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can I copy from and write to SD card on iPad?

D

david151

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 28, 2017
12
1
I am thinking of buying the iPad pro, but know almost nothing about the lock downs on the iPad. I am more of an open source Linux person myself, but am impressed by the iPad hardware.

From what I gather, the user can officially copy content from an SD card to the iPad with the Apple camera connection kit. The problem is I read this only works for video and photo, and I would like to copy other file types to the iPad from SD cards, such as music, PDF files, various archives etc.

It is also important that I can also write files to the SD card from the iPad. From what I gather, Apple does not support this with the camera connection kit?

So what are my options? I wonder if this would work for my requirements:
Dash-i & Dash-i Plus MicroSD Reader for iPhone/iPad
http://www.meenova.com/st/p/dash_i.html

Or is jailbreak the way to go? Will jailbreak let me organise my own folder structure on the iPad and let me copy things at will?

Sorry for the basic questions, but I am someone who grew up on Linux and know nothing about Apple stuff.
 
Another option would be to use an app like Documents by Readlle as your main place to store data from external sources. While it surely can't read or write SD cards, I can access my computer directly via file sharing and can copy / move data directly. Certain folders on my Mac sync automatically even with this app. My understanding is that there are some big improvements coming with the next iOS. Check out Apple's latest WWDC keynote video for more on that. Lastly, in case you don't find the answers you seek: Apple's return policy for purchases is 14 days, and it's ok to return it after using it.
 
The go to product for copying files from a SD card to an iPad is Kingston MobileLite G3 - I got mine for $25 new on Amazon - price fluctuates on it - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019PY0ORK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_wuaFzb4TEBXXT

Transfer speeds are super fast since it’s an 802.11 AC network. In a test I ran it copied a 500 MB audio wav file faster than my old 2014 MBP did with its built in SD Card reader most likely because of the slowness of a spinning HD.

The app supports split screen and am really happy with this solution to move audio from my Zoom H6 to my iPad. No ability to write to the SD card just copy data off. It also supports USB drives and functions as an external battery and mobile router. Very handy device.
 
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I think Apple's long term goal is to force everyone to use iCloud for their files and reap the benefits of the subscription charges forever.
 
Thanks for your suggestions, but they are not really what I am looking for. I stress the following:

1) I don't want any cloud solutions. I want to use the iPad when travelling in remote areas, where I may not have internet for weeks.

2) I don't want any wireless hard drive solutions. As it is something else to keep charged / get lost and adds bulk. I will shortly be embarking on an expedition, where portability is my number 1 priority. That's why I want to use SD cards as my sole medium.

3) If I can't copy from SD card's to iPad and write back to SD card's it is useless for me. Is there no way to do this even with a jailbreak?

4) On paper the hardware of the iPad looks perfect. I need something that is light and powerful, particularly for editing video in the field, and apps like luma Fusion look perfect for this. On the hardware level, the iPad certainly ticks the boxes. From extensive searching, the only tablet that can rival it is the Microsoft Surface Pro, however for equivalent performance the Surface pro is much more expensive. But the real deal breaker with the iPad is I need to be able to copy and write to SD cards. I ideally need drag and drop of multiple files, as I have seen examples of just copying one file at a time, and that is no good. Can I get an iPad to do what I with jailbreaking or any other method?
 
How much GB are you taking about? Sd-cards are pretty expensive per Gb when compared to hdd.
Another solution is that there are lightning-USB sticks that have an app that allows you to read-write to them.
 
alecgold said:
How much GB are you taking about? Sd-cards are pretty expensive per Gb when compared to hdd.
Another solution is that there are lightning-USB sticks that have an app that allows you to read-write to them.
Click to expand...

I will probably go with 512gb cards. Those lightning to USB sticks seem to top out at about 256gb. I am not worried about cost. Portability is my main concern. SD cards provide a medium that can be used in my cameras and across all devices. Cost is no concern
 
Then the best solution might be to have a Toughpad or something alike for expedition use. They allow for much more freedom with respect to writing/reading files often have a hot swappable battery and have several (legacy) ports when needed.
 
alecgold said:
Then the best solution might be to have a Toughpad or something alike for expedition use. They allow for much more freedom with respect to writing/reading files often have a hot swappable battery and have several (legacy) ports when needed.
Click to expand...

I looked at the Toughpad, but they are heavier than the iPad and don't offer the larger screen size that the iPad pro offers. Also do they really offer much more processing power with an intel i5? I have seen some iPad pro benchmarks which appear quite impressive.

If I can just make the iPad work to copy from and write to an SD card without the stupid restrictions, then it seems to be the perfect machine. I really can't understand why everything seems so locked down. Even cheap Android phones have more freedom to read / write to different mediums. If Apple markets the iPad as a laptop replacement, you would expect it to do such basic things. The hardware is there, but they seem to hold it back.
 
Goodfellha said:
This might be what you're looking for.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iklips-wizard-storage-expanding-ios-card-reader-iphone-android#/
Click to expand...

That is interesting, but there are a few things I am not sure of. This looks like it is designed to keep media on the device to play etc, but not to transfer things back and forward between the device and the iPad internal storage. Also it mentions no support for other files such as PDF, archive files etc.
[doublepost=1501336797][/doublepost][doublepost=1501336760][/doublepost]
masotime said:
Why don't you consider the 12" MacBook? Not powerful enough?
Click to expand...

I want a tablet and not a laptop. Plus if I did decide to take a laptop, I can't see what advantage a MacBook would have? I may as well buy a laptop with high specs that I can fully customise and run Linux on. I then have power to customise anything I want and run a totally bespoke system. I really can't see any advantage of a Macbook?
 
Last edited:
david151 said:
This looks like it is designed to keep media on the device to play etc, but not to transfer things back and forward between the device and the iPad internal storage. Also it mentions no support for other files such as PDF, archive files etc.
Click to expand...

I'm the owner of an existing product of theirs, the iKlips Duo+ which is flash drive for iOS I can do all the things you mentioned above including copying back and forward between internal storage and other devices and works as advertised. The iKlips 3.0 app works with all their devices is constantly updated and allows you to open files in supported apps.

There are a lot of hardware options out there, made by many companies however not all make good accompanying apps that are constantly updated. I found iKlips to be amongst the best, most polished and the most versatile apps to compliment their excellent hardware.

I have ordered the Wizard and I just got my shipping information 10 days before the campaign has ended which testament to how good this company really is.
 
Goodfellha said:
I'm the owner of an existing product of theirs, the iKlips Duo+ which is flash drive for iOS I can do all the things you mentioned above including copying back and forward between internal storage and other devices and works as advertised. The iKlips 3.0 app works with all their devices is constantly updated and allows you to open files in supported apps.

There are a lot of hardware options out there, made by many companies however not all make good accompanying apps that are constantly updated. I found iKlips to be amongst the best, most polished and the most versatile apps to compliment their excellent hardware.

I have ordered the Wizard and I just got my shipping information 10 days before the campaign has ended which testament to how good this company really is.
Click to expand...

Can you drag and drop / copy multiple files at once to and from the iPad / SD card? Will it let you copy all files to and from the iPad / SD card e.g. PDF, MP3, 7z files etc.
 
david151 said:
I am thinking of buying the iPad pro, but know almost nothing about the lock downs on the iPad. I am more of an open source Linux person myself, but am impressed by the iPad hardware.

From what I gather, the user can officially copy content from an SD card to the iPad with the Apple camera connection kit. The problem is I read this only works for video and photo, and I would like to copy other file types to the iPad from SD cards, such as music, PDF files, various archives etc.

It is also important that I can also write files to the SD card from the iPad. From what I gather, Apple does not support this with the camera connection kit?

So what are my options? I wonder if this would work for my requirements:
Dash-i & Dash-i Plus MicroSD Reader for iPhone/iPad
http://www.meenova.com/st/p/dash_i.html

Or is jailbreak the way to go? Will jailbreak let me organise my own folder structure on the iPad and let me copy things at will?

Sorry for the basic questions, but I am someone who grew up on Linux and know nothing about Apple stuff.
Click to expand...
In a nutshell, if you want/need support for removable media then the iPad is simply not the device for you. There are a few workarounds and alternatives but as you can see by the suggestions posted so far, none of them are straightforward options. It is simply a limitation of the platform.

That's why I own other tablets/devices in addition to iPads because of limitations like these.
 
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sracer said:
In a nutshell, if you want/need support for removable media then the iPad is simply not the device for you. There are a few workarounds and alternatives but as you can see by the suggestions posted so far, none of them are straightforward options. It is simply a limitation of the platform.

That's why I own other tablets/devices in addition to iPads because of limitations like these.
Click to expand...

That is the conclusion I am starting to come to. I have watched a few reviews of iKlips devices, but there are still limitations on what you can and can't copy. Before I give up on the iPad idea - does jail breaking help anything?
 
I havent jailbroken anything since the hardware hack (geohotz’s eprom flash with needles, those where the times:rolleyes::D ) on the first iPhone, but I see no reason why a jail broken shouldn’t be able to copy/paste/write to external devices.
Drag and drop should come with iOS11 irrc but before iOS 11 is jailbroken, it might take some time.
 
david151 said:
It seems that jailbreaking would solve my problem, as I found this thread on another forum:

http://www.ipadforums.net/threads/copy-transfer-files-from-ipad-to-sd-card.87649/

problem is I would have to wait for a jailbreak for iOS 11.
Click to expand...
I've been down the jailbreak path (during the 1G iPad days for mouse support). I have determined that it is not viable in the long run (at least for me). Apple produces quite a few point release updates to iOS to address issues. Once you jailbreak, you're stuck at that version of iOS until the next version that is jailbroken. That means if there are any bugs in the current version, you'll have to deal with them.

There's also the issue of what version of iOS shipped with your Pro. If there's no jailbreak for that version, then you'll need to wait until one is created (for that version or some later version).
 
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david151 said:
Can you drag and drop / copy multiple files at once to and from the iPad / SD card? Will it let you copy all files to and from the iPad / SD card e.g. PDF, MP3, 7z files etc.
Click to expand...

Drag and drop is a limitation of iOS 10 we will have to wait until iOS 11 arrives in September and for the iKlips app to be updated before you can do that.
 
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