One of the only things that I am still disappointed about with the iPad is the inability to edit Google Docs natively on Safari or through another program. At the moment, there are a number of workaround (Office 2 HD, Docs to Go, etc) apps that allow you to basically download the latest version of the Google Doc edit it on the iPad and then save it back up to the cloud. While this works great for documents that you have penned yourself, it really takes away one of the biggest reasons to use Google Docs in the first place: Collaboration. So, since I got an iPad a few weeks ago, I have been trying to figure out how to edit Docs within the browser itself. Well, now I can. There is a free iPhone app (they have the iPad upgrade coming according to an e-mail correspondence I had with the developers) called Cloud Browse. This basically creates an anonymous instance of Firefox on a remote computer and then displays that firefox browser on your iPhone or iPad.
This app will allow you to play flash and edit previously uneditable text areas, from Google Docs, to wikis, to Moodle. All of these things are now well within the bounds of things you can do on the iPad.
So, go and download the app here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cloud-browse/id346618309?mt=8
And this is how Google Docs looks in Cloud Browse (again, the iPad-only version is coming soon):
Click the Web button so that you can type in an address or search quickly.
Here, I zoomed in on my document list and then clicked on one.
Here is the way the document looks in portrait mode zoomed all the way out.
Here is how it looks zoomed in. Just touch the keyboard in order to start typing in the google doc. I have tried out the chat and commenting and that all works as well. Good stuff.
Interesting workaround, but we don't know what server Cloud Browse uses to run the instance of Mozilla which will then open your Google Doc.
That's fair, but for a lot of reasons, I want to trust such a company.
It is absolutely not in their interests to make this an insecure
system. I also know that I will soon be able to pay for this solution
which will make it even more valuable. Workarounds are pretty much
what the iPad is all about, I have found. The entire jailbreak
community is built on workarounds, and for the most part, they work.
TVout, FullForce, Backgrounder, and SB settings are just awesome. All
workarounds, all work.
That’s fair, but for a lot of reasons, I want to trust such a company.rnIt is absolutely not in their interests to make this an insecurernsystem. I also know that I will soon be able to pay for this solutionrnwhich will make it even more valuable. Workarounds are pretty muchrnwhat the iPad is all about, I have found. The entire jailbreakrncommunity is built on workarounds, and for the most part, they work.rnrnTVout, FullForce, Backgrounder, and SB settings are just awesome. Allrnworkarounds, all work.
On iPad through Safari you can also edit live, just click “Go to spreadsheet view” next to the document title. No need for fancy 3rd party programmes.
Yep. This was written before there was native support for editing Google
Docs on the iPad. It was a big deal before, and now not so much.