I need help with choosing a word processor

[TJK]

Getting from Dropbox to Pages is easy: you just use the "open in pages" option. Saving your your edits or new docs back to Dropbox is not functional.

Actually, I don't think that's true. I just tried it. Apparently Dropbox works with Documents to Go and QuickOffice, but Pages is not on the list of compatible word processors--at least as far as i can see.

Dar

Well, I don't know about being on a list but I can definitely use Dropbox to dowload MS Word docs to my iPad and then get the option to open those files in Pages directly. In the upper right corner of the DropBox screen there is little icon that looks like an arrow coming out of a box....press that and I get "open in Pages" or "open in good reader" options. Getting the FROM Pages Back to DropBox is the issue.

However i have discovered a link that gives you a way to email documents directly to your Dropbox. I guess this operates the way that evernote does.
Look here: Habilis - the email-to-Dropbox gateway

OK - That link works beautifully. Follow that link - it will prompt you to connect to your Dropbox account and you get a special email address that puts the file into a directory in your DropBox called "From Habilis". So this is a pretty easy way to get edited documents from Pages back to Dropbox.

 

[Game_Writer]

Hmm. Interesting. When I click on that arrow icon in Dropbox, a window comes up that says "Open in... No installed apps can open this file." So, I'm not sure how I have things set up differently. I'm going to have to explore my options some more. Maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks for your input, tho.

 

[jkhonea]

I've got Dropbox and I like it a lot, but I don't see any way to access it using Pages. :-/

Yeah, I was finding that out, too. I could have sworn I had used it for that but must be mistaken.

Getting from Dropbox to Pages is easy: you just use the "open in pages" option. Saving your your edits or new docs back to Dropbox is not functional.

FWIW - Good Reader allows limited editing of existing MS Word docs and does integrate fully with Dropbox.

Thanks so much. I knew I had done that before but couldn't remember. That did the trick perfectly.

 

[Jjj651]

Hi,
I'm going to college soon and I would really like to type and/or edit documents on my iPad at school.

If college level writing requires footnotes, that's an important detail to verify with Pages for Ipad.
An attorney at the link below has an excellent treatment on Ipad word processing options.

Word Processors on iPad for Lawyers: MS Word Compatibility Shootout | Tablet Legal

Ohh thanks! I've been looking for an updated review of the word processors. Guess I bought the wrong one then.

 

[Hasty]

Useful link thanks.

 

[iVan]

Ohh thanks! I've been looking for an updated review of the word processors. Guess I bought the wrong one then.

At this point there is no "wrong" one. This test pertains to Word compatibility and I agree with it. But as I've said earlier this software is so cheap on the iPad that you can buy them all for less than the price of Word on a host computer.

Pages shines in other categories that Word masters with difficulty. It does page layout that work quickly and photo manipulation. Word on the host will do it nicely but not the equivalent software for the iPad.

I think it's a good idea to get them all, especially if you do a lot of text editing.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

For me, another Quickoffice drawback is that it doesn't support Word's Track Changes feature. But as far as I know, none of the rival apps supports it, either.

 

[JavaJuneau]

Is Documents To Go Any Good?

I am looking for an office app that I can use to view comments within docs. I'm working on a book and we use the MS Word comment feature to leave feedback. It would be great if I could view comments and edit my work on the iPad. Right now I can create content using Office Squared and Pages, but cannot edit because I need comments.

I also need to have access to a greater number of fonts. Specifically the Utopia and TheSansMonoConNormal fonts. It looks like Docs2Go offers better font coverage than Pages, but I hate to spend the $$ without knowing for sure. I already own 2 office apps...hate to buy another if it will not be useful to me.

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[iVan]

I am looking for an office app that I can use to view comments within docs. I'm working on a book and we use the MS Word comment feature to leave feedback. It would be great if I could view comments and edit my work on the iPad. Right now I can create content using Office Squared and Pages, but cannot edit because I need comments.

I also need to have access to a greater number of fonts. Specifically the Utopia and TheSansMonoConNormal fonts. It looks like Docs2Go offers better font coverage than Pages, but I hate to spend the $$ without knowing for sure. I already own 2 office apps...hate to buy another if it will not be useful to me.

Thanks for any feedback!

You have to remember those apps are to help in maintaining documents. Creation is very limited.
I don't know about comments but I can edit any of my sync'd files as text goes. The output is in the same font that was used.
As far as creating a new document, you're limited to the fonts your iPad uses. 5.
It is preferable to start your document on a PC/Mac and to update it on the go with iPad. Syncing will then perform the updates.

 

[JavaJuneau]

I am looking for an office app that I can use to view comments within docs. I'm working on a book and we use the MS Word comment feature to leave feedback. It would be great if I could view comments and edit my work on the iPad. Right now I can create content using Office Squared and Pages, but cannot edit because I need comments.

I also need to have access to a greater number of fonts. Specifically the Utopia and TheSansMonoConNormal fonts. It looks like Docs2Go offers better font coverage than Pages, but I hate to spend the $$ without knowing for sure. I already own 2 office apps...hate to buy another if it will not be useful to me.

Thanks for any feedback!

You have to remember those apps are to help in maintaining documents. Creation is very limited.
I don't know about comments but I can edit any of my sync'd files as text goes. The output is in the same font that was used.
As far as creating a new document, you're limited to the fonts your iPad uses. 5.
It is preferable to start your document on a PC/Mac and to update it on the go with iPad. Syncing will then perform the updates.

Thanks for the info. So if I use Docs2Go then I will be able to edit docs using the same font that was used to create the document? That would be worth the money...even if comments don't show.

 

[TJK]

I am looking for an office app that I can use to view comments within docs. I'm working on a book and we use the MS Word comment feature to leave feedback. It would be great if I could view comments and edit my work on the iPad. Right now I can create content using Office Squared and Pages, but cannot edit because I need comments.

I also need to have access to a greater number of fonts. Specifically the Utopia and TheSansMonoConNormal fonts. It looks like Docs2Go offers better font coverage than Pages, but I hate to spend the $$ without knowing for sure. I already own 2 office apps...hate to buy another if it will not be useful to me.

Thanks for any feedback!

You might try signing up for MS Office Live and SkyDrive. You can then edit your Word docs on the iPad via browser " in the cloud". This works albeit much more slowly. There were some threads about this a few weeks back so you might try the forum search function.

 

[mslammers]

If you are going to really type lots of documents, papers, notes, & etc. make sure to get a "real" keyboard for desk top use. The on screen one is OK for short notes, but will drive you crazy if you have to use it on a regular basis on a desktop, IMO.

 

[Game_Writer]

If you are going to really type lots of documents, papers, notes, & etc. make sure to get a "real" keyboard for desk top use. The on screen one is OK for short notes, but will drive you crazy if you have to use it on a regular basis on a desktop, IMO.

I certainly agree with that! The on-screen keyboard is great for jotting notes, replying to bulletin boards (like this), or quickly whipping out an email--but I have my keyboard dock for "real" writing.

 

[jkhonea]

If you are going to really type lots of documents, papers, notes, & etc. make sure to get a "real" keyboard for desk top use. The on screen one is OK for short notes, but will drive you crazy if you have to use it on a regular basis on a desktop, IMO.

If you are going to really type lots of documents, papers, notes, & etc. make sure to get a "real" keyboard for desk top use. The on screen one is OK for short notes, but will drive you crazy if you have to use it on a regular basis on a desktop, IMO.

I certainly agree with that! The on-screen keyboard is great for jotting notes, replying to bulletin boards (like this), or quickly whipping out an email--but I have my keyboard dock for "real" writing.

I'm probably the rare exception to this. I'm using the iPad for my book (yes, writing a novel) and love it. The lack of a tab can be a pain in the ass, I'll admit that, but overall, love the freedom. Hoping to finish the first draft in the next couple of months. Gotten quite used to the onscreen keyboard.

 

[JavaJuneau]

If you are going to really type lots of documents, papers, notes, & etc. make sure to get a "real" keyboard for desk top use. The on screen one is OK for short notes, but will drive you crazy if you have to use it on a regular basis on a desktop, IMO.

If you are going to really type lots of documents, papers, notes, & etc. make sure to get a "real" keyboard for desk top use. The on screen one is OK for short notes, but will drive you crazy if you have to use it on a regular basis on a desktop, IMO.

I certainly agree with that! The on-screen keyboard is great for jotting notes, replying to bulletin boards (like this), or quickly whipping out an email--but I have my keyboard dock for "real" writing.

I'm probably the rare exception to this. I'm using the iPad for my book (yes, writing a novel) and love it. The lack of a tab can be a pain in the ass, I'll admit that, but overall, love the freedom. Hoping to finish the first draft in the next couple of months. Gotten quite used to the onscreen keyboard.

I am using it for my technical book. The keyboard does not get in the way when writing text, but I use my bluetooth keyboard when working with code. Changing the software keyboard each time I need to use underscores and other symbols can be painful. I am finding my iPad to be quite useful for writing the book and it is certainly making my life easier. Just wish that I could find an office app that allowed me to use the fonts I need for my publisher.