Pages and Numbers Not Syncing in iCloud

Catsman wrote:

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All I want to do (and I assumed I could) is write a document on my Macbook. When I go out or get a good idea while doing something else, edit it the same document on my iPad and return to working on it at home on the Macbook.

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Not as Apple wants us to do it , the way to do is this :

1. You open pages on your Mac 10.7.2 Mac, edit your document, save it to wherever you do on the Mac.

2. You fire up Safari, visit www.icloud.com and login. Then click on the "iwork" section. Now drag and drop your local document ( format : pages , doc , docx ) and drop it to the open browser.

3. Now it will appear on your iPad ( provided it has iOS5 and pages 1.5 on it and is set to use icloud )

4. After closing the document on your iPad the changes are synced to www.icloud.com.

5. In order to open the changed document on your Mac, you need again go via safari to www.icloud.com, iwork section, pages and can then download your file from on the road to your Download folder on OSX.

6. Open pages on the Mac, File -> Open -> Document in Download Folder.

7. Now you must remember that this file exists on your Mac in two versions : the newer one in the Downloads Folder and the original that you initially have drag and dropped on icloud.com.

All this is because icloud-documents is ONLY syncing iOS, never to OSX.

Well thanks much, if I have to save it and log in into icloud and look for the iwork folder and drag and drop and then go back again and take it out and look for the older version of the document and delete it... 😟 I'll just keep using my dropbox then!

Thank you for this bit of advice - although it is not a perfect solution it is certainly very helpful because at least it ensures that a Document created in Pages on a Mac does open directly in the Pages App on an iOS 5 device.

Agreed. It's worse than Dropbox and what's even more ridiculous: it is worse than using iDisk!

Big big mistake from Apple. They just have to make sure advanced features in mac pages are not edited/removed in iOS pages. Seems as mentioned there is already a solution available for this so it is a must to implement in my opinion.

Are apple really going to fail twice with cloud computing? Maybe third time lucky ;). Afterall failing is a good thing.

Something strikingly missing from their cloud solution so far is collaboration. The clouds in the sky are certainly pointing to google!

Unfortunately, Apple has proved yet again that it just doesn't get the cloud. The current iwork on the Website solution is a joke. How can they not at the very least give us a sync folder on the computer (aka Dropbox) that syncs automatically to iCloud.

Appled pitched a solution that you wouldn't have to think about - just close your laptop and open your iPad and, bingo, there is your file.

They failed to deliver. Very disappointed.

dave_a wrote:

.. at least it ensures that a Document created in Pages on a Mac does open directly in the Pages App on an iOS 5 device.

It will . But fonts might be replaced and comments removed, formatting might be off here and there. Pages iOS and Pages OSX are not 100% compatible, but in general it works, yes. Same for Microsoft Office 2008 and 2011 , the basic document with embedded cliparts/pictures is the same on iOS, but sometimes a blank page is where it should not be, drop shadows and advanced effects however survive the transfer..

They failed to deliver. Very disappointed.

Yes. Me, too.

Some folks here even think I make jokes when I explain how to get Mac docs to the cloud.. so "intuitive" is it !

It seems the docs do sync to the Mac, just not anywhere useful - ~/Library/Mobile Documents/{app}/Documents

Addendum - also in a useless format. If you edit the sheet(for instance) on an iDevice, it's no longer in a proper iWork format.

I assumed that iCloud would be pretty much like DropBox except with the added bonuses of contacts/calendar/email/photo syncing and the legitimizer service (i.e., iTunes Match).

In terms of document storage, DropBox seems to be superior in pretty much every way. No file type restrictions, automatic syncing and excellent OS integration. I'm really puzzled by Apple this time - surely somebody there must have known that it was inferior to DropBox in terms of document management. At the very least they should add an iCloud folder to all iCloud-enabled Macs and devices - I don't see how it would cause them any drama.

Keep in mind that Apple has been working on developing Lion 7.2 and iOS 5.0 for quite a while. iWork's for MAC is the 2009 edition with some additions but obviously they are working on a new release for the MAC, at least I hope so. The iPad version of iWork's is pretty darn good, I use Pages and Numbers every day. For now, even though I'm not happy about it, I can live with the manual syncing process of using the iCloud.com website to upload and download documents to sync with my iPad. Hopefully the day will come when whatever I do on my MAC in the office is automatically synced to my iMac at home and to my iPad. Then I'll be happy. I think Apple took on a lot with releasing the operating systems updates and icloud at the same time, but once the smoke settles we'll all realize how great this stuff really is.

I too am very dissapointed this doesn't work - I bought my iPad only today mainly because I thought I could work on and sync my numbers and pages documents. I am sooo dissapointed - please apple fix this and very soon. please please please!

I would like to agree with you optimistic viewpoint Dieter, and hope that in the near future we'll see iWork '12 that resolves the situation. However, that this was not thought out in advance does make one wonder if Apple is trying to encourage (force) us into a world of solely iOS.

I really cant believe this isnt going to be resolved. Its a step backwards from Mobile Me if it isnt but I am sure it will be because in the iCloud system preferences on the mac, there is a tick box for documents in the Sky. It must be there for a reason.

i´m also totally disapointet...

i buyed the ipad to work with dokuments...

so far so good, i have to buy numbers and Pages... 15 € ... ok

but then i can´t use a WORKING system? *huuuuuuuu*?

- Pages 1.5 is breaking down every 30 minutes of use...

- icloud is not beta, its alpha....

the funktions are SO limited that its USELESS

and them pages and numbers have no ability to save on Dropbox?

and nooooooooooowwww?

i buy such an expensive tablet, buy an INHOUSE Office and canz use it...

i´m so dissapointed...

holgerfromwettstetten wrote:

i´m also totally disapointet...

i buyed the ipad to work with dokuments...

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and them pages and numbers have no ability to save on Dropbox?

and nooooooooooowwww?

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Since when is "dropbox" a apple service.. ? Get serious.

You do not have to use icloud for iwork on iOS at all. Iwork on iOS has a impressive list of where to store or share your documents even without the icloud.

tap the tools icon in pages/numbers and there is your "print and share" options.

Save the documents to itunes and open them in your PC/Mac. Options include iwork09 /Microsoft Office and PDF formats.

Use itunes on PC/Mac to add files back to the apps . No icloud involved. That's how the 1.4 apps worked by default and this system is still working.

Upload to iwork.com for collaboration / invitation by mail. works with non-apple users as well.

Upload to a webdav server for enterprise usage

Print directly if you own a airprint-compatible device.

So, how is it missing document - access ?

And the apps are stable for me. I use them on iPad2 as well as on my iPod touch. Nothing to complain . I complain only for the icloud mess that documents stored there are deleted randomly, which makes it pointless to use. But as i say : You do not have to store there at all and still get all the goodies in iwork for iOS. These three apps from Apple are among the most impressive ones you find for iOS Devices. I happily paid 24 euros for the full suite. And I use them ever day.