Download Timetable to iPad

[neonison]

Does anyone know of an efficient way of downloading the National Timetable (separate pdfs) to an iPad.
I usually contrive to unzip on a Windows 7 PC then email batches to myself and save each pdf individually.
I’ve also tried Dropbox and need to make each pdf available offline one at a time.
Both ways are tedious.
Is there a better way?

 

[TimG]

Good reader

 

[MikeWM]

I combine them all into one on a PC first. iThings aren’t much use with lots of small PDFs in my opinon, even if you somehow find a friendly way to get them on there on the first place - easier with one large one.

 

[cactustwirly]

Can't you use the internet/journey planners instead?
Would be a lot easier than downloading the National timetable.

 

[_toommm_]

AFAIK Apple don't allow downloads off the internet for things other than photos (do they even allow that?) for 'security', hence why PDFs open locally in Safari or your choice of browser.

 

[Bletchleyite]

AFAIK Apple don't allow downloads off the internet for things other than photos (do they even allow that?) for 'security', hence why PDFs open locally in Safari or your choice of browser.

Two options. Install actual Adobe Reader and view them in there and I *think* it holds them locally.

Or one that definitely does work - drop them in a Google Drive, select on that to make them accessible offline.

 

[neonison]

Thanks for your suggestions.

Does Good Reader allow you to select all files from say DropBox or even have a sharing capability? £4.99 is cheap enough but I do not want to waste money unnecessarily!

It’s not always possible to have wi-fi, certainly not free wi-fi and buying a separate data package is expensive and 4G coverage is sporadic. Inside a Pendo from Manchester to Euston I’d be lucky to get 3G/4G 40% of the journey.

For many years I carried a printed All-Lines and believe you me, an iPad is a great alternative even though it is a complete pain to have to download twice a year.

 

[gazthomas]

AFAIK Apple don't allow downloads off the internet for things other than photos (do they even allow that?) for 'security', hence why PDFs open locally in Safari or your choice of browser.

That's not true, you can download PDF's and save in iBooks on the device, or upload PDFs via iTunes

 

[neonison]

That's not true, you can download PDF's and save in iBooks on the device, or upload PDFs via iTunes

I'm not any sort of IT expert, that's why am asking so please excuse and explain if I'm missing the obvious here. My mind thinks in DOS or Windows XP at best. All things Apple are a bit of a mystery to me. The iPad was a present!

I don't have any problem reading the pdf files once they've been downloaded, it's getting to that step that's the issue.

NRT comes as a zip file. This is not recognized by the iPads OS.

I can unzip the files to a folder on a PC and then via email or DropBox see the pdfs on my iPad but I then have to save each one of the 175 files individually to local storage.

I'm looking for an efficient way of downloading and saving all 175 pdfs in one step. DropBox for iPad doesn't seem to have that option.

 

[gazthomas]

I'm not any sort of IT expert, that's why am asking so please excuse and explain if I'm missing the obvious here. My mind thinks in DOS or Windows XP at best. All things Apple are a bit of a mystery to me. The iPad was a present!

I don't have any problem reading the pdf files once they've been downloaded, it's getting to that step that's the issue.

NRT comes as a zip file. This is not recognized by the iPads OS.

I can unzip the files to a folder on a PC and then via email or DropBox see the pdfs on my iPad but I then have to save each one of the 175 files individually to local storage.

I'm looking for an efficient way of downloading and saving all 175 pdfs in one step. DropBox for iPad doesn't seem to have that option.

No problem, I wasn't criticising!

You're right, iPads don't know what to do with zip files without a third-party app. You would need to process on a PC or Mac and transfer the files

 

[MikeWM]

If you can't, or don't want to, convert the individual files into one large one (which personally I'd highly recommend for use on any iThing - I do it each time, since they stopped producing the single volume version in a timely fashion), then unfortunately the best solution is probably iTunes on a PC/Mac. While it is a fairly awful piece of software, it is probably the simplest way to transfer 175 PDFs to your iPad.

(Then the next problem you'll face is getting them off again when you need to replace them at the next timetable change - this can also be done through iTunes, but isn't half as straightforward).

 

[DarloRich]

the other option is some form of pdf writer programme. You can then merge all the pdf's into one.

I would just use an on line planner but horses for courses and all that

 

[jfollows]

I have used Good Reader for years, I find it ideal for the purpose. It can be configured to synchronise a folder between, say, your Dropbox account and itself. So I have a "May 2018" folder, for example, into which I unpack all the timetables I want in whatever format I want, and it's a single operation to copy to the iPad. Then in future it's a single operation to update the iPad whenever you want. Deletion is easy as well. You can mess around with the files to your heart's content on your PC and save them as you want them in the Dropbox folder. The application has been around for years and gets support and updates, I'm very happy to have paid a nomial fee for for it once upon a time, it is well worth it.

 

[JaJaWa]

If you have either the excellent Readdle Documents or their PDF Expert installed (both occasionally available for free otherwise a couple of £s), this process takes literally 10 seconds. I’ve attached a video showing it:

The process is also exactly the same on an iPhone. A bit longer there in the video as I was highlighting the button presses.

AFAIK Apple don't allow downloads off the internet for things other than photos (do they even allow that?) for 'security', hence why PDFs open locally in Safari or your choice of browser.

Not true at all, you can download any file (even EXEs)! Just press the Share button (looks like an upwards Way Out sign) and you can open in any available application or save to the iPad’s Files.