Attaching files to emails—not so much!

[magicandmystery]

I realize Apple's unveiling the new OS Thursday, so I'm hopeful there will be a fix for this (glaring) issue.

Since there's really no file system to speak of, there's no repository of files. Which means that you don't go to mail to attach files, but rather the program that can open the file you want to attach. That's a problem, and a rather severe one. Let me give you a for instance:

If you have NOT downloaded Pages, for instance, you can view Word docs, but you can't save them. Which means that if you need to attach a resume you've emailed to yourself, you can't.

Let's say you HAVE downloaded Pages. Since you can only email the doc from Pages, if you click a link in Safari (on a job searching site, for instance), you can send an email, sure. Unfortunately, sans attachment of any kind.

Dear Apple, fix it!

 

[Velin]

Sounds horrible. Who wants to waste time with a device like this.

 

[steffi]

Whilst this would couple the solution to MobileMe but is iDisk available from both Pages and Mail?

I realize Apple's unveiling the new OS Thursday, so I'm hopeful there will be a fix for this (glaring) issue.

Since there's really no file system to speak of, there's no repository of files. Which means that you don't go to mail to attach files, but rather the program that can open the file you want to attach. That's a problem, and a rather severe one. Let me give you a for instance:

If you have NOT downloaded Pages, for instance, you can view Word docs, but you can't save them. Which means that if you need to attach a resume you've emailed to yourself, you can't.

Let's say you HAVE downloaded Pages. Since you can only email the doc from Pages, if you click a link in Safari (on a job searching site, for instance), you can send an email, sure. Unfortunately, sans attachment of any kind.

Dear Apple, fix it!

 

[Akash.B]

The doc you you emailed yourself can be forwarded to the company's address AND you could add words to it. Simple enough to be done on an iPhone.

 

[jclardy]

It can be done like the poster above me said, but I really hope they address this in 4.0

 

[iLiveUdie]

Hope the new OS is good...

 

[bluehaze013]

I've noticed a few issues like this, not only email attachments but trying to upload anythingnto the Internet doesn't work. Likentrying to upload a picture to post it doesn't work and I end up having to go to the desktop to do it. It is quite frustrating if they want this to be a fully Internet capable device they have a few things they need to fix here. Hopefully some of it gets addressed with 4.0.

 

[LadyHoneyBabe]

I realize Apple's unveiling the new OS Thursday, so I'm hopeful there will be a fix for this (glaring) issue.

Since there's really no file system to speak of, there's no repository of files. Which means that you don't go to mail to attach files, but rather the program that can open the file you want to attach. That's a problem, and a rather severe one. Let me give you a for instance:

If you have NOT downloaded Pages, for instance, you can view Word docs, but you can't save them. Which means that if you need to attach a resume you've emailed to yourself, you can't.

Let's say you HAVE downloaded Pages. Since you can only email the doc from Pages, if you click a link in Safari (on a job searching site, for instance), you can send an email, sure. Unfortunately, sans attachment of any kind.

Dear Apple, fix it!

Have you tried this app? It's a file management system app. It stores docs and you can email them as attachments.

Readdledocs

 

[h00ligan]

I've noticed a few issues like this, not only email attachments but trying to upload anythingnto the Internet doesn't work. Likentrying to upload a picture to post it doesn't work and I end up having to go to the desktop to do it. It is quite frustrating if they want this to be a fully Internet capable device they have a few things they need to fix here. Hopefully some of it gets addressed with 4.0.

Install flickr app. Upload pic to flickr free account. Post URL.

 

[pooryou]

Let's say you HAVE downloaded Pages. Since you can only email the doc from Pages, if you click a link in Safari (on a job searching site, for instance), you can send an email, sure. Unfortunately, sans attachment of any kind.

Dear Apple, fix it!

How about copying the email address, then going to Pages and sending? Seems like there are some options.

Maybe we should see what happens on Thursday. Don't you imagine they would be announcing something that would make this easier?

 

[NC MacGuy]

How about copying the email address, then going to Pages and sending? Seems like there are some options.

Maybe we should see what happens on Thursday. Don't you imagine they would be announcing something that would make this easier?

Frankly I would have thought it would have been taken care of before release. The file system and it's lack of accessibility IMHO is the achilles heal of the iPad. and why I don't have one or three....

 

[bluehaze013]

Install flickr app. Upload pic to flickr free account. Post URL.

I've got the photo bucket app and it works about the same point is though we shouldn't have to do this. Stuff like attaching files to email and to web posts is commonplace enough that if this is really going to be the " best web experience ever" we should be able to do it seamlessly on the iPad just as we do on a normal computer.

Navigating the net on a larger touch screen than a phone is pretty sweet but the novelty starts to wear offnwhen you can't do commonplace everyday things like attach files to web posts or view videos on your favorite web pages using flash etc...

If this really is going to be a complete Internet experience then some changes will need to be made eventually because the novelty won't last forever.

 

[Velin]

These sound like major major flaws. Come on, you can't tell me you're not disappointed with this kind of sloppy execution.

 

[iCheddar]

In my opinion it was excusable on iPhone, but completely inexcusable on iPad.

Especially when one considers that the perfect file management system was on iPad when it was demoed. The info from the iPad SDK said that there would be a central repository that could be shared between apps, and that this repository would mount as a drive when iPad was docked.

I'm guessing that it ended up being buggy and thats why it didn't make it onto the current iPad OS. Really, lack of an accessible file system is the only thing that doesn't make iPad a real computer.

I'll use and modify an Alan Kay quote here: "Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and put in native file management, and you'll rule the world."

 

[HXGuy]

See my post on "Going out of our way to use the iPad as a laptop"

But for uploading files online to post on a forum...try FTP To Go, its a great app but of course you have to have an FTP site to upload to.

 

[admanimal]

In my opinion it was excusable on iPhone, but completely inexcusable on iPad.

Especially when one considers that the perfect file management system was on iPad when it was demoed. The info from the iPad SDK said that there would be a central repository that could be shared between apps, and that this repository would mount as a drive when iPad was docked.

The SDK said no such thing. The original setup was basically the same thing we now get through iTunes, but with a folder for each app somehow accessible directly through the Finder. There was never a repository that could be shared between apps, nor do I recall anything like that ever being demoed.

I would be shocked if Apple put it something resembling regular old file management, but what seems more likely is that files will somehow be organized per app. So if you want to attach a file from Mail, you click the attach button, it brings up a list of your apps with documents, you pick the app and then the document. The tricky thing is that up to this point, no documents created in iPhone/iPad apps ever really have file names, so I'm not sure how they will handle selecting specific docs.

 

[iCheddar]

From the post on Macrumors about it:

File Sharing. A shared file directory is provided that will mount on your Mac or PC. This is presumably how files such as iWork documents will be transferred to and from the iPad. iPad applications will be able to access this shared directory.

Now while this feature was not demoed, there was a file sharing option in the settings on the day it was demoed. Obviously, the mountable shared folder was progressed enough that it was in the SDK documentation. I'm just annoyed it didn't stay.

Either way, even if Apple didn't go with the old fashioned hierarchical style file management system, they still need something better than the clunkiness we have now.

 

[guycross]

From the post on Macrumors about it:




Either way, even if Apple didn't go with the old fashioned hierarchical style file management system, they still need something better than the clunkiness we have now.

The whole issue of file management is the only thing that has made me consider that the iPad may not be up to the job

 

[Peter Harrison]

Has anyone tried moving files to the iPad via File Sharing on iTunes and then seeing if there's an option to attach when in Mail?

 

[pooryou]

A system-wide file system opens up potential security issues with apps. Probably something that needed to be addressed fundamentally at the OS level. Again, let's see what happens on Thursday...it's only a day away

 

[kultschar]

The whole issue of file management is the only thing that has made me consider that the iPad may not be up to the job

Me also - along with accessing network shares and printing (printing is a must to come surely since they have released iWorks apps, seems pathetic to even omit it regardless of drivers etc im sure Apple can find a way if 3rd party's can!)

 

[anthonymoody]

Yup as has been pointed out in this thread ultimately it gets to the file-system issue. Or rather, lack of file-system

Fortunately tomorrow comes quick My concern though is that if what's announced disappoints in this regard...uh oh.

 

[anjinha]

You can use an app like ReaddleDocs for that, that's what I've always done on the iPhone. You can even download files from the web using the in-app browser.

As for posting pics on a forum you can upload the pics somewhere (Flickr, MobileMe, etc.) and post the link.

 

[magicandmystery]

How about copying the email address, then going to Pages and sending? Seems like there are some options.

Maybe we should see what happens on Thursday. Don't you imagine they would be announcing something that would make this easier?

Not necessarily an option. A friend of mine was on a medical job site yesterday—medreps.com. When you click an email link, a mini mail overlay appears, so you can send mail. There's no way to copy that mail link from within that overlay. Closing that overlay and trying to copy it from within the webpage didn't work in this instance either, as holding done their email address didn't show the "copy" handles, but rather a little pop-up labeled "JavaScript".

Sure, there are tedious workarounds. But they are... tedious. Extremely.

 

[samcraig]

Here's hoping 4.0 offers some solutions. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm disappointed that any solutions (read: jury-rigging) is being done by 3rd party apps instead of being native in the OS.

File management
Printing

Both of those things shouldn't rely on a 3rd party developer.

re: printing - drivers could be installed via iTunes like an app or OTA through wifi and the app store if remote. The iPad OS wouldn't need to include any or all drivers whatsoever.