Is there life in the PostPC world? Part 2: daily work in iOS

    The second part of the tablet saga is devoted to office work on the iPad. This, I recall, is about a small experiment: for 12 months I refused to use desktop machines and completely switched to tablets. In the comments to the previous post , they claimed that it was inconvenient to type long texts on a mobile computer, work with spreadsheets and make presentations. This is not true: all the necessary software in the Apple online store is present, but the user needs to organize the workflow correctly, which we will do today.



    Workspace arrangement

    IOS applications are isolated from each other and do not have full access to the file system. They only work with their data and can access some system resources like “Camera Roll”. I did not notice any special problems with transferring files between programs, with one exception: regular iOS players are not allowed to exchange audio tracks and videos (this restriction does not apply to third-party software). For the rest, communism is complete - the file is transferred to any application capable of receiving it.

    Such an architecture is more secure, but it is poorly suited for creating content: if you work with different types of data within the same task, you have to scatter documents for several programs. A good way to solve the problem is to use cloud services (many editors are able to interact with them) or file managers, which are a great many in the AppStore. I chose the hybrid option thanks to the free Documents by Readdle app



    . It stores files of all types, works with archives, and also has a built-in text editor, browser, e-book reader and media player. There is an opportunity in it to exchange data via HTTP (Wi-Fi Drive function), send files by e-mail (several pieces of different types in one letter), view them and open in other programs.

    Documents by Readdle also works with popular cloud services, supports the WebDAV protocol, and most importantly, it fully synchronizes the local copy of files with remote storage, as clients on desktop OS do.



    My workspace is organized as follows: files of different types arranged in traditional folders are stored in the cloud with a full synchronized copy in Documents by Readdle. For viewing and playback of materials, the built-in functions of the file manager are used (it digests a huge number of formats, including those accepted in the free office suite OpenDocument), and for editing, applications that support the cloud work. If there is no broadband access to the network (this happens in the nomadic life of a journalist), a local copy of the file is transferred to another program for processing, or the built-in text editor is used. The option, of course, is peculiar, but in a system with strict isolation of applications it is impossible otherwise.

    Input Devices and Typing

    Working with the iPad’s touch screen is pretty handy thanks to multi-tasking gestures. Grabbing the application window with four or five fingers, you minimize it and get to the home screen, and to switch to the next or previous program, just swipe the window to the right or left. Swiping up causes the multitasking panel, which, in addition, allows you to unload applications from memory (a long press on any of the panel icons leads to the appearance of a red circle with a '-' on them).



    Screen keyboard
    To move the cursor in the editing field, you need to hold the touch - a “magnifying glass” appears, allowing you to set it exactly in the right place (short touches are used for rough positioning). If you release the screen, the menu for selecting and copying text will pop up (outside the edit field, markers resembling blue pins will immediately appear). There are other tricks, for example, a short “tap” with two fingers in the editor immediately selects the entire paragraph. You will have to master these tricks, since it is impossible to connect a mouse to the Apple tablet (I do not consider options with jailbreak).

    The on-screen keyboard of the iPad allows you to enter long and short dashes, various types of quotes used in Russian, and other characters that are not on the screen by long pressing the corresponding button (detailed instructionsavailable online). It is convenient, but suitable only for short notes or editing documents on the go - serious work with text requires an external keyboard.

    External keyboard
    Apple and third-party manufacturers produce many such accessories: from portable keyboards mounted in tablet cases to stationary docking stations, the user can only choose the option that suits him. I liked Logitech's Tablet Keyboard for iPad. The size is not inferior to the keyboards of large laptops and folds into a convenient carrying case (in the "combat" position, it turns into a stand for the tablet). This option has only one drawback - you need a table to work, you can’t put a tablet on your lap.

    The iPad keyboard has a home button, a search button, and an additional modifier button "Cmd" ('⌘') in addition to the traditional "Shift", "Ctrl" and "Alt" ('⌥'). Unfortunately, home users of the desktop machines "Home", "End", "PgUp" and "PgDown" are not here - their role is played by arrows with the "Cmd" modifier. The "Del" key is also missing and you need to use "Backspace" instead (at first it’s not convenient, but you get used to it over time). In this case, the modifier "Alt" allows you to destroy the word in front of the cursor, and "Cmd" - the entire line to the left of the cursor.

    Another important difference: in some traditional combinations, the Ctrl key must be replaced with Cmd. For example, "Cmd + A" selects all the text, and "Cmd + Z" cancels the previous action. Copying, cutting and pasting text here are done using "Cmd + C", "Cmd + X" and "Cmd + V", but "Shift" with arrows selects the text as in desktop OS.

    In general, there is enough keyboard wisdom and it will be necessary to spend some time on their development (it will be easier for macros): comprehensive instructions in Russian are available on the network, so the neophyte will not have any special difficulties.

    Text editors and code editors

    Finally, I want to go over the applications I use in my daily work. First of all, a journalist needs a quality text editor: free products did not suit me, but I liked the inexpensive iA Writer . It is convenient for editing large texts (including without an external keyboard), can work with files in Dropbox, send them by e-mail, open them in other applications, etc. The only problem is that the program does not support other cloud services. Another Important Application: Textastic Code Editor



    (I use mainly for HTML text layout). In addition to the functions necessary for the developer (syntax highlighting, line numbering, etc.), it also supports Dropbox, WebDAV (including the built-in server) and (S) FTP. The program allows you to not only edit the code, but also immediately publish it on the network. The developers chose the very correct ideology: we always change the local copy (even if we open the file on the network, it is first copied to the documents), and then we send it to the server with the click of a button. There are a lot of similar products in the AppStore (I would also mention Gusto ) and they are well made, but they are quite expensive - about $ 10.



    Office Packages

    IWorks seemed to be the best office suite in terms of usability (Pages, Numbers and Keynote modules are implemented as separate applications). You can create documents and spreadsheets in it no worse than in the desktop version, but there will be some problems with complex presentations with a lot of elements on the slides - they are inconvenient to do on a tablet with a 10 "screen. But with simple presentations, everything is fine - Keynote allows create beautiful documents. Pages, Numbers and Keynote are well integrated with iCloud, but the possibility of their interaction with other cloud services are limited to copying a document in an application to a WebDAV server. in addition, the purchase of three programs bypass I'm not cheap. To solve the problem, we recommend to buy Office² HD



    - I would call it the best office suite among third-party products. Other tested options are not even worth mentioning: to remove them from the tablet I am disturbed only by regrets about the gift of money spent. Mobile office suites have serious format support issues



    : for example, I could not find a single product capable of editing OpenDocument files. Moreover, not all applications open ordinary RTF (say, Pages and Office² HD are not capable of this). Fortunately, there are no such difficulties with viewing - in many cases, even installing a separate program is not required. Office documents sent by e-mail (except OpenDocument), text files, pictures, audio files and PDF documents are read by a regular iOS mail client. You can copy the data to the omnivorous Documents by Readdle or open it in another program (I recommend installing the free IBM Lotus Symphony Viewer for ODF files). There are still cloud versions of Microsoft Office, but they will be discussed in the next article.

    Browsers and archivers

    There are many third-party browsers in the AppStore. They also use the WebKit engine (they don’t let other Apple products into their store) and differ from Safari in some additional functions, such as the ability to download files of any type or filter ads. I use Google Chrome , because I got used to its desktop version and created a bunch of bookmarks in it. To download files of unsupported types, there is a built-in browser Documents by Readdle or a separate product of the same developer. Fans of Norwegian company programs may like Opera Mini . This browser is based on Opera Software’s own developments, but it is only the client part and does not contain an engine by itself (because moderators missed it in the AppStore).







    The file manager I use is able to work with archives, only the 7z format was too tough for him and I had to install a separate program. For omnivorousness, the commercial iZip Pro was chosen (it is not necessary to buy it, the AppStore has a free version with advertising ).



    Graphics

    The tablet is not suitable for professional work with graphics, although it is quite capable of solving the user's everyday tasks. The simplest editing (mainly cropping) does not require the installation of separate software, but if you need to retouch photos - you should buy Apple iPhoto . For more complex things, you need Adobe Photoshop Touch : despite the scary interface, the features of this program are comprehensive (including support for layers). There are other editors (including free ones) and I will consider working with graphics, sound and video in more detail later.



    Summary

    I had to get used to the new methods of work, but it was worth it - if the tablet configured correctly is inferior to the big machine, it will be insignificant. Significantly superior to her in mobility. It’s even more convenient for me to do some things on it - for example, to decrypt the interview. However, there are problems: on a small screen you won’t work with complex presentations containing a large number of objects in one slide. It is worth mentioning not enough good support for office formats (problems with ODF, RTF, etc.) and the lack of the ability to upload files of any type through the form on the site (the latter is specific to iOS). These unpleasant trifles complicate life, but I would not call their influence critical for most users - at least they do not cause me any special difficulties.

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