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New iPad-2 user, productivity questions...

Macshroomer

Macshroomer

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 6, 2009
1,308
733
I really did try to do as much research as possible but as with this site, I must have spent close to two hours reading through page after page, search after search and really came up with nothing conclusive.

So here is the gist of it. My wife left the company she was working for which she had a laptop, did all her email on. I have both a high end Mac Pro and a built Macbook Pro for my business. I run the business end of it all off of the Macbook Pro and the tasks on the desktop. So we *really* debated on whether we should get an Macbook Air or an iPad-2, after all, the smaller it is, the more places it is likely to follow you, right?

Basically, she needs a device to web browse, email, write documents to email or upload, specifically resumes and such, research papers. It "seemed" like the iPad-2 might be able to do that, but after just a few hours of use, she is having a hard time dong things like uploading updated resumes to places like Linkedin and Monster.com.

Now, I don't think we are expecting to be able to do full on complex Word-like output, but we should be able to download these files from our iDisk, do some corrections in Pages for iPad and then save them, replace them or find a way to upload them to websites.

I want to be able to send images to my agencies FTP servers, upload attachments to places like, well, Macrumors.

I know that iOS5 is around the corner, I keep reading that Goodreader is a pretty popular app for iPad, but before I spend any more money on this thing, what IS the DEAL with actually being productive on this nice little gizmo?

We want to keep it, but honestly, we are starting to wonder if a refurb Air might have been a better choice as we really want to spend LESS time on these devices, carry around lighter versions of them so we can get our work done and get back to actually having a life like meeting people for coffee, reading real books, going for a run, hike, etc....

So we wanted to at least try iPad to see if it might work, got one pretty quick but are wondering if we made the right choice.
 
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You can be productive but you quickly run into limitations. Apps like Goodreader help with file transfers, downloading, etc. Documents To Go will allow you to download a document from the cloud, make edits and sync back to the cloud.

The problem is that these various tasks ate more complicated than they need to be because the filesystem isn't accessible to users. I'm not sure, for example, how you would uploade a resume through the linkedin or monster websites. That sort of thing requires access to the filesystem. (Perhaps they have iOS apps with an uploading feature.)

So it's possible to be productive on the ipad, but you won't be able to rely it on completely for all your needs. Handles most of what you'll need to do most of the time.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

You can be productive but you quickly run into limitations. Apps like Goodreader help with file transfers, downloading, etc. Documents To Go will allow you to download a document from the cloud, make edits and sync back to the cloud.

The problem is that these various tasks ate more complicated than they need to be because the filesystem isn't accessible to users. I'm not sure, for example, how you would uploade a resume through the linkedin or monster websites. That sort of thing requires access to the filesystem. (Perhaps they have iOS apps with an uploading feature.)

So it's possible to be productive on the ipad, but you
 
Someone really ought to come up with a handbook for this kind of thing, a sticky, something. It is pretty easy to figure out how to set up all kinds of media related things but something as super basic and valuable as productivity goes fairly untouched.

Hopefully more replies could steer us in the right direction, otherwise we will just return it or sell it in a week or two and get an Air.
 
Okay, I got to jump in here and ask a question as well.

Since you have no access to the filesystem, are the apple apps like Pages, Numbers and Keynote able to sync to Dropbox or any similar service that is NOT mobileme?
Or are there apps akin to those that can?
 
foranor said:
Okay, I got to jump in here and ask a question as well.

Since you have no access to the filesystem, are the apple apps like Pages, Numbers and Keynote able to sync to Dropbox or any similar service that is NOT mobileme?
Or are there apps akin to those that can?
Click to expand...

By all means, please jump in. I think / hope that a lot of 1st generation ipad users realize that quite a few of us were waiting for the next revision to jump on board and have. This will lead to some of the same old questions being asked and hopefully some new ones as this new hardware might get new software that addresses some of the productivity needs.

Either way, as a person who owns and runs a VBulletin based forum my self, the search feature is mediocre at best, hence the new post...

Here is an interesting post on actual use in a photo-centric productivity environment:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/appleipad2/page3.asp
 
Last edited:
Hi,

I am a first model iPad user and wrote papers up to 2500 words on the iPad using Pages. I have a MobileMe account and this made transferring the documents between the iPad and my iMac very easy. I would just use the iDisk app to do it. Dropbox app is another good app for doing this.

By the way, because the iPad version of Pages is not a full blown version of the app, I would start the paper on the iPad so when I downloaded it to the iMac it would appear as it was written. If you go the other way then you may run into problems, because the paper may have items in it that are not supported by the iPad version of the app.
 
[/QUOTE]
So here is the gist of it. My wife left the company she was working for which she had a laptop, did all her email on. I have both a high end Mac Pro and a built Macbook Pro for my business. I run the business end of it all off of the Macbook Pro and the tasks on the desktop. So we *really* debated on whether we should get an Macbook Air or an iPad-2, after all, the smaller it is, the more places it is likely to follow you, right?

Basically, she needs a device to web browse, email, write documents to email or upload, specifically resumes and such, research papers. It "seemed" like the iPad-2 might be able to do that, but after just a few hours of use, she is having a hard time dong things like uploading updated resumes to places like Linkedin and Monster.com.

Now, I don't think we are expecting to be able to do full on complex Word-like output, but we should be able to download these files from our iDisk, do some corrections in Pages for iPad and then save them, replace them or find a way to upload them to websites.

I want to be able to send images to my agencies FTP servers, upload attachments to places like, well, Macrumors.

I know that iOS5 is around the corner, I keep reading that Goodreader is a pretty popular app for iPad, but before I spend any more money on this thing, what IS the DEAL with actually being productive on this nice little gizmo?

We want to keep it, but honestly, we are starting to wonder if a refurb Air might have been a better choice as we really want to spend LESS time on these devices, carry around lighter versions of them so we can get our work done and get back to actually having a life like meeting people for coffee, reading real books, going for a run, hike, etc....

So we wanted to at least try iPad to see if it might work, got one pretty quick but are wondering if we made the right choice. [/QUOTE]

There are too many apps to read about and try. Plus, more to come. Who knows what iOS 5 will bring, too. HDMI mirroring will help with presentations. There are many google doc viewer and editors. iWorks on the iPad can be the staging part of a major work and then mac pro can serve as the last stage. Can't wait to see what cloud service Apple will bring next month or so.
 
Specific to Linkedin, no, you won't be able to upload a document from the iPad directly however if you need a portable device that can remotely login to your MBP or Mac Pro apps as mentioned "Logmein" or my favorite "Splashtop" whichis .99 cents vs $30 dollars works very well to remotely control your home computer.

IPad is not a stand alone solution for evything. If she needs a 100% stand alone portable computer, buy then MBA. If willing to do a bit of remote computing and spend some time learning what apps are out there to do the various tasks the iPad is a great portable device.

I use the iPad for it portability and 10 battery, which really lasts 10 hours. I use the remote computing app a fair bit but find that I can more than keep up with my daily work needs on the iPad. It did take me some time to figure out what apps work for what tasks, but have yet to find something "impossible" with just a bit of research and tinkering. That may or may not be ideal for you but that is the current state of the iPads OS. Good Luck with your decision.
 
Macshroomer said:
...snip
Basically, she needs a device to web browse, email, write documents to email or upload, specifically resumes and such, research papers. It "seemed" like the iPad-2 might be able to do that, but after just a few hours of use, she is having a hard time dong things like uploading updated resumes to places like Linkedin and Monster.com.

...snip
Click to expand...

On the issue with Monster, they have a really solid app in the App Store for iPad. I have it and use it daily. By creating different versions of her resume and storing them on monster.com, she'll be able to pick and choose which resume she wants to submit from the App.
 
I use a first-gen iPad to do all the kinds of things you are talking about.

I write documents of up to 6,000 words routinely. I use MobileMe and its iDisk to transfer these documents and others to and from my iPad and any other computer I need to.

On the iPad, I use Pages for composing documents, and GoodReader for reading and organizing .docx and .pdf files. It works wonderfully.

I also use LogMeIn Ignition - which is absolutely indispensible. Here's why; The iPad should really be seen as an extension of an existing computer, not a full replacement of it. I leave my desktop running at home and access it from the iPad through LogMeIn. You can either remotely control the computer straight from the iPad, or use a file-transfer mode to pull documents straight from your computer's hard drive onto any compatible app on the iPad.

In the case of your need to compose documents on the iPad and then upload them to a web-server, here's how I handle that. I write it on Pages on the iPad, and then save it up to my iDisk. Then I use LogMeIn to access and control my desktop computer. Pull the file down from iDisk onto the desktop (by using the browser on the desktop to access MobileMe), and upload it to the website through the computer's browser (all done remotely via iPad). Of course, if you don't use MobileMe, you can use GoogleDocs or Dropbox.

Granted, that's a bit more complicated than if I had a portable laptop computer, like the macbook Air. that may be a better solution for you. But I love the ultra-portability of the iPad, its all-day battery, the instant-on OS, and the touch interface for reading and browsing. When I need to do something more suited for a full-fledged computer (with a fully accessible file-system), I use LogMeIn to do it remotely and it works fantastically.
 
There's an interesting app called iFiles. I'm still exploring its capabilities as a file system manager. So far I'm pretty satisfied.
 
scwatkins77 said:
I use a first-gen iPad to do all the kinds of things you are talking about.

I write documents of up to 6,000 words routinely. I use MobileMe and its iDisk to transfer these documents and others to and from my iPad and any other computer I need to.

On the iPad, I use Pages for composing documents, and GoodReader for reading and organizing .docx and .pdf files. It works wonderfully.

I also use LogMeIn Ignition - which is absolutely indispensible. Here's why; The iPad should really be seen as an extension of an existing computer, not a full replacement of it. I leave my desktop running at home and access it from the iPad through LogMeIn. You can either remotely control the computer straight from the iPad, or use a file-transfer mode to pull documents straight from your computer's hard drive onto any compatible app on the iPad.

In the case of your need to compose documents on the iPad and then upload them to a web-server, here's how I handle that. I write it on Pages on the iPad, and then save it up to my iDisk. Then I use LogMeIn to access and control my desktop computer. Pull the file down from iDisk onto the desktop (by using the browser on the desktop to access MobileMe), and upload it to the website through the computer's browser (all done remotely via iPad). Of course, if you don't use MobileMe, you can use GoogleDocs or Dropbox.

Granted, that's a bit more complicated than if I had a portable laptop computer, like the macbook Air. that may be a better solution for you. But I love the ultra-portability of the iPad, its all-day battery, the instant-on OS, and the touch interface for reading and browsing. When I need to do something more suited for a full-fledged computer (with a fully accessible file-system), I use LogMeIn to do it remotely and it works fantastically.
Click to expand...

You mentioned with LogmeIn, you can pull a file via file transfer from your laptop/desktop to your Ipad. Can you do the reverse and use file transfer to send a file (such as a document or picture) from your Ipad to your laptop/desktop from within LogmeIn too?

Thanks.
 
Macshroomer said:
So we wanted to at least try iPad to see if it might work, got one pretty quick but are wondering if we made the right choice.
Click to expand...

The iPad seems to be a bridge device - its neither a smartphone, nor a laptop. Its neither as portable as a smartphone, nor as productive as a laptop. No way anyone can type as fast on the iPad screen, as a touch typist can on a keyboard. Even as a consumption device, it doesn't work well for someone that does multiple things at once... jumping around tons of pages will quickly exhaust the limited cache and cause tons of page reloads.

I've avoided the iPad since I know for me, it will end up not really used. The 11" Macbook Air is so light/thin that it can be easily carried anywhere - I have a 13" myself - but the 11" might be just right for your wife.

There are others that really love the iPad experience though, so I guess it will boil down to individual preferences.
 
My advice would be to try the 11" MBA. It has a very small footprint (so it fits on small tables and doesn't take up much room in a bag). It's so light to carry that I forget that it's in my bag (about 2.5 pounds). Of course it comes with a keyboard, but more importantly (in my opinion), it gives the user ready access to the file structure which makes it easy to open, revise, and upload documents. Oh, and the battery lasts a decent amount of time. I regularly get 6-7 hours with light Wi-Fi usage, editing documents, and listening to tunes.

I'm looking to pick up a tablet in the near future, but the right product doesn't seem to exist for me right now. I would like effortless syncing of contacts and calendars between my smartphone and my tablet. I would like to be able to open, review, and save Word and PDF documents easily. The next major iOS version, a mature Xoom, or the BB PlayBook may bring some of these features, but right now, I'm waiting. Too many people I know bought an iPad and figured out later that it doesn't find much use in their day.
 
Psychmike said:
My advice would be to try the 11" MBA. It has a very small footprint (so it fits on small tables and doesn't take up much room in a bag). It's so light to carry that I forget that it's in my bag (about 2.5 pounds). Of course it comes with a keyboard, but more importantly (in my opinion), it gives the user ready access to the file structure which makes it easy to open, revise, and upload documents. Oh, and the battery lasts a decent amount of time. I regularly get 6-7 hours with light Wi-Fi usage, editing documents, and listening to tunes.

I'm looking to pick up a tablet in the near future, but the right product doesn't seem to exist for me right now. I would like effortless syncing of contacts and calendars between my smartphone and my tablet. I would like to be able to open, review, and save Word and PDF documents easily. The next major iOS version, a mature Xoom, or the BB PlayBook may bring some of these features, but right now, I'm waiting. Too many people I know bought an iPad and figured out later that it doesn't find much use in their day.
Click to expand...

I've got both the iPad and the MBA 11" and I agree that the MBA 11" footprint is not much bigger than the iPad's. But, have you tried using Gmail contacts and calendar? Syncs perfectly among my two Macs, iPad and iPhone. Also give Docs To Go a shot. With that app, I can access all of my docs via Dropbox, make whatever edits I need to make, and sync with the cloud. All of the changes are automatically reflected via Dropbox across all of my machines. Works perfectly. The only real complaint I have is that the word processing and spreadsheet features aren't as robust as Microsoft Office. If they were, it could be a complete laptop replacement for my uses.
 
To the OP. if your wife just need to do emailing, browsing, or basic edit of all sort of documents, the IPAD would work, if you want to do uploads of files or pictures, it is possible but it will be a pain to figure out the workflow (hence increase time spent learning).

I would say go with the MBP or MBA since it does more than just the 'fancier' things. :)
 
Lot of good replies here, I think we will give it a bit more time and see how we feel. Part of us wants to just get an 11" MBA and be good to go but the other part knows that this is the future of mobile computing in some ways so we want to try and get a system down and have it all get easier as the product and OS matures.

I am trying go figure out how to work into how I sell stock photos while away from the home machines, I actually think that with my mobile me / iDisk account it might not be that bad.

Like I said before, it would not take too much to get it where we both could take it on the road with full confidence and be happy with it in every aspect...
 
The 4 & 5 finger gestures have really helped my productivity speed between apps. Of course you need a Mac to unlock these features already built into the OS.
 
Hi,

A lot of my workflow sounds very similar to your wife's, with a few added extras. I've been using a work 11" MacBook Air recently - nice machine. However, even though it's quicker to do some of these tasks on the Air, I found that after a couple of day,s I stopped using it and went back to my iPad. The clincher for me was that, although the MBA is not much bigger than the iPad, I always have to travel with the powercable, which means I can't just shove it into my handbag like I can with the iPad. I value the convenience of travelling light, and being able to quickly grab the iPad out of my bag on the bus or in a coffee shop and do some work. Wasn't able to do that with the MBA nearly as easily.

There are a few awkward corners to navigate, but as lots of the posts in this thread have said, there's always a work around... I found it very useful to sit down with a list of every workflow I would need to do on the iPad, do the research and find all the apps, and then feel confident that I could tackle anything that came up! And LogMeIn worth every penny - in the event of discovering something you can't achieve on the iPad, you can instantly get back to your home PC to do it.

Am a late comer to Goodreader - really worth the money. Excellent app.
 
I don't have Log Me In but do have SplashTop and what I am wondering is how do I access my home machine when the display or computer goes to sleep?
 
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