How to use The Cloud ?

You can get adapters to use with the iPad and USB sticks etc.

And while I love the cloud, I too want to fondly my data in physical storage devices that I can lock away.

That said, it's not necessarily bad to be restricted.

I use paper and pen fairly often . . .

I love Mac, but still do not use my iCloud. I do not have to hold the tangible flash drive in my hand, but I do at least want to open the online cloud storage folder to view what is there, and select what to download. As I understand it, iCloud does this by opening the app which creates the file you want, and then let's you see the available file type. Someone else here can correct me if I am wrong on that. Either way, no you are not alone.

I do, however, value online cloud storage. I make frequent backups to my laptop, I save files in Dropbox, and even in gdrive too. I want to be sure I could never lose my writing, so I am kind of obsessive about that. But I generally just use Dropbox for the recent files (gdrive for an occasional backup).

I love my iPad. I thought I used my laptop for most of my writing, but then I realized how many times I had ideas on a particular segment, and typed them into notes- whether waiting for my kids to get out of school, waiting in line for something, etc. Then I emailed the notes to myself, and copy/pasted them into Scrivener later (you can add it as a .doc, to Evernotes, Dropbox, Gdrive, wherever.

As far as writing away from it all- that sounds amazing! You have so many choices for editing offline.
1 You can save copies of all recent work and just use your computer to write (and flash backup).

2. Since it appears you are trying to use your iPad instead, you can also save copies as PDFs for viewing in a free Adobe reader app. - but this does not allow editing. You could still type edits in notes, however-using the yellow "notes" App that came with the iPad.
Also, there is a free app called Side by Side. It allows you to have from 1 to 4 browser windows open at once. So, for example, you could have your PDF file open on half your screen, and type notes on the other half. The trick is, without wifi to email the notes, you might lose them eventually, so you could be better off writing them down (these Side by Side notes are not the same as the yellow "notes" app that comes with the ipad- those notes stay saved). But, I like Side by Side for when I do research on nf: I see research on one part of the screen, my typed work on another, and my notes on a 3rd window.

3. You could go "old school" here and print the docs before your trip, then highlight, cross out, cut out and tape together, and/or write by hand whatever changes you want to make later (boy that reminds me of doing high school papers, before MS Word...)

4. You can get an app that allows you to type a Word doc on your iPad (eg. Quick office, one note, etc). Test them, but I believe they all work offline. Before your trip, while you still have wifi, you can open and save each document in Open Office, for example, so they are ready for you any time, stored on the iPad.

5. You can download the free (yes, I said free) app for Dragon Dictation. I did that, but have not used it yet. But, as I understand it, you can speak your words and it will save them on the iPad/offline. There are threads here discussing the software- but the usual $60 or so price tag is much different than free imo

6. ??? If none of these work for your style/preference, then perhaps someone else will have more ideas. Also, there is a little learning curve to typing with your thumbs- but I am so used to it now, and love it. *I should say, I usually use an iPad Mini- when I use a regular iPad, I do more regular than thumb typing

Also what Medievalist said. I was typing so I did not see the above post until I posted

First - *looks over shoulders* Psst...it is still stored on your Mac in a hidden file.

My first experience with this was during NaNo. I went to a write in and the place lost its wifi while we were there. It didn't even cross my mind it would be a problem to work on my story. Miraculously, it was there, on my Mac. And the next time I opened up the file around wifi it put the changes on the cloud without so much as a peep.

My husband searched the Mac forums and figured out how to track down this hidden file and access it. I haven't a clue. The point is, you still have access to your work and don't have to worry about syncing or anything when you return from the Wilds.

Wow- I will have to look into that! Sounds like what Dropbox does, only more storage. Ok, I may become an iCloud user yet

The I-pad is a limited device. It has no keyboard, no USB port, no DVD drive. You can't upgrade its internal memory. There is no file manager program. Heck, even its batteries are glued in.

Some of these limitations are down to the nature of the device. An I-pad is not meant to be a laptop replacement. It is a user-friendly device mainly intended for entertainment and light use.

Some of the limitations are down to Apple trying to maximise its profits. By not having a USB port Apple is "encouraging" us to buy Apple ports and extension gadgets. And I am staggered by the cynicism involved in gluing batteries in place so that they are not user-upgradeable.

We can get around some of these limitations. A Bluetooth keyboard makes a welcome relief from tapping your fingers on glass. Apple will sell you (!) a camera extension kit which allows you to use a USB stick. Apple will also replace your batteries for you - admittedly for quite a hefty fee.

The cloud has a similar set of advantages and disadvantages. Once you get the hang of it, it is very easy to use dropbox or I-cloud to bounce files between machines. My WIP sits happily on Dropbox so I can work on it from any machine that I own - laptop, main PC, I-pad. I use google apps to sync my email and calendar via the cloud to multiple devices.

But ... this user-friendliness has drawbacks. It doesn't work in remote locations or (as my part of southern England discovered over Christmas) when there is a power outage. So it makes sense to use both the cloud and a physical storage device (or several).

I think, as ever, it comes down to choosing the best tool for the job. The I-pad is great for an occasional bit of writing when there is nothing else to hand. But for a whole week in a remote location?

... I'd take a laptop.

Once! said:

I think, as ever, it comes down to choosing the best tool for the job. The I-pad is great for an occasional bit of writing when there is nothing else to hand. But for a whole week in a remote location?

... I'd take a laptop.

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Second this.

A tablet is meant for occasional use. For simplicity's sake, I'll call it long enough to view a movie. You can adjust that somewhat with accessories like BT keyboards and stand-up cases.

But when I want to sit down and just write, if I go out into the wilds of Bryce Canyon, UT, or at my grandma's house 50 miles from any technology newer than the incandescent bulb, then I'm bringing a laptop. I can make a tablet work, sure. But the laptop is built for creating work. The tablet is built for being entertained.

Being forced onto anything remote in order to move files between devices would be an automatic dealbreaker for me.

Once! said:

Some of these limitations are down to the nature of the device. An I-pad is not meant to be a laptop replacement. It is a user-friendly device mainly intended for entertainment and light use.

Click to expand...

That's why my tablet is a Blackberry. I don't know why Apple users can't free themselves from the chains once and for all. There is a wonderful and much easier world outside of iTunes and so on.
I don't need to go through some extra program to load anything on it - word documents, movies, PDFs, you name it and supposedly a micro USB flash drive is on its way to the market. If RIM disappears entirely, I'll probably switch to the Surface tablet, which apparently also has a regular USB.

Well, I'm a Windows person and I despise the cloud. I don't store anything there, and I don't use cloud apps. I have three external drives and multiple flash drives that travel with me wherever I go. I can't imagine using an online application when they are: 1) dependent on a stable internet connection; 2) subject to take-downs; 3) likely to change at any given moment.

No, I don't have to "adjust" just because there's a big push to move folks into the ethers. It's a Google/Microsoft conspiracy. Maybe a Google/Microsoft/Apple/NSA conspiracy.

Whatever it is, I'm not playing. Not paying, either. I predict that folks will soon be renting online software (yes, I know some already do that), paying to visit websites, and the cost of online storage will creep up. You are welcome to it. Time was, you bought a license for software by paying for it once, and you didn't pay again until you wanted the next iteration. Now many are turning to the subscription model so you get to pay once a year. Online is monthly. The once-free internet will one day move itself beyond the reach of the masses. And the sky will fall and we will all turn to ash.

I'd kinda like to have a little tablet, but the truth is, I'd never use it —hell, I seldom use my laptop — because I want a big screen and a decent keyboard to work with. Tablets and iPhones are wonderful toys, but I don't have that line item in my limited expense account. If I did, I'd probably spend it on a trip to a Giants game or another flash drive.

I'm an Apple gal all the way, but have yet to use the Cloud.

I became a Mac fan because of the simplicity, Cloud feels like complicated trickery to me.

I do love the iPad Mini /iPads.

But, when I mentioned switching to my computer--- it is a Macbook Air 11in.

So, when you just said that, I thought I ought to mention a comparison. It is so nice and thin- it fits into a notebook as if nothing extra is there. I love how light it is, and that it is a full computer.

Also, with the Macbook Air, you do not have the blocked flash problem that Apple imposes on the other devices. Although, just a tip---if you buy the Puffin brower app, you can view most all flash content on the iPads and phones- there is also a free trial. You use this instead of Safari, and you can access flash-based sites (eg. Webkinz for my children, TV shows free on websites, etc.).

So, if you are adding an iPad to your computer set (and I prefer the smaller Mini), it is wonderful. But yeah, if you want something light and portable, and still powerful, the Air is excellent

*Just re-read about the gift thing- so at least the iPad is lighter than the Macbook Pro. And while it may not be your ideal choice, if it is what you have, you really can make it very powerful. In fact the full iPad has a large keyboard, which you may be finding a bit awkward at first compared to a real computer, but you can quickly get used to - and even like. And, don't forget you could buy an external keyboard to attach to it, or a wifi one, or just use the free Dragon Dictation so you never type, just talk. Or download a text editor app- so many are free. I have set these up for my students at school and they amaze me how easily they do all their work on these. They use them way more than I do, but just letting you know you have options if you stick with what you have

The Apple store can be great- they will spend time helping you set up and work things out for free (Genius Bar, etc.). So hope that works for you.

Do know, however, that they are there to help you set up Apple devices and recommend Apple products only. I have found some colleagues were told xyz is not possible, when in fact xyz is, if you have the right app or third party adapter. So, just be sure you know if they say something cannot be done with the iPad, you might check online or perhaps someone here would know, before giving up

And on keyboards, here is an expensive version at the Apple store, and here is a link on Amazon to a search I did on keyboards for iPads. Some are very cheap, others are keyboards+cover in one, and still cheaper than the one at the Apple store.

On the flash drive connectors, I did see the camera adapter as the best workaround right now- wow. But I recall I could see gdrive and dropbox files on the iPad even away from the internet, as someone else mentioned.

Best of luck to you!

"The cloud" can mean lots of things. For many of the options mentioned above, including iCloud, Skydrive, and Dropbox, it doesn't mean your files are only stored online. They're available locally and offline, too. It is better to think of them as syncing services rather than cloud storage, as the real benefit is easily keeping files in sync between multiple devices. You shouldn't lose access to your files just because you have no internet.

On an iPad, to preserve storage space, Dropbox won't download all of your files to the device automatically. But it will download and store locally anything you "favorite," and you can access those files without Internet. If you use Dropbox, on the iPad, just "favorite" any files you want to use without internet. Doesn't seem like any more work than a USB drive to me.

Apps that support iCloud (like the Pages word processor, for example) will keep local copies of your files. You can work and edit them offline. It'll upload and re-sync the most recent version to all your devices when you get an internet connection again.

I've got to get it figured out too - got an ipad for xmas.

Now we have ipad, macbook pro, 2 iphones , and 2 PCs. I'm not worried about my writing and such - resides 100% on PCs. But family pcitures, music libraries, movies, etc? Getting it all accessible and usable via home Wifi, cell data, and from my infrequent international trips seems daunting.

If I had a full day to research and configure, I could make it work I guess...

The tech experts in my living room (boys on break from college) say the only legal way is to purchase the movie(s) you want to watch through iTunes and loading them onto you iPad before heading to the wilderness. These will then still be accessible sans internet.

There are wifi enabled external hard drives that stream movies to the ipad, and act as their own ... Host? Router? You put them in a car or wilderness and connect the ipad wirelessly and go.

juniper said:

How does that work if there's no WiFi around though?

I wonder if there's any DVD>iPad via Blue Tooth? Or does that need WiFi too ... or is it something else entirely ... ?

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WiFi doesn't necessarily mean internet. You can have a local network over WiFi so your devices can talk to each other wirelessly without having to use the internet. iCloud won't work over LAN, but you can stream stuff with things like Airplay between devices on a local wireless network without internet. Of course, you'd need a router or other device that can make a network...

Nekko said:

The tech experts in my living room (boys on break from college) say the only legal way is to purchase the movie(s) you want to watch through iTunes and loading them onto you iPad before heading to the wilderness. These will then still be accessible sans internet.

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That's not true. If you have ripped your DVDs using an app like Handbrake, you don't have to re-purchase anything or use iTunes at all. (It is legal to make a digital copy for personal, archival use.) You can watch any DRM-free mp4 on an iPad with the default video app, and there are plenty of other apps like AvPlayerHD and GoodPlayer for other formats.

juniper said:

How does that work if there's no WiFi around though?

I wonder if there's any DVD>iPad via Blue Tooth? Or does that need WiFi too ... or is it something else entirely ... ?

Click to expand...

WiFi is merely a local radio signal.

You can have a local WiFi network without any Internet at all.

I can stream music or video inside our home without any Internet at all, from or to any iPhone, or Mac, or iPad, or laptop or desktop.

There are Apple devices like AirPort Express or Apple TV, and many non-Apple devises from companies like Roku and Sonos and several others.

There are hard drives with a wifi adapter inside of them, designed for "streaming" video or music, or game data.

That said, when I'm going to a cabin in the woods, I sometimes deliberately minimized digital tech.

kuwisdelu said:

That's not true. If you have ripped your DVDs using an app like Handbrake, you don't have to re-purchase anything or use iTunes at all. (It is legal to make a digital copy for personal, archival use.) You can watch any DRM-free mp4 on an iPad with the default video app, and there are plenty of other apps like AvPlayerHD and GoodPlayer for other formats.

Click to expand...

Netflix would not 'appreciate' it if you ripped one of their DVDs, even for your personal use.
Owning a digital copy on your device isn't 'illegal', but 'ripping' a movie you don't own is not wholly above board. It also requires a bit of computer comfort /savvy that I don't believe Juniper has yet.

(not intended as a slam Juniper, we all have different levels of tech ability)