Easiest Way to Transfer Files from PC to iPad? Frustrated User Needs Help!

[sulwyn]

Hello all,

I'm a newish iPad user (iPad 2, 64 Gig, wifi only, iOS 5.1.1) and so far I have a love/hate relationship with this device. I love the interface and the apps. But I am tearing my hair out over the problem of transferring files from my PC to my tablet. Most of these files are pdfs, ebooks, and digital comics, but also some music files & avis.

I've jailbroken the thing and installed iFiles and OpenSSH from Cydia. I also have GoodReader and FileApp Pro. I've diligently searched the web for info on how to best transfer files between PC & iPad, and the best method I found was wireless transfer using iFiles to mount the iPad as a networked drive. I need to be able to transfer files in bulk and inside folders. At first I thought the iFiles/network drive method would work great, but then my PC said it would take about 11 hours to transfer 800 MB! This is ridiculous, of course, so I tried to see if I could do the same type of transfer via the USB cable, but apparently that's not possible.

So, here I am--stuck with a wonderful device with an absolutely lousy file transfer system. I really want to use the iPad, but if I can't solve the file transfer issue I'm just going to sell it. Can anyone offer some advice?

Thanks!

sulwyn

 

[slayda]

I feel your pain, believe me. If you find a solution, I'd like to know it. I'd bet your not a Mac or other Apple computer user (as neither am I - iPad is my first Apple product).

This is probably not a solution to your problem since it is a one at a time (as far as I know) but I use Dropbox for transferring my ebooks and sometimes music & movies but I mostly use it for ebooks.

 

[sulwyn]

Yes, I'm a PC user and prefer PCs to Apple as a rule, but I wanted to give the iPad a fair shake. It's too bad that an otherwise great device has such poor ability to import, export & sync files with a PC. (I don't count iTunes, which is godawful software).

I've tried Dropbox, SugarSync and Skydrive with the iPad. Dropbox is fair but I just have a free account and I need to transfer more than 2 Gigs of data. I thought Skydrive's 25 Gigs would be the answer, but it's painfully slow which renders it almost useless. SugarSync is nice but again, limited to 5 Gigs. I refuse to pay for a cloud account just to get files onto my tablet.

Isn't there anyone out there who's got a solution to this? About the only thing I haven't tried is using the camera connection kit. If I got it, could I transfer whole folders and large files via iFile or something? I'm happy to buy that if it'll work, but I don't want to spend the money if it doesn't help.

 

[Rdk]

Before the "iCloud", I could access iTunes and play music that I had downloaded from CDs and I could acces a tv show that I downloaded on my ipad1. Now, I can get to these things on iTunes on my pc, but it won't show up on my ipad1 iTunes - what am I doing wrong???

 

[dhewson777]

Before the "iCloud", I could access iTunes and play music that I had downloaded from CDs and I could acces a tv show that I downloaded on my ipad1. Now, I can get to these things on iTunes on my pc, but it won't show up on my ipad1 iTunes - what am I doing wrong???

When you iPad is plugged in, check the Music tab settings. Something there is not right for syncing of music. Also check the TV Shows and Movies tab settings.

 

[Swecodelico]

(...) the only thing I haven't tried is using the camera connection kit. If I got it, could I transfer whole folders and large files via iFile or something? I'm happy to buy that if it'll work, but I don't want to spend the money if it doesn't help.

I have the camera connection kit. I tried to import photos and contacts from my old Nokia phone once.
I got an error message. I don't remember exactly the message but it was something about the device you're connecting is too big.
All I have managed to import is from my camera, so... yes, the camera connection kit allows you to do exactly what it says on the tin, nothing more.

Does your PC have an SD card slot? The camera kit includes an SD connector. Maybe this could be an option for you; I'm googling on SD cards and apparently there are 64Gb cards and even over 100Gb. What I wonder is if the iPad would give you the same stupid error message with SD cards over a certain number of Gb. If I had to guess, I'd say that it goes well with any SD card and the error message only appears when we try to connect the iPad to mobile phones from other manufacturers and other devices, but to be on the safe side you should have this checked before you buy the camera kit.

 

[Gabriel1]

Yes, I'm a PC user and prefer PCs to Apple as a rule, but I wanted to give the iPad a fair shake. It's too bad that an otherwise great device has such poor ability to import, export & sync files with a PC. (I don't count iTunes, which is godawful software).

I've tried Dropbox, SugarSync and Skydrive with the iPad. Dropbox is fair but I just have a free account and I need to transfer more than 2 Gigs of data. I thought Skydrive's 25 Gigs would be the answer, but it's painfully slow which renders it almost useless. SugarSync is nice but again, limited to 5 Gigs. I refuse to pay for a cloud account just to get files onto my tablet.

Isn't there anyone out there who's got a solution to this? About the only thing I haven't tried is using the camera connection kit. If I got it, could I transfer whole folders and large files via iFile or something? I'm happy to buy that if it'll work, but I don't want to spend the money if it doesn't help.

I've been experimenting a lot lately, whilst these are no where near the only solutions they are the ones that I have been trying so should give you some idea of the possibilities......

http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-connect/75570-cloudftp.html

http://www.ipadforums.net/network-attached-storage-nas/74006-personal-cloud-storage.html

The Archangel

 

[DefBref]

Have you actually tried using itunes? It seems to me you've rushed to jailbreak and try to do it as you would expect a PC to work instead of investigating how it is actually designed to work.

For each file type find an app that deals with them e.g. goodreader for PDF , then connect your device to your PC and open itunes, select the device under the device menu on the left hand side of itunes and then select the apps tab on the right hand side near the top. Scroll down to file sharing and there should be a list of apps. Select the app for the file type and use the add function to add your files.

 

[slayda]

Thanks to The Archangel's leading the way to personal cloud storage, I have purchased a Western Digital 2 TB My Book Live. I now have my own cloud with 2 TB & with the WD2go app, I (and my authorized users) can get to it from anywhere on the Internet. It's much better than a few GB on Dropbox.

Thanks Archangel. :thumbs:

 

[Gabriel1]

Thanks to The Archangel's leading the way to personal cloud storage, I have purchased a Western Digital 2 TB My Book Live. I now have my own cloud with 2 TB & with the WD2go app, I (and my authorized users) can get to it from anywhere on the Internet. It's much better than a few GB on Dropbox.

Thanks Archangel. :thumbs:

Thank you, I'm glad to have been of some use.

The Archangel

 

[Rdk]

When you iPad is plugged in, check the Music tab settings. Something there is not right for syncing of music. Also check the TV Shows and Movies tab settings.

Finally found a tab in music for More and that opened up where to share files from. Changed to my iPad and they instantly loaded up. BUT, the same is not happening with the tv show that I downloaded from iTunes, it's on the pc but won't display on the iPad. Any ideas?

 

[dhewson777]

Finally found a tab in music for More and that opened up where to share files from. Changed to my iPad and they instantly loaded up. BUT, the same is not happening with the tv show that I downloaded from iTunes, it's on the pc but won't display on the iPad. Any ideas?

On the iPad, are you using the Video app to access the TV Shows?

 

[AQ_OC]

Why should it take 11 hours to move less than 1 GB of files? I move movies larger than that all the time and I takes no where near 11 hours. It was probably one of those estimates that quickly drops once you start the transfer, or you have superslow wifi.

Also, come now. Moving files to an iPad is no big deal.

 

[Liptonese]

Curious, for those who transfer files regularly, are there any good apps you would suggest to access FTPs?

 

[Gabriel1]

Curious, for those who transfer files regularly, are there any good apps you would suggest to access FTPs?

GoodReader has an FTP function.

The Archangel