Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Will I be able to open email attachments on the iPad?
- Thread starter thermal
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Have you ever used an iPhone or iPod Touch? It's going to run on pretty much the same software. You will be able to open all of those.
If you read most of the people complaining on here, no, you can't. This thing is worthless and simply a toy. You can't do anything useful with it. 
I ask in sincerity.... I have a Macbook Pro and an iPod nano, but have never owned a 'touch' product.
I ask because it doesn't look like this product supports Microsoft Office for Mac, so I'm especially wondering if Word documents that are emailed to me in an attachment will pose any problems.
I ask because it doesn't look like this product supports Microsoft Office for Mac, so I'm especially wondering if Word documents that are emailed to me in an attachment will pose any problems.
Pages for iPad, part of Apple's iWork for iPad suite, will open Microsoft Word documents. It will cost $9.99 on the App Store.
The default software will let you view standard Office documents. Presumably the iWork apps will let you edit them (occasionally with some minor incompatibilities) just like the desktop version of iWork does.
Yeah, and now with the 9.7" inch screen, I think there's actually a little bit of a chance that Microsoft might build some Office applications for iPad. That's simply my speculation, not based on anything else I've heard.
thermal, have you had a chance to look at the Keynote presentation? It was posted on Apple's website last night. If you scan through the video you will get to the iWork presentation. Take a look. I think you will like what you see.
Attachments
I have an iphone and you cannot open an attachment and edit it! only view it.
You can get a apps to edit office stuff but only imported from wifi not mail.
I hope that this is not the case with the ipad.
I have an iphone and you cannot open an attachment and edit it! only view it.
You can get a apps to edit office stuff but only imported from wifi not mail.
I hope that this is not the case with the ipad.
Yes.
Quoted from Apple's website:
Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
I can't find a specific answer to your question however, here is what the website says for iWork for the iPad:
iWork. Completely reimagined for iPad.
The iWork productivity applications that people know and love on the Mac Keynote, Pages, and Numbers have been completely redesigned for iPad. So you can create incredible presentations, word processing documents, and spreadsheets by touching words and images on the large, Multi-Touch screen. Each of these apps has been designed specially for iPad, with all-new features. So while theyre easy to use, theyre also the most powerful productivity apps ever built for a mobile device. You can import iWork 09 and Microsoft Office documents and send documents in iWork 09 and PDF formats. And because Keynote, Pages, and Numbers will be sold individually on the App Store, you can purchase them all at once or add them to your iPad over time.
If you can import into iWork then you can edit and send.
I had to think about that one for a second. It would be nice, but I highly doubt it will happen. Here is my reasoning.
To begin with MS most likely wouldn't do it. Secondly and most importantly, can you see an MS Office app making it through the App approval process?
Don't apple have an exclusionary clause saying that you can't make an app that directly competes with a built in feature? Even though iWork is not built in I'm sure they'd make that stick somehow with putting on an office app from MS.
Would be nice to have native office support on the unit though, but I suspect MS couldn't come up with something that would integrate as well.
attachments
Guess we will have to wait and see! Thanks
You can import and edit on an iphone on apps but only on wifi/idisc not from mail.
Guess we will have to wait and see! Thanks
In response to this, the iPhone can already preview attachments and save images.
Also, there is this:
Source: http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2010/01/29/can-iphone-learn-things-from-ipad/
I originally heard this from somewhere else but I can't remember so a really quick google search brought this up.
Also:
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=106705
But is less clear.
So in response to the question I think that apps can associate file types so if you were to install pages then you could allow word documents to open straight in pages rather than the standard preview. This would mean that pressing a link in mail could open straight in pages or give some kind of option to select what you would like to open with.
If this is not the case then at the very least you should be able to open your attachment directly from the pages or use some kind of send to pages function which allows you to edit it. As for PDFs though, I doubt there will be a way to edit them since I don't think even the OSX Pages can but you should be able to export word documents as a PDF.
OutlookReflex
I am using a third party application OutlookReflex to view my email attachments in iPad
I am using a third party application OutlookReflex to view my email attachments in iPad
Documents to Go
http://itunes.apple.com/app/documents-to-go-premium-office/id317107309?mt=8
I bought a while back for my iPhone. Use it with my iPhone and iPad. Works great.
http://itunes.apple.com/app/documents-to-go-premium-office/id317107309?mt=8
I bought a while back for my iPhone. Use it with my iPhone and iPad. Works great.
That will be very useful for the OP if he is still trying to make up his mind 15 months later ...
May be too late for the OP but not too late for other forum browsers.
These last two comments have been useful input for me - to use the iPad for my work it has to be able to open some slightly unusual attachment formats. The last two posts have named two other apps which may plug this gap for me.
So thanks markcoli and OneForGadgets !!
This makes no sense whatsoever.
I guess I will re-iterate what others have already said but in simpler language:
1. You can view the documents (look at Trek2100's post above) within the Mail application
2. You may "Open In..." (the action button) the document in a supported app (these supported apps are 3rd party apps such as GoodReader for PDF, Pages for .doc, .docx and .Pages, Keynote for PPT, PPTX, and .Key, Numbers for .xls, .xslx, .numbers)
3. You may also open all these in GoodReader but can only annotate PDF's
4. There are many other apps out there that do similar, ones listed above are (in my opinion) the best. Others may include Documents to Go, Office^2, so on...
yes you can. You can do whatever you want with an iPad. That's the beauty of the device!
Sorry butt in but:
iOS5 will natively view all these file types in a quick look type fashion, no further software needed.
To edit .doc files you need something like Pages but there are heaps of other options in the App Store cost 99c to $19.00.
If you want to just view and SAVE outside the mail App you need one of these too, or a document management programs such are GoodReader or Air Sharing. They let you have a pseudo-file system of folders and such like to organise your files, and syc with your Mac, iCloud or most webDev storage so are well worth it.
You can print attachments from mail or from all the things mentioned above. (if you dont have a AirPrint printer you may need to install an app like Printopia (though there are others).
I have had issues with very large spreadsheets opening though not often.
And as for Microsoft Office for iPad, yes it is in development and may be out next year, though I'm sure that Microsoft would rather people buy a Windows 8 tablet and hence there is no incentive to rush.
iOS5 will natively view all these file types in a quick look type fashion, no further software needed.
To edit .doc files you need something like Pages but there are heaps of other options in the App Store cost 99c to $19.00.
If you want to just view and SAVE outside the mail App you need one of these too, or a document management programs such are GoodReader or Air Sharing. They let you have a pseudo-file system of folders and such like to organise your files, and syc with your Mac, iCloud or most webDev storage so are well worth it.
You can print attachments from mail or from all the things mentioned above. (if you dont have a AirPrint printer you may need to install an app like Printopia (though there are others).
I have had issues with very large spreadsheets opening though not often.
And as for Microsoft Office for iPad, yes it is in development and may be out next year, though I'm sure that Microsoft would rather people buy a Windows 8 tablet and hence there is no incentive to rush.