How to download to the iPad

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My wife and I, being retired, travel quite a bit around the US. I generally try to keep in touch when traveling by taking my MacBook Pro with us so I can check on my email, forum posts, the news and so on. However my wife wants to give the MBP to her son (along with our current old iPad) and so I am looking for a replacement tool to use when traveling. My first thought was a chrome book as they are generally light and suitable for light duty on a trip but my wife has suggested the new iPad instead.

My problem with using the iPad as a traveling device is that I do not think that it is capable of being used to download information that could then be easily moved to my desktop as I can with the MBP. The sales people at Apple were quick to tell me that it was suitable for downloading and transferring information, but were unable to give me any specifics on how to do that. I am not sure the folks at Apple Care can help me since I have not bought a new iPad (and so don't have one under Apple Care) and my online research has not been particularly productive. It did point me to an app named Document 5 which can be used to download certain types of files to either iCloud or dropbox but it does not seem to work with binaries. For example I could not download a photo editor binary using Document 5 as the app just would not bring up the appropriate dialog box for a binary. I know, of course, that the Mac binary would not work on the iPad but I only wanted to be able to download files like that so that I could then transfer them to my Mac when I returned home.

I have found that people on this forum seem to have a deep knowledge of how Apple products work and I have gotten all of my earlier questions answered. Given that I thought I should post this here and hope that someone can share information on how to download any kind of file either to an iPad directly or to a cloud service such as dropbox. I do not have iCloud currently turned on but would turn that on as well if it would help. If there is no way to do that I would probably be better off getting either something like a chrome book or taking my wife's Windows computer.

Thank you in advance.
 

vansmith

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iOS doesn't let you work with arbitrary files in quite the same way a computer would (and Android to a large extent). Files can usually only be downloaded if they can then be opened elsewhere. In this sense, files can only be "downloaded" if there is a suitable app to do something with it. However, you can work around this by using a cloud based file sharing service such as Dropbox or OneDrive. In each case, you could "download the file" on your iPad and simply share it with the cloud storage app which would then sync that file with your Mac. Now, that depends on you having an internet connection available so that may not be reasonable.
 
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However, you can work around this by using a cloud based file sharing service such as Dropbox or OneDrive. In each case, you could "download the file" on your iPad and simply share it with the cloud storage app which would then sync that file with your Mac. Now, that depends on you having an internet connection available so that may not be reasonable.
I guess the question is "How do I download the file to the cloud?". That is, how can I actually get the file from whatever web page is hosting it to my dropbox account?

I understand your comment about the need for there to be an app that can actually use the file being downloaded. Does that mean that I can not download something that does not have an actual enduser app on the iPad? Or only that it is more difficult? Similarly, is there any way to select part of a web page and copy-and-paste that selection to some iPad app? Or, alternately, some way to take a screen shot of the web page to store on the iPad?

And related to those questions - is there some way to transfer that information to dropbox so it can be easily transferred to my Mac when I return? Or is the only way to transfer information from the iPad to a computer to use iTunes?

I realize that this is probably pretty basic stuff but I have never used an iPad for anything other than browsing or very light interactions like email so I am unsure just how useful it would be as a travel computer replacement. The idea is to buy a bluetooth keyboard and use that with the iPad, but it is not clear to me that the iPad is capable of replacing a laptop, even for relatively light stuff like downloads and screen shots. I guess I am hoping that I am wrong and that the iPad can be a capable replacement for light computer usage.
 
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You have an iPad now, so you can test lots of this yourself. Get Dropbox on your Mac and on your iPad. Anything you put in Dropbox is available from anywhere you have an internet connection. You can easily get any file you have put in Dropbox later or from any computer that has an internet connection including your own at home.

As for screenshots. On the iPad you can make one by pressing the button on the front and the on/off button simultaneously. It makes a noise so you know you have done it correctly. The resulting photo goes into your photostream. You can set your Mac and iPad to share photostream (without actually joining iCloud and having the pics there too) so you can find your photos on the Mac when you get home. Play and try.

on the iPad (I have the old original one so maybe there are more features on newer ones) I can browse the internet and select text and copy it. Then paste the text into other places like Notes or emails to myself. I used to have Pages and could paste into there too.

You didn't say what kind of things you download, but I can download .pdfs onto my iPad and then open them in Books. Obviously there is a space limitation so when I get a new iPad I'll get one with lots of memory.

I don't type that much on my iPad but have used a bluetooth keyboard at my brother's and it's great.

There is an app called Pocket where you can save lots of things you find on the internet. You can pick them up on your Mac later as well.

I'm mostly retired too and always finding more and more that my devices can do. When I am at a loss, I often go the Apple store with my old, out of warranty Apple devices and ask for help from the Genius "boys". If you go at a non-busy time they can help you out. That's where I learned to "sync" all my devices so calendar, notes, address book and photos are the same everywhere. I can make changes on any device and they all update automatically with no work or input from me. My Apple store also has learning sessions or short courses on all manner of things. You might try and see if your Apple store is the same. It's a continual learning experience with these expensive devices and every update adds more features. I figure since they are so expensive I might as well get as much out of them as possible.

Ask more if this is not clear.

Diane
 
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Thank you for your response.

> Get Dropbox on your Mac and on your iPad.

I already have dropbox on my Mac and could easily put it on the iPad as well, but it does not help me to solve the problem that I am seeing.

I can not find a way to download some items that I want to the iPad to begin with. For example I went to the dpreview website with the idea of downloading some raw files to test the download functionality. When I opened the web page I was presented with the download links that work very well on my Mac but, when I press them on the iPad, the image opens and I have no way to save or download it. On the Mac clicking on the link automatically downloads it. On the iPad it does not and I see no Save or Download command to use. If I can not download it to the iPad I can not upload it to dropbox.

> by pressing the button on the front and the on/off button simultaneously

Thank you. I did not know this but, in an effort to solve the download problem, I called Apple Care and the tech told me of this functionality. I have had this iPad for more than 4 years and I never knew that I could take screen shots. Live and learn.

> I can browse the internet and select text and copy it.

This is something I had never been able to do successfully. With a mouse or touchpad I would click on the start of the area, press Shift and click on the end and have a selection. I tried that previously on the iPad without any success but, because of your post, I went and tried it again and found that if I keep my finger pressed long enough it will select one word and I can then drag the small "pins" to select what I want and then copy it. That does indeed solve that problem. Thank you again.

> You didn't say what kind of things you download

The problems I have had have been with some odd types of files. For example the images I mentioned earlier. Pressing on a download link simply opens the image without providing me with any way to perform the download. Selecting a binary for download, such as a dmg file for the Mac, opens a page that should allow me to download it but simply gives me no option to do so. In fact most binary files I have tried to download simply will not do so on my iPad.

I know, of course, that these files will not run on the iPad (they are designed for the Mac) but there are times when I am traveling that I would like to download them and transfer them to the Mac when I return.

> There is an app called Pocket

I will look at that. One of the things I found a short time ago is that there is an iPad app called Documents 5 that provides a shell around the download process. It does allow me to download to what it shows to be a folder structure of Documents/Downloads, but that is not a real folder on the iPad. Like everything else in the iPad memory I am sure it is a virtual folder structure for information stored in the database that serves as the iPad file system. Since there is no real folder structure I can not just copy the files to the iPad dropbox app and expect them to appear in dropbox. The Documents 5 app provides an upload functionality that works for some things but not, so far, for binaries.

> You might try and see if your Apple store is the same.

They do, but the "local" Apple Store is pretty far away and I have never found a "quiet" time. The drive there is at least 30 minutes and it has been simply packed every time I go in. I have trouble finding someone to help me actually buy something, let alone get a question answered, and that is why I tried Apple Care instead. They were the ones who recommended some of these specialized download apps so the effort was worth the time.

The people on this forum have been very helpful and I have been able to get answers to all of my questions. Sometimes they are not the answers I looked for, but they have either solved my problems (most of the time) or told me that there was no easy solution and that was also very helpful so I have not continued to spin my wheels.

Thank you for your help.
 
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Well, iPads do a lot but they are not the same as a computer. The things they can do are often done in a completely different way than on the computer. If I were you, rather than buy a new iPad and a keyboard, I would buy one of those Mac "Air". They are light and small and have the keyboard already attached and are what you are used to method-wise. Why beat yourself up.

Alternatively you need think "iPad" way. Much of the iPad and iPhone functionality is hidden (or as they call it - intuitive). There were lots of tutorials when they first came out and now I think it's kind of expected that we know how to use them or can figure it out. Often just pressing one's finger on the item and waiting will bring up a list of options or choices. And/or there are often small icons somewhere on the screen. Click each of them and learn what they do. Maybe get an iPad "how to" from the library/book store or search YouTube for old tutorials. There is lots and lots you can do - just differently - from your computer.

For example using my iPad, I just d/l a photo from DPreview by "saving it" I just put my finger on the photo and waited for the choices to show up. (photo is now on my iPad, my iPhone and my MacBookPro in my photostream automatically) and then I saved the link to the web page in the 'reading list' part of bookmarks for returning to that page later. No need for Dropbox at all.

Hope you work out your issues and find success, one way or another.

D
 
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In part of my first post I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a chrome book since it would be light and inexpensive. Any device (other than an iPad) would only be for when my wife and I travel, so spending a lot of money does not make much sense. My needs for a travel device are pretty much restricted to "easy to carry", "versatile enough to allow me to keep in touch, know what is going on" and "capable of doing simple jobs like downloading". A MacBook of any type certainly would fill the need but they are quite a bit more expensive than I would like and the lowest priced ones are too small to be comfortable to use. I have looked at the 13" models and they are just uncomfortably small.

> photo is now on my iPad

Yes, this works for jpgs, but it does not work for raw file images, at least it has not worked for me. For example, if you go to dpreview and read through one of their camera reviews they normally have sample images at the end. Some of those are jpgs and some are raw. If you select a jpg it will open up. If you then press and hold your finger you will get the option dialog you are talking about, but when I tried this with raw images it would not give me the option to save. What has worked is the Documents 5 app from the iPad App Store. This apparently intercepts the finger press and offers its own option dialog and that includes downloads to its own pseudo file system on the iPad. I have looked at "Pocket" and that seems to be aimed more at documents but it might be better for that sort of thing than Documents 5. I plan to test that today.

You are quite right when you say that there is no reason to buy trouble ("Why beat yourself up") and perhaps it would be best to look at some other option. It is just that my wife has her heart set on an iPad and I am trying to find out how to make that work.
 
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Seems iOS 10 will process RAW files.

http://www.imore.com/how-edit-raw-files-photos-app-iphone-and-ipad

Not sure what files you want to download but you can save webpages by various methods (including a screenshot) and store them as notes, Pages and pdfs (in Books) or send them to yourself by mail, messenger etc.

Yes. I have the iPad version of Lightroom and it will process raw files. The problem has been to get the images onto the iPad so that they can be processed. When I tried to download some raw images from an internet site (dpreview.com where you can get sample raw images from reviewed cameras) the iPad software would not download it and there is a similar problem with dmg files designed for the Mac. Clicking the download link for a dmg file does not download the file.

The App Store has an app, Document 5, that seems to solve this problem so my initial concern has been eased but there is another thing that I need to look into. I bought an sd card reader for the iPad years ago that used the old iPad power connector. You could insert the reader into the iPad and then insert an sd card into it and the iPad would automatically download the files, raw or jpg, and it was a good way to preview what photos had been taken. Of course that reader will not work with the new iPad since it (the new iPad) uses a different connector. I need to check to see if there is a comparable sd card reader.
 

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Of course that reader will not work with the new iPad since it (the new iPad) uses a different connector. I need to check to see if there is a comparable sd card reader.

You can buy an adapter from Apple for $29.00 and much less on Amazon or Monoprice. However, you might be better off trying to obtain a new SD card reader for the lightning connector rather than have to carry an adapter with you.
 
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You can buy an adapter from Apple for $29.00 and much less on Amazon or Monoprice. However, you might be better off trying to obtain a new SD card reader for the lightning connector rather than have to carry an adapter with you.

Thank you for your post. I did not know that there was a connector from the old 30 pin to the new lightning connector and that is good to know, but I was referring to looking for a new lightning sd card reader, not a connector for the old card reader. I guess my post was not clear enough.

I had checked on Amazon and I can buy a new lightning sd card reader for between about $15 and $30 with the Apple reader, of course, being the most expensive. Interestingly enough Amazon carries card readers that say they work for both Apple products (iPhone, iPad) and Android devices. I never expected to find something like that.
 
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Suggest you forget adapters, which are temperamental and, as you have found, don't necessarily fit the next device or, as I discovered, an OS update. Mine stopped working after one such upgrade (late 2015) and I bought a wifi card for my camera instead. Mine is Toshiba which uses their FlashAir app (free from App store) and cost about £16 (16gb) - £10 cheaper than the Apple adapter - and it works very successfully. The only problem I encountered was when a big upload failed because I had my camera set to go into sleep mode after five minutes. I disabled that and could upload 100s of images. I've since bought a new camera and can use it in that. I use it to back up photos to my iPad mini when on a trip.
 
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Suggest you forget adapters, which are temperamental and, as you have found, don't necessarily fit the next device or, as I discovered, an OS update. Mine stopped working after one such upgrade (late 2015) and I bought a wifi card for my camera instead. Mine is Toshiba which uses their FlashAir app (free from App store) and cost about £16 (16gb) - £10 cheaper than the Apple adapter - and it works very successfully. The only problem I encountered was when a big upload failed because I had my camera set to go into sleep mode after five minutes. I disabled that and could upload 100s of images. I've since bought a new camera and can use it in that. I use it to back up photos to my iPad mini when on a trip.

Now that is an interesting idea that had not occurred to me. Along that line I can also probably look for a wifi enabled card reader that would work just as well and would probably be less expensive.

The current flash drive in the camera is 64 GB and wifi cards that large are probably very expensive. A reader might be a better choice. Thanks for the idea.
 

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