There is, however, a severe shortcoming inherent to the iWork suite of iPad apps: document syncing between Mac and iPad. It’s a convoluted mess. In short, the only way to edit a document on your iPad that was created on your Mac, or vice versa, is to go through a convoluted multi-step process of exporting, copying, syncing or downloading, and importing.
Ted Landau has copiously documented the entire situation in this article at The Mac Observer. Read it and weep.
John Gruber regarding the insanity that is iWork syncing on the iPad. I was *very* hopeful iWork.com might provide something more akin to a WebDAV style sync instead of a silly 1999 style upload/download service. At the moment dealing with versions is a disaster waiting to happen for me. I am very confident that apple will address this with some serious upgrades to either iWork or Mobile Me, but until then I am really disappointed. Couple that with the inability to edit a google doc in mobile safari and I am looking at a cramped workflow. I want to feel like I live in 2010 with my tools, not a decade ago.
Isn’t there a way to integrate Dropbox into this in such a way that it would be simple? Where is the Dropbox iPad app? The way we have to use iTunes for Pages Docs on the iPad is Byzantine. Even if iDisk could be used it would be an improvement.
Chris, I’ve tried to use Dropbox to get at iWork docs on the iPad and no dice. I am very hopeful that my iDisk app will be updated and I can store files there … that still wouldn’t solve the syncing issues, but it will simplify getting files to the iPad. Only time will tell.
Good information, Cole. I think Apple rushed the iWord iPad apps out the door. Without MobileMe or iWork.com, the apps have limited utility.
Apparently you can use Dropbox via Safari to open files in iPad Pages: http://tabletlegal.com/docs-ipad-dropbox/
What a great idea … I’ll have to give that a try. But, this doesn’t solve the fundamental issue here — real syncing of documents. In this scenario we are still making and passing copies back and forth. It makes for getting them to the iPad easy, but it isn’t any sort of real synchronized solution.
I agree that the files in pages and keynote are a major headache. I have also had problems when I open a file in pages from my email I often get “trapped” in the file and can’t get back to the my documents screen.
User interface may be great in these two apps, but if it is a file cul-de-sac it just won’t be worth using. Makes me sad inside,
Especially if it is a cull de sac at the end of a one way dead end street.