Why is Photostream so difficult to use?

[cwinter]

It seems difficult to transfer pictures to the iPad. Sure, I can sync a folder through iTunes but I hardly use iTunes for anything so this is not really convenient, plus, I need to keep a separate folder I sync with the pictures I want on the iPad. I'm not trying to diss iOS here, but on my Android devices I just move a folder over into memory and bam, it appears on my Gallery view. I can even rename files there if I wish to or en-masse create new folders and move files around.

Since Dropbox does not let you DOWNLOAD a whole folder or multiples files at once, using Dropbox to move the pictures I want to the iPad is also not feasible. Hence, I had hoped Photostream could help. So I set it up on Windows 7 machine, pointed it to an upload and download folder and thought I was golden. Put about 30 pictures in there and then fought with it for 30 minutes and the Apple Support Forum to actually make them apear on the iPad. After a Photostream reset they actually did.

Then yesterday my wife moves a bunch of pictures from our camera to the computer and figures she'll drop some new pics in my upload folder so I can get them while at work in Photostream. That didn't happen though. The pictures never got the iPad, though I'm on constant WiFi at work and above 20% battery. Tried resetting Photostream again but no luck. Disabled Photostream and enabled it again; nada.

I hope there is a Google Drive App soon that works, or that Dropbox finally enables you to download whole folders or multiple files to the iPad. I thought iCloud was just supposed to work?!? :-|

 

[cwinter]

After fiddling with iCloud a few more times, re-installing and uninstalling the Windows client, resetting the photostream, etc etc...I give up. It just doesn't work and never has for me; at best it worked intermittently. I hope updates may fix this in the future.

For now I'm using Photobucket to move pictures to the iPad. It actually does just work.

My wife stays home with our little one and takes lots of pictures of her. I had hoped she could just periodically dump photos in the iCloud upload folder and I'd get them at work throughout the day, but that never worked. With Photobucket she can take pictures on her cell phone and immediately share them on Photobucket with me for download to the iPad. If we download pics from the camera to the computer we can also just upload them via the web browser.

At least it works though I wish Photobucket had a Windows app similar to Dropbox where I have direct access to uploading files via explorer. (I know, I can set up an FTP folder, but haven't gotten around to it yet.)

I suppose iCloud has been the biggest disappointment to me of an otherwise happy first month with the iPad. Only "feature" I use and appears to work fine is "Find my iPad"

 

[twerppoet]

Photo Stream works for me, but it's not a good instant gratification solution. Depending on when each device has wi-fi, and for how long, it can take 24hrs or more for photos to get transferred to all devices.

If I need a photo transferred between devices now, I use PhotoSync (no hyphen). Other like Bump.

Given that Photos Stream does not store photos forever (1000 or 30 days), I always use a more permanent site or the computer (via USB) to save them; at least the ones ones worth saving.

 

[cwinter]

twerppoet, I guess you summed it up. From the Apple commercials and the narrative on the website, it seemed like an instant gratification type solution, similar to Dropbox. I put a file on dropbox and bam, it appears on every device I have that has an active Internet connection.

For now, it seems iCloud can't deliver that, which I find quite odd. The 30 days limit of the Photostream would have been a non-issue for me, since I would download the pictures from the stream that I'd want to keep to the iPad. It seemed like such an easy way for me to push pictures to the iPad but unfortunately not. :-/

At least Photobucket seems to work alright for now, but still no ability to select multiple pictures and DOWNLOAD them. Ah well...

 

[hpulmer]

I hate my photo stream!

I love my photo stream! The pics I take with my iPhone appear quickly on my iPad and vice versa...

 

[Atwater2]

Hate My Photo Stream

not to be properly working my photo stream so i don't like this, i hate my iphone photo stream!!!!!!

Best & Warm Thank's
Atwater