Mobile Network Storage to work with iPad

dw85

Hello!
Have been looking at joining the iPad revolution and was originally looking at new iPad 32Gb wifi and tethering it to my mobile. All well and good, until i wasnt able to get it anywhere!
As my main concern is storage size (16GB being not enough, and no room for expansion), i was told about Seagates Satellite Go Flex Mobile Network Storage 500GB (£150 instore Comet, cheaper on Amazon).

I wanted to know if anyone has used this and what issues they've come across? Mixed reviews on amazon, and it looks like the only one available.
Help and suggestions greatly received!

Humphrey10

Why not just get a 64GB iPad if you are worried about not having enough storage?

dw85

Humphrey10 wrote: »

Why not just get a 64GB iPad if you are worried about not having enough storage?

Cost & value. Hence dropping down to a 16GB iPad and having this portable drive which has its own wifi that the iPad can connect to.
iPad £399 + drive £150 = £549
Same cost as 64GB but the drive can then be shared via the wifi, and its much much bigger. Also read on the box it was multi platform compatible so will work with Apple, Android and Windows (as long as the files are the correct format!)

Just wondered if anyone has/had used it and well it worked

Big_Ed

What do you need the storage for?
Currently I'm using less than half of the 16GB since music and films can be streamed from a pc and therefore don't need to be copied onto the pad.

billywhizz

Don't get the 16GB iPad, my 32GB has about 12GB of apps on it, which won't be solved by having a fileserver, hold out for the 32GB, you'll regret it otherwise.

googler

I haven't come across a method for copying files back and forward from the iPad other than using iTunes.

There doesn't seem to be a file viewer/manipulator, an equivalent to Windows Explorer, if you like. There's no option to Save As.. to a location outwith a program or app, you merely update, with all changes saved within the app, and the 'file' accessed through the app.

Whilst this device may be Apple (Mac) compatible, are you sure it's iPad-compatible....?

vuvuzela

googler wrote: »

I haven't come across a method for copying files back and forward from the iPad other than using iTunes.

There doesn't seem to be a file viewer/manipulator, an equivalent to Windows Explorer, if you like. There's no option to Save As.. to a location outwith a program or app, you merely update, with all changes saved within the app, and the 'file' accessed through the app.

Whilst this device may be Apple (Mac) compatible, are you sure it's iPad-compatible....?

It comes with an iPad app : http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/goflex-media-seagate-technology/id431912202?mt=8

neilwoods

Or save even more money and don't buy the new ipad3. Read the reviews on it and you will see a lot of problems with it. The wifi on the ipad3 is very poor, drop's all the time. It gets pretty hot when in use. The retina screen is not as good as apple make it out to be.

Go for the ipad 2 if you wan't to go the apple route

pogofish

As well as the various Apps to acess files, you can get various types of adaptor like this that let you use SDHC cards with your iPad:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-2-IN-1-USB-Camera-Connection-SD-SDHC-Card-Reader-Adapter-Kit-iPad-1-2-/170784011932?pt=UK_Computing_Apple_Mac_Accessories&hash=item27c385369c

SDHC Class-6 cards are fast enough to watch movies direct but Classes 2 and 4 are maybe a bit slow but would be fine for music, images etc.

The USB on these will also drive some portable hard drives - mine works with a Seagate and a Samsung but I have seen reports that some other brands can struggle for power, so find one to try before you buy.

And there are online storage sites like A-Drive:

http://www.adrive.com/

which gives you 50Gb free and of course Microsoft's Skydrive, which is what, 25Gb? However these are really just for storage, on most of the real-world connections that I find, they are not up to streaming much more than a song or two. Also depending on your phone provider they can eat-up your data allowance, so I tend only to use them on wifi!

SuperHan

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/western-digital-my-book-live-network-hard-drive-2tb-black-09520191-pdt.html?intcmpid=display~RR~~09520191

I had one of these.. It has an iPhone app, not looked on the iPad. The only problem is that it connects over the internet, not your local network. So even if you are sharing a connection with the drive you will need to download files from the internet (if that makes sense!)

You can access files anywhere though, so long as you have internet connection. It might not be wise to do this tethered though as it will eat up a lot of data, obviously.

I would recommend the network drive option over the others suggested here (except maybe the cloud based solutions), because it's much easier than messing around with extra peripheral devices etc.

dw85

Big_Ed wrote: »

What do you need the storage for?
Currently I'm using less than half of the 16GB since music and films can be streamed from a pc and therefore don't need to be copied onto the pad.

i travel for work quite a bit and the laptop is quite bulky, so this way i can have access to everything (movies &docs) and not have to worry bout data limit
Ive also been told that the newer apps are 'hungrier' and take up more space to accomodate the hi-res?

save even more money and don't buy the new ipad3

i just want something shiney! <girly answer
And to be better than my friends...hes a competetive guy!:rotfl:<bigger girly answer!
I read that Apple are discontinuing the 32/64GB iPad 2s now?

Also, the SD card reader/adaptor, that looks like it only goes one way? If i am wrong, please correct me!