2 iPads sync together

[Deso]

Hello. I have 2 iPad 2. Both have i OS 5. Is there a way, using iCloud I could have both carry the same info. Example of what I would like to do: I set the iPad No.1 with some Apps and documents (PDFs, videos, etc). Then I want iPad No. 2 to have the same info. Can I use iCloud? (both are set with the same account (iTunes, and iCloud). The way I was able to obtain some results although not very practical was to back-up iPad No1 to the iCloud then Reset completely iPad No.2 and then connect to iCloud and do Restore. Process is long, dumb and all the apps have to be reconnected for authorization from the AppStore. Is there any better way to do it ? And, no, I cannot hard link both together (I travel a lot, so the wife can add documents to No. 1, the one at home, while I travel with No. 2).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[HazyCloud]

You sure can. Just make sure that both iPads are using the same iCloud account. This will keep contacts and such in-sync between the 2 devices.

 

[Deso]

You sure can. Just make sure that both iPads are using the same iCloud account. This will keep contacts and such in-sync between the 2 devices.

Well, that is what I am now doing. But the issue is you have to 1/ Reset all the data 2/ Restart 3/ Select your language and country 4/ Login to your WiFi network 5/ Select you iCloud account 6/ Restore from iCloud 7/ Reenter your iTune data for the Apps and then you have it.

Can it be done in an easier way, say such as to 1/ go to iCloud and 2/ sync?

 

[Night Spring]

Well, that is what I am now doing. But the issue is you have to 1/ Reset all the data 2/ Restart 3/ Select your language and country 4/ Login to your WiFi network 5/ Select you iCloud account 6/ Restore from iCloud 7/ Reenter your iTune data for the Apps and then you have it.

Can it be done in an easier way, say such as to 1/ go to iCloud and 2/ sync?

If I'm understanding you correctly, then the 7-step process you describe only has to be done once. After that, your two iPads should just stay in sync without your having to do anything. Of course, not many apps are enabled to take advantage of iCloud data syncing yet, but I expect more and more apps would offer that feature as time goes on. In the meantime, if you tell us what specific apps you want to keep in sync between your two iPads, perhaps we could suggest some workarounds.

 

[Deso]

If I'm understanding you correctly, then the 7-step process you describe only has to be done once. After that, your two iPads should just stay in sync without your having to do anything.

Wait! You are saying that once I have sync as described earlier, the two iPads will remain in sync w/o having to do anything? So, if I add a file to iPad No1 it will also show up on iPad No.2? How is that possible?

EDIT: Ok. On second thought, I can guess how that would work. So, when iPad No.1 does its back-up, the new file will be transferred to the cloud and when iPad No.2 does is back-up (since both use the same account, it will pick-up the file added by iPad No.1. Is that it? If it is, that would be great! Maybe I am just a tad too hopeful, here. Am I?

 

[Small White Car]

iCloud will sync the contacts and calendars but it will NOT sync the files you're asking for.

Get a Dropbox account for that and keep all the files in Dropbox. Whenever the iPads are on the internet it will make sure the Dropbox apps on each iPad are perfect matches.

There's no way to sync a whole iPad, but what you do is set up each thing you want to stay the same:

1) iCloud for contacts and calendars and Safari bookmarks and reminders and notes

2) IMAP e-mail from whatever your provider is

3) Dropbox for documents

4) An RSS reader that syncs with Google reader for RSS feeds


...and so on.

 

[Thetonyk123]

Personally I do not like iCloud. For what I do its worthless. I have it turned off.

 

[Night Spring]

Wait! You are saying that once I have sync as described earlier, the two iPads will remain in sync w/o having to do anything? So, if I add a file to iPad No1 it will also show up on iPad No.2? How is that possible?

EDIT: Ok. On second thought, I can guess how that would work. So, when iPad No.1 does its back-up, the new file will be transferred to the cloud and when iPad No.2 does is back-up (since both use the same account, it will pick-up the file added by iPad No.1. Is that it? If it is, that would be great! Maybe I am just a tad too hopeful, here. Am I?

Not exactly. Right now this only works for contacts, calendars, and some apps, like Pages and Numbers. And no, your iPads don't pick up the info by sharing backups. Once you connect them to the same iCloud's account, any change you make to the contacts in one iPad will be pushed to the other iPad. If you add a new document to Pages in one iPad, it will show up in the other iPad. But there are only a few apps now that does this, but hopefully more apps will do that in the future.

In the meanwhile, try Dropbox, as the other poster suggested.