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can I use a usb drive with my iPad2?

My job demands that I carry data on a usb thumb drive and it is infiuriating that I cannot connect it to my iPad.


Or can I...?

iPad 2

Posted on Jan 25, 2012 11:59 AM

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25 replies

Jan 25, 2012 1:05 PM in response to robhall53

@robhall53 No you can't connect any USB devices to an iPad. This is basically to prevent the sharing of intelectual property, i.e. music and movies. I am trying to use my iPad as a real work device, you know, create, edit and collaborate with my coworkers on various types of documents and it is crazy making that it is so difficult to get docs onto and off of an iPad. I am using DropBox and iCloud. When I use and iWorks file I use iCloud, when I need to get a file to someone else quickly I use DropBox and QuickOffice.


I am checking out OnLive's new desktop and once they get all the bugs worked out of it, it should be what we are looking for. It provides a Windows XP desktop with stripped down versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It also requires you to have a free OnLive account. Hopefully they will allow connections to DropBox soon.

Jan 25, 2012 1:53 PM in response to robhall53

Some people have had success with Seagate's 'GoFlex' wireless harddrive. Never used one myself but it's a portable harddrive that sets up its own wifi hotspot, that you use to connect with the iPad and transfer files from the harddrive.


There's also something called an 'iDrive' or 'iFlash' that's a 30 pin on one end, usb on the other. Kinda pricy for civilians but maybe not for a business.

Jan 25, 2012 1:54 PM in response to Thom_D

I'm learning OnLive and like it, but you have to upload your files to their server. I agree that a Dropbox link would make OnLiver really useable and useful. As it is, though, the Office apps work pretty nicely. Wish that the keyboard had the F keys etc, the one on CloudOn which by the way....I tired CloudOn this afternoon, which does load files directly from Dropbox, but the Office products are set up to "auto save" as you edit. Yikes! So your Dropbox files change. No way to "save as". No way to simply close a document that is open in an Office app. Very strange. I deleted CloudOn from the iPad and sent a note to its developers with my complaints.

Feb 16, 2012 4:10 AM in response to Thomas

Nothing that I've seen. As a whole, the idea isn't something that Apple seems to support. Their preference is for everything to be sync'd via iTunes or e-mailed. their 'sandboxed' appoach means there's no real file manager like there is on a computer. Every piece of data placed on the iPad is meant to be associated with an app. As such, it's meant to be sync'd.

can I use a usb drive with my iPad2?

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