No usb port

[dastgirbutt]

Basic draw back of iPad is there is no USB port insert in it

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Yes and No.

The cable from the iPad provides a USB connection to a PC for synchronisation - but the current drive capability is only 10 mA so it won't drive many peripherals - a few keyboards and a few SD cards and USB sticks with very low power requirements.....
Tim

 

[dastgirbutt]

iPad provides many facilities while traveling but how can we insert data from a USB in iPad...for this purpose we required laptop..

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

The iPad can communicate via WiFi, USB, 3G or Bluetooth. Over USB it is OK with modern low-power devices but cannot cope with legacy high-power consumption devices.

What data are you trying to retrieve via USB?

Tim

 

[Gabriel1]

I've moved this thread from the News forum to General Discussions........as a lack of USB really isn't news.

The Archangel

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Thanks!

Tim

 

[jsh1120]

The inability to support usb local storage is, imo, the single biggest weakness in the iPad design. If it's important to you, consider the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet.

 

[Wolfpuppies3]

USB Ports are greatly overrated

Just use a GoFlex Satellite wirelessly.

That was easy!

 

[Seadog]

SD card and USB are partially supported with the camera connection kit. There are ways to use it with a keyboard and other devices, but very limited. The iPad was meant for wireless portability and the limitations were designed in deliberately.

 

[RAC]

I am using a "Plug Computer" (DreamPlug) to provide the physical I/O that the iPad lacks. It has 2 x USB, 2 x Ethernet, 1 x SD, 1 x eSATA & WiFi.

I can connect to it via WiFi using the iSSH and then use either Shell commands or XWindows (xfce) to copy photos from an SSD card to USB HDD etc while traveling. I also hope to get FileBrowser to connect to it so that I cam view photos stored on the HDD etc.

All the above requires some Linux knowledge. Hopefully there will soon be devices marketed to make this sort of thing pre-packaged.

The Acer tablet has an optional keyboard with built in physical I/O for example.

A GoFlex Satellite with USB ports & SD card slot and either XWindows exposed or a file manager app would be useful.

 

[jsh1120]

SD card and USB are partially supported with the camera connection kit. There are ways to use it with a keyboard and other devices, but very limited. The iPad was meant for wireless portability and the limitations were designed in deliberately.

Yeah, I really appreciate those deliberate limitations. Certainly simplifies my use of the iPad.

Not really complaining (much). Design is always a set of compromises. But in this case, I have to say that the beneficiaries are hard to spot unless one takes into account the potential cannibalization of Apple's laptop sales.