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sflomenb

macrumors 6502a
Jul 22, 2011
915
132
As a Computer Science major, the only task I cannot do on my iPad is code. But anything else I would want to do, I can do on my iPad.
 

Armen

macrumors 604
Apr 30, 2013
7,408
2,274
Los Angeles
I'm not a power user really. I didn't buy the iPhone to replace my computer. I bought it to make calls, send texts, take photos, play a little music etc. So not having a file system is not an issue. that's also why I don't jailbreak my phones. I would imagine that most users are more like me than not

Dang dude where you been? I haven't seen a post from you in a while.
 

Tuckrat

macrumors member
Dec 14, 2008
82
40
New Hampshire, USA
I use an app called File Browser by Stratospherix. It can connect to many different file systems, has a built in music player, video player, etc. you can copy files between different file systems, i.e. Copy a doc from OneDrive to Dropbox.
 

ParDigital

macrumors newbie
Sep 14, 2015
21
18
Sounds to me like you really ought to buy an Android device instead

Or maybe Apple can give advanced users a bit more breathing room?
While I agree that there is less need for a filesystem than before, the amount of hoops needed to jump through for simple file transfers can be a headache..
 
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/V\acpower

macrumors 6502a
Jul 31, 2007
631
500
It has a real file system, you mean a file browser?

1. ICloud drive works offline and online.

This seems to be "half true".

From my experience, any files that are into a specific app folder in iCloud Drive (like the default iCloud Drive folder for Pages or Keynote), seems to be available offline. However I don't seem to be able to do the same reliably with files that are in "generic" folders, that are not linked to a specific iOS app folder.
 

Aston441

macrumors 68030
Sep 16, 2014
2,607
3,948
I use an app called File Browser by Stratospherix. It can connect to many different file systems, has a built in music player, video player, etc. you can copy files between different file systems, i.e. Copy a doc from OneDrive to Dropbox.

Ok this was post of the month for me. I've been using FileManager by Tapmedia for two years. Stratospherix, while pricier at $6 is superior by far and doesn't throw ads at me even after I paid for it like Tapmedia does.

The key to making iPhone work as well as Android is to use NONE of the Apple apps, and to find superior replacements in that app store for what you need to do. Everything you can do with Android you can do with iOS except torrents. It's just a matter of finding the right app.

Don't use iTunes for anything it's an unholy mess.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
16,268
11,766
Not really. You can limit access to the system files/root and still have a filesystem and interaction between apps through a main, shared filesystem. A shared, common place where you can store files doesn't mean you're opening any doors for viruses/malware. Allowing adding music from other sources also isn't opening any doors to viruses and malware.

Would it increase the challenge of dealing with potential exploits? Sure. But I'd expect the world's richest tech company of all time to be able to figure it out. They seem to still be stuck on making things 60fps so it might take a while.
And when sometimes iTunes suddenly goes down for apparently no reason, in order to fix that, you need a computer.

I have seen such more than 5 times, and every time I encounter this, I need to enter iOS file system, delete iTunes library on phone, set up in iTunes and retry syncing.

Sure, this access is limited. But this is better than having no access at all.

Then, if I don't have a computer at hand when things go wrong, I will be toasted.
 

fieldsphotos

macrumors 6502
Aug 15, 2013
274
109
My work switched to iPhones once blackberry finally died off. We have to run the phones in a walled garden of "company approved" apps inside Apples walled garden. So if Apple doesn't build it in as a function, it's very hard to get other apps approved by IT. And impossible to get apps that access files through their own systems (Dropbox, etc) since that is a security hole for company proprietary documents. We don't even use iCloud Drive. I am sure many large companies using iPhones operate this way.


It can be a huge pain to try and save down email attachments when you are answering calls from home and trying to juggle the various apps to modify stuff then resend it out from your phone. So a built in local iOS file system browser might make that easier.

I would imagine if Apple wants to continue to do well in the enterprise market, it would help to add some "power user" functions.
 

ardchoille50

macrumors 68020
Feb 6, 2014
2,142
1,231
Might want to actually read the articles you reference more carefully, beyond just the headlines. Don't want to be this guy now.
Pichai plays up the "open", "free" and "open source" so people don't feel so bad about the "not designed to be safe" bit. It's a psychology game, sell the good bits to downplay the bad bits.

Pichai's own words were:
"We can not guarantee that Android is designed to be safe, the format was designed to give more freedom."

The article goes on to state:
That said, attributing Android's malware problem strictly to market share is a cop-out. Truthfully, it'd be nice to see Google take the same security-minded approach with Android that Microsoft took with Windows. In other words, it'd be nice to see Google work tirelessly to get ahead of malware rather than seemingly stating, "Well of course we have malware, we're popular!"

About market share; do you realize how many websites run on Linux or BSD? There is very little malware, by comparison, available for those platforms (I ran Linux as my sole operating system for 13 years), Market share doesn't seem to play as large a part there.

I did read the article, you might want to be more careful with your assumptions.
 
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horsebattery

macrumors 6502
Sep 24, 2013
316
435
Pichai plays up the "open", "free" and "open source" so people don't feel so bad about the "not designed to be safe" bit. It's a psychology game, sell the good bits to downplay the bad bits.

Pichai's own words were:
"We can not guarantee that Android is designed to be safe, the format was designed to give more freedom."

The article goes on to state:
That said, attributing Android's malware problem strictly to market share is a cop-out. Truthfully, it'd be nice to see Google take the same security-minded approach with Android that Microsoft took with Windows. In other words, it'd be nice to see Google work tirelessly to get ahead of malware rather than seemingly stating, "Well of course we have malware, we're popular!"
I don't know why you continue to focus on that original idea. It's been said that it was taken out of context - Techcrunch has a better transcript of that.

About market share; do you realize how many websites run on Linux or BSD? There is very little malware, by comparison, available for those platforms (I ran Linux as my sole operating system for 13 years), Market share doesn't seem to play as large a part there.
That is patently false, especially given the recent high profile CVEs. Linux in fact does have plenty of vulnerabilities to go around. This isn't a new development either. Google definitely has been willing to step up to improve their security model as well. Let's hope that works.

I did read the article, you might want to be more careful with your assumptions.
That was snippy and unwarranted, so I apologize for that.
 

ardchoille50

macrumors 68020
Feb 6, 2014
2,142
1,231
I don't know why you continue to focus on that original idea. It's been said that it was taken out of context - Techcrunch has a better transcript of that.
Question for you. Why do you refuse to acknowledge the truth? Do you think that refusing to accept the truth will make it less truthful? You're beginning to sound like an Android fanboy, which would explain why you don't want to believe the severity of the situation.

That is patently false, especially given the recent high profile CVEs. Linux in fact does have plenty of vulnerabilities to go around. This isn't a new development either. Google definitely has been willing to step up to improve their security model as well. Let's hope that works.
I was speaking of malware, not vulnerabilities.. those are two entirely different things. How many viruses/trojans are active in the wild for Linux and BSD? Perhaps you should read what was written instead of what you want to hear.
That was snippy and unwarranted, so I apologize for that.
Let's just agree to disagree, you clearly don't know what you're doing so I'll not waste time with your future replies. Have a nice day.
 
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Zazoh

macrumors 68000
Jan 4, 2009
1,518
1,122
San Antonio, Texas
I'm a developer by trade. (Not in the mobile space, or for Apple) When people ask for additional features we balance those against a return on investment of time, does it break our objective or strategy, and things like, does it make sense for almost all users ...

Apple has had a clear strategy for years, files in and of themselves are useless. You open an app, you do something, you do it across several devices and you share that output. They have done a very good job with this. Yes there are use cases where someone might want a file, or want to see what is going on, or not be connected to use the cloud all the time, but those are not use cases they want to cater too.

I was a bit apprehensive when they took away the floppy, then the optical drive, and changing from 500gb hard drives to 128 solid state drives, how will I move and store stuff I asked myself, but I adapted. Adaption to new ways is the key to staying relevant. That is, in my opinion, is Apple's core mission; they are doing pretty good at it.

I recently came back to Apple after a year of using Nexus 5. Great phone, I don't think I ever accessed the file system during that time, I rarely connect to iTunes either, especial now that apps don't synch from devices to iTunes home base anymore. (App thinning)

To the OP, and perhaps I missed it, what use cases do you have for the file system? Perhaps if you repost there are some that have found a solution to specific problems they can share.
 

ardchoille50

macrumors 68020
Feb 6, 2014
2,142
1,231
I was a bit apprehensive when they took away the floppy, then the optical drive, and changing from 500gb hard drives to 128 solid state drives, how will I move and store stuff I asked myself, but I adapted.
This. I spent 13 years using Linux and BSD as my sole operating systems and I don't think I would have survived that time without a file system and file browser.

In 2012 I switched over to iOS for my mobile use and suffered a bit as a result of my addiction to a file system/browser. However, the more I learned about iOS the more I realized that I didn't actually need a file browser as much as I wanted one.

For some of us, I repeat, some of us, having a traditional file system and browser helps to "complete" the system and provide peace of mind.
 
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pacorob

macrumors 68020
Apr 8, 2010
2,119
507
the Netherlands
It can be a huge pain to try and save down email attachments when you are answering calls from home and trying to juggle the various apps to modify stuff then resend it out from your phone. So a built in local iOS file system browser might make that easier.

If you are using Google Drive or Apple's Pages, Numbers like me you could store and edit your files via the iPad and iPhone in the iCloud and attach them (even multiple files - currently iPhone only with Spark) very easily with using Spark for iPhone or CloudMagic for iPad. I hope Spark will soon lauch for iPad too (that say they will) so i can also attach multiple files at once with the iPad. I also hope they will implement a few more options (save multiple attachments to the cloud, quickly access an attachment) as mentioned here.

Ofcourse it would be great if such features would become available in Apple's own Mail app in an easier way (especially with handling multiple attachments on an iDevice).
 
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throAU

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2012
9,227
7,387
Perth, Western Australia
To the OP, and perhaps I missed it, what use cases do you have for the file system? Perhaps if you repost there are some that have found a solution to specific problems they can share.

I suspect it is a case of head in the sand denial and refusal to adapt in 95% plus of cases.

There are reasons that the iDevices do not have open file system access (mostly to do with security), there's not a lot that the iPhone (for example) can't do just because it doesn't have an open filesystem.

It's the content you want to access, the filesystem is merely a method of doing so.
 
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JustMichal

macrumors member
Sep 20, 2015
35
9
Poland
It would be nice to at least have access to documents folder on ipad but without usb and sd cards it would still be mostly moot.
 

hunt2013

macrumors regular
Feb 15, 2011
226
109
Doesn't bother me a bit. I use Documents app from Readdle and it allows me to store files in it and access from any app and wirelessly add more files. Also I use Ubuntu which lets me mount the file system anyway so once again no issue.
 

firebird1987

macrumors newbie
Nov 8, 2015
3
0
New Boston, Tx
I haven't used iTunes on a desktop/laptop for ages. I agree with quite a few people that it's pretty annoying that you can't easily transfer an MP3 or ringtone to your phone and simply play it (or you have to buy it via iTunes).
Also the Mail and Music app (attachments possibilities untill iOS8 are almost not there) lack a lot of functionalities.

I do love my iPhone and iPad however because of the stability and speed of the devices (both hardware and software).

Below you will find my go to apps/widget that i love to use to get to my files (documents, music, video).

Music (offline or online): MixRadio (smartradio), Hype Machine (discover music), Soundflake Pro (remixes), AudioTube (removed from the App Store, for cache/download YouTube music), CloudBeats (listen via cloud, grab from cloud and listen offline)
Video (local NAS, online or offline): AudioTube (for cache/download YouTube, removed from the App Store), Infuse 3 Pro (from NAS)
Documents/Files: Documents 5 (e.g. view/search PDF stored in the cloud on e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive or iCloud Drive, download files from internet), FileBrowser (full or lite), Transmit for iOS (FTP), Coda for iOS (text editor), Easy Annotate (show 2 documents side by side stored in the cloud) or Side by Side For both no need for a recent iPad to have this Split View option!
Coding: Prompt 2
E-mail: Spark (iPhone), CloudMagic (iPad) are great with attaching/saving files (to and from cloud storage) see
Quick access: Launcher widget (notification center), Workflow, Launch Center Pro (iPhone version), Drafts 4, Parcel
Internet Browser: apps that can show multiple website at once so some sort of Split View (also with an old iPad or old/new iPhone - uSurf only) which are e.g. Side by Side or uSurf Universal.

I also love the custom share extensions (extensibility) that is offered in quite some apps since iOS8. See also this topic.

The problem I have with Apple is that they won't allow you to download or apply your own personal songs or ringtones on your phone... You bought the phone from them so you should be able to apply whatever song or sound you want as a ringtone or alert instead of having to select from one of their installed ones already on the phone or buy one from them in the itunes store which I believe belongs to Apple but I could be wrong about that... I liked it back when you could buy a phone and use any ringtone or sound you wanted to download onto your phones as a ringtone and/or Bluetooth one to or from a friend's phone... Everything seems to be all about the money now and not about the customer AS THEY SAY THEY ARE.... Pretty much everything else I'm satisfied with on my iPhone other than their Adobe policy but another pdf reader will work just find so that's a minor issue...
 
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