iCloud Documents and Data

[SMargaret]

Hi there,

I am very confused about how the option to sync and store documents and data on icloud works.

I do not use pages or numbers I use Microsoft Word (and I presume I'm not the only one).

I cannot see any option to even upload a Word or Excel document to the icloud let alone pull it down from another device. I only have an iphone and a mac running on Lion. I want to know how to put a document into icloud so I can then look at it when I'm on the train or away from my computer, and even edit it if need be on my iphone.

Also, at work we use 4 macs all on the same icloud account and it would be really handy to know how to get a Microsoft Word document stored on the icloud so that all 4 of us can work on the one document when we need to. Each adding new bits of info to one master document - again with Microsoft Office for mac.

I know there is something called iworks but I'm not sure what it is! From what I have read it sounds like I might need it to be able to store my documents on the icloud. But are iworks and icloud the same thing? I'm very confused! I have Keynotes but don't really want to use Pages or Numbers - I like Word and Excel!

Can anyone shed any light!!?

Thank you in advance

 

[swiftaw]

Only iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) documents sync to iCloud, Microsoft Office documents (or any other documents) do not.

For what you want to do, you could use Dropbox, or if you are all on the same network, just create a shared folder on one of the computers that everyone can access.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

Nothing from a Mac syncs to iCloud right now....iWork or otherwise. From your computer the only way to get it into the Cloud is uploading from icloud.com

If you want some automation in this process I would recommend Dropbox.

 

[thunderbunny]

On iCloud.com go into the documents bit from the front page, you can then tab between Pages, Numbers and Keynote. The coggy wheely icon thing will give you an option to upload a document. In Pages section you can only upload Pages or Word files, in the Numbers only Numbers or Excel and the same for Keynote/Powerpoint.

When downloading a document you can choose to download either a Pages/Numbers/Keynote version, Word/Excel/Powerpoint version or a pdf.

 

[SMargaret]

by the documents bit do you mean iwork?

I am on there but can't see the coggy wheel(!) or gear thing! I haven't bought pages or numbers yet but I have bought keynotes and the cog doesn't show up in that tab either. Do I need to buy all 3 for this to work?

Are apple working on a dropbox type solution for this, so you can sync documents the same way you can sync mail, contacts, and calendars? I only ask because we often have 1 person in the USA and others in the UK and this feature would be helpful so we don't have to email large docs back and forth!

I'll take a look at dropbox too.

Thanks