There has been no talk (or expectations) of having folders and storing files on the iPad. Everything seems to be based on shuttling things through iTunes. But how will the iWork apps work? There must be some way to access your great American novel that you're working on in Pages or your presentation in Keynote. If not in folders, then what? Anybody know?

Apple insists in the developer documentation that user should not be aware of files- because it is not the user's role to take care of saving data, storing it at a specific place, etc.

However they do say that iPhone OS 3.2 allows the creation and handling of files.

What's very likely to happen is that there's going to be a shared folder on the iPad, from which the iPad will be able to load and save files even though it will be transparent for the user.

So you'll work on your documents through iWork, be able to send them via email or to your computer, but you won't have to worry about saving them in a specific folder- the apps will do that for you. For instance when you open Pages, it'll show you all your documents present on your device as previewable icons, and you'll just choose the one you want to work on by tapping on it.

I'm not what your comment about the iPhone means. I don't have an iPhone so it does does apply to my situation. Perhaps you meant on my Mac, which could be a reasonable way to do things. I am thinking about the situation where a document does not start out on the iPad but you want to work on it there. There needs to be a way to get the document onto the iPad. If you have to email it to yourself, that would be pretty silly. Having to load a word processor document into iTunes is also pretty silly. It seems to me that things could get rather pointlessly convoluted just to avoid the frightening prospect of storing data in a specific place. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks.

Sorry, that was a typo. I corrected.

What's also likely is that when you plug your iPad on your computer, you can manage your multimedia through iTunes per usual, but also that you can copy files to it as if it were an external drive.

It's my understanding that you'll also be able to share your 'documents' folder on the iPad (for lack of an official name for it yet) via WiFi and you'll be able to access network shares as well.

Originally Posted by KiltedTim

It's my understanding that you'll also be able to share your 'documents' folder on the iPad (for lack of an official name for it yet) via WiFi and you'll be able to access network shares as well.

Where did you hear this? Was it a rumor or something from Apple. It would be great if true.

I believe I read it from one of the tech journals shortly after the announcement. It was included in an article clarifying that the iPad would have the same support for Exchange server as the iPhone for e-mail, calendar and contacts. It also mentioned the ability to print to any network connected printer from the iWork apps. I'll have to dig around and see if I can find the original.