Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Help with not hating iOS

T

thelawnetwork

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 1, 2014
58
4
I'm a Windows / Android person. So my iPad Mini 2 is a neat device, looks nice and I got it on sale... But the part that I love about it that I personally can't stand about it is that on my Android devices I can drag and drop anything and not worry about apps being used to open and close. Connect the device, drag a folder of PDFs I just saved for later reading onto the device memory (or even an SD card or a removable SD card with USB to go) and I can enjoy.

With the iPad, everything seems to involve iTunes or needing to use some app on iOS specifically to transport my stuff. So that means I have to find one single PDF reader first that does the best job on PDF type A (docs I've made.) Then I need to find another PDF reader that might be better to read for type B (books, professionally formatted.) Then I need to make sure I have apps for MS Office documents. And then I need to use these apps specifically to transfer the docs so that each app (and only that app) will have access to that doc?

While this might work well for licensing copy protected music and videos, I find it obtrusive beyond belief for common actions I perform every day. I knew some of this before getting the device but I needed it for testing and there was a great deal on one with a wireless SIM. How have people using the iPad for work made this process manageable so it isn't such a chore? I know that other people must be using these devices in a way that this can be manageable... or at least less difficult than it seems to me right now. Thanks for your suggestions in advance!
 
bandofbrothers said:
Sell the iPad Mini 2
Click to expand...
Brilliant advice. Unfortunately I need it for testing out apps and websites because some of you are apparently going through the trouble described above. ;)

I was hoping and assuming others have found at least some more efficient method of managing documents and files. But if you're really going through this much trouble just to upload a file (turn on device, navigate to get IP address, open a browser, connect using the browser, browse for every file you want to upload, then wait until they upload) then it would seem efficiency is very low and little actual work gets done. Just an observation and request for clarification.
 
I put files I want to view on my iPad or iPhone in Dropbox. No cords, no wires, no SD cards, etc. I haven't used iTunes to transfer or sync files for years. I also have Copy and OneDrive, but I've found Dropbox more reliable, faster, and the iOS app functions as a decent PDF viewer. I use Document and another app I can't recall right now if I want to make comments or mark up a PDF.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mw360
I was just going to suggest either one drive or iCloud Drive or drop box. You know I think the office apps for iOS open pdfs pretty well so you may want to just use one drive. But iCloud Drive works easily too
 
Thanks. The real issue I'm having with office apps for iOS is I don't want to use the cloud - a third party solution. It also gets even more troublesome when I'm traveling, might not have great (or secure) WiFi access, etc. Something as simple as copying from a USB drive to a tablet should be a piece of cake, IMHO. While I do appreciate all the suggestions, I think I'll just stick to using it for the limited purposes I am at present, archived docs for reading, etc. Thanks.
 
I'm REALLY tempted by the Mini 4, but the only tablet I've ever owned is a second gen Nexus 7, and this thread really speaks to my apprehension about investing in an iPad. I'm not sure how I will like not being able to drag and drop, and have a real file system. Maybe an iPad isn't for me but I'd like to upgrade my N7, and all other current Android tablets have other failings that put me off.

Such a dilemma...
 
if sprint is unlimited for $60 a month, then why did that android phone tell me to only check the weather once 6 hours has elapsed? is the weather information provided by CompuServe???
 
Last edited:
joeblow7777 said:
I'm REALLY tempted by the Mini 4, but the only tablet I've ever owned is a second gen Nexus 7, and this thread really speaks to my apprehension about investing in an iPad. I'm not sure how I will like not being able to drag and drop, and have a real file system. Maybe an iPad isn't for me but I'd like to upgrade my N7, and all other current Android tablets have other failings that put me off.
Click to expand...
What failings? I'm going to be totally honest - iOS is like another planet and I find it's a matter of (a) what hardware you have; (b) what workflow you prioritize and prefer; and (c) if there are any essential platform specific apps. Just figure out what is truly most important to you and then make a decision. I need to use both for work but have my own personal preference.

To me, I prefer being able to just drag and drop any video on my Android phone like a PC. And even better, I can choose from one of 5 players which makes sure it will play properly, including subtitles. And if it doesn't - simple - just go to Google Play and find another app, download, try it out, done. On iOS if it's not in the right format then you can't even transfer it to play in iTunes. Same goes for documents. I've transferred docs having to use whatever Wifi / cloud transfer needed to do so to the app. Once I discovered that app didn't work properly, I was stuck - especially if it was on any iOS device and not stored in the cloud. Once it's in the iOS device it's not meant to be transferred off of it with any ease. I also couldn't set up my start screen exactly the way I liked - while Android allows virtually unlimited options if you just download the right tool.

Apple enjoys the benefit of everything being on the same hardware. For example, the OS is optimized in that way so the battery may last a bit longer. To be fair, iOS has a benefit of having only one hardware device hence it's easier for app developers to get things right the first time. It is also more optimized DRM and copy protection - good if you're a developer but frustrating if you're a user. I think of Apple as being a good distribution platform for paid material but not as good if you're just a user trying to manage your own data. Android also has great flexibility to do much more since it's not closed off by the likes of Apple. Best example was email for a long time. Personally I can deal with some temporary bugs in exchange for long term flexibility and power.

I don't know what @rigormortis is talking about - I have a Samsung Note 3 and it's fantastic and not a bug riddled device. Apps do get bug fixed (on iOS too). You can turn off items in settings to control what apps will use and sync telephone numbers. I don't have Facebook anywhere near my contacts list. There are some cool things that iPhones can do that are specific to them, which is why some of my friends love them. But again, make sure you have a priority list and then choose your platform.

A year and change ago I bought an LG G Pad 8.3 which is one of the best devices I have ever owned - and it's not even supposed to be premium like the Samsung tabs. 64GB SD card and 80GB of storage (potentially up to 144GB of storage), battery life is excellent, around 8 hours. Very sharp HD screen. And at the time it cost $250 when the iPad Mini 32GB was somewhere around $400 and maybe more. To be fair, the iPad Mini's battery does last longer generally, although it's more like bonus time since the G Pad is more than sufficient. The Mini provides a different shape which is a little wider. While good for browsing and reading docs that "flow" to fit the shape, the 4:3 screen size is slightly less optimal for movies and reading paged PDFs than the slightly thinner 16:9 of the G Pad. It's not like this is any dealbreaker. Screen brightness on the LG is not as great as the Samsung or Apple but it is far more than acceptable - especially at the budget price. When you get here it's all about minor benefits of one versus the other. Hence my recommendation is to know your priorities well before making a selection.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back