Newbie Questions about App Store and Google Docs

[r12rtpilot]

Hi everyone,

Am trying to use my new iPad2 here at work(POP) and am having problems...Can you help?

1. When I go to Google Docs I get essentially a blank screen with question mark icons in little boxes. Doesn't look at all like Google Docs on my laptop. Then I get recurring pop ups that say "safari cannot verify the ID of www.google.com....

Would I be better off using the Google Doc app ($4.99) rather than going in thru safari?

2. When trying to visit the App Store, I get a pop up that says "a secure connection cannot be reached. Check your date and time." Went into settings and date and time are correct.

I am brand new to the iPad, so I realize I'm prolly doing something wrong. Enlighten me, as right now my iPad is a paperweight...

cheers,
Steve

 

[twerppoet]

Google Docs web site support for tablets is still pretty limited. While there are tablet views, they are very simple and lack features. You can switch to the desktop versions of the sites, but they are hard to use and not all the features work. So yes, your best bet is probably an app.

Here is a run down of possibles: GoogleDocs Managers: iPad/iPhone Apps AppGuide

PowerDocs HD also looks like it's worth consideration. I noticed it while skimming though the catagaory.

A lot of people here use Documents to Go. Next to the iWorks apps, it is probably the most used and best rated word processing app in the store. It will integrate with Google Docs, and considerably more. If you can handle the price I don't think you can go far wrong with that choice.

That's all other people's oppinion and experience though. I've never used it. I'm one of the iWorks (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) guys, but it won't play directly with Google Docs.

 

[r12rtpilot]

Upon reflection, here is my concern....I was shocked to bring my brand new iPad2 to work (a school district) and find that Google Docs worked so poorly.

I need a way to take notes and later upload them to my work station Windows-driven PC. I don't need to do elaborate spread sheets, ppts, or huge Word files on the iPad-I can do these on the PC. But Google Docs does not Work or Play Well with the district servers, ie "Safari cannot verify www.google.com," or "A secure connection cannot be reached, check your date and time."

Should I bite the bullet and just purchase iWorks, or do you think one of the more robust Google Docs managers cited above would be advantageous?

Cheers,
Steve, a frustrated iPad2 owner...

 

[twerppoet]

If all you want is to pass notes back and forth then take a look at Evernote. You can load a client on your computer and the app on the iPad, and they auto sync. It won't do spreadsheets or powerpoint, but you can sync text, audio, and picture notes. It also has a lot of cool capture functions on the computer for making notes while browsing the web. And it comes with an email address so that you can forward emails to it and have them become notes.

You might guess from this that I like Evernote. I do.

If you need more flexibility and power, then most of the Office Suite apps will sync with DropBox. This is a very convenient way to pass files back and forth between the computer and device. Again, while Documents to Go is pricy, it does this very well.

Pages will not work directly with DropBox. It is possible to use DropBox in conjunctions with the (no longer free) DropDAV service. I understand there is a more limited DropDAV Lite available for free, but haven't tried it.

If you have another WebDAV server you can use Pages directly with this client.

There are also several text editor apps that save and edit directly to DropBox. Again, text (or rich text) only, but easy syncing.

If for some reason you can not load the Evernote or Dropbox apps on the work computer, they can both be accessed via their web site. Not as nice, but a good backup for when you need something but have to borrow someone else's computer.

Evernote and DropBox both have free basic services, so you can try them and see if they work before investing any money in compatible apps.

Advanced (pay for) versions of both services offer things like shared folders so that you can contribute and edit things as a group.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[r12rtpilot]

Thanks for the tip, I'll take a look at Evernote, and Notes Plus as well!

cheers,

 

[Archlady103]

More school related questions

I am a secondary English teacher in a district looking to go one-to-one with iPad2s in the next school year. The English department uses Google Docs exclusively for all writing projects (i.e. everything you write in English) & assignment distribution (i.e. every handout). The district would like to move away from computer labs with desktop Macs & toward individual iPads for each student. Our problem is that Google Docs (either through the Safari browser or any app we've been able to find) doesn't work on the iPads.

So, does anyone have any suggestions on apps to try? We don't want to lose the collaborative functionality we currently have by going to Pages then emailing the document. We want multiple students to be able to work collaboratively on one document & we want to be able to edit, comment, etc on that document using the iPad. Are we just out of luck? Thanks for any help!

Wendy

 

[michali]

I hope you get some advice on this. I did hear that there is to be a Googledrive app soon which one would hope would work for you. I am looking forward to that app and the ability to edit google docs.

 

[twerppoet]

All of the top Office Suite apps support Google Docs: Documents to Go, QuickOffice Pro, Office HD, and the newest app, Polaris Office.

There are also many apps that claim to be front ends for Google Docs. Be careful with them. Most are just front ends for the mobile web pages, with little to offer in way of extra features.

The Google Search app offers a slightly better interface than the mobile site does in Safari, but no added functionality.

I'm sorry if this just duplicates the various apps you've found. That would seem to me to be more a problem with getting to Google Docs, rather than being able to edit them. A router/internet problem?

Here is a link to an article that explores using Google's services, the iPad, and Chrome. Maybe you can get some insights from it. The comments are worth reading, almost more than the article. Good resources and discussion on the issues.

http://www.joewoodonline.com/can-i-trade-the-ipads-for-chromebooks/


P.S. Be sure to read the second and third parts of the article. They are linked in the first paragraph.