Chapter 38. Transferring and Editing Microsoft Office Documents
Most people use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. If you have data trapped in a Word (.doc/.docx), Excel (.xls/.xlsx), or PowerPoint (.ppt/.pptx) file format, you can transfer and view the data on your iPad by simply emailing the files as attachments and then opening those attachments on your iPad. Your iPad can also view documents, spreadsheets, and presentations created with Apple’s iWork suite for the Macintosh.
However, if you want to edit these office files on your iPad, you need to go through some additional steps. First, buy what you need from Apple’s iWork office suite for the iPad, which consists of Pages (word processor), Numbers (spreadsheet), and Keynote (presentation program). Each of these apps costs $9.99, so you may not want to buy the whole suite.
After you buy, download, and install one or more iWork apps on your iPad, the next step is transferring your files into your iPad. (For complete file compatibility, you’ll want to use iWork to create new documents on your Macintosh.) After editing your files on your iPad, you’ll have to transfer your files from your iPad back to your computer if you need to use them there. Once you have these apps, you can also edit the Microsoft Office files that you receive in your email on your iPad.
In this chapter, you will learn how to edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on your iPad.
What You’ll Be Using
To transfer documents to your iPad, you need to use the following:
Transferring Microsoft Office Files to Your iPad
If you need to edit lots of Microsoft Office files on your iPad, you’ll want to transfer them to and from your iPad using the iTunes program on your computer. Depending on the type of Microsoft Office file you want to edit, you’ll need to first buy, download, and install Pages (to edit Word files), Numbers (to edit Excel spreadsheets), or Keynote (to edit PowerPoint presentations) on your iPad.
To transfer Microsoft Office files from your computer to your iPad, follow these steps:
Make sure you have downloaded and installed the Pages, Numbers, or Keynote apps on your iPad.
Connect your iPad to your computer using the USB cable.
Run iTunes on your computer.
Click the name of your iPad in the Devices category.
Click the Apps tab. The Apps screen appears.
Scroll down to the bottom of the Apps screen until you see the File Sharing category, as shown in Figure 38-1.
Note
If any other iPad apps you have can share files with your computer, you’ll find those apps listed in this File Sharing category as well.
In the Apps category, click the name of the app that will open your Microsoft Office file. (In other words, click Pages for Word documents, Numbers for Excel spreadsheets, or Keynote for PowerPoint presentations.) The right list box displays Pages, Numbers, or Keynote Documents.
Click Add. A Choose a File dialog appears where you can click a file and click Choose. (For a faster way to import a file, just drag and drop the file into this document list box.) Your chosen file appears in the Documents list box.
From the Home screen of your iPad, tap the icon of the iWork app that you want to use to edit the Microsoft Office file you just added. Your chosen app (Pages, Numbers, or Keynote) screen appears.
(Optional) Tap My Documents/Spreadsheets/Presentations if the My Documents/Spreadsheets/Presentations screen doesn’t appear when you open the iWork app, as shown in Figure 38-2.
Tap the Copy icon at the bottom of the screen. A menu appears, as shown in Figure 38-3.
Tap Copy from iTunes. A Copy from iTunes dialog appears, as shown in Figure 38-4, which lists all the files you added in the iTunes window on your computer.
Note
When you import a file into Pages, Numbers, or Keynote from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the conversion may not be 100 percent accurate. The simpler your files, the more accurate the conversion process will be.
Transferring Files from Your iPad to Your Computer
After you have either created a document in an iWork app on your iPad or imported and edited a Microsoft Office file in an iWork app, you may want to send it back to your computer.
When you export a document out of an iWork app, you can save your file in one of three file formats:
Saving a file in PDF lets any computer view your data, but without special PDF-editing software, other people won’t be able to edit that data. As a result, PDF is most useful for sharing data for others to read, especially among people who may be using different types of computers.
Saving a file in an iWork format is useful only if you’re transferring the files to a Macintosh computer that has iWork. Using iWork file formats is the most reliable way to preserve formatting in files you’re sharing between your iPad and your computer. However, if you’re using a Windows computer, then you won’t be able to use the iWork file format.
Saving a file in a Microsoft Office file format is useful when you need to share data with others and let them edit that data using Microsoft Office on either a Windows or Macintosh computer. The drawback is that the file conversion process may not be completely accurate when saving files in a Microsoft Office format.
After you have edited a file in iWork, you can transfer it to your computer. To export a file out of an iWork app and back to your computer, follow these steps:
Connect your iPad to your computer using the USB cable.
From the Home screen, tap the iWork app icon that you want to use. Your chosen iWork app screen appears.
(Optional) Tap My Documents/Spreadsheets/Presentations if the My Documents/Spreadsheets/Presentations screen doesn’t appear when you opened the iWork app, as shown earlier in Figure 38-2.
Slide your files left or right until you highlight the file you want to export.
Tap the Action icon (it looks like a square with a curved arrow) at the bottom of the screen. A menu pops up, as shown in Figure 38-5.
Tap Send to iTunes. A Choose Format window appears, as shown in Figure 38-6.
Tap a file format icon such as PDF, Word, Pages, Numbers, or Keynote.
Note
Your sent file appears on your computer in the iTunes window on the Apps tab. Click on the file and click the Save To button to choose a folder to save your file.
Deleting Files From iTunes
When you transfer files to or from your computer and your iPad, you’ll transfer it first to iTunes. Then you’ll copy that file to your computer or your iPad. However, a copy of that file will still appear in iTunes on your computer, so you may want to delete that file to avoid having too many copies of the same file stored on your computer.
To delete files stored in iTunes on your computer, follow these steps:
Connect your iPad to your computer using its USB cable.
Tap on the name of your iPad displayed under the DEVICES category in the left pane of the iTunes window.
Tap Apps at the top of the iTunes window and scroll down to the File Sharing category.
Click on the name of an iPad app, such as Pages or Keynote. A list of copied files appears in the Documents group.
Click on the file you want to delete and press the delete button on the keyboard. A dialog appears, asking if you really want to delete the file.
Additional Ideas for Transferring Microsoft Office Files
Transferring Microsoft Office files to your iPad to edit them may be nice, but another reason to transfer files to your iPad is to carry and present them without having to lug around a bulky laptop computer. Now you can create your PowerPoint presentations, transfer and store them on your iPad, and give your presentation solely through your iPad. Just connect the iPad to a projector (using an optional video adapter), and you turn your iPad into a presentation tool. If you need to make last-minute changes, edit the presentation directly on your iPad.
If you have a Macintosh, you may find it easier to ditch Microsoft Office and use Apple’s iWork on both your iPad and your Macintosh. This will give you near-seamless file format compatibility so you won’t find an unpleasant surprise when opening a file and seeing the formatting all messed up.
Remember, the iWork suite won’t be the only app that offers the ability to sync documents and other files. The App Store has plenty of third-party PDF readers, text editors, and more. As more companies offer iPad versions of their software, you can expect to share files between these other programs using the same methods explained in this chapter.