Why I Love QuickOffice for the iPad

I've been doing digital projects on the iPad for quite a while now and have really struggled with most efficient ways to edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations such as those from Microsoft Office and Google Docs. Most other apps I have tried have either been "clunky", very inefficient to use or didn't have simple-to-use editing, saving, and syncing features.

I also dealt with the challenge of having to save things to multiple online cloud-based accounts such as Evernote, Dropbox and Google Docs because so many of the apps export to different online services (if any at all). This means the more apps you work with, the more online services you have to use in order to be able to get your documents off of the iPad from all the different apps. Sometimes dealing with different apps on the iPad reminds me of a relay race. Just like racers that have to pass the baton from one to the other so the last one can cross the finish line, with some apps if I want to get something exported into Evernote, I have to "Open In" another app that has the ability to then export to Evernote.

I had downloaded the app QuickOffice in the past which cost $19.99 from the app store and mostly had downloaded it for the basic editing of documents and spreadsheets. Once I realized all of the different features it had and the true potential of this app on the iPad, I was hooked.

First let's talk about some of the main features of it. You can edit most MS Word or Google documents, spreadsheets and presentations off-line on local storage space on the iPad itself inside the app. There is the ability to open "older" versions of documents and presentations which helps with the issues of opening an MS Word 2010 on computers with older versions as well as online programs that are less compatible with Office 2010 products. QuickOffice has more editing features and toolbars than most of the other desktop publishing apps for the iPad that work with Microsoft and Google products. You could also present your Microsoft PowerPoint or your Google presentation directly from within this app. If you hold your finger down on the slides in presentation mode, a laser pointer even appears up on the screen for your viewers.

The real beauty, however, is in its exporting, syncing, and sharing features. You can import and export from multiple Google Docs accounts, Evernote accounts, Dropbox accounts, Sugar Sync accounts, MobileMe accounts, and Box accounts. You can also share out a file, note or presentation to Slideshare.net, Scrib'd,Tumbler , Facebook, Twitter and more.

Don't have these types of accounts? Don't despair. There is also an IP, or web address, available at the bottom of the  QuickOffice  app screen that allows you to log into an computer, type in the URL and access the files from a computer on the same wireless network.

A major benefit for me came in the way you can organize and transfer files between cloud-based accounts. I have both my own Evernote account and a student Evernote account. I have my own Dropbox account and a student Dropbox account. I also have a professional Google Docs account and my own personal Google Docs account. With QuickOffice, I can access, organize, and transfer files between all these accounts right from within this one app. I don't have to switch back and forth between the apps of these cloud-based programs to move or copy files as it can be done right within the QuickOffice app.