iPad > Dropbox > Word > iPad - is there an app for that

[Zeiss]

Apologies if this is not new, but I seem to be unable to find an answer to what I thought would be a simple task. I have an iPad, I have a MacPro, I need to use Word on the Macpro for work, I like Dropbox to store files.

All I think I need is an iPad rtf writer app (default rtf, not export etc) that can save to Dropbox (sync), to be opened in Word, continue to edit, save on Dropbox, then open in iPad again etc etc.

Note - I get (and love) txt files for their ease etc, but once I open one in Word, it gets converted - not part of my workflow wishes. So Byword is great for above problem, until it gets to word. The issue is that if I have to send the file to someone else (common) they will freak out if they get a txt file etc...

So is it just me, why am I not able to find something to do this....? What are other people doing?

 

[maflynn]

Would pages work, you can use that on both your iPad and MacPro and it gives you the integrated platform support, i.e., iCloud, that makes it work seamlessly

 

[jojoba]

You can check out UX Write

http://www.uxproductivity.com/word-processor-for-ipad-and-iphone#.UtE6OXk4Sbw

or Textilus

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/textilus-microsoft-office/id537818639?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=4

or DocsToGo

http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/iphone/

 

[Zeiss]

Would pages work, you can use that on both your iPad and MacPro and it gives you the integrated platform support, i.e., iCloud, that makes it work seamlessly

It does indeed do all that, but the default save is pages, not rtf, which you need to export to. Also iCloud and not dropbox(?).... Thanks though.

 

[Zeiss]

You can check out UX Write

http://www.uxproductivity.com/word-processor-for-ipad-and-iphone#.UtE6OXk4Sbw

or Textilus

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/textilus-microsoft-office/id537818639?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=4

or DocsToGo

http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/iphone/

Yep, I've tried them and while textiles does the editing, the Dropbox does not seem like sync, rather it is transfer, so close but not right there..... Looks like I'm going to need to consider a different workflow..... Was trying to stay away from google docs, but that might need to looked at in more depth....

Any other options...?

 

[mjt57]

Docs2Go was mentioned above. I use it. Its data is sync'ed to Dropbox. Works well, but the spreadsheet side of things is limited as it doesn't recognise a lot of Excel's formulas such as lookup.

 

[akm3]

It does indeed do all that, but the default save is pages, not rtf, which you need to export to. Also iCloud and not dropbox(?).... Thanks though.

Dropbox can open a .doc in pages, edit it, and the. Export as a .doc back to Dropbox. This seems to be exactly what you want.

 

[Epiphron]

Yea pages works the best for me although there are sometimes formatting issues. Nothing major though

 

[Zeiss]

Dropbox can open a .doc in pages, edit it, and the. Export as a .doc back to Dropbox. This seems to be exactly what you want.

almost, only I then have multiple versions of the same document. Exporting back and forth is not very desirable, i'm really after a open from dropbox, save to dropbox, edit in rtf, be able to open and edit and save in word on Mac etc.

Im beginning to feel that this is not possible, which is a real shame as it seems like such a simple request..... +1 for MacBook Air (or even Surface Pro 2 - looking better every day...)

 

[akm3]

almost, only I then have multiple versions of the same document. Exporting back and forth is not very desirable, i'm really after a open from dropbox, save to dropbox, edit in rtf, be able to open and edit and save in word on Mac etc.

Im beginning to feel that this is not possible, which is a real shame as it seems like such a simple request..... +1 for MacBook Air (or even Surface Pro 2 - looking better every day...)

Where is the multiple version coming from?

 

[jakeOSX]

i looked and waited a long time for what you are looking for, to no real good answer.

docs to go is probably your best solution, and will save as .doc files. there is another, office 2, or something, that I didn't try, but should be similar.

eventually i had to change my thoughts, and tried to figure out what it was i actually wanted to do--which was write.

i went with byword + dropbox, which saves in txt (markdown) format. lets me write, sync, and export to RTF if i want. keeps it clean all around.

when i need something with more formatting, i'll defer to pages. not the best solution, as it can only make .pages files, but it works when I need it.

again, my requirement was writing, not fancy formatting, so YMMV, but just thought I'd mention it.

my suggestion would be to remove the file format from your thoughts and ask yourself, what is it you really need this to do? can evernote do it? byword? do you need to format on your ipad? etc.

FYI, iOS is a very RTF UNfriendly place. DOC and TXT are much more agreeable.

Good luck, hope something I babbled about helps...

 

[Zeiss]

i looked and waited a long time for what you are looking for, to no real good answer.

docs to go is probably your best solution, and will save as .doc files. there is another, office 2, or something, that I didn't try, but should be similar.

eventually i had to change my thoughts, and tried to figure out what it was i actually wanted to do--which was write.

i went with byword + dropbox, which saves in txt (markdown) format. lets me write, sync, and export to RTF if i want. keeps it clean all around.

when i need something with more formatting, i'll defer to pages. not the best solution, as it can only make .pages files, but it works when I need it.

again, my requirement was writing, not fancy formatting, so YMMV, but just thought I'd mention it.

my suggestion would be to remove the file format from your thoughts and ask yourself, what is it you really need this to do? can evernote do it? byword? do you need to format on your ipad? etc.

FYI, iOS is a very RTF UNfriendly place. DOC and TXT are much more agreeable.

Good luck, hope something I babbled about helps...

Thanks for the reply - confirmed what I believed.... which is somewhat annoying as it makes what is essentially an amazing 'device' pretty much useless for any serious work in an organisation where I don't have exclusive control of format and content. I've come to the conclusion that the Docs to Go or Docs HD is going to have to be it.

Byword is great, so for my own non-distribution stuff I can use that.

Looks like case closed...

 

[jakeOSX]

Thanks for the reply - confirmed what I believed.... which is somewhat annoying as it makes what is essentially an amazing 'device' pretty much useless for any serious work in an organisation where I don't have exclusive control of format and content. I've come to the conclusion that the Docs to Go or Docs HD is going to have to be it.

Byword is great, so for my own non-distribution stuff I can use that.

Looks like case closed...

as someone who used Docs to Go in the Palm Pilot days, I can tell you that the situation is leaps and bounds better than it was, and improving. I think if you learn D2G's limitations, that it will prove to be a very good tool for your purposes.

i do suspect that in the new few years, two or three, that it will be almost a non-issue.

until then, i've settled with a solution that works, rather than continue to look for something perfect.

good luck! let's meet back here in a year and see what's changed. =)