iPad no longer third device, but THE device. Sorely in need of a file system?

[miamialley]

I'm knew to iPad world, but I'm a doctoral student who is using Good Reader and Quick Office along with Dropbox to sync files. So far I've had some bugs when moving, saving or renaming files that wouldn't happen if there were an integrated file system. It's definitely needed, but dropbox is doing the job so far.

 

[anjinha]

You're missing your annual fee for .Mac in your wallet though dropbox could get it done for most. I think I have five gigs free there right now.

Actually my boyfriend works for Apple so he added me to his free MobileMe family account. But anyway, you can use Dropbox, which is free, in the same manner.

 

[Eso]

How to do a file app on the iPad:

Start with the concept of the photo app and apply it to all all file types. Add functionality to delete/copy/organize files.

Why a file app (system) is important:

It's stupid to think that file systems should be a thing of the past. Computing revolves around files - music, pictures, movies, homework assignments, and so on. So long as that is the case (which it surely will be for a long time), you need some method of managing and organizing them.

Despite what some may believe, iOS does have file management. It's handled on a per-app basis and is very inefficient and has limited functionality as many posts have already described. For some type of files, it works very well, such as for music and iBooks. These types of files have standard information associated with them (subject, album, artist/author, etc.) that can organize files in a more dynamic way than folders can, so app that does that is more powerful than a generic file browser. For other file types, however, there's no such information so the same system does not work very well.

Actually my boyfriend works for Apple so he added me to his free MobileMe family account. But anyway, you can use Dropbox, which is free, in the same manner.

That's analogous to using Push for notifications that can be handled locally. It works, but it wasn't a very sensible solution (some compared it to mailing a letter to yourself), which is why Apple introduced local notifications.

 

[darngooddesign]

I really don't see the need for a file system. On my Documents folder on my Mac I have alias to folders on my iDisk. Every single document I use on my Mac is saved on those folders, therefore they're automatically uploaded to my iDisk.

On the iPad I use iFiles to access iDisk. Every single file that I might need to open on my iPad is on my iDisk, therefore on iFiles. When I want to open something I just open iFiles (like I would open the Finder on my Mac), look for the file I want and select "open in..." the respective application.

I don't feel that I'm missing out on anything.

You have a filesystem, it's just on a server. A local file system would not rely on a data connection to access.

 

[anjinha]

You have a filesystem, it's just on a server. A local file system would not rely on a data connection to access.

I can save all of my files offline with iFiles.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

The point is not to worry about managing files at all. File management is probably the main legacy PC quagmire that the iPad as a "post-PC" device is supposed to remedy.

Then you've totally missed the "point."

Apple requires you to manage your files. They just give you a half-a$$ed way to do it via iTunes. You can't just magically "wish" your files to appear on the iPad. You have to move them there yourself. You do this via a very conventional check-box routine inside of iTunes, manually choosing each and every media file you wish to put on the thing, or just telling it to take everything all at once.

If you want to move specific files like PDF's over to the device (which I do and most other business people do as well) and you don't want to use iBooks to read them (which I don't because I want to annotate said PDF's), then you are FORCED to use an even MORE archaic throwback inside of the App's tab of iTunes to manually choose which files go with which iOS apps. You can't just drag and drop and hope it will find the right iOS app.

If you are right...where's this great no-file-system-needed app that Apple has delivered, or are we talking about iOsmosis here?

 

[Macshroomer]

I'm confident this will improve a lot in the next year or so, it has to, this is a great device that will compliment other more able devices well for users of many levels and needs. I think if Apple were to conduct a survey, most would want to see improvements in file accountability, access and ease of cross platform use, specifically word-like apps or business software.

But to tell people that a file system is dated or archaic is just plain un informed in my opinion. I don't think anyone is expecting this iPad to be 90% as operable as a Macbook, just for it to have enough improvements to be able to track content, storage space, file placement and file upload / download better. It really would not take much to do that, the amount of 3rd party apps that try to tackle it is a testament to that.