Mobile Me and iWork

[DavidNM]

I'm reaching out to those, so far, who are working with the wifi iPads.

My main computer is a newer MacBook Pro that I have hooked up to a large monitor - which I use as my desktop.

I recently purchased iWork and want to use my 3G ipad as a mobile work station - utilizing iWorks for the iPad. I currently have all of my working documents organized in folders on my Mobile Me cloud disk. So when I want to open something I simply double click, it opens on my laptop and I make changes, etc. When I close it auto saves to the Mobile Me folder.

When I get my iPad I am planning on utilizing the same Mobile Me account - by opening up my documents from my Mobile Me account, manipulating on the iPad and then when quitting - having the docs saved in Mobile Me.

BUT - I've also heard a lot of complaints / confusion re the process of using iWork on the iPad. Gang - those of you who have been playing around with this - what am I missing? Where's the flaw in the slaw so to speak? Is this, or something like this working for you?

 

[brhon]

David, I am using Keynote, and Pages. I also have Mobile Me, but I have not been able to figure out hot to save a file to my iDisk and open it on my iPad. There is an iDisk app door iPhone, it has not been updated yet for the iPad. The same is true for the gallery app. I have learned that for full functionality you need iWork 09 on your Mac to utilize the file transfer in iTunes. You can also use the iWork.com web site. This seems like a good option and will hold my filed for access on my mac or my pad. Do a search on the forum. I know there are other comments here related to the topic. Good luck, and welcome.

 

[DavidNM]

David, I am using Keynote, and Pages. I also have Mobile Me, but I have not been able to figure out hot to save a file to my iDisk and open it on my iPad. There is an iDisk app door iPhone, it has not been updated yet for the iPad. The same is true for the gallery app. I have learned that for full functionality you need iWork 09 on your Mac to utilize the file transfer in iTunes. You can also use the iWork.com web site. This seems like a good option and will hold my filed for access on my mac or my pad. Do a search on the forum. I know there are other comments here related to the topic. Good luck, and welcome.

Thanks! I've got iWorks on my Mac so I'm hoping I don't have to do a bunch of extra steps.

 

[brhon]

David, I found this on macworld web site.

Be very careful exporting documents from the iWork apps. The procedure for syncing documents between Apple’s iWork suite on a Mac and on the iPad is a pig. It’s a blemish on Apple, which normally delivers a great user experience. The docs don’t really sync at all; you have to manually import and export them from the iPad, which potentially creates versioning problems if you want to switch between working on a document on the Mac and on the iPad.

To export a document from the iPad, first open Pages on the iPad, go to the “My Documents” area and select the document you want to transfer to your Mac. You’ll see three icons at the bottom of the screen. Tap the one on the left that looks like a piece of paper with an arrow shooting out of it. Select “Export,” and choose the format you want to export the document in. Wait for the export to finish.

Now connect your iPad with the sync cable. In iTunes on the Mac, click on the iPad in the left column, under “Devices.” Click the “Apps” tab. Scroll down to “File Sharing.” Click on “Pages.” Click the document you want to import, and click the “Save to…” button. Select the folder you want to save the document to.

This is easier than it reads, but it’s still a pain in the neck.

The dangerous part is what happens if you import a document from your Mac to your iPad, work on it on the iPad, keep the name the same, and fail to export it back to the Mac. You’ll see the document listed in iTunes, but it’s not the new version that you made the changes on—it’s the old version that was on your Mac.

This happened to me. What’s worse, after I thought I’d correctly copied the document from my iPad to my Mac, I deleted the document on my iPad, and I lost several hours of work. Let me be a bad example—don’t make the same mistake.

Apple really needs to replace this horrible user interface with simple wireless document syncing between the iPad and your Mac.

 

[kheldour]

I expect Apple fix that with OS4.0, although I expect a 3.2.1 because of the WIFI-issue.
Documents should sync via MobileMe as everything else.

And I would really wish to have it synced OTA (as MobileMe does).

 

[henry2]

i had a few problems with the movement of files to the ipad along with a few cuss words when the files would not move over to the ipad .. along with a few diff problems trying to movement of some of the music files along with a file i have for diff list of items

 

[Dominic27]

So far I have had to email the file and then open it on the iPad, as it starts to open ini pad you get the option to open with pages, there is then a loss of some of the formatting ! A disappoint from apple hopefully will be in the first fix.

 

[Matth3w]

I deleted iWorks because it doesn't export very well to MS format. A Mac user or not, someone is bound to need something you have modified or created in MS format, so exporting to PDF or iWork is just not acceptable for Numbers and Keynote.

That doesn't have a whole hell of a lot to do with what you're saying, but I just wanted to give you a heads up before you drop 30 bucks on the three programs only to find out you can't export to MS in two of the three.

EDIT: NM, I just realized how old this thread is