell (if you can't see it in person)? Also how exactly does an SD or Micro SD card work?  Do you purchase an SD or micro SD card for a Chromebook? Do you need to buy an adapter for it, and what size card do you get? Lastly does the SD card have to always stay in the slot on the Chromebook or can you take it out? These may sound like silly questions to some, but I would appreciate any help.


I don't know if you're familiar with thumb/USB drives, but an SD card is similar. You can store files on the SD card and move them from one device to another. You don't need to keep the card in the device at all times, but if you want to access a file on the card or store a file on the card, the card will need to be in place.

 

What kind of card (SD or mini SD) depends on the device you are using, so I can't answer that. If you decide to buy a Chromebook, ask the sales associate what kind it uses. I think there are some adapters you can buy if you have your data on a mini SD card and you have a machine that uses a larger SD card.


Cloud storage may be another alternative for you. If you have a cloud storage account, you can keep all your files there and may not need an SD card. Services like Drop Box, Google Drive,  Amazon Web Services (AWS) and more. Most will offer somewhere around 15GB of storage for free and then have monthly or annual plans to get more storage. You can get 100GB of storage on Google Drive for $20 a year.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,358
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards


@ChynnaBlue wrote:

@Jordan2 wrote:

So I'm considering a Chromebook, I know that they are usually 16GB or 32GB of storage. That is not nearly enough in my opinion. I'm not tech savvy that's the reason I'm asking for advice. I know not all Chromebooks are equipped for expandable storage, I was wondering how can you tell (if you can't see it in person)? Also how exactly does an SD or Micro SD card work?  Do you purchase an SD or micro SD card for a Chromebook? Do you need to buy an adapter for it, and what size card do you get? Lastly does the SD card have to always stay in the slot on the Chromebook or can you take it out? These may sound like silly questions to some, but I would appreciate any help.


I don't know if you're familiar with thumb/USB drives, but an SD card is similar. You can store files on the SD card and move them from one device to another. You don't need to keep the card in the device at all times, but if you want to access a file on the card or store a file on the card, the card will need to be in place.

 

What kind of card (SD or mini SD) depends on the device you are using, so I can't answer that. If you decide to buy a Chromebook, ask the sales associate what kind it uses. I think there are some adapters you can buy if you have your data on a mini SD card and you have a machine that uses a larger SD card.


Cloud storage may be another alternative for you. If you have a cloud storage account, you can keep all your files there and may not need an SD card. Services like Drop Box, Google Drive,  Amazon Web Services (AWS) and more. Most will offer somewhere around 15GB of storage for free and then have monthly or annual plans to get more storage. You can get 100GB of storage on Google Drive for $20 a year.


@ChynnaBlue, thanks for the feedback. I think you get 200GB of storage for two years for free with your chromebook. After that I think you have to pay for it.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,153
Registered: ‎05-22-2012

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards


@Jordan2 wrote:

@ChynnaBlue wrote:

@Jordan2 wrote:

So I'm considering a Chromebook, I know that they are usually 16GB or 32GB of storage. That is not nearly enough in my opinion. I'm not tech savvy that's the reason I'm asking for advice. I know not all Chromebooks are equipped for expandable storage, I was wondering how can you tell (if you can't see it in person)? Also how exactly does an SD or Micro SD card work?  Do you purchase an SD or micro SD card for a Chromebook? Do you need to buy an adapter for it, and what size card do you get? Lastly does the SD card have to always stay in the slot on the Chromebook or can you take it out? These may sound like silly questions to some, but I would appreciate any help.


I don't know if you're familiar with thumb/USB drives, but an SD card is similar. You can store files on the SD card and move them from one device to another. You don't need to keep the card in the device at all times, but if you want to access a file on the card or store a file on the card, the card will need to be in place.

 

What kind of card (SD or mini SD) depends on the device you are using, so I can't answer that. If you decide to buy a Chromebook, ask the sales associate what kind it uses. I think there are some adapters you can buy if you have your data on a mini SD card and you have a machine that uses a larger SD card.


Cloud storage may be another alternative for you. If you have a cloud storage account, you can keep all your files there and may not need an SD card. Services like Drop Box, Google Drive,  Amazon Web Services (AWS) and more. Most will offer somewhere around 15GB of storage for free and then have monthly or annual plans to get more storage. You can get 100GB of storage on Google Drive for $20 a year.


@ChynnaBlue, thanks for the feedback. I think you get 200GB of storage for two years for free with your chromebook. After that I think you have to pay for it.


That should be plenty, then. If you store a lot of media (photos, music, TV/movies), you might want to increase, 200gb is more than enough if you mostly use it for web surfing, email, shopping, etc.

Super Contributor
Posts: 256
Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards

My chromebook came with 100GB of google drive storage for 2 years.I don't use any local storage in the xchromebook itself. I'm not technical, but I have this version of the Toshiba Chromebook 2. It has the LED, with the IPS screen. Love the Skullcandy audio, it comes up through the keyboar.  https://www.cnet.com/products/toshiba-chromebook-2/specs/20170307_183116.jpg

Super Contributor
Posts: 256
Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards

[ Edited ]

@knittykitty wrote:

I am crazy happy with my Toshiba cromebook. soooooo fast! mine was from Costco and it came with an SD card. when saving things, it asks where to save, so I could save pix onto the SD card. 

 

I have a  desktop to most things live there. I basically use the chromebook on my lap in living room for shopping and checking the news. I rarely save anyhing so the storage size isn't important to me. 

 

when searching, the description will say if it takes additional storage via SD cards. and what size. no adapter: just pops into the SD slot; push it and it pops back out to remove. 

 

HTH


I love my Toshiba too!  Do you have Toshiba 2 version? I want the updated version with the backlit keyboard, but the update version has a fan

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards

I use my chromebook for things like reading and this forum & shopping. For storage I use our desktop windows 10 computer. I like the lightweight , easy to hold in my lap chromebook but it does have limited storage. Storage is specifically why we have a desktop. My DH is into genelogy and stores extensive info in the desktop, plus we have scanned most of our photos into it.

For those few things I store on my chromebook I use either the "pocket" app or the Google 'Keep" app - which stores stuff out on the web.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,358
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards


@Bigbear52 wrote:

My chromebook came with 100GB of google drive storage for 2 years.I don't use any local storage in the xchromebook itself. I'm not technical, but I have this version of the Toshiba Chromebook 2. It has the LED, with the IPS screen. Love the Skullcandy audio, it comes up through the keyboar.  https://www.cnet.com/products/toshiba-chromebook-2/specs/20170307_183116.jpg


@Bigbear52, what happens when you either use up the 100GB or the 2 years are up? Do you then have to purchase more storage, I wonder what  the cost is?

Super Contributor
Posts: 256
Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: Questions About Chromebooks And SD Cards

Yes, you can pay to keep them, or buy a lower amount. I had 15GB already, so I probably won't. My promotion expires 8/27/2017 I can buy the 100GB at $1.99/month, or prepay annually for $19.99,it would be a savings of 16% or I can get 1 TB up to 30 TB They have plans that go that high, I'd be dead before I ever used that LOL!  Like I said, my current plan is 15GB I won't lose that. I was using a chrome browser on a window OS laptop, that's how I got the 15GB.  I look at my usage from time to time. I've currently used 

0.27 GB 0% used  out of 115 GB total storage. My Gmail uses more than my google photos.