PC like features for Smart phones

[Brian Stirling]

I have an Apple 3G iPhone but plan to change to Android with the HTC Evo in July when my two year iPhone/ATT contract is up. One of the things that's been missing is a file system that mimics the way a PC handles files but it looks like the new OS for the iPhone will finally address this problem. Now, I have no hands on experience with Android and would like to know if it has a usable file system. That is, without connecting to a PC can I download an attached file from, say, Gmail and save it to a folder I can access without connecting to a PC?

Also, I'm interested in knowing which of the following files can be viewed, edited or created:

MS Word
MS Excel
MS Powerpoint
MS Project
Adobe PDF's


Brian

 

[Cuda1447]

Astro File manager, Root File manager. Both are very solid/usable file systems for Android. For Word/excel etc... download Open Office. I haven't actually used the program, but it is supposed to be used to open all those files you listed.

 

[Spoooon]

Unfortunately, you need apps to download attachments and what not. You can view them with the built in office app (it's a viewer basically), but no editing. Hoping for a google docs app.

eidt: Just installed an app that will save attachments to the sd card. Now, Google just needs to work on a Google Docs lite or something.

 

[randomlinh]

does the web version of google docs support minor editing?

 

[Spoooon]

It sort of works. It doesn't bring up the soft keyboard. Can enter stuff with the hardware keyboard but no cursor.

 

[zerocool84]

One of the things that's been missing is a file system that mimics the way a PC handles files but it looks like the new OS for the iPhone will finally address this problem.

OS4 for iPhone will not address many of the file system problems for it. You still have to sync everything through iTunes which is retarded and a slow and an added unneeded step for something so simple.

 

[randomlinh]

It sort of works. It doesn't bring up the soft keyboard. Can enter stuff with the hardware keyboard but no cursor.

damn, really? I thought it was just the WebOS browser. That was something I thought I had to look forward to in going for the EVO.

 

[Spoooon]

damn, really? I thought it was just the WebOS browser. That was something I thought I had to look forward to in going for the EVO.

Yeah, I didn't really mess with it too much. I'm going to try with Opera Mini and one of the other browsers to see what happens.

Dolphin and the stock browser had the cursor problem.

edit: It's all screwed up on opera mini.

edit2: no cursor thing on xscope

 

[dguy6789]

I imagine Google is working on either a Google Docs app or full browser support.