iPad: can't access files from Finder?

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
So iPad doesn't appear as a disk drive in My Computer on Windows or in Finder on OS X. No USB Mass Storage.



Is there a way to do this? Without jailbreaking or whatever?



For the record, Android just does this. It just works, with USB Mass Storage.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aquatic View Post


    So iPad doesn't appear as a disk drive in My Computer on Windows or in Finder on OS X. No USB Mass Storage.



    Nope. No iDevice does this.



    Quote:

    Is there a way to do this? Without jailbreaking or whatever?



    There are some applications that pretend to be direct storage, but I don't know of any that work with the Finder.



    Quote:

    For the record, Android just does this. It just works, with USB Mass Storage.



    For the record, iOS isn't supposed to do this.
  • Reply 2 of 11
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,489moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aquatic View Post


    Is there a way to do this? Without jailbreaking or whatever?



    There are apps for this. One is called Air Sharing and you connect over wifi - you can connect directly via wireless too (i.e not through a router).



    This shows up in the Finder as a drive like iDisk and you drop files on it. Then do the same on another computer to take files off.



    It's not the most seamless setup but it works and is handy for small files. It would be quite nice if Apple implemented AirDrop in iOS 5, although I'm not sure how it would manage where the files went or how to get those files back off.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    There are apps for this. One is called Air Sharing and you connect over wifi - you can connect directly via wireless too (i.e not through a router).



    This shows up in the Finder as a drive like iDisk and you drop files on it. Then do the same on another computer to take files off.



    It's not the most seamless setup but it works and is handy for small files. It would be quite nice if Apple implemented AirDrop in iOS 5, although I'm not sure how it would manage where the files went or how to get those files back off.



    Thanks Marvin, that's pretty cool. Although it doesn't do Windows unfortunately I presume. I wanted to use my iPad to move a bunch of large files from a PC to a Mac. I'll figure another way out.



    Tallest...I know iOS isn't supposed to do this. I think it's a stupid limitation. If Apple is worried about us "stupid users" (typical of the new condescending Apple which I loath)...just hide system files from us like Android does, and let us see a few User folders where Apps store files. That way, unless the user really knows what they're doing they can't mess anything up.
  • Reply 4 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aquatic View Post


    Tallest...I know iOS isn't supposed to do this. I think it's a stupid limitation. If Apple is worried about us "stupid users" (typical of the new condescending Apple which I loath)...just hide system files from us like Android does, and let us see a few User folders where Apps store files. That way, unless the user really knows what they're doing they can't mess anything up.



    I think that Apple could easily have sequestered the OS and let us use our iDevices as disks like the iPods, too. But I'm sure they had a legitimate reason (being terrified, likely) for doing that.



    I really like the idea of making AirDrop work with iDevices, though. Maybe we'll see that.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,489moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aquatic View Post


    I wanted to use my iPad to move a bunch of large files from a PC to a Mac. I'll figure another way out.



    You can use an ethernet cable. You connect the two directly, turn on file sharing in Windows and mount the drive using the ethernet IP address. Gigabit speeds (if your PC has gigabit ethernet) and no intermediate copying.
  • Reply 6 of 11
    irelandireland Posts: 17,800member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aquatic View Post


    So iPad doesn't appear as a disk drive in My Computer on Windows or in Finder on OS X. No USB Mass Storage.



    Is there a way to do this? Without jailbreaking or whatever?



    For the record, Android just does this. It just works, with USB Mass Storage.



    iOS is about trade-offs. Besides, Apple are working on killing the Finder as best they can. Try use the Dropbox App.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    irnchrizirnchriz Posts: 1,617member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    You can use an ethernet cable. You connect the two directly, turn on file sharing in Windows and mount the drive using the ethernet IP address. Gigabit speeds (if your PC has gigabit ethernet) and no intermediate copying.



    You will need a crossover Ethernet cable or 2 standard cables with a router/switch in the middle.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by irnchriz View Post


    You will need a crossover Ethernet cable or 2 standard cables with a router/switch in the middle.



    No you don't. Just a single, normal Ethernet able will do. The Ethernet controller in Macs automatically detects and negates the need for a crossover cable. I would have thought windows PCs would be up to speed too! (Macs have been this way for 10 years or more!)
  • Reply 9 of 11
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    I appreciate the help ya'll. However, that is all very complicated. I just wanted a quick way to move anywhere from 20 to 50 gigs back and forth with my iPad, without any fuss. Like I can with my Droid. (Advantage being my iPad has four times the storage of my Droid!).



    With the filesizes you can why I'd want to be able to just drag onto a disk in Finder or Explorer. DropBox won't be doing 50 gigs.



    Lack of Finder is the most infuriating. I feel like I'm driving a car without a steering wheel with iOS. Android has a "Finder". It's quite useful. Droids are like computers, in the user interface philosophy.



    Oh well. Disk access isn't in iOS 5 is it?
  • Reply 10 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aquatic View Post




    Oh well. Disk access isn't in iOS 5 is it?





    If it is, it hasn't been announced.

    What you need is not an iPad, but a USB flash drive. A 64 GB flash drive is MUCH cheaper than an iPad.
  • Reply 11 of 11

    I think if it's all about using dropbox then you can use files-finder edition app intended to use as a complete file/media organization tool along with excel and document editing capabilities for iPad users who want to use rich features of finder and explorer on their iPad. You can get more info on this app by visiting it on iTunes and here is the link :https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/files-finder-edition/id733259837?mt=8

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