Syncing / Accessing Mac And Ipad2

[triffid]

I hope someone can help me out here and save me getting lost in what seems to a novice like me the jungle of 'communities' help etc on the Apple site.

I want to take ony my newly acquired iPad2 when away from home. There are a handful of files and a spreadsheet on my MacBook that I would want to use (read and amend etc) on the iPad, and have any changes synced - either there and then or by connecting the Mac/iPad when I get home. At present I have got the Pages and the Numbers (as well as PDF) apps on my iPad. My stuff on the Mac (it's a 3-year old black MacBook with Snow Leopard OSX 10.6.8) was on NeoOffice free programme - which somehow has subsequently, and without my doing anything, has now metamorphosed to OpenOffice programme.

First, someone suggested I get LogMeIn.com which I duely downloaded on the Mac and did - sort of - get it to work from the iPad. But 1) it's very slow and cumbersome and 2) it seems expensive (after the 30 day trial) for me to pay the annual fee for the very limited use I have in mind.

Secondly, someone suggested I download from Dropbox.com and use that. I did that but on the iPad I am given the option to open only on the PDF and can't seem to work/amend the doc.

Now, someone has suggested I load Pages, Numbers on the Mac and then maybe the syncing via Dropbox will work. But maybe I have to upgrade it to Lion to download Pages/Numbers. I'm also told that if I upgrade to Lion maybe I can use iCloud for my purpose - but maybe not. I am prepared to try the upgrade and the subsequent download of Pages/Numbers and/or iCloud.

I am not very savvy at all with all this - use my mac/ipad for limited purposes. Can someone please give me a simple and simply worked solution? And will I be able to get the Apple upgrade/sofware (Lion/iWork/iCloud) without paying a fortune?

Many thanks for ploughing through this and my terminology; and more thanks in advance if you can help me out. Else I suppose I will just have to meander into that Apple Support jungle - which would be the first time I was forced t do it.

[ExpatJ]

icloud will do it...it links docs between apple devices..

[triffid]

I guess I have to check if iCloud will work with my MacBook's OSX 10.6.8; I was told it wouldn't. If necessary I'll try to buy a cheap OS upgrade at Pantip.

But thanks anyway, you've pushed me to try the above.

icloud will do it...it links docs between apple devices..

[Jimi007]

I don't use those apps, but some I use when you click on the device (iPad) in iTunes, then click on apps and scroll down. It says file sharing. Click on the app and drag the document you want to share, then sync the iPad. The document will appear on the iPad. As I said, I don't use the apps you are using, so what you can do with them I'm not sure. I use Excel for spread sheets and I haven't found an app that will work with it on an iPad. iPads are mobile devices, like an iPhone or an iPod touch, not really a computer...

Edited December 14, 2011 by Jimi007

[triffid]

Thhanks for telling me of your way, but I'm afraid I couldn't follow. My docs are presently on the MacBook and I want to access them on the iPad, not the other way around. Id that is what you understood from my post, would you please walk me through your suggestion again?

I don't use those apps, but some I use when you click on the device (iPad) in iTunes, then click on apps and scroll down. It says file sharing. Click on the app and drag the document you want to share, then sync the iPad. The document will appear on the iPad. As I said, I don't use the apps you are using, so what you can do with them I'm not sure. I use Excel for spread sheets and I haven't found an app that will work with it on an iPad. iPads are mobile devices, like an iPhone or an iPod touch, not really a computer...

[Jimi007]

Thhanks for telling me of your way, but I'm afraid I couldn't follow. My docs are presently on the MacBook and I want to access them on the iPad, not the other way around. Id that is what you understood from my post, would you please walk me through your suggestion again?

I don't use those apps, but some I use when you click on the device (iPad) in iTunes, then click on apps and scroll down. It says file sharing. Click on the app and drag the document you want to share, then sync the iPad. The document will appear on the iPad. As I said, I don't use the apps you are using, so what you can do with them I'm not sure. I use Excel for spread sheets and I haven't found an app that will work with it on an iPad. iPads are mobile devices, like an iPhone or an iPod touch, not really a computer...

It works both ways!!! Go to iTunes on your MacBook. Plug in you iPad. On the left side of iTunes you will see Libraries, Store , then Devices. In Devices it will have your iPad. Click on it. Once that page opens, you will be in Summary. Click the next tab over that says Apps. Scroll down and will have a box with some apps that says File Sharing. Click the app you want to share files from your MacBook on and then find the files you want to put on you iPad and drag them into the box, then push the add button and they will be loaded onto your iPad.

Edited December 15, 2011 by Jimi007

[Jimi007]

Thhanks for telling me of your way, but I'm afraid I couldn't follow. My docs are presently on the MacBook and I want to access them on the iPad, not the other way around. Id that is what you understood from my post, would you please walk me through your suggestion again?

By the way, it's not my way, it is the way Apple designed it. There was no iCloud until a few months ago. It is really very simple and fast. If you still don't understand what I have told you, maybe you can do a Google search for " transferring documents to an iPad." There are pages of information... If you happen to live in Rawai, Phuket PM me and I will show you how.

[nikster]

iCloud is the best way to do that - except it's not working yet. I optimistically bought Numbers for the Mac, which is $20, and Numbers for the iPad ($10). Then I upgraded all my systems to iCloud - Mac OS 10.7 and iOS 5.

Now it turns out the Mac version of Numbers can't actually do iCloud!

see here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3570006?start=0&tstart=0

Disappointing would be an understatement. It's ridiculous. Because it was just this feature that received a very long demo at WWDC, by no other than the late Steve Jobs himself. Despite the fact that Lion is out, iOS 5 is out, and iCloud has been released, the feature still isn't working.

So meanwhile, do it the old fashioned way by dragging documents back and forth and syncing them via iTunes. See Jimi007's post.

[hellstens]

Do it easy for you....Mail it to your self, and open the mail on the device you want to read it, easy and cheep ;-)

Marry Christmas!

Tom

[Jimi007]

Do it easy for you....Mail it to your self, and open the mail on the device you want to read it, easy and cheep ;-)

Marry Christmas!

Tom

Have you tried this with the app he is talking about? Sure you can view some attached files in emails, but can you open and run it and make changes and save? As I said I don't use this app. But I do use some apps that you can exchange documents in the app between the iPad and the Mac by the very easy method I described...

[triffid]

I did as you directed right up to the final step viz "...then push the add button and they will be loaded onto your iPad." Presumably they were loaded on...but how/where do I find them on the iPad?

PS. I would taken up your offer of showing me but unfortunately I live at the other end of the country, Chiangmai.

Thhanks for telling me of your way, but I'm afraid I couldn't follow. My docs are presently on the MacBook and I want to access them on the iPad, not the other way around. Id that is what you understood from my post, would you please walk me through your suggestion again?

By the way, it's not my way, it is the way Apple designed it. There was no iCloud until a few months ago. It is really very simple and fast. If you still don't understand what I have told you, maybe you can do a Google search for " transferring documents to an iPad." There are pages of information... If you happen to live in Rawai, Phuket PM me and I will show you how.

[triffid]

Let me be sure I understand you, and am drawing the right inferences.

You have found that the MacBook, even with the Lion upgrade cannot handle the iCloud?

You have found that certainly this is so for Numbers; but is this so also for a doc on Pages?

And if both these presumptions are correct, is my only means of using iCloud between my iPad and a laptop if for me to buy the latest apple laptop?

I couldn't get Jim's method to work. This may have something to do with the fact that my docs are in 'OpenOfice" (.odt) format. I am however prepared to buy Pages and Numbers and re-do or transfer the docs there if that will do the trick. (I already have these programmes on the iPad.)

If you do reply or suggest something please do it in very simple terms - I am a complete simpleton in all this.

Many thanks

iCloud is the best way to do that - except it's not working yet. I optimistically bought Numbers for the Mac, which is $20, and Numbers for the iPad ($10). Then I upgraded all my systems to iCloud - Mac OS 10.7 and iOS 5.

Now it turns out the Mac version of Numbers can't actually do iCloud!

see here:

https://discussions....tart=0&tstart=0

Disappointing would be an understatement. It's ridiculous. Because it was just this feature that received a very long demo at WWDC, by no other than the late Steve Jobs himself. Despite the fact that Lion is out, iOS 5 is out, and iCloud has been released, the feature still isn't working.

So meanwhile, do it the old fashioned way by dragging documents back and forth and syncing them via iTunes. See Jimi007's post.

[Jimi007]

I did as you directed right up to the final step viz "...then push the add button and they will be loaded onto your iPad." Presumably they were loaded on...but how/where do I find them on the iPad?

PS. I would taken up your offer of showing me but unfortunately I live at the other end of the country, Chiangmai.

Thhanks for telling me of your way, but I'm afraid I couldn't follow. My docs are presently on the MacBook and I want to access them on the iPad, not the other way around. Id that is what you understood from my post, would you please walk me through your suggestion again?

By the way, it's not my way, it is the way Apple designed it. There was no iCloud until a few months ago. It is really very simple and fast. If you still don't understand what I have told you, maybe you can do a Google search for " transferring documents to an iPad." There are pages of information... If you happen to live in Rawai, Phuket PM me and I will show you how.

Like i said, I don't use the apps you are using. But when I add documents or files in the manner I described, when I open the app on my iPad it has them and I just tap the document in the app to open it.

[triffid]

May I know why which app you use for word processing and which for a spreadsheet - both of which do work for the transfer process you use? As I mentioned I use OpenOffice - maybe I should switch to iWorks.

I did as you directed right up to the final step viz "...then push the add button and they will be loaded onto your iPad." Presumably they were loaded on...but how/where do I find them on the iPad?

PS. I would taken up your offer of showing me but unfortunately I live at the other end of the country, Chiangmai.

Thhanks for telling me of your way, but I'm afraid I couldn't follow. My docs are presently on the MacBook and I want to access them on the iPad, not the other way around. Id that is what you understood from my post, would you please walk me through your suggestion again?

By the way, it's not my way, it is the way Apple designed it. There was no iCloud until a few months ago. It is really very simple and fast. If you still don't understand what I have told you, maybe you can do a Google search for " transferring documents to an iPad." There are pages of information... If you happen to live in Rawai, Phuket PM me and I will show you how.

Like i said, I don't use the apps you are using. But when I add documents or files in the manner I described, when I open the app on my iPad it has them and I just tap the document in the app to open it.

[Jimi007]

May I know why which app you use for word processing and which for a spreadsheet - both of which do work for the transfer process you use? As I mentioned I use OpenOffice - maybe I should switch to iWorks.

As I have said many times before an iPad is a mobile device, it is NOT a true computer. I use MS Office 2011 on my laptop. There is no app for MS Office. Plus I like a full keyboard and track pad when I am doing work. It sounds like you should have bought an AirBook rather than an iPad for what you want to do. I watch movies, surf the net, email, watch the news, Google Maps, free text messages and phone calls to the US, remote control my iTunes and VLC players on my computer, do banking, read a book, FaceBook, Skype, show photos, play music and games mostly on my iPad. It has the same OS as an iPhone and an iPod touch. It's just a larger screened version.

[triffid]

Ok, and thanks for the suggestions and comments. I also do work on the laptop - it was just that I wanted to read some docs on my laptop and and do adjustments on a few of them. I think I may be able to do that once I've switched to iWorks - whose word processing and spreadsheet programmes do have iPad apps. Anyway that's what I'll be trying next.

[Jimi007]

Ok, and thanks for the suggestions and comments. I also do work on the laptop - it was just that I wanted to read some docs on my laptop and and do adjustments on a few of them. I think I may be able to do that once I've switched to iWorks - whose word processing and spreadsheet programmes do have iPad apps. Anyway that's what I'll be trying next.

Yeah, that should work. I have iWorks but I've never installed it, since most documents I get from other people are in MS Word and Excel... But by talking about it, you reminded me to install iLife, which I hadn't done since my system crashed a bit over a week ago. Good luck with your project.

[bubba]

Ok, and thanks for the suggestions and comments. I also do work on the laptop - it was just that I wanted to read some docs on my laptop and and do adjustments on a few of them. I think I may be able to do that once I've switched to iWorks - whose word processing and spreadsheet programmes do have iPad apps. Anyway that's what I'll be trying next.

Yeah, that should work. I have iWorks but I've never installed it, since most documents I get from other people are in MS Word and Excel... But by talking about it, you reminded me to install iLife, which I hadn't done since my system crashed a bit over a week ago. Good luck with your project.

Just in case someone is reading and does not want to shell out the money for MS Office, iWork's Pages and Numbers, and Keynote can open, edit and save in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint format. The only thing missing is Excel macro capability. I find them much less cluttered and easier to work with as well, and use them preferentially when I can, even though I have MS Office installed. In particular, Keynote far outclasses Powerpoint for capabilities and ease of use, plus you don't end up with yet another boilerplate Powerpoint presentation with all those tired old stick figure graphics (yawn). Keynote also has some really nice transitions that Powerpoint doesn't have.