Word documents on an iPad help please

rosie-lee

Hello

Of a usually technophobic disposition, the sad demise of a laptop fondly known to be older than my daughter, I have ventured onto an iPad for communication.

As I normally use ms word and attach docs to emails, I am struggling with it.

Looking on the store bit, the reviews say that the ms word apps are just tutorials.

Please could anyone advise me on what's best to do in order for me to be able to work properly on this thing?

Thanks in anticipation
RosieLee

macman

If you want to read and edit Word files, you'll need Apple's Pages app, which is compatible with .doc files (though some functions will not work cross-platform).
If you just want to read Word files, the iPad will do that natively under iOS.
The iPad is not really intended as a device for intensive word processing work.
Or you could use Google Docs, but it's more limited.

rosie-lee

Thanks very much, that's really helpful to me, I' off to download it now:)

googler

Why not just type what you type into Word into the e-mail?

Is there some aspect of Word that you need, such as WordArt, Tables, Graphs or such?

callistris

For word docs I use dropbox and cloud on, but this is primarily when .doc files are created on a pc first.

Both are free and imo worth having if you use word.

googler

googler wrote: »

Why not just type what you type into Word into the e-mail?

Is there some aspect of Word that you need, such as WordArt, Tables, Graphs or such?

To demonstrate the point, open a Word doc and type a short phrase such as "Mary had a Little Lamb". Save it, and look at the file size - with my version, that generates a Word Doc of 20kB.

A .txt doc with the same text is 1Kb.

So every time you send a Word Doc with plain text backward and forward over the internet, you're wasting 19Kb's worth of bandwidth. The recipient will most likely download it onto their machine to read it, which will use another 19Kb on their disc, and use up their time in the download, save, then open dialogue. Then, if they find they don't need to keep it, they have to delete it later on.

If it's plain text, just put it in the e-mail, and save bandwidth, time and disc space.

rosie-lee

I think you misunderstand. The doc files are ongoing ones, things that I go back to, alter, edit and send to different people. Things like scripts, reading collections, verses, instructions, reports. It 's not at all practical to put them into an email, but thanks anyway.

marvell-kid

callistris wrote: »

For word docs I use dropbox and cloud on, but this is primarily when .doc files are created on a pc first.

Both are free and imo worth having if you use word.

This is exactly what I use, I have a dedicated folder for my CloudOn word documents (as it is a bit fiddly) so I can finish them at home.

But you can create (As well as edit) word Documents in CloudOn.

Minerva_2

Do I need a Dropbox account to use Cloudon? Or can I use Skydrive to edit Word docs on my ipad?
Couldn't resist the refub ipad deal from Apple, but really need to be able to create and edit word docs and there is no OpenOffice free equivalent for ipad that I know of.

Tallymanjohn

I can recommend Cloudon as well - it helps if you have a dropbox account as it integrates as part of the setup process - I think you can use GoogleDrive and 'Box', whatever that is, but no SkyDrive that I saw. It's much easier to use than Pages and has many more Word-like functions -plus it actually gives you cursor keys above the keyboard so no silly magnifying glass. The only slight annoyance is that you have to log into it each time you want to use it.

By the way, it's not correct that you need to create documents on a pc first, you can create a new word document, excel file or powerpoint file and they are automatically saved in your dropbox folder.

One other slight issue, the documents are saved in Office 2007/10 formats - ie .docx, .xlsx etc. so you either need the newer versions on your pc or the MS converter program.