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Lack of a unified file system across apps is annoying.
- Thread starter Dammit Cubs
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iFile is going to be the only application to really allow access to rooted iPad. So if you really have to have a file explorer, you JB. This may however cause some other problems such as DRM not working so iBooks and a few other apps may get messed up. If you really want 0 limitations on an iPad, the answer is a JB because then you have root access. After a while, you may find that you just don't need a file explorer. I try not to use Finder even on OSX because it's just time consuming. I don't have time to sit there and rifle through my folders/directories. I might as well just spotlight what I want and then have it come to me. Apple people can get pretty spoiled by the advanced features of the system. I'm even considering in the future to not have folders and just do a better job editing meta while I'm creating a file.
what kind of weak a$$ response is this?!
everyone likes to credit Steve & Apple with coining the phrase that we're approaching a PC-less era and that the iPad is the device that will revolutionize this charge. the last time i checked - email, photo/graphic content and all the other stuff that people do on their computing devices and we know can be done on the ipad ...now, suddenly the ipad is not the device that can do that?!
give me a break!
apple apologists need to face the facts...the lack of a file system is what's limiting certain types of use. the history of iOS is that it was meant originally to play audio content...exposing the file system to the user was never needed to accomplish that. it's the same reason why other aspects of the ipad ecosystem fares so poorly (software version control, etc) and needs to be revamped.
I think this is the iExplorer that allows you to access the iPad's file structure.
http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/
http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/
Access to the file system?
I couldn't care a monkeys whether the ipad has a file system or not. I guess there are millions of other ipad users out there who don't care either. That's why Apple makes zillions of bucks and the rest, well...
I used to use HP PCs at work and they had file systems. What fun that was. Time to move on.
I don't deny there are people out there who want this sort of thing for whatever reason. But ipads aren't into that so my advice is look elsewhere.
I couldn't care a monkeys whether the ipad has a file system or not. I guess there are millions of other ipad users out there who don't care either. That's why Apple makes zillions of bucks and the rest, well...
I used to use HP PCs at work and they had file systems. What fun that was. Time to move on.
I don't deny there are people out there who want this sort of thing for whatever reason. But ipads aren't into that so my advice is look elsewhere.
Yes, it runs on my Mac and I can see and edit the Apps and Media folders on my iPad when connected via USB.
Well maybe you should and don't see why this is and always will be a big deal. The Ipad and iOS has a file system like any other. The problem lies in the fact that the apps can't communicate with other apps. They are "contained" for a lack of better word. This is a problem because
a) your app sizes get big and you get also get redundant data. I'll say that again. REDUNDANT DATA!!! If you use say "good reader to download a movie from a web site or dropbox or box net", it can ONLY be played in good reader. If good reader doesn't like the file format, let's say mkv, well you are out of luck. But lets say you have another program called AVHDplayer that can play this format. Well, you are SOL. Because you can't transfer that file from goodreader to AVHDPLAYER. You have to download or transfer from a computer (by itunes) to that specific apps. You just had to do the same operation twice.
If you had one location say "downloads" where all your external data is stored, then this can be accessible by all the apps without jeapardizing my file structure.
Iphoto vs the stock photo app:
I love Iphoto and I enjoy editing photos from the stock photo app on iphoto and posting them on facebook, flickr, twitter. My problem is that I can't delete iphoto. I'll say that again. I CANT DELETE FROM IPHOTO. The photos are store in the app called "photos" and thus Iphoto has no permission to control that even though its design by effing apple. So if i don't like a photo in iphoto during editing, i have to go to the photos app, find the photo and delete it.
This style that apple has been giving us and hasn't change is the reason why atleast one device I own is android. Apple continues to gives us Rubber Scissors and if they want tablets to truly become the future, they have to give us MORE FREEDOM.
Aka. When i create a stupid Zip file. (the word here is CREATE!!!) from good reader. I want to use another app to examine that Zip file. But because the file is in Good Reader's directories, they are off limits.
Trust me, people have complained about this. And eventually as apps get more and more sophisticated and you are less dependent on laptops and desktops, this will come a bigger and bigger problem.
and this is the only reason i like ICS on my transformer, i can move stuff around w/o being jB!
If it is such a huge necessity for you to be able to do this then jailbreak and get iFile, you are literally describing its functionality. Make a PDF in one app on your device and transfer it to goodreader create annotations on it and then transfer to iBooks just cause you can, all on your device without the need for a pc/mac
Why would you open a movie in a PDF reader??? I agree that iPhoto should be included default in iOS just like iLife on OSX. That should be the default photo application but right now, photos is the default so file management via photos makes sense. I would be willing to pay apple an extra $150 premium if they included all iWork and iLife iOS apps be default so the iPad would use those applications as defaults. Not everyone will want $150 added onto the price but I think it's definitely worth it. iOS is by no means finished evolving. It's just that right now, they are still working on transforming iOS into a desktop/laptop replacement so the changes have to be deliberate and planned well. Having a unified file browser (not system since it already has a file system) wouldn't really improve the iPad. It would be good to have 3rd party apps have access to any cross application linkage though.
People seem to blindly defend Apple's stance on sandboxing around here. Yes, I agree that apps should be able to communicate with each other safely. Maybe a really simple Finder, sort of like the one iTunes has for iOS documents except this one would be accessible inside the device. Just drop one document from one app to the other and launch it. I don't know, I'm making stuff up, but they should definitely come up with something.
Reading the comments. It seems like JB will be my destination. I didn't want to JB my ipad. I felt it had everything I need in some ways. The reason I would ever JB my old iphones was because I wanted advanced notifications like Android but iOS5 fixes alot of those problems.
I want ICS interface but I don't want android Apps. Apps on ipad are so much better. But there are some quirks i miss on android.
I want ICS interface but I don't want android Apps. Apps on ipad are so much better. But there are some quirks i miss on android.
Must have apps IMO
Filer - will zip-unzip files and has dropbox intergration
Airsharing - will zip-unzip files has SSH, DropBox, Box, Webdav, FTP intergration and many more.
Filebrowser - will access your home server shared folders and you can copy/paste files and more.
All the mentioned apps support the "OPEN IN" feature and see each other.
I download files like .mkv movies, music, .rar, .zip all the time with filer and open in to other apps.
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I agree with the OP, and have been asking for this for years.
We don't need a full-fat file system, just a local 'Files' repository app, which any other app can access, so you can up/download to and from.
This app sould also have iCloud functionality, if required.
We don't need a full-fat file system, just a local 'Files' repository app, which any other app can access, so you can up/download to and from.
This app sould also have iCloud functionality, if required.
Agreed. I use a lot of music making apps and have 20GB of Sound Samples loaded into one app. The thing is I use more than one app and would like to use those same 20GB of Sound Samples in like three other apps.
The only way this can be done without loading my 20GB sound Library x3 into each app I want to use is to have a Shared Media folder that ALL media related apps can access.
Where not asking for the wheel to be reinvented, but some common sense fie management in iOS.
Why on Earth vote down this post?!
This post deals with a really important issue for MANY users, and it does so in a decent and understandable way. So - why vote it down? In this and other ways fanboys demonstrate their lack of contact with reality. It's a sad situation that this is such a strong tendency in the forum.
This post deals with a really important issue for MANY users, and it does so in a decent and understandable way. So - why vote it down? In this and other ways fanboys demonstrate their lack of contact with reality. It's a sad situation that this is such a strong tendency in the forum.
Dropbox, Box, etc are all well and good, but this really needs to be both local and first-party.
A native 'Files' app would be sandboxed, and have no access to the real file system.
A native 'Files' app would be sandboxed, and have no access to the real file system.
So true. Some of these people should really be kindle owners because they don't do jack **** with their idevice. If this is the future of computing then we all should be on the same page to make sure the OS is where we need it to be.
It's blogs like Palm Sounds and Synthtopia where the real deal developers and power users banded together to make iOS more than just a media consumption device. We came far with just 1 more hill to get over (file management).
Forums like this is supposed to be a platform to help get word out to the higher ups that we need more functionality. From what I seen from march 2010 to now, they will listen and make the changes if the demand is strong.
If you don't care they don't and will continue to sell you an expensive piece of excellent hardware with a crippled OS. Does that add up?
more functionality != file browser
I'm a business user so I use the iPad for pitches, e-mails, signing legal contracts, navigation, social networking (why is this a business thing now? So annoying.),flight tracking so I don't miss my flights, translation, PIM/CRM, internet banking, clearing checks, instant payment/POS, server management, document editing and publishing, accounting (quickbooks online to the rescue
), package tracking, and video conferencing. The iPad does a LOT already. I do all of this without a need for a file browser.
For leisure, I use it to read manga (yeah, I'm a dork that tries to keep up with children's entertainment), read books, browse my portfolio of stocks, do some derivative calcs (yeah, I'm also a finance geek), watch some content (movies, tv shows, etc..), read RSS feeds, stream content from my content server, purchase products/goods, and some basic coding/scripting for my website.
The iPad is powerful because of it's ecosystem and the apps. When I want something, I don't need a directory listing of what I need, I just want what I asked for. For these reasons, Google, and meta based search fulfills the need to browse a file browser. To open up a document, it's faster and easier to use Spotlight. It doesn't matter where it is or if I forget the file name. I just have it when I need it. While this isn't going to be true for everyone, it takes a little bit of an open mind to see what you really need and what you don't really need.
I'm a business user so I use the iPad for pitches, e-mails, signing legal contracts, navigation, social networking (why is this a business thing now? So annoying.),flight tracking so I don't miss my flights, translation, PIM/CRM, internet banking, clearing checks, instant payment/POS, server management, document editing and publishing, accounting (quickbooks online to the rescue
), package tracking, and video conferencing. The iPad does a LOT already. I do all of this without a need for a file browser. For leisure, I use it to read manga (yeah, I'm a dork that tries to keep up with children's entertainment), read books, browse my portfolio of stocks, do some derivative calcs (yeah, I'm also a finance geek), watch some content (movies, tv shows, etc..), read RSS feeds, stream content from my content server, purchase products/goods, and some basic coding/scripting for my website.
The iPad is powerful because of it's ecosystem and the apps. When I want something, I don't need a directory listing of what I need, I just want what I asked for. For these reasons, Google, and meta based search fulfills the need to browse a file browser. To open up a document, it's faster and easier to use Spotlight. It doesn't matter where it is or if I forget the file name. I just have it when I need it. While this isn't going to be true for everyone, it takes a little bit of an open mind to see what you really need and what you don't really need.
E-print is awesome but it's kinda funny because you can't control print quality unless you log into the e-print system and change the defaults. I use the HP E-print app for this just because it's faster than logging into the web interface.
Also the note on Airsharing app is good. It's fun for seeing network shares on a LAN. FTP is also good on the app. It's a lot like FTPOnTheGo
You know you can share files between apps with open in... ? So when you create zip file its no off limits you can open it in another aplication. Maybe its not perfect, but its fully functional. (since iOS 4).