File Sharing between IPad 3 and PC Laptop? Any Complications?

[Frankie]

After 3 generations of IPAD's I've now decided to break down and get a tablet of some kind.

I've been a PC User from the day I started using computers over 20 years ago, so my knowledge of Apple products and how they work with PC products is very limited.

I guess my question is how does the file sharing between IPAD 3 and PC Laptops work? Are there any complications that might happen?

I'm leaning, slightly, towards the IPAD but I don't want any complications with file sharing, such as pictures and music and movies stored on my Laptop.

 

[Ns1]

dropbox/iCloud are your only real options for iOS. This is a known limitation.



I basically have a dropbox share on all my devices, use that in conjunction with iCloud + logmein to get whatever I need whenever I need it.


If somebody has a better idea, please post it.

 

[TheStu]

Get this in your head now, it is not going to work like how you are used to. It has no user-accessible file system. You need to use a combination of DropBox, iCloud and iTunes File Syncing to get files from your PC to your iPad.

I don't really do it a whole lot, the iPad is browsing, play and watching for me for the most part.

 

[cheez]

After 3 generations of IPAD's I've now decided to break down and get a tablet of some kind.

I've been a PC User from the day I started using computers over 20 years ago, so my knowledge of Apple products and how they work with PC products is very limited.

I guess my question is how does the file sharing between IPAD 3 and PC Laptops work? Are there any complications that might happen?

I'm leaning, slightly, towards the IPAD but I don't want any complications with file sharing, such as pictures and music and movies stored on my Laptop.

That's easy.

Well, at least one of the ways to do is to do the following:

1). Install iTunes on your laptop. Connect the iPad let them communicate and chit chat each other so that the data can be synced.

2). Download and install AVPlayer HD on your laptop. Click on "App" at the top as shown in pic below.

You can now drag and drop any files (don't have to be video, anything) from your PC to this window. You can also do it in reverse, drag file from this window to the laptop.


How can it be simpler than simply drag and drop? There isn't.

Get this in your head now, it is not going to work like how you are used to. It has no user-accessible file system. You need to use a combination of DropBox, iCloud and iTunes File Syncing to get files from your PC to your iPad.

I don't really do it a whole lot, the iPad is browsing, play and watching for me for the most part.

Stu, did you get an iPad 3 yet????

 

[Oyeve]

That's easy.

Well, at least one of the ways to do is to do the following:

1). Install iTunes on your laptop. Connect the iPad let them communicate and chit chat each other so that the data can be synced.

2). Download and install AVPlayer HD on your laptop. Click on "App" at the top as shown in pic below.

You can now drag and drop any files (don't have to be video, anything) from your PC to this window. You can also do it in reverse, drag file from this window to the laptop.


How can it be simpler than simply drag and drop? There isn't.





Stu, did you get an iPad 3 yet????

.you still need itunes as the front end. thats the shitty part.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

.you still need itunes as the front end. thats the shitty part.

AVPlayerHD has some FTP capabilities where you use your browser to upload over wifi.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

If you want to be able to share and browse files like you would with a pc your only option is getting a Android tablet. It has a accessible file system just like a normal pc and can can browse SMB shares using apps like ES File Explorer.

 

[cheez]

^ that would be awesome, but Samsung Galaxy tab Super AMOLED Plus only offers 7.7" and tiny 16GB onboard stoarage which is dealbreaker for me...

 

[alfa147x]

Just get FTP On The Go PRO for the iPad and set up your machine as a FTP server. I think it would help if you told us what files you wanted to transfer.

Apple is using iOS to evolve how users interface with a computer. Getting rid of a user based file structure was the first to go.


Other apps:
Cyberduck
Filebrowser <- works well. I've used it. To srteam from my NAS and pull files from machines. Uses (SMB)

 

[Frankie]

Thanks for all the responses. I kind of figured you would need 3rd party software to make it work, but wasn't absolutely sure.

I'm keeping all my options open, as I don't plan on getting one till sometime this summer. The 2 things that bug me about the IPAD, and I hope that in the near future it's taken care of, is that 1) no Flash and 2) being able to plug a flash drive or external drive into it and use it to copy files back and forth. Both things would make it SO MUCH better, in my opinion.

Again, thanks for all the great responses.

To answer what files I want to access, I'm talking about .mp3's and pictures and videos I've taken with my camcorder.

 

[runawayprisoner]

Flash is not necessary on iPad. Most websites and video providers now serve to iPad a QuickTime compatible container that plays h.264 MP4 natively. So in other words, while the rest of the world has to install Flash to play videos, iPads get served premium contents. And sincerely, it's irritatingly true. Even MacBooks don't get that treatment.

To access flash drive or external drive, you'll have to wait for a jailbreak for the third-generation iPad, or jailbreak the older generations. Support is there and built-in to the system, but no third-party app supports it just yet, and Apple doesn't bother creating an app for it. Ironically, some third-party drives like HyperDrive gets its own app, but in reality, it's not really doing anything too different from other drives.

As far as file access goes, a jailbreak will allow you full filesystem access.

On Windows, an excellent alternative to iTunes is iFunBox. You still need iTunes installed because it contains USB drivers for the iPad, but beyond that, you can use iFunBox exclusively to access files and other things on the iPad.

 

[Frankie]

Flash is not necessary on iPad. Most websites and video providers now serve to iPad a QuickTime compatible container that plays h.264 MP4 natively. So in other words, while the rest of the world has to install Flash to play videos, iPads get served premium contents. And sincerely, it's irritatingly true. Even MacBooks don't get that treatment.

To access flash drive or external drive, you'll have to wait for a jailbreak for the third-generation iPad, or jailbreak the older generations. Support is there and built-in to the system, but no third-party app supports it just yet, and Apple doesn't bother creating an app for it. Ironically, some third-party drives like HyperDrive gets its own app, but in reality, it's not really doing anything too different from other drives.

As far as file access goes, a jailbreak will allow you full filesystem access.

On Windows, an excellent alternative to iTunes is iFunBox. You still need iTunes installed because it contains USB drivers for the iPad, but beyond that, you can use iFunBox exclusively to access files and other things on the iPad.

That is interesting about the external drive. I was under the impression that apple didn't even build in the support for it. I figured apple wouldn't want anyone messing with the IPAD so they would keep people from accessing it with flash drives or external hard drives.

 

[ponyo]

Even if the new iPad could play Flash, it would look completely awful because of the high res screen. The Flash videos I view on the web are all low res streams. Low res blown up on high res screen is not pretty.

Asus/Google is supposed to release $200 7" Tegra3 ICS tablet this summer. It will play Flash and you will be able to plug in external flash/drive to transfer files back and forth. Android has file manager and USB host mode support.

 

[alfa147x]

A camera connection kit allows for USB host mode on an iPad. Its how I run my external DAC / amp. You can hook up a flash drive to it.

 

[ponyo]

A camera connection kit allows for USB host mode on an iPad. Its how I run my external DAC / amp. You can hook up a flash drive to it.

true, but you're still basically limited to importing pictures and videos from the flash drive into the iPad. Not the other way around. You can't export from the iPad to the flash drive. You can't play videos directly from the USB flash drive. You must first copy the video into the iPad before you can play it.

 

[alfa147x]

Hmm. I don't think you have to import. We use the CKK to preview video while out in a shoot on a few iPads. I'll test it at home and post back.

 

[alfa147x]

I'll have to ask the guys at work. I only see an option to import the video.

 

[runawayprisoner]

That is interesting about the external drive. I was under the impression that apple didn't even build in the support for it. I figured apple wouldn't want anyone messing with the IPAD so they would keep people from accessing it with flash drives or external hard drives.

Well, technically, it has to support some sort of storage management to be able to access photos and videos stored on a SD card, so at least some bare minimum base for a file management system has to be in place for such a thing to happen.

Apple is simply trying to mask it away from users, but there is nothing stopping developers from making use of it.

The reason why they aren't making use of it is because there hasn't been widespread demands for a proper file management system on the iPad yet (there are a bunch of apps for that purpose in the App Store, but it's not like they are selling like hotcakes). Anyone who wishes to do so is better off jailbreaking anyway, as it allows them deeper system exploration and full control over the entire device. But if they are jailbreaking, then there is literally nothing in the App Store that can surpass iFile in functionality and features.

I guess that's why file management has always been more of a jailbreak privilege than a regular occurrence.