How to move Word docs from PC to iPad and Pages

[JimOfAllTrades]

I have a customer who needs to move several hundred Word docs, a number of Excel spreadsheets, plus a few Powerpoint presentations from a PC to an iPad. On the PC they are in a multilevel hierarchy of folders, which right away poses a problem as the iPad does not seem to support multilevel folders.

Right now he can move the documents into iTunes, then sync to the iPad. But then he tells me he has to select each document one at a time on the iPad to move it into Pages or Keynote. This could take days, if not weeks with all the documents he has.

We can go through the documents on the PC first and reorganize them into a single level of folders and split up the Word docs, powerpoints, and spreadsheets if needed.

But then, what is a good way to move them quickly into the appropriate place on the iPad, without having to touch each document one at a time?

If it makes any difference, right now he has an iPad 2, but almost certainly will be moving to an iPad 3 as soon as we verify this can be done.

 

[Ryokan]

Apple doesn't want you to do that.

I assume you'll just have to use iTunes for it.

 

[carlitos]

Why not just put the docs in a cloud somewhere? Google docs or something.

 

[rjh01]

This product is good. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/pdf-reader-ipad-edition/id367816156?mt=8

You can drag and drop documents into a box in iTunes. Once in iTunes you then can move them into their own folders. It can do word documents. Not sure about Excel.

 

[Pulvinar]

Another option is Dropbox. Free if it's under 2G of stuff.

 

[Drs_Res]

I do not have any i-anything so excuse my ignorance, but can you move a folder with all of its documents over, then just move each folder into another folder? It seems stupid to me that you can't just copy a folder with its sub folders and documents over directly. I don't get the logic of not being able to do such a simple task. This is something that should take at most, a few seconds to a minute or two to do depending on the size of the folders involved.

 

[JimOfAllTrades]

I do not have any i-anything so excuse my ignorance, but can you move a folder with all of its documents over, then just move each folder into another folder? It seems stupid to me that you can't just copy a folder with its sub folders and documents over directly. I don't get the logic of not being able to do such a simple task. This is something that should take at most, a few seconds to a minute or two to do depending on the size of the folders involved.

You'd think, wouldn't you. But unfortunately, Apple doesn't seem to allow it.

There are no subfolders in the iPad. All word processing docs are in a folder under the Pages app, and you don't get to change that. In that folder you can create folders, but no folder can contain a folder, only documents, so you get one level only.

 

[JimOfAllTrades]

This product is good. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/pdf-reader-ipad-edition/id367816156?mt=8

You can drag and drop documents into a box in iTunes. Once in iTunes you then can move them into their own folders. It can do word documents. Not sure about Excel.

Another option is Dropbox. Free if it's under 2G of stuff.

I'll take a look at both of these options, thanks!

 

[Skeptical Greg]

Can iPad handle Zip files, or some other Windows compatible compressed archives ?

 

[Pulvinar]

Can iPad handle Zip files, or some other Windows compatible compressed archives ?

Yes, once you install something like the iZip and Dropbox apps.

 

[Drs_Res]

You'd think, wouldn't you. But unfortunately, Apple doesn't seem to allow it.

There are no subfolders in the iPad. All word processing docs are in a folder under the Pages app, and you don't get to change that. In that folder you can create folders, but no folder can contain a folder, only documents, so you get one level only.

Wow. How........ limiting.

 

[rjh01]

Just got hold of my ipod with the pdf reader I mentioned above. I moved a zip file and a xlsx (2010 Excel spreadsheet) to the iPod. I clicked on the zip file and it asked did I want to unzip it? I said yes. Five seconds later there was a folder with all the documents in it. I also opened the Excel spreadsheet and could read it OK. This spreadsheet has several tabs and I could read them all. The graphs were not very good.

 

[megaresp]

I have a customer who needs to move several hundred Word docs, a number of Excel spreadsheets, plus a few Powerpoint presentations from a PC to an iPad

The key to achieving this without succumbing to complete and utter madness is to forget Pages and Numbers. These Apple products are fluff that look great on an iPad, but are severely wanting when it comes to doing actual work of the sort your client is trying to achieve.

Instead, get Quick Office Pro HD and a Dropbox account. Move the entire folder structure to Dropbox. Then register your Dropbox account to QuickOffice Pro HD. The folder structure and files will then be available to edit/read.

 

[carlitos]

I wasted a year trying to learn pages and numbers and will second that recommendation. They are at the level of the old Microsoft Works.

 

[PhreePhly]

I wasted a year trying to learn pages and numbers and will second that recommendation. They are at the level of the old Microsoft Works.

On IOS, I absolutely agree. I have used Pages on OS X and must say it is actually not too bad. I am an Excel guy, and Numbers is just not there. I have heard from some of our presentation folks, though, that Keynote blows Powerpoint away. It is supposed to be really good (I have never used it).

 

[megaresp]

I wasted a year trying to learn pages and numbers and will second that recommendation. They are at the level of the old Microsoft Works.

To clarify: Quick Office Pro HD isn't some super-advanced office suite. It's key advantage over Pages and Numbers is built-in support for Dropbox. It also reads/writes doc, docx, xls and xlsx. But it's no replacement for Word/Excel under Windows. It's just a lot more suitable than Pages/Numbers for the OP's client's need for a proper folder structure, and a desire to avoid wasting hours and hours of time.

 

[JimOfAllTrades]

To clarify: Quick Office Pro HD isn't some super-advanced office suite. It's key advantage over Pages and Numbers is built-in support for Dropbox. It also reads/writes doc, docx, xls and xlsx. But it's no replacement for Word/Excel under Windows. It's just a lot more suitable than Pages/Numbers for the OP's client's need for a proper folder structure, and a desire to avoid wasting hours and hours of time.

Thanks much, this sounds like a real solution. I'll check it out with my guy on Tuesday when I'm back over there.

Thanks again!

 

[megaresp]

Thanks much, this sounds like a real solution. I'll check it out with my guy on Tuesday when I'm back over there

I've just thought of something else that tripped me up at first because I'd used Dropbox under Windows.

Unlike Windows and OSX, under iOS the Dropbox App itself does not provide access to files in Dropbox to apps. In fact, it's not even worth downloading the Dropbox App. Instead, each individual app must have its own support for Dropbox.

It's also worth taking pains to ensure your client realises his/her iPad has to be connected to the Internet before QuickOffice can access his/her files through Dropbox. I've learned I can't assume my clients realise this.

 

[bobhope2112]

It is worth having the iOS Dropbox app. It can be useful for marking files in your dropbox as favorites on the iDevice. This will permit those files to be stored on the device, eliminating the need for them to be downloaded each time you want to access them. The cache size has a limit that is somewhat adjustable as well.

Also, if you have the Dropbox app installed, it will register an Open File handler that permits you to save files into your Dropbox, like attachments in emails for instance. There are are other apps that do this, like Save To Dropbox, but I do not see any advantage in those apps. Also, the Dropbox app provides some rudimentary file management and file viewing functions.

So, in general, the Dropbox app is not useless.

 

[quadraginta]

Wow. How........ limiting.

Really. The idea that this sort of thing could even be a problem is dumbfounding. I have an HP DOS palmtop from 1994 that I can copy files to (with sub-directories ) just by sticking 'em on a PC card, or through a serial port. Is Apple trying to move computing backward?

This thread has done more to convince me that I want absolutely nothing to do with an iPad than any of the reviews or fanboi catfights I have read so far.

Copying and accessing files. That's one of the most basic visible functions of an OS. It should be as simple, transparent, and convenient as possible. If the makers of the iPad are so arrogant that they can just disregard this in their crusade to corral everything into their own system then there is no way of knowing what other stupidities will turn up.

No thanks.