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Ok that’s just read access. I’m sure the minute that happens a lot of people will start shouting about write access as well.

Also don’t forget virus can be hidden as some other type of file. Unknowingly a user can easily compromise the system.

What’s the difference between putting the file on iCloud Drive or on a usb drive?
 
Ok that’s just read access. I’m sure the minute that happens a lot of people will start shouting about write access as well.

Also don’t forget virus can be hidden as some other type of file. Unknowingly a user can easily compromise the system.

As someone else has said, what is the difference between using a USB device and sending that same infected file via email or downloading off a cloud drive?

Locking out data sticks does not prevent putting files onto the iPad, it just prevents the simplest and most convenient way of doing so.
 
I have to agree, I don't see why Files app cannot be built to securely allow external read/write access to all file types. iOS could keep file access sandboxed within the Files app and only allow certain file types to be copied over to other apps.

I have zero reason to believe that there is any legitimate "security" issue with allowing access to external storage. Apple just wants more money at the expense of the usefulness of their products. It sucks
 
1) External Hard drive support (Most important) -> super important for pro using
2) Multiple accounts (Nice to have) -> i would love it
3) Mouse support (Nice to have) -> important when used as an notebook replacement

All three of these things would be great. In case anyone from Apple is reading this, I'm in the same boat as the other posters -- adding this option (and others like the above, but this one in particular) would make me more likely to buy a larger-storage option and to upgrade my iPad more frequently. I would love for the iPad to be my go-to travel companion for work, but it's not quite there for me yet.
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I have zero reason to believe that there is any legitimate "security" issue with allowing access to external storage. Apple just wants more money at the expense of the usefulness of their products. It sucks

Does Apple claim this as a justification for not allowing access to external storage? I've never heard a statement to that effect.
 
All three of these things would be great. In case anyone from Apple is reading this, I'm in the same boat as the other posters -- adding this option (and others like the above, but this one in particular) would make me more likely to buy a larger-storage option and to upgrade my iPad more frequently. I would love for the iPad to be my go-to travel companion for work, but it's not quite there for me yet.
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Does Apple claim this as a justification for not allowing access to external storage? I've never heard a statement to that effect.
No, Apple has never publicly stated that. The "security" justification is simply a customer grass-roots explanation. Based on my experience in OS development, I believe the sandboxing is simply a holdover from the very beginning of iOS. In spite of what iOS can do on an iPad, iOS is still at its core, a smartphone OS.
 
My 3 items on the iPad wish list are the following:
1) External Hard drive support (Most important)
2) Multiple accounts (Nice to have)
3) Mouse support (Nice to have)

One minor complaint is the keyboard doesn't have the Esc key. When I log into Linux machines, I have to use the on screen Esc key on the screen and I use `vi` a lot that requires the Esc key.

I’ve been looking for a way to hack the caps lock to be escape instead.
 
Not saying an usbC port would not be nice but:
i regularly use my iPhone to access documents on my home ethernet NAS box with success. i might say working over a private VPN too.


would be ever so nice if the apple made things like this secure and less clunky to setup and use.
 
The one thing I hate about my iPad pro, is the lack of HDD support and file restriction.
For me to import my 4k60fps footage involves import directly through lumafusions WiFi drive support, at a huge 3MB a second. Something that could take a minute or so through direct import from SD, takes over half an hour. All because "photos" import won't allow h.264 4k60 by SD.
No reason why at all.
 
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The one thing I hate about my iPad pro, is the lack of HDD support and file restriction.
For me to import my 4k60fps footage involves import directly through lumafusions WiFi drive support, at a huge 3MB a second. Something that could take a minute or so through direct import from SD, takes over half an hour. All because "photos" import won't allow h.264 4k60 by SD.
No reason why at all.

I absolutely agree, this is why I emailed Craig F about it. It really is an incredibly stifling restriction not to be able to able to connect to external HDDs.
 
The response didn’t mean anything helpful. Apple will never allow people to connect cheap external storage when that would rule out them charging horrendous prices for their own internal storage.

They could have done this years ago if they had wanted to.
 
Apple needs to include the following in order for me to consider buying another iPad Pro:
(my current iPad, 2018 iPad serves great as a digital notebook but that's as far as it goes)

1) Near full support for USB-attached peripherals. (not just storage... that's setting the bar low)
2) A universally accessible file system
3) Mouse support

Android and Chrome OS already do these things and do them well. I find my Pixelbook to be far more "pro" than my 12.9 iPad Pro... in no small part because it does those things and the iPad Pro doesn't.

I'd be fine if these features were exclusive to the Pro line. I could justify the current pricing if it could truly operate like a notebook AND a tablet for my needs and purposes.

After claiming the same things for years I have given up now and carry an additional Surface Go with me. Although this thing is a catastrophe as a tablet it fulfils the need for exactly these items. It has a nice keyboard with integrated trackpad and additional mouse support, a usb-c port with a connected dock for Ethernet, usb3 transfers for all kind of devices and data and it supports displays not only for mirroring it but also for extending the screen. Using it a lot with an additional 27" monitor as the main display for work that needs more overview (with the right USB-C monitor it will be even charged at the same time!). Apart from this it runs all the professional Windows apps and is not limited to the mobile versions only.

Don't get me wrong. This thing is far away from the performance, battery life and theoretical possibilities of an iPad Pro but it fulfils these basic needs like every notebook and even non Apple tablet does for many years.

It’s a shame that this $500 device did all this and more and the much more powerful, refined and nicer iPP did not!

When I am using the Surface I am using the 12.9 iPP as a second display with Duet. Although this is a nice setup and usage for the iPP this looks like the ultimate punishment for all Apple lovers....

P.S.: If somebody is asking if i really bought a $2000 iPP just to use it as a second display for the Surface Go. No I did not! After selling my first gen 12.9 iPP I bought a used second gen 12.9 512GB cellular for about $650 in a very nice condition. I would have bought the 2018 iPP in a minute even for these ridiculous prices if it fulfils my needs but at the moment for me the iPP not worth more than this $650 with all the software (not hardware!) limitations...
 
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The response didn’t mean anything helpful. Apple will never allow people to connect cheap external storage when that would rule out them charging horrendous prices for their own internal storage.

They could have done this years ago if they had wanted to.

I see it the other way around, if they add proper file management and ways to read/write external drives people like me might actually buy high storage devices. What is the point for me to buy a 512 GB or 1 TB iPad if I cant use it to begin with? When I can only store data within every app it is both a hassle to get the data on the device as well as getting it out of the device if I need to.

Currently I have no use for larger than 64 GB as anything needs to be stored on my NAS or in the cloud anyway to be useful. If they were to open it up like on the laptops I could actually use more space.
 
Apple needs to get close to its fans and customers again.


This is a good sign.
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The response didn’t mean anything helpful. Apple will never allow people to connect cheap external storage when that would rule out them charging horrendous prices for their own internal storage.

They could have done this years ago if they had wanted to.

They do this on their Mac devices already, Mac laptops and desktops have ludicrous storage prices. Why wouldn't they let you do it on iPad?
 
This is definitely coming in iOS 13. Although I can use an iPad Pro as my primary computer, I get the frustrations of many on the forum for simple things like conn3cting external storage. The positive I see is that Apple isn’t very far off. In one OS release, they could easily address the majority of issues people have and really make the iPad that much more productive. There is so much potential, it’s a fun time.
 
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iOS external storage in a useful way is never going to happen. Is isn't a popular feature that is needed by most. If a user really needed that feature, they would have switched to android a long time ago.

Since most aren't switching to android, apple is probably thinking it isn't a killer feature.
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What’s the difference between putting the file on iCloud Drive or on a usb drive?

Privacy.
 
iOS external storage in a useful way is never going to happen. Is isn't a popular feature that is needed by most. If a user really needed that feature, they would have switched to android a long time ago.

Since most aren't switching to android, apple is probably thinking it isn't a killer feature.
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Privacy.

Every single 2018 iPad Pro review says otherwise.
 
The reviewers aren’t average consumers though.

Very true but that are highlighting a key issue that is likely to impact people at some point. You could argue that the iPad ‘pro’ isn’t for the average consumer as well which means it will be more of an issue for users of this device.
 
Very true but that are highlighting a key issue that is likely to impact people at some point. You could argue that the iPad ‘pro’ isn’t for the average consumer as well which means it will be more of an issue for users of this device.

Agree. The iPad Pro is definitely not for average consumers and most people just bought into the hype rather than figuring out an actual need for the device to begin with. People are just using the iPad Pro for everyday easy to achieve tasks more than what the pro is really capable of doing.
 
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I get by just fine with my iPad Pro today but native external drive support would be a real benefit to me and I’m sure transform how many people use their Pros.
 
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I look at it this way, long, loooong time android and pc user, I have never really got into the whole iOS thing and my tablets have always been an addition rather than a dedicated device.. But, if iPad pro had decent storage support, it could very well be a direct replacement for my pc for editing. The very thing that was referenced at the NYC event. Until then, it will never be a replacement or competition for PCs as it lacks a fundamental basic part of mobile computing, external storage support.
 
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Imagine plugging in a USB stick full of music or movies and playing them on your iPad. No need to spend an hour fighting with iTunes and another computer. Wow!

And on a sad note, I could do this with the first tablet I ever bought, and eventually led me to the iPad, my original Nexus 7. I just had a small OTG adaptor and my USB stick and used VLC player. That was so many years ago lol
 
What’s the difference between putting the file on iCloud Drive or on a usb drive?

Few things for me:

1. iCloud Drive is more expensive than buying USB drive. I can have more storage for less money
2. No Internet dependency. I need Internet to access cloud drives, I don't always want to do that.
3. Saves time. Now to transfer a file from my PC (Windows) to my iPad I need to do one of those two things:

Option 1
1. Upload file to cloud drive
2. Download file from cloud on iPad

Option 2
1. Use iTunes to transfer the file

Option 1 basically lasts as twice as a network needs to transfer the file (for download and upload).

Option 2 is cumbersome because iTunes is a mess. And because iTunes is a mess, this takes time. It never works out smoothly for me.

Both options take more time than just plug in USB drive in my device.

The ideal solution is a slot for micro sd card. It's easier to transfer files to the sd card than using any sort of software. And the sd card can be plugged in any device. No need for any sort of backup or what's so ever. You just plug in your sd card. I could even transfer like that pictures from my camera. I have adapter for micro sd card that is compatible with the camera. So basically I would take all of my raw images with the camera, then plug in the same sd card in the iPad and process the photos.

As it is currently it would be a complete nightmare to transfer 300 raw photos (16 MB each) to an iPad to process them. Sure that would happen ... never. For the time I will have to transfer or upload photos, I will just process them using my computer.

It's true that the average consumer does not care about this, but honestly the average consumer quite often does need an iPad Pro to begin with. Or let's put it like that - average consumer needs a hybrid that does not exist. Average consumer uses the iPad for media consumption so they need the 4 speakers and the refresh rate display etc, but they do not need the fast CPU, the pencil or the huge storage, nor do they care about thin bezels. And I would assume that they do not need the 4 GB RAM either.
 
I don’t understand why people curse iTunes so much. Personally I’ve never had any issues with using it to transfer music.
 
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