In and Out Of Office: Putting iPads To Work March 16, 2011 by Walter S. Mossberg
While it can perform many of the functions of a PC or Mac, Apple's iPad- including the new iPad 2-lacks two of the most common and frequently used features of a traditional computer. It has no standard USB port for connecting a flash drive or external hard disk, so you can't move files into and out of it from these devices. And it doesn't have a systemwide, user-accessible file system like those on traditional computers.
These omissions have led many readers to ask me how you get files-especially Microsoft Office files and PDFs-into and out of iPads. They have bolstered the contention that the popular tablet is really just a "consumption device," not a productivity tool.
So, here's a brief primer on how to get such documents into and out of an iPad, and how to view, edit and create them on the tablet. This isn't an in-depth product review, though I've tested every product and method I will mention here. It's merely a quick, practical guide to how to work with documents on an iPad.
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