Those of you who have an iPhone and iPad, how do you manage data?

[Steven Jobson]

I want an iPad in the future but I hadn't thought about how I'm going to manage data yet. Example:

I'm playing a game on my iPhone on the train. Then when I get home I use my iPad to continue playing that game but I can't because the save file is on my iPhone.

Besides the obviously tedious backing up, syncing, and restoring from backup everytime I want to switch from my iPhone to iPad, what are the ways to keep my data in sync, if there exists such a way?

Thank you.

 

[innominato5090]

I want an iPad in the future but I hadn't thought about how I'm going to manage data yet. Example:

I'm playing a game on my iPhone on the train. Then when I get home I use my iPad to continue playing that game but I can't because the save file is on my iPhone.

Besides the obviously tedious backing up, syncing, and restoring from backup everytime I want to switch from my iPhone to iPad, what are the ways to keep my data in sync, if there exists such a way?

Thank you.

iPhone and iPad are two different "experiences" if we talk about games or reading news or everything else you can think.
there are games, for example, that are beautiful on iPhone and annoying on the iPad and vice versa. and what about twitter? on my iPhone I use twitter app, on my iPad flipboard! another example: I have VLC on both my iOS devices, but I would never play a TV show on my iPhone, the screen is quite ridiculous! I keep VLC on my phone only to open quick vids that I find on the Internet... because different sizes mean different experience, so there's no, at least from my point of view, need for full-sync .
I keep in sync cals & contact, email (though imap), bookmarks and notes via simplenote. everything else is device-specific! that's why I don't have apps in common between iPad except for a few.

 

[ssdeg7]

Much stuff is out of sync (like games) but I use Dropbox to sync documents, and you can use MobileMe to sync contacts and calendar. This has got to improve in the next few months.

 

[LadyMacBeth43]

I have to agree with the idea that the experience is so different between the iPhone and iPad that I don't generally use the two for the same things, especially games. If it looks and plays better on the iPad I moved over to that and generally can't stand going back to the smaller version, no matter how convenient. But that's just personal preference you figure out as you go.

 

[pagansoul]

For sinking my notes and papers I use EVERNOTE. It keeps my MacPro, Macbook, iPad and phone all up to date. It' for my lists, notes and what ever I have to read up on for work. I can also go on line from any computer.

Sorry, I do not keep track of games between machines.

 

[sniffies]

Also, remember that iTunes back-ups do not store your game scores, nor does Game Center when switching devices.

And that really sucks. I mean, how hard is it to implement something like this? Come on, Apple.

 

[Steven Jobson]

Also, remember that iTunes back-ups do not store your game scores, nor does Game Center when switching devices.

Actually, it does save my game scores.

 

[sniffies]

Actually, it does save my game scores.

Are you sure? Have you ever tried restoring iOS software or switching devices and then re-syncing and finding all of your game scores intact? I don't think so.

 

[Steven Jobson]

Are you sure? Have you ever tried restoring iOS software or switching devices and then re-syncing and finding all of your game scores intact? I don't think so.

Uh, yes. Every time. When I upgrade iPhones, get new ones, and when I get a replacement at Apple. You just don't know what you're doing.

 

[Night Spring]

Are you sure? Have you ever tried restoring iOS software or switching devices and then re-syncing and finding all of your game scores intact? I don't think so.

I've done this many times. From iPhone to iPod touch to iPhone to iPod touch then to iPad. Game scores and other data carried over every time. When I come home with a new iDevice, I hook it up to iTunes, and instead of setting it up as a new device, I restore from a backup of my old device. OH, of course, you have to have synced your old device first. And let a full backup complete. Sometimes backups do get corrupted. In which case, delete the backup (there's a setting to do this somewhere in iTunes preferences) and make a fresh backup.