I've looked all around inside the iPad, and I've searched the internet for the last 45 minutes. All I want to do is make a stinkin' pdf. This is so easy and obvious on my Macbook. What's up with you, iPood?
iPad (4th gen) Wi-Fi, iOS 8
That's a function of whatever app you're using. It has to provide the ability to export the document as a PDF file.
Many do. Many don't. What app are you using?
In this case, Safari. On may Mac I can make a pdf of anything I'm looking at. It's part of the machine, not the application.
I presume you're aware an iPad is not a traditional laptop? Even if you could create a PDF of a web page, where would you save it to? How would you get at it? The locked down design of iOS doesn't let you dig through the file system as you can in OS X or Windows.
Sorry to vent, but I am frustrated with this. So, I take pictures, and they go into a photo album. I write a note in Pages, and it stores it. I enter names in the Address book, and they are saved. How is this any different?
And, missing the main point of your response, are you saying that there is no way to make pdfs on an iPad?
Thanks for your help, by the way. I do appreciate it!
With your examples of Pages and other apps, the files they save are sandboxed and stored within that app's package. Technically it's the same, but note that you can't get directly at them. You can print your Pages document to an AirPrint capable printer, but what else? I'm not even sure you can get that file off the iPad to a desktop computer.
I played with Preview and the Adobe Reader a bit in iOS 8 (where I'm typing from). I can easily view PDF files from the web, but can't do much of anything else with them. The Reader has an Edit button (haven't tried that yet), but then I'd be at the same point. Where and how do I save the edits?
Edit: Scratch that. The Edit button in the Adobe Reader doesn't have anything to do with actually editing the contents of a PDF file. You select PDFs that are on the iPad and decide what to do with them (delete, rename, create and store them by different folders). One option though is to send them to your Adobe account at an Acrobat.com storage space. Then you can pull the PDF back down to your desktop computer. But you still can't create a PDF out of anything. At least, not that I can see. If you had a way, I think that's where the Reader comes in. It finds any PDF files on your iPad and displays them in a list. If you could create one, then you could send it out through the Reader.
I guess my point is, the iPad does have some storage space. Not as much as a Macbook Pro for sure, but it has some. Why can't it be used? Even my klunky little Android phone has a documents folder where stuff like this can go. It's baffling to me that mighty Apple, famed for productivity and ease of use, would fail so badly on this one. I'm finding lots of limitations on the pad. Some I understand, because of what it is, but some just seem silly...like this one.
As for moving items from the iPad to my Mac, I've been able to email documents from Pages and Numbers, and I've been able to send photos via email too. I think I also moved some files with Bluetooth.
Thanks again for your help here!
I do see what you're getting at, but a lot of folks look for the iPad to do things it was never designed or intended to do. Much more than anything else, it's a reference device, and was never meant to be used the same way a laptop is. Some apps shoehorn a way into their apps to create and save content, but almost to an app, you can only call up those files while the app is running. Actually finding a file and copying it to another device is just short of impossible.
The only spot on an entire iPad Apple gives users access to is a photos folder. You can easily see and copy images from the iPad to your Mac (when connected with the USB cable), but copying items to the iPad is much more convoluted as it requires setting up a synced folder.
Since any Pages documents you create on your iPad are stored in the app's package, you would think you could get at them that way. That is, you use iTunes to backup your iPad to your Mac, and all apps are stored in the iTunes folder of your user account. Great! It's on your Mac. Problem is, you can't open any of these .ipa files.
With over a 1.2 million ios apps, there is probably one that can do what you want.
check out...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/start-web-to-pdf-+-browser/id525460168?mt=8
this google search will get you more:
ipad web browser create pdf
Not sure if this helps but if you use Pages you click on the "Share" icon at the top right then "Send a Copy" choose PDF then send it to all sorts of choices text message, e-mail, copy to your iBooks, iTunes, another App, etc. It will save the file as a PDF and send it in that format. If you just want to save it as a PDF it will save it to iBooks where you can open it, print it etc.
I hope this helps
In Safari, you can hold down your finger on the web page and copy it to the clipboard then go to Pages and paste it. There you can do what I indicated in my previous post above.
Cheers
Thank you recharles, I'll take a look!
I must be doing something wrong. It seems to copy, but then when I paste to Pages nothing appears.
I made a lucky discovery that may help. When backing up my iPad to my Mac, I was watching the new apps I had installed on the iPad being copied into the backup folder of the Mac. They initially have a .zip extension. When the copy is done, it changes to .ipa . HA! Big clue. I copied one of the .ipa files to the desktop so I could play with it. I changed the extension from .ipa to .zip, and whadayaknow? It opened the same as any other .zip file and I could go through every individual file of the "app".
So in a like manner, you may be able to pull out your Pages document from the backed up iPad app package, and then open it in the desktop version of Pages. Then from there, generate a PDF.
Take a look at
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/pdf-converter-save-documents/id447444215
Found via …
http://www.macstories.net/roundups/ios-8-extensions-and-widgets-im-trying-this-w eekend/
iOS 8 adds the ability to 'extend apps' with extra share sheet features etc, so you must hit the store (or review sites). I'd also suggest Dropbox and/ or GoodReader. Both are good dumping grounds for PDF's etc. They are still isolated ghettos, but that is how iOS behaves by design. You can move files around a little more nowadays, but if you get stuck, try the old 'email yourself' trick. PDFPen is supposed to be good for PDF editing, but I haven't had the need for it.
Kurt I don't think mucking about in backups is the Apple way, email Pages docs, use iCloud or possibly pull them out of the iTunes sync thing (the bit where you select an app & add / remove docs). I don't have pages or iOS 8 so correct me where I'm wrong.
Why is iPad so hard to use? I just want to make a pdf!!! How???
