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Can the iPad be productive?

2

2Evan

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 10, 2009
99
0
New at this iPad thing. I'd really like to use it for productivity work - Pages/Word and Keynote/PP.

I've been reading about it quite a bit and find it quite overwhelming. From YOUR personal experience with the 'file management' apps, which ones are the best? I need to bring documents with me all the time, and would love to leave the laptop behind.

I own the Wi-Fi 32GB, and usually do not have access to Wi-Fi during the day.

Thks for your help.
 
2Evan said:
New at this iPad thing. I'd really like to use it for productivity work - Pages/Word and Keynote/PP.

I've been reading about it quite a bit and find it quite overwhelming. From YOUR personal experience with the 'file management' apps, which ones are the best? I need to bring documents with me all the time, and would love to leave the laptop behind.

I own the Wi-Fi 32GB, and usually do not have access to Wi-Fi during the day.

Thks for your help.
Click to expand...

Dropbox is handy right now. Although it's still difficult to take documents with you from pages/keynote edit them on the iPad and then load them back. It all has to be accomplished through iTunes which is not great.

If I could transfer files to and from Dropbox on the iPad it would be perfect, but there's no way to just send a file from inside pages/keynote into the dropbox app.
 
2Evan said:
New at this iPad thing. I'd really like to use it for productivity work - Pages/Word and Keynote/PP.

I've been reading about it quite a bit and find it quite overwhelming. From YOUR personal experience with the 'file management' apps, which ones are the best? I need to bring documents with me all the time, and would love to leave the laptop behind.

I own the Wi-Fi 32GB, and usually do not have access to Wi-Fi during the day.

Thks for your help.
Click to expand...

This has been covered over and over. Do yourself a favor and use the search feature. It will save a lot of time and typing by having your questions answered already.
 
Matthew Yohe said:
Dropbox is handy right now. Although it's still difficult to take documents with you from pages/keynote edit them on the iPad and then load them back. It all has to be accomplished through iTunes which is not great.

If I could transfer files to and from Dropbox on the iPad it would be perfect, but there's no way to just send a file from inside pages/keynote into the dropbox app.
Click to expand...

I use drop box too, though I find it easier just to email documents off my iPad then I don't have to sync and go through that mess
 
sapporobaby said:
This has been covered over and over. Do yourself a favor and use the search feature. It will save a lot of time and typing by having your questions answered already.
Click to expand...

Or one could ignore a thread they have seen too many times. Sometimes it is beneficial to rehash a topic as information changes by the second.

Now, the fact the whole thread is pointless, is another matter. ;-)

Op, if you have WiFi, and no constant access how will you ever manage files? You could definitely create content, but it would stay on your device until you were network connected.

That isn't to say it is not productive. But you have one so you would know, seemingly.
 
Case closed!

Found a way Methinks. Something called Memeo Connect Reader via Google Reader, and soon will have the capability to edit docs too.

Sorry if I simply wanted to save time after quite a bit of research. I thought forums could be helpful for recommendations, not just problems. My bad! Some of us are extremely busy, and need things to be efficient. And we haven't had the iPad available for almost 3 months ... but more like 2 days.

Some people have said they've cut down on their usage of their laptops by more than 60%. They were sure not looking for office/business productivity from their iPad.

Thread closed!
 
2Evan said:
Sorry if I simply wanted to save time after quite a bit of research. I thought forums could be helpful for recommendations, not just problems. My bad! Some of us are extremely busy, and need things to be efficient. And we haven't had the iPad available for almost 3 months ... but more like 2 days.
Click to expand...

I too enjoy making others do the work so that I can be efficient, but if you are too obvious about it, people get mad.

They may also get mad because your statement implies an insult, as if other people are not busy, as if they are your servants or something.

If you think this way, at least keep it to yourself. Only boltjames can talk to us this way. Yeah? :apple:
 
2Evan said:
Some people have said they've cut down on their usage of their laptops by more than 60%. They were sure not looking for office/business productivity from their iPad.

Thread closed!
Click to expand...

Or, they were more creative than you. Or, that was the 40% left.

Also, it ain't that easy to close a thread.
 
I don't know which is worse, too many threads about the same thing or a thread that starts with an honest question and then follows with one criticism after another. Is everyone here a moderator??

Anyway I don't see anything wrong with this thread and will post a helpful response to the OP.

The iPad has it's limitations compared to a PC, but it CAN be very useful as a productivity device. I get a good amount of work done on mine. It starts with heavy use of email and calendar, using Exchange sync to my company server. GoodReader is probably the best app for storing and viewing docs of all types including very large PDFs. IAnnonotate PDF is very effective for marking up PDFs, and the markups are completely compatible with Adobe. Use a Pogo stylus for that and you're golden. Pages and Keynote are good, but you should look at Documents to Go and Quickoffice as other options that aren't as pretty but in some respects do more. Finally, I recently set up my work PC with VNC and am running Jaadu VNC on my iPad. It's AMAZING. So, anything I can't do on my iPad with a native app, I can do remotely on my PC as long as I have a decent Internet connection.
 
I use Numbers and Pages on my iPad all of the time. Since getting my iPad 64 GB WiFi + 3G, I find that I don't reach for my laptop nearly as much. I've created more documents on it than my Mac Pro or MacBook in the last month.

I have dropbox but usually email myself the documents.
 
redman042 said:
I don't know which is worse, too many threads about the same thing or a thread that starts with an honest question and then follows with one criticism after another. Is everyone here a moderator??

Anyway I don't see anything wrong with this thread and will post a helpful response to the OP.

The iPad has it's limitations compared to a PC, but it CAN be very useful as a productivity device. I get a good amount of work done on mine. It starts with heavy use of email and calendar, using Exchange sync to my company server. GoodReader is probably the best app for storing and viewing docs of all types including very large PDFs. IAnnonotate PDF is very effective for marking up PDFs, and the markups are completely compatible with Adobe. Use a Pogo stylus for that and you're golden. Pages and Keynote are good, but you should look at Documents to Go and Quickoffice as other options that aren't as pretty but in some respects do more. Finally, I recently set up my work PC with VNC and am running Jaadu VNC on my iPad. It's AMAZING. So, anything I can't do on my iPad with a native app, I can do remotely on my PC as long as I have a decent Internet connection.
Click to expand...

You have a point. For some of us, it's too many threads about the same thing and the fact that MacRumors is becoming more and more like Facebook, and Twitter than a real tech site now. It is your prerogative to decide to contribute while I chose to explain what the search is for. The OP stated basically that he can't be bothered to search and wants people to do the work for him. This I won't do. If you like to reward this kind of behavior by all means do so but do not expect others to follow suit.
 
First of all, I apologize if I offended people with the word 'busy'. I didn't mean it in a sarcastic way or anything. A bad day yesterday. First day with the iPad, and a bit surprised by what you couldn't do (or had to go about it), productivity-wise - even after pretty extensive research. Not a computer guy here, that's why I love MACs so much. They are user-friendly.

And I'm starting to believe that the Wi-Fi only version is not appropriate for what I need. Stupid ME!

Thks redman, I appreciate the info.
 
2Evan said:
First of all, I apologize if I offended people with the word 'busy'. I didn't mean it in a sarcastic way or anything. A bad day yesterday. First day with the iPad, and a bit surprised by what you couldn't do (or had to go about it), productivity-wise - even after pretty extensive research. Not a computer guy here, that's why I love MACs so much. They are user-friendly.

Thks redman, I appreciate the info.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, if you can wait about an hour, I will hook you up with something that might help you out and to see how to move forward. How is that.

This thread starts from the beginning.

Good enough all around?
 
Here we go:

I have a brand new MBP 17 inch that sits at home most of the time. I am only typing on it now because it is faster and I need to finish some things up. For me, the iPad is plenty productive enough. I can access my company email system, create MS Office compatible docs, and do many of the things I do on my Mac. The only thing that I miss which is hardly if ever mentioned is that if you need to access sites using Java, you are out of luck. The iPad does not support Java (but Java Script) so some sites will not work at all. Other than that I have no problems about switching out my MBP for my iPad. The iPad can't do everything but it is close.
 
offline file management

thks a lot Sapporro.

I'II try to toy around with the offline file management (bought 5-6 apps already) on the Wi-Fi 32GB iPad until I find satisfaction. I guess that would be what people call 'working in a cloud'. If that doesn't work out, well, we'll stick to carrying around the MBP.

Again thks!
 
2Evan said:
thks a lot Sapporro.

I'II try to toy around with the offline file management (bought 5-6 apps already) on the Wi-Fi 32GB iPad until I find satisfaction. I guess that would be what people call 'working in a cloud'. If that doesn't work out, well, we'll stick to carrying around the MBP.

Again thks!
Click to expand...

If you don't mind, buy one of the Apple iApps, and give them a try. I use all three and they get the job done. Once you get over the horror :) of feeling naked without your MBP you will realize that it is not so bad. You do get used to it. But go into it knowing the limitations and you will be fine.
 
sapporobaby said:
Zzzzzzzzzz.......
Click to expand...

Hey, you mentioned you own all three so I may as well ask this here to get a straight answer. Is it easy to email the documents I work on in Pages to email as .docx so it can be used in MS Word 2007 on Windows? (I'm not sure if Pages even allows you to save as .docx if anything at all. Thanks :)
 
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