Cross platform data sharing

[deemac14]

I am about to purchase a tablet for my daughter who is a Vicar. She wants some device which is lighter than a laptop and which she can use quickly and conveniently at business meetings/on travel etc.
Ipads and other tablets do not seem to have a removable storage device, so which tablet and what apps should I consider suitable for the written data or numerical data which she will need to use?
How do you get a document to a printer or to a desktop/laptop for printing or editing?.
The printer she is using is not a wireless device.....although the PC is.

 

[giradman]

Hello & welcome to the forum! You'll first need to decide on which iPad to purchase - there are two different sizes (smaller being the Mini), plenty of models, and new/used/refurbished options; but just for a comparison, attached are the current prices on the iPad Air w/ nearly a $500 USD difference between the Wi-Fi only model w/ 16 GB of storage vs. the 128 GB one w/ both Wi-Fi & cellular (the latter if used would require a paid data plan). So please pose your questions to address this choice.

If your daughter is using a PC, I'm assuming that MS Office is the suite she now uses (i.e. Word, Excel, & PowerPoint)? If so, there are iPad equivalents - iWork (Pages, Numbers, & Keynote) is now available for free and can import files from the MS Office programs - there are plenty of other 'business' oriented apps available for the iPad, so you'll have to be much more specific - good luck! Dave

 

[deemac14]

Thank you for your very prompt reply.
How does the iPAD communicate with the PC or printer?.
I suppose one will have to e-mail the doc to the other device, download and file for further reference or editing? Presumably this proceedure works the other way round as well?
What about live comms? Can you communicate remotely from iPAD to PC?
I can easily imagine one needing reference to a document,(say Minutes of a meeting last year), when using the device in a remote location? Do I assume that one would need cellular capability or rely on local hot spots of which she would be surrounded under normal conditions?
Where can I read up on this on the internet?
Thanks once again.

 

[giradman]

How does the iPAD communicate with the PC or printer?.
I suppose one will have to e-mail the doc to the other device, download and file for further reference or editing? Presumably this proceedure works the other way round as well?

One way is via iTunes (there is a PC version) which allows transfer of certain types of files (e.g. music, movies, etc.) either cabled (USB) or wirelessly; there are also cloud services for file storage/transfer. In addition, iTunes is used to backup the iPad either cabled or wirelessly - e.g. read about Dropbox.

As to a printer, the easiest option is to own one compatible w/ Air Print which allows wireless printing (e.g. I have a Canon w/ AirPrint - print from my den all of the time); if the printer is not AirPrint compatible, then other options exist (all via wireless technology).

What about live comms? Can you communicate remotely from iPAD to PC?
I can easily imagine one needing reference to a document,(say Minutes of a meeting last year), when using the device in a remote location?

Remote communication between a PC & iPad is possible - for an example, checkout Splashtop, which is on my iPad & Macbook Pro (being retired I rarely use the app, so cannot provide any personal experience)

Do I assume that one would need cellular capability or rely on local hot spots of which she would be surrounded under normal conditions?

If a Wi-Fi only iPad is purchased, the she will need to be w/i reach of a wireless network, whether at work, home, or in a public hotspot, like a coffee shop. Cellular access would allow internet connection wherever a cellular signal could be obtained; also w/ the latter, the iPad can be setup as a Wi-Fi hotspot for others to connect to the internet.

Where can I read up on this on the internet?

For starters, look at the iPad User's Guide for iOS 7; also, checkout Apple Support - there are numerous KB articles on all of the topics above, just google 'Apple.....' followed by a term, such as AirPrint. Hope this helps - good luck.

 

[jwt873]

For data sharing between my iPad and my desktop computer, I use either Drop Box or Google Drive. (I have accounts for both). You get quite a few gigabytes of free storage. Using these services, you can also share documents with friends and/or associates.

For remote communication, I use an app called iTeleport. When I open it, I see my home PC Windows 7 screen on my iPad and can run programs remotely. (This app doesn't pass sound though).

 

[deemac14]

Thanks everyone