iPad: College Workflow with Google Drive

[Koreos]

Hey everyone,

I am currently trying to come up with a college workflow for my iPad that will have Google Drive at its center.

As a college student, Google Drive has become very popular due to its collaborative tools. Although I love Dropbox, I have made decision of using Dropbox for personal stuff, while using Google Drive for college stuff.

Having that out of the way, the iPad Google Drive app has a lot of shortcomings in its current version:

• Cannot create or edit spreadsheets
• Cannot create or edit presentations
• Cannot create or edit drawings
• Cannot create, edit highlight or annotate PDFs
• Cannot easily upload documents from Chrome's tabs (Save As PDF & Open in Google Drive option?)

So in order to overcome those shortcomings, I will either have to wait for an update, get by with 3rd party apps, or do those tasks in my laptop or desktop. The thing is that, I would like to avoid having to spend $30 in apps.

This past semester, I tried taking notes exclusively with my MacBook Air, but it just doesn't feel engaging enough... I feel like a human dictation machine. So, I am considering going back to notebook note-taking and scanning them with my iPad, to neatly file them in Google Drive along with the lecture's slides. And perhaps during my study sessions transform those scans into something else.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how to have an almost seamless workflow in a college environment? app suggestions? am I just crazy to try this?

Thanks~

[Defender2010]

Originally Posted by Koreos

Hey everyone,

I am currently trying to come up with a college workflow for my iPad that will have Google Drive at its center.

As a college student, Google Drive has become very popular due to its collaborative tools. Although I love Dropbox, I have made decision of using Dropbox for personal stuff, while using Google Drive for college stuff.

Having that out of the way, the iPad Google Drive app has a lot of shortcomings in its current version:

• Cannot create or edit spreadsheets
• Cannot create or edit presentations
• Cannot create or edit drawings
• Cannot create, edit highlight or annotate PDFs
• Cannot easily upload documents from Chrome's tabs (Save As PDF & Open in Google Drive option?)

So in order to overcome those shortcomings, I will either have to wait for an update, get by with 3rd party apps, or do those tasks in my laptop or desktop. The thing is that, I would like to avoid having to spend $30 in apps.

This past semester, I tried taking notes exclusively with my MacBook Air, but it just doesn't feel engaging enough... I feel like a human dictation machine. So, I am considering going back to notebook note-taking and scanning them with my iPad, to neatly file them in Google Drive along with the lecture's slides. And perhaps during my study sessions transform those scans into something else.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how to have an almost seamless workflow in a college environment? app suggestions? am I just crazy to try this?

Thanks~

You can create and edit documents on the iPad using Google Drive app. I create college assignments at home on Mac using Google Drive docs, then show, review and make edits to using Google Drive app on the iPad. For note taking I use Noteshelf app built in Notes app.

Edit: Apologies. Can only make/edit word style documents. shame. Sorry. This system works well for me as I only create these type, never spreadsheets or presentations.

[Koreos]

Originally Posted by Defender2010

You can create and edit documents on the iPad using Google Drive app. I create college assignments at home on Mac using Google Drive docs, then show, review and make edits to using Google Drive app on the iPad. For note taking I use Noteshelf app built in Notes app.

Edit: Apologies. Can only make/edit word style documents. shame. Sorry. This system works well for me as I only create these type, never spreadsheets or presentations.

Do you use the virtual keyboard, or do you take a wireless keyboard to lectures?

[Defender2010]

Originally Posted by Koreos

Do you use the virtual keyboard, or do you take a wireless keyboard to lectures?

The virtual keyboard. If you can type well it is good. I would hate to lug about a keyboard.

[rynep]

I know its not free... but I've been using Pages for class. Having everything backed up to the cloud is great. Their other apps would also work the same way.