Saving files on iPad Air 2?

sparksd

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Here's another question on this subject - I have a number of files on Google Drive & Dropbox, both being cloud storage. I want to copy a file from either of these places so that I have a resident copy on my iPad for when access to the cloud is not available. How do I do that?
 

SquireSCA

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Here's another question on this subject - I have a number of files on Google Drive & Dropbox, both being cloud storage. I want to copy a file from either of these places so that I have a resident copy on my iPad for when access to the cloud is not available. How do I do that?

I don't think that you can. I figured I could just push things to Google Drive from my PC, and then connect with the iPad and pull down copies of what I want.

Nope. We are not allowed to do that, apparently, although I am sure there is an app or accessory that one can purchase to do something sorta like it... LOL

It does drive you nuts, the fact that Apple thinks that their users are so dumb that they cannot handle mundane tasks that most of the world can do every day... Or is it that so many Apple owners don't see the problem with that?

I would love someone to explain to me why the average power user WOULDN'T want to set their own default apps, or be able to store documents on the iPad that were not created on the iPad?

This is like buying a car, but the car is only set up to make left hand turns and only start the motor on odd calendar days... haha
 

Just_Me_D

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Download an app like Goodreader where you can save files locally on the device.
 

SquireSCA

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Download an app like Goodreader where you can save files locally on the device.

So I have to buy an app to be able to save local documents?

Ugh.... I think that I will just use this thing to browse and read and use it as a glorified eReader at this point, because the more I dig, the more I see how iDevices have not improved a lot in the past 5-6 years... Bigger, faster maybe, but still the same 2008 limitations...

I just want to copy over some stupid docs and have physical copies that I can easily just pull up when I want them. Is that really too much to expect in 2015, on a $550 tablet?
 

sparksd

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I don't think that you can. I figured I could just push things to Google Drive from my PC, and then connect with the iPad and pull down copies of what I want.

Nope. We are not allowed to do that, apparently, although I am sure there is an app or accessory that one can purchase to do something sorta like it... LOL

It does drive you nuts, the fact that Apple thinks that their users are so dumb that they cannot handle mundane tasks that most of the world can do every day... Or is it that so many Apple owners don't see the problem with that?

I would love someone to explain to me why the average power user WOULDN'T want to set their own default apps, or be able to store documents on the iPad that were not created on the iPad?

This is like buying a car, but the car is only set up to make left hand turns and only start the motor on odd calendar days... haha

Figured it out. Using a PDF file as an example, I opened the Dropbox app on the iPad and selected/opened the PDF within that app. A menu option at the top (box with arrow pointing up out of) has an "Open in ..." option that allows selection of an app to open the PDF with. I chose Acrobat and the PDF was extracted/downloaded into Acrobat and is available offline. Same would work for any other file type that would have an app associated with it.
 

SquireSCA

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Its this that bothers me. This is a simple common task that any $89 Android device can do, same as a PC, a laptop, a windows phone, etc... It's pretty much an industry standard in the computing world, for literally billions of people.

And yet the high end flagship Apple device, can't do it.

Of course it can, but Apple doesn't allow it, because they know better than the whole world...

They intentionally castrate their products because they want to sell you an app later, to do the simple things that a $550 tablet should be able to do out of the box.

iOS and Android are both derived from Linux. There is no reason whatsoever that Apple can't do these basic tasks, other than choosing not to... Grrrrr....
 

Just_Me_D

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So I have to buy an app to be able to save local documents?
No. You can use a free version of Phone Drive or any of the other free storage apps available in the App Store. Remember, "there's an app for that"!

Ugh.... I think that I will just use this thing to browse and read and use it as a glorified eReader at this point, because the more I dig, the more I see how iDevices have not improved a lot in the past 5-6 years... Bigger, faster maybe, but still the same 2008 limitations...
Yeah, to some people, it is a glorified eReader with frustrating limitations, but it should come as no surprise that Apple products and services are not for "everyone".

I just want to copy over some stupid docs and have physical copies that I can easily just pull up when I want them. Is that really too much to expect in 2015, on a $550 tablet?
No, it's not too much to ask and I've already explained how you can do it without spending any extra money. Finally, if you took the time to gripe about this, surely you can spare the time to install the app so that you can do what you're seeking in this regard...;)
 

SquireSCA

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Figured it out. Using a PDF file as an example, I opened the Dropbox app on the iPad and selected/opened the PDF within that app. A menu option at the top (box with arrow pointing up out of) has an "Open in ..." option that allows selection of an app to open the PDF with. I chose Acrobat and the PDF was extracted/downloaded into Acrobat and is available offline. Same would work for any other file type that would have an app associated with it.

Google Drive has a "Save a copy on device" button, but it only lets you open it in Google Drive.

I just don't get how people don't get pissed about this stuff. This isn't easy or intuitive. It's actually less intuitive than Android. Android asks you nicely, which of these apps would you like to use on this type of file, and would you like it always, or just this time?

Simple, a caveman can do it. LOL Answer it once, set it and forget it.

I am now opening docs in the default app, and then telling it to reopen it in Acrobat, so that from there it will show up in "My Files" in Acrobat... but that is only good for PDF...

I just want a folder with "My Files" and when I click on a file, have it open automatically with the proper app.

This isn't rocket science, you know?

I am not even bashing Apple here, I am just trying to essentially downgrade everything I know about computing in general, and use a system that despite how lovely it looks... operates like something from 1998... It's horribly antiquated, the usability for anyone doing a lot of these tasks, is horrendous... I should just be able to copy and open files by clicking on them... not buying apps and messing around each time I need to open a stupid document... It's maddening how far behind this OS is...
 

sparksd

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I think this answers an earlier question I had:

https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/icloud-drive/

It says while talking about iCloud --

"Your apps can now share files, which means you can access and work on the same file across multiple apps. For example, you can create a drawing in a sketching app, then open it in a painting app to color it in. Or create a chart in one app and place it in a slideshow using a presentation app. No more making copies or importing documents from one app to another. It’s a whole new level of collaboration among apps."

This seems to mean then that if I have a file resident on the iPad and I want to be able to open it with two different apps (e.g., open the same PDF in iBooks or Acrobat) that there must be two copies of the file, one for iBooks and one for Acrobat. To have just one copy used by either, the file would have to be resident in the cloud.
 

Just_Me_D

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Google Drive has a "Save a copy on device" button, but it only lets you open it in Google Drive.

I just don't get how people don't get pissed about this stuff. This isn't easy or intuitive. It's actually less intuitive than Android. Android asks you nicely, which of these apps would you like to use on this type of file, and would you like it always, or just this time?

Simple, a caveman can do it. LOL Answer it once, set it and forget it.

I am now opening docs in the default app, and then telling it to reopen it in Acrobat, so that from there it will show up in "My Files" in Acrobat... but that is only good for PDF...

I just want a folder with "My Files" and when I click on a file, have it open automatically with the proper app.

This isn't rocket science, you know?

I am not even bashing Apple here, I am just trying to essentially downgrade everything I know about computing in general, and use a system that despite how lovely it looks... operates like something from 1998... It's horribly antiquated, the usability for anyone doing a lot of these tasks, is horrendous... I should just be able to copy and open files by clicking on them... not buying apps and messing around each time I need to open a stupid document... It's maddening how far behind this OS is...

You're acting as if you "have to use" iOS and that you don't have a choice. If it's so horrible, so antiquated, so incomprehensible in 2015, use something else that can provide you with the user experience you desire. Seriously, that's using common sense. I shouldn't have to turn the knob on my front door to open it, but I do. Having said that, common sense dictates that I can either deal with it or purchase a door that opens automatically for me. I'm not going to waste my time telling the people in my neighborhood that, in 2015, I shouldn't have to turn the knob to open my front door, especially when I know that at least one of my neighbors will state the obvious - go buy a door that opens automatically for you. Furthermore, I could send feedback to the makers of my front door to improve my door opening capabilities. That would be more beneficial than getting on my neighbors' nerves complaining about a situation that I myself can easily solve. Know what I mean?...:)
 
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sparksd

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You're acting as if you "have to use" iOS and that you don't have a choice. If it's so horrible, so antiquated, so incomprehensible in 2015, use something else that can provide you with the user experience you desire. Seriously, that's using common sense. I shouldn't have to turn the knob on my front door to open it, but I do. Having said that, common sense dictates that I can either deal with it or purchase a door that open automatically for me. I'm not going to waste my time telling the people in my neighborhood that, in 2015, I shouldn't have to turn the knob to open my front door, especially when I know that at least one of my neighbors will state the obvious - go buy a door that opens automatically for you. Furthermore, I could send feedback to the makers of my front door to improve my door opening capabilities. That would be more beneficial than getting on my neighbors' nerves complaining about a situation that I myself can easily solve. Know what I mean?...:)

It makes for an interesting paradigm shift if you are coming from other ecosystems. As a professional S/W engineer myself (OK, a retired one now) I would be interested in discussing the philosophies at play with the developers to really understand it. I remember when Object Oriented Design was first introduced and the difficulty we developers had in grasping how to actually use it. Back to my foraging in the upper branches of the trees ...
 

SquireSCA

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I think this answers an earlier question I had:

https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/icloud-drive/

It says while talking about iCloud --

"Your apps can now share files, which means you can access and work on the same file across multiple apps. For example, you can create a drawing in a sketching app, then open it in a painting app to color it in. Or create a chart in one app and place it in a slideshow using a presentation app. No more making copies or importing documents from one app to another. It’s a whole new level of collaboration among apps."

This seems to mean then that if I have a file resident on the iPad and I want to be able to open it with two different apps (e.g., open the same PDF in iBooks or Acrobat) that there must be two copies of the file, one for iBooks and one for Acrobat. To have just one copy used by either, the file would have to be resident in the cloud.

I am frustrated right now... gonna take a break and head over to the local bike night with the Triumph group... I have 11 days left to return or exchange this, so I am gonna think on it... In the end, I shouldn't have to wrestle with this thing to get it to do basic, simple and industry standard tasks... Maybe I should have researched more, and I would have found that the newest Apple devices are little different than the ones I left behind in 2009...
 

sparksd

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I am frustrated right now... gonna take a break and head over to the local bike night with the Triumph group... I have 11 days left to return or exchange this, so I am gonna think on it... In the end, I shouldn't have to wrestle with this thing to get it to do basic, simple and industry standard tasks... Maybe I should have researched more, and I would have found that the newest Apple devices are little different than the ones I left behind in 2009...

Have a good one. If you're in Waco, steer clear of the Twin Peaks ...
 

Just_Me_D

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It makes for an interesting paradigm shift if you are coming from other ecosystems. As a professional S/W engineer myself (OK, a retired one now) I would be interested in discussing the philosophies at play with the developers to really understand it. I remember when Object Oriented Design was first introduced and the difficulty we developers had in grasping how to actually use it. Back to my foraging in the upper branches of the trees ...

True. When I initially switched over from my beloved Blackberry devices, I didn't like the UI even though the device was gorgeous and simple to use. I was just so hardwired to Blackberry to where I didn't allow myself to appreciate the iPhone (3G, at the time) for what it was. Then I went over to Android and was blown away by the plentiful settings and available custom ROMS. Those things turned out to be a reason why I got tired or Android devices. I was never satisfied with the interface, the look, etcetera. I was always seeking perfection. When I returned to the iPhone (4S, at the time), I told myself that I would enjoy it as-is and make it work for me. That was the best decision I had made in a long time. With all of its shortcomings, the iPhone is the perfect device for "me", and I'm the type who can use any smartphone, regardless of the brand or operating system.
 

Just_Me_D

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I am frustrated right now... gonna take a break and head over to the local bike night with the Triumph group... I have 11 days left to return or exchange this, so I am gonna think on it... In the end, I shouldn't have to wrestle with this thing to get it to do basic, simple and industry standard tasks... Maybe I should have researched more, and I would have found that the newest Apple devices are little different than the ones I left behind in 2009...

Be safe out there, and enjoy the rest of your evening...;)
 

SquireSCA

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Had some time to think... I am gonna play with this thing some more and try to decide what to do. If I limit myself to just email, web browsing, a news reader, Netflix and really basic stuff, I think it is excellent.

If I want to get some serious work done on it, or tinker, or just be able to carry and work on basic documents without having to use apps and workarounds, I can think of better solutions for $550...

I am annoyed that Apple puts such excellent work into the hardware and design, and then intentionally cripples it with software limitations and by foregoing common and industry standard features. They do it so that you either have to buy additional apps and accessories, or they do it because the hardware on the iPad is almost capable of replacing your Mac Book, so if they didn't hold it back in certain ways, people might stop buying expensive Mac Books and instead just get cheaper iPads... They have to differentiate between the two platforms so that you buy both, not one or the other.

That may be the biggest difference between Apple and Android or even Windows... Android tablets do a lot more, and do everything an Android phone does and everything a netbook does and almost everything that an actual PC does, and it does it in a similar, familiar fashion, so the learning curve is shallow.

The Windows tablets(not RC) are windows PC's in a tablet form factor. USB 3.0 ports, runs full native Windows software with 100% compatibility, no emulation.

The iPad does what the iPhone does, but it doesn't do what a Mac does, or a PC, or Linux or Android.

It could, but they decided to make it just do a few things, and it does them very well, but anything else is a hack and just not the same...

So I have to either accept that this thing will only be a high end eReader, or I need to suck it up and return it for something else.

I really want to like this thing, I do. I like having something different for a change... but I am getting the feeling that there is a good reason why Android owns the global market in phones, and has also passed iOS in tablets as well.

Decisions decision... I really hate this, having to decide, I just wanted a tablet that does what I want! LOL
 

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Had some time to think... I am gonna play with this thing some more and try to decide what to do. If I limit myself to just email, web browsing, a news reader, Netflix and really basic stuff, I think it is excellent.

If I want to get some serious work done on it, or tinker, or just be able to carry and work on basic documents without having to use apps and workarounds, I can think of better solutions for $550...

I am annoyed that Apple puts such excellent work into the hardware and design, and then intentionally cripples it with software limitations and by foregoing common and industry standard features. They do it so that you either have to buy additional apps and accessories, or they do it because the hardware on the iPad is almost capable of replacing your Mac Book, so if they didn't hold it back in certain ways, people might stop buying expensive Mac Books and instead just get cheaper iPads... They have to differentiate between the two platforms so that you buy both, not one or the other.

That may be the biggest difference between Apple and Android or even Windows... Android tablets do a lot more, and do everything an Android phone does and everything a netbook does and almost everything that an actual PC does, and it does it in a similar, familiar fashion, so the learning curve is shallow.

The Windows tablets(not RC) are windows PC's in a tablet form factor. USB 3.0 ports, runs full native Windows software with 100% compatibility, no emulation.

The iPad does what the iPhone does, but it doesn't do what a Mac does, or a PC, or Linux or Android.

It could, but they decided to make it just do a few things, and it does them very well, but anything else is a hack and just not the same...

So I have to either accept that this thing will only be a high end eReader, or I need to suck it up and return it for something else.

I really want to like this thing, I do. I like having something different for a change... but I am getting the feeling that there is a good reason why Android owns the global market in phones, and has also passed iOS in tablets as well.

Decisions decision... I really hate this, having to decide, I just wanted a tablet that does what I want! LOL

Let me help you out. The iPad is not for you. Your specific needs are more than what the iPad can offer natively. You can save a good deal of money while also finding a device suitable for your needs. No matter how bad you "really want to like this thing", we all know that it's not going to happen and so do you. Having said that, return the iPad, get your money back, and get a device that's capable of satisfying your tablet needs. It's utterly foolish to keep frustrating yourself and us by posting basically the same complaints repeatedly. The decision is quite simple and you know it. If you want "a tablet that does what you want", return the iPad, get your money back and move on to a device that "does what you want".
 

SquireSCA

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Let me help you out. The iPad is not for you. Your specific needs are more than what the iPad can offer natively. You can save a good deal of money while also finding a device suitable for your needs. No matter how bad you "really want to like this thing", we all know that it's not going to happen and so do you. Having said that, return the iPad, get your money back, and get a device that's capable of satisfying your tablet needs. It's utterly foolish to keep frustrating yourself and us by posting basically the same complaints repeatedly. The decision is quite simple and you know it. If you want "a tablet that does what you want", return the iPad, get your money back and move on to a device that "does what you want".

You are probably right. I either need to swap it out for something else, or just resign myself to just using it for the handful of things it was intended for, rather than beat my head against the wall trying to bend it to my will. LOL I will use it for a couple more days and see what direction I need to go in...
 

Just_Me_D

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You are probably right. I either need to swap it out for something else, or just resign myself to just using it for the handful of things it was intended for, rather than beat my head against the wall trying to bend it to my will. LOL I will use it for a couple more days and see what direction I need to go in...

Alright man. Have a goodnight.
 

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