Apple has posted an iPhone and iPod Touch version of its online file storage system, iDisk, to the App Store. In an unexpected move by the company, the application gives users the ability to view and send their files that are stored remotely on MobileMe servers. Rumours had recently surfaced suggesting that an iDisk application would only be available in iPhone 3.1, of which Beta 3 has recently been released to developers.
The application, free, supports viewing of “iWork, office, PDF, QuickTime and more [file formats]“. Files can be shared publicly and an e-mail with a link to the file can be sent.
Apple are inexplicably late to the game with the iDisk app, as the mobile version of
www.me.com stated “You can access this information directly from the applications on your iPhone or iPod touch.” Several third party developers have already built applications that allow access to a user’s iDisk. Notably, Air Sharing Pro were quick to offer iDisk support and QuickOffice offered full iDisk viewing and editing, an important function, from within their app. Both applications were approved by Apple to the App Store with no fault.
It is not all bad news, though. The video playback feature alone warrants installation on any iPhone or iPod touch, where users can view video of any QuickTime supported file format (this includes the much-lacked AVI).
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Why are Apple still late to the game with this stuff? I find it remarkable that they call for their developers to innovative and smart, and yet they remain late for it to happen (and don't tell me Apple have to go through the approval process
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Some nice features, and good for a free app, but for an iPhone to be missing an iDisk app for this long (not to mention a To-Do) is just a little crazy.
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