Move files from iPod / iPad / iPhone to PC and back

There are any number of ways to move files to and from PCs and iPads/iPods/iPhones ... iCaramba, that's too much to type more than once! We'll lump them all together and call 'em iDevices from now on.

There's a problem: most of these methods involve the cloud. The internet. The web. You have to be connected from both the iDevice and your PC for it to work.

But suppose you're on a plane, hotel or somewhere else where you have either no connection or a wonky/unreliable/slow connection? Are you out of luck?

No.

It turns out to be fairly simple to transfer files, at least files that are recognized by the various apps you have on the iDevice.

What you'll need

• iTunes installed on your computer (Windows PC or Mac).
• The appropriate USB cable for your iDevice

What you'll do

• Start iTunes on your computer and connect the computer and iDevice with the USB cable (often, iTunes will start automatically when you connect them).
• When your device appears in iTunes, click it.
• Click APPS.
• Use the rightmost scrollbar; scroll down to File Sharing.
• Click the app that can open the type of files you want to transfer; for example, click PowerPoint.
• Any PowerPoint files currently on the iDevice will appear in the window on the right.
• Drag PowerPoint files from your computer TO the window on the right to copy them to the iDevice (or click Add to use a File dialog box).
• Or drag files FROM the window on the right to your computer to copy them to your computer (or click Save to use a File dialog box instead).
• Or select files then press the DEL key to delete them from the iDevice.

This JING screencast demonstrates how to use iTunes to move files between your PC and your iPad, iPod, iPhone. Forgive the poor sound quality. We don't pay enough to hire decent narrators.

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