Where is the file-system, printing, and real email search tools in OS4?!?

[HiRez]

Clearly you haven't used these "productivity" apps. If you had you'd realize they are highly watered down versions of their real counterparts. Even if you had a filesystem and printing, you'd quickly find the apps to limited for any real work. They are intended for quick / minor edits and reading. That's it.

I disagree with that based on the demos and sample videos they've given of these apps. Some of the stuff they do is pretty advanced. Take for example data entry of soccer statistics they showed, pie charts, newsletter production. That's not tweaking, that's creating. Productivity.

And even if you do accept the "just lightweight for quick editing" argument, that doesn't change the fact that it's a major PITA to get files back and forth between the iPad and the desktop or cloud, which, presumably in your model, is where you created the documents. It's unacceptable. If it works for you, I'm glad for you, but I think Apple is going to face a huge backlash on this issue and they will have to relent at some point. As others have said, even just a simple single syncable (hopefully wirelessly) dropbox would be a huge improvement and suffice until they want to refine it.

Here it is in Apple's own words:

iWork productivity applications make it easy to create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions, and formulas on your iPad. Based on the iWork suite for Mac but completely redesigned for iPad, these apps — Keynote, Pages, and Numbers — are the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. They’re both easy to use and extremely powerful.

 

[iCheddar]

I'd like to think that the jailbreak community can find some way to solve the issue. Then again, getting apps to share...that could be a bit too deep into the OS for a solution to be made.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

Feel free to hold your breath until the Fall. We can throw some money down on it, if you like. Now where was that thread where some guys owes me $50 over the lack of widgets...

LOL!

You compare the lack of file access and email tools to a font?

LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!

 

[idunn]

Form & Function

It is readily apparent that a lot of people would like to use the iPad as their primary computer, and frustrated by its inherent limitations in that regard. Apple is not helping its case by offering such things as iWork, and not insisting the iPad is no more than a simple entertainment device. The tea leafs suggest that something similar to the iPad will be developed that works well as a primary computer . . . if only because there is a market for it, and will sell. Whether it is an Apple or not remains to be seen.

What would be so wrong with wanting the functionality of a MacBook with OS X in the form of an iPad? For that matter, how about the power of an 8-Core Mac Pro? Size problems? Price point? Not really. If Mr. Jobs is keen on cloud computing, he should be. The iPad needn't extend its external architecture much beyond what it currently is . . . as long it is using resources from elsewhere. Good thing, because 256 ram and 64GB storage is pretty pathetic. If you're trying to get any real work done, that is, and even if just playing. Just in movies, people are going to bump against storage limitations real quick, whether thinking so or not. And at the moment it seems the iPad is not particularly adept at streaming movies from a remote source. What then?

The suggestion that what it does now it does fairly well. But that what people would also like it to do, as they would from any 'real' computer, it should as well. Not on its own, but it should be adept at seamlessly reaching out to the computers in your house, or in the ether of the internet, to do exactly that asked. It is entirely possible.

To insist it will not is to deny evolution and desire, and what it might be. Most have immediately fallen in love with the form, now they want the function. This cannot be denied.

 

[iCheddar]

Exactly.

I am in absolute awe of iPad hardware. It is one of the most beautiful and functional pieces of hardware design I've ever seen, but the software is just flawed.

I mean, it took me a LONG time to realize that iPad didn't have to run OS X. But no matter what, its a computer. Its a computer that happens to run a mobile OS.

Apple thinks that iPad is better than a netbook, and they're basically right. But they just need a bit more functionality.

 

[Sydde]

It should be obvious how an iPad filesystem would work: it will be inside out, compared to a typical computer.

• All files will belong to one app
• You will be able to carry a file from one app to another - the second app will receive a non-writable symbolic link
• If an app alters a linked file, it will save its own copy (the original is unchanged)
• The filesystem browser ("Rolodexer"?) will browse apps or "categories", which will be analogous to iTunes playlists
• Categories will be based on file meta-tags: you create a category for a file (tag it), then you add other files to that category - one file can belong to multiple categories
• Uploading to iPad through iTunes (bleah) involves dropping a file onto an app - other file transfers, such as internet downloads, will try to determine which app should own the file

 

[anthonymoody]

Still hoping some clever devs (google?) figures out a way to get docs in and out of the various file system apps without creating multiple instances...