What are the limits of an iPad?

July 17, 2010 2:41 PM

How do you get stuff "off" an iPad?

question for you satisfied iPad users: how do you get files: pictures, videos, music you just may have composed on one of the music apps, "off" that thing and onto a PC? or do you just...not?

I'm seriously considering getting an iPad for my birthday on October 1st. But I'm concerned with the lack of USB port or other "out" port.
For example, I like to play around with music composition using a program like Ableton. How could I compose something on the fly on an iPad when I'm out 'n about and then transfer that "clip" to Ableton on my home computer so I could work on it on my laptop? (I am a PC person - can you tell?)

Or if I take pictures with my camera -- "normally" I would put them into my PC via the SD card so I could edit them in Photoshop and then maybe ftp them to a website so my friends can see them (same with little videos).

I understand the iPad is not a "full" computer -- and yet, there are all these fancy "apps" -- I'm wondering -- are there ways I don't understand that are workarounds (workthroughs) to use the iPad in creative ways in order to be able to do the things I like to do with my regular laptop?

Just now I was at a Best Buy and a little live band was playing. I went to the iPad area and brought up a piano application and I played along with the band! it was fun. I LOVED the touchscreen.

I can understand that I can write text and e-mail it to myself to work on at home, no problem. But videos and music files tend to be big.

If I have iTunes (which I do on my regular computer - I do own an iPod and I transfer my music to my iPod via iTunes) will that help? how much?

I've been looking at the possibility of windows-based or linux-based tablets, but they don't seem to be happening yet. I'm reading about how many of these projects (like the HP one) have been cancelled.

there's something (MeTab, I think) that was just released in Germany which sounds interesting BUT it weighs 30% more than the iPad. I REALLY want a very light device. (currently I am carrying around a Toshiba R200 which cost $1700 new and which I LOVE but in two months I will be finished with the last warranty they'll sell me and I've been through about 5 motherboards since I've had it because the thing breaks. Toshiba says that it's a fragile device and they're not surprised!)

thank you, please don't criticize me for what I want or how I think or feel, (for example, you don't have to tell me that I "can't have everything" and other variants of Consumer Calvinism) --it's very hot here and I'm feeling quite SEN-sitive today. Thank you.

posted by DMelanogaster to Media & Arts (17 answers total)

Doesn't it dock?
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 2:42 PM on July 17, 2010

Any given program is going to have a different way of doing this. There's no standardized "Do this, then your file will be transferred to your computer" process. One would imagine that an Ableton-esque app would have some mechanism (email? networked file transfer?) to your computer, a server, etc.

In the case of photos, all photo-editing apps simply leverage the default iOS photo library. Not sure how you get to it in Windows; on a Mac, it shows up as a camera in iPhoto and you can get your photos out that way.
posted by Tomorrowful at 2:49 PM on July 17, 2010

I googled "ipad transfer files" and got this:

click
posted by notyou at 2:49 PM on July 17, 2010

You can do this by hooking the iPad up to your pc through the dock connector, with a dock port - USB cable. Then in iTunes, you can move files on and off thei iPad no problem.

(I also like using the online service dropbox, but that doesn't work with all apps.)
posted by wyzewoman at 2:49 PM on July 17, 2010

I should note that most of the music-creation apps I've seen are not really full-scale apps that expect you to want to export the results, so there's no mechanism to do that - but I would also expect this to change, fast, as iPad-specific tools are built. I know a ton of people who want to make music, art, etc, on an iPad, and there are ways to transfer files off of it - it's just that app developers do actually have to figure out how they want to do it, and implement that solution, rather than the simplicity of "oh, I've made an image, I can save that to the photo library and I'm done."
posted by Tomorrowful at 2:52 PM on July 17, 2010

...and it looks like I've been showing my ignorance here, because I didn't realize the iPad had a file sharing setup that the iPhone doesn't, and I don't own an iPad yet. So you can ignore 90% of what I've said.
posted by Tomorrowful at 2:53 PM on July 17, 2010

iPad: How to transfer or sync content to your computer
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 2:54 PM on July 17, 2010

Response by poster: thanks! This is very heartening!

(although, notyou, that link is info only for Mac owners)

It does seem as if there are a zillion people who are looking to make music etc. with their iPads. thanks a lot!
posted by DMelanogaster at 2:55 PM on July 17, 2010

For music:

Most apps have a wave conversion tool built in so you can email your creations.

nanoloop email and then convert.

rebirth has no "export" at all, you have to record it line out. Or you can share it via the props website and load it into rebirth on a computer proper.

beatwave has a upload to soundcloud built in.

Mixtikl has numerous export options via a "text snippet" that is formated HTML.

PatternMusic does not have a export function. You have to record it.

SunVox can export to wav and midi and then mount it via a browser thru wifi.

Korg's iElectribe uses File Sharing in iTunes to get audio off the iPad.

So there is no "one" way, but there are ways. Most the ones that are a pain are then ones that have you record straight to line out, but even that is really not too much of a hassle. Good Luck!
posted by Brent Parker at 3:44 PM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

If you use dropbox there is an iPad app for dropbox that can be used for photos and other files. Though I can't comment about music files,specifically, since I don't have any music apps on mine. It works fine for photos though.
posted by cptspalding at 3:54 PM on July 17, 2010

Dropbox is one answer. Sending files via e-mail is my preferred choice for many things.
posted by megatherium at 4:41 PM on July 17, 2010

I don't create music with my iPad, but I use it for many other things that I'd normally use my desktop computer for (web browsing, email, a few games and some limited spreadsheet/Google docs use). I also read books with the Kindle app. So far, even though file transfer is a little scattered, as people have indicated, and often awkward, it hasn't really come up that much. I email files when they're small enough, or use Dropbox or Evernote to synch files via "the cloud."
posted by TochterAusElysium at 4:56 PM on July 17, 2010

Do you have an apple store near by to you? Best buy is great, but all Apple store have workshops- you can go to apple.com and find the store closest to you and look at its workshop schedule. Maybe you could stop in for one before you buy it so that you can ask some questions and pull up specific apps.

It is still very possible to move files on and off an iPad without a USB port, as everyone said above. You just have to find a creative solution! Good luck.
posted by emilyclaire at 8:05 PM on July 17, 2010

There is an iPad app that allows you to mount your iPad as an external drive and move files on and off your iPad just as though it were a hard disk:

Air Sharing Pro
$9.99, Avatron Software; www.avatron.com

I don't own it but it has gotten good reviews.

I have no connection with the company, the product, or anyone who is connected.
posted by leafwoman at 9:49 PM on July 17, 2010

Also check out "Good Reader" app that allows WiFi or USB transfer of files to or from your iPad.
posted by leafwoman at 10:20 PM on July 17, 2010

Dropbox or email work in most cases. But I learned the hard way when my hard drive totally died that not everything can trasfer back and forth so easily. I was able to get back my apps by transferring them back to the new computer, but it would not let me add anything new to the iPad until I properly syncced it (and thereby erased everything on it) with my new computer. I lost two Bento databases which it would not let me sync to the computer until after I had everything 'authorized' (aka erased) and had to re-do all my app preferences, move them back into the right order etc. HUGE pain in the you know what. A friend suggested I view the iPad like the Hotel California---stuff goes in, but never comes out.
posted by JoannaC at 10:36 PM on July 17, 2010

Response by poster: JoannaC, were you transferring to a Mac?

I'm just saying again, this would be to a PC.

The "air sharing" by Avatron sounds great, if it does the job correctly. And for $2.99.

thank you for your answers.
posted by DMelanogaster at 8:04 AM on July 18, 2010