Well audible have an app, maybe the likes of bookshare will develop a cloud based app which lets you download just like the app store, does pages and numbers work with www.iwork.com? Maybe we'll see some neat syncing / transfer features added to iwork 11 - You just never know with Apple as they play their cards close to their chest. You can bet your bottom dollar they will come up with a very clever and easy solution.
Chris On 31 Jul 2010, at 17:31, Bryan Smart wrote: > I can not say with certainty, but I thought that I read that it isn't > possible. > > I know that, with apps like Drop Box, you can certainly view and open your > files on the remote server for viewing on your iPhone/iPad, but you're really > just opening them inside the Drop Box app, using its own built-in viewers. > Just like other apps, Drop Box can access files over the Internet, and can > even download them in to its private sandbox on the iPhone/iPad, but it can't > give other applications on the device access to the files. > > The flash memory on the iPhone isn't so much of a disk or hard drive, as it > is a kind of temporary cache memory. The way the iPhone works, all of the > real storage of data and heavy processing is supposed to happen on a server > that is reached via the Internet. The flash memory is mainly there so that > the iPhone can hold a local temporary copy of data that would be too slow or > large to constantly stream from the net connection, like program code, sounds > and graphics that make up an app's interface, etc. > > Apple didn't plan to let anyone make native programs for the iPhone in the > beginning, so I guess they thought that this wouldn't matter. Later, when > people started to make apps, they held on to this model, because, by > preventing programs from accessing each other, they thought that they could > prevent people from gaining access to protected content. > > Now, they want the iPad to be able to be used for desktop-like tasks, but, > with all of the app isolation, you must jump through hoops to share data that > has been created on the device itself. > > Apple's design choices are usually centered around making computing tasks > simple by removing unnecessary choices in order to streamline a task. You > lose flexibility, but the result is that, for most people, the program does > what they want, with a minimum amount of fuss, and with little or no tech > understanding required. They've done such a great job with the App Store, > simplifying the processes of paying for, and installing software, down to the > point where a complete tecnophobe could do it. iTunes and the iPod simplify > the tasks of organizing and working with a music library. However, I find it > very funny that, due to their choices, something as fundamental to a computer > as word processing, requires all sorts of explanations regarding how to > import/export between native format, how to selectively sync content, and how > to put documents in to, and take them out of, iTunes on the Mac. Not that > there is anything that could help the situation right now, given how locked > down the iOS devices are. Anything that requires that you get data from your > own devices, rather than a server somewhere, is profoundly frustrating. Think > of the people making the Daisy players for iOS. Most players need only that > you copy a book from your computer to a memory card, and put that card in to > the player. With iOS devices, it is necessary to explain to people about how > they must get both devices on to the same Wi-Fi network, but not just any > public wi-fi network, but a private wi-fi network that allows intra-client > communication. Then, they need to download, install, and learn to use an FTP > client, connecting to the iOS device using a long code (an IP address), that > they must listen to on the device and type in to their computer. That isn't > too bad for tech types. For most people that buy an iOS device for its > simplicity, and have no problem accomplishing most tasks, talking about > special wi-fi networks, ftp clients, IP addresses, and other junk is enough > to make them say "why bother. I'll get a Victor Reader or Book Sense". In > these cases, the iOS device is losing out because it is too complicated. > > While I know that the main motivation for the iOS devices working this way is > for security, the conspiracy theorist in me says that this inability to > easily use your own content is not such an accident. It makes everyone a lot > more money if you must pay to get what you want from the cloud, rather than > using what you already have. Of course, techy users can find ways to > partially use their content on the new devices, but non-techy users will > often decide that it is just too complicated, and that they'd rather be doing > other things with their time. Also, some of us wouldn't need to keep and > maintain so many huge personal collections, if we could get what we want from > the cloud. > > Bryan > > -----Original Message----- > From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com > [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Chris Moore > Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 4:59 AM > To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com > Subject: Re: word processing and spred sheets on ipad > > If you have a mobile me account, can you not save the documents to iDisk? > On 30 Jul 2010, at 18:46, Bryan Smart wrote: > >> Simon, it is usable, but you may not actually want to use it. I had an >> iPad, and I tried this stuff, but I didn't do it a lot, and I haven't tried >> it in a while, so I'll probably make some mistakes in my description. There >> will undoubtedly be some iPad people that tell me that I overlooked >> something. That's fine, but here is the general idea. >> >> So, you want to put a file on your iPad to edit while you're away from home. >> You know that you can't just hook up the iPad to the computer and copy the >> file over, as the iPad security doesn't allow that. >> >> Here is what you must do. You must add the file to iTunes, including, I >> think, marking it for sync. Then, you must start a sync of your iPad with >> iTunes. When that completes, you need to go in to the iWork program on the >> iPad that you want to use, like Pages, and locate the document. Except, you >> can't use it right away. You must import the document in to Pages (I think >> it converts it or something). >> >> Now, you can edit all you want. >> >> However, when you get back home, and want to print it, you must go through >> the process in reverse. You have to go in to Pages on the iPad, load your >> document, export it to a regular document, hook up to the Mac, sync with >> iTunes, and then get it back in to your Word Processor. >> >> Basically, while iPad and iPhone programs can save and load files, they only >> have access to the files that they specifically create, or that are brought >> in to them through a sync with iTunes or over the Internet. Programs on the >> iPad and iPhone can't access any file that was created by another program on >> the same device, nor can they share their files with other iPad/iPhone >> programs. You also can't access any documents or files that a program makes >> from a computer, unless that program is authorized to sync through iTunes. >> That's why programs like the Daisy book reader can't let you transfer books >> directly to your device. They must waste time with built-in FTP servers or >> store files remotely on a server somewhere. For the most part, I don't need >> to do the sort of things with a phone to where this is a big enough of a >> pain to me, and so I use an iPhone. However, for most computing tasks, this >> is way too much of a lock down. I mean, if Apple wants to lock up the >> programs, that's one thing, but they should at least have a common place on >> the iPhone/iPad where programs can store and share files with each other. >> Like I said, if I can only get a voice memo out of the voice memo recording >> program by using its built-in function to e-mail it to me, then I'll deal, >> but trying to undertake large projects on one of these devices is a >> frustrating activity that I'd never recommend. These devices just are not >> made for producing content. They're meant to be very nice Internet terminals. >> >> Bryan >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >> [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Simon Fogarty >> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 5:16 AM >> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >> Subject: RE: word processing and spred sheets on ipad >> >> And it's useable with VO on the iPad? >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >> [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kevin Shaw >> Sent: Tuesday, 27 July 2010 1:26 a.m. >> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >> Subject: Re: word processing and spred sheets on ipad >> >> The full iWorks suite is available specifically; for iPad. This includes >> Pages, Numbers and Keynote. >> >> Good luck, >> Kevin >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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