[mjs416]

Swear to god I see more people pi$$ing and moaning on these forums than any other forum I have been a part of. *sob* someone got chocolate in my peanut butter.

If you don't like it don't use it FFS. No one is forcing you.

Op: Do us a favor and go get an iPhone and go subscribe to imore or whatever the site is called these days

[Morten]

Keep in mind also these documents are encrypted on the PC before going wireless. Then they are stored in a secure part of Playbook. So Corporate secrets can remain secret.

nope they are not... they are put into the "Print" folder - and can be opened and handled as normal PDF files....

[rkennedy01]

You mean NAT - right?

Oops! Major typo! Twice! Aack! Pfffttt!!!

RCK

[Morten]

Update: it only works for me if my PB is connected to the network that the PC belongs to. If it is connected to another network the PC just prints to my printer and skips the dialog option that allows the prints to go option to be chosen.

Yepp - that's how it works... No way to "send" any documents to a Playbook "in-the-field" - except from using e-mail....

[Toodeurep]

This thread should be in the Apps portion of the site. There is a second one there and one of these should be locked down.

Further more, if more apps are developed for the PB, I hope we don't feel the need to pick at them. This is an App you know. Apps like this are exactly what people have been clamoring to get.

[Thunderbuck]

The idea behind P2G is a very simple one: instead of "printing" out a document to hardcopy for a meeting, that you can use that same print interface to send a virtual harcopy to your Playbook.

Yes, Docs-to-go could be used to send an editable doc, but sometimes that isn't required (or won't work in the case of networks that use content management).

Could also be useful to take a rendering of a webpage. Maybe you keep copies of online invoices on your PB; this is an easy way to export in a document format. Are there other ways to do all this? Sure, but it's an alternative, and one that I suspect could be given more functionality in the future.

Sounds like expectations were a little high for this one.

[omniusovermind]

When I first heard about print to go, I thought it sounded like a great idea: Get all your on-the-go documents consolidated onto your playbook in a sleek, integrated document management tool. Most importantly, I saw it as an alternative to loading a bunch of mixed doc files, spreadsheets and - especially - PDF files by hand, the latter of which would have required that god-awful Adobe reader app to view.

However, now that I've finally got it working (P2G apparently doesn't like NAS - go figure), I'm shocked at how hollow and underwhelming the results are. Basically, P2G takes your printed output and simply converts it to - drum roll please - a PDF! Then it sticks the "printed" file onto the PlayBook and adds an index entry so that the P2G software knows something new has arrived. Tap to open and you're right back to the Adobe Reader I was hoping to escape. Unreal!

Bottom Line: The P2G client on the PlayBook seems to be nothing more than a cleverly animated file explorer, only without any actually useful functionality like full-text indexing or searching of document contents. Basically, it's a bunch of pretty fluff that does nothing that couldn't be accomplished easier via wifi sharing and a little manual file copying.

Frankly, I'm flabbergasted that RIM bothered to even demo P2G at CES. They must really have been reaching for things to show in an effort to justify the 10 month gap between the PlayBook launch and the release of OS 2.0.

What a let-down...

RCK

As a person who uses the Playbook pretty much 100% as an entertainment device, yes I agree with you totally. This is a useless, cleverly animated file explorer that has the misfortune of converting to the worst document format you could ask for on the PB's currently functionless PDF reader, and actually ends up being worse than just directly transferring the original file yourself. BUT...

You're looking at the simplest possible use for it. You've got to think bigger. And by that I mean how it can be used, not what you had imagined it would be. Secretaries can send docs directly to a user's PB in the field. You can't do that with wifi-sharing. Just one example.

This is also correct. For those users, PtG has the potential to be pretty handy. Unfortunately many people are having issues installing it. For those that are, allow me to offer my apologies for all the jerks who respond to threads asking for help with the line

"mine is working fine "

Thanks Captain you-planet. Those people deserve to be inflicted with a biblical plague/flood/apocalypse.

[BB_Phoenix]

nope they are not... they are put into the "Print" folder - and can be opened and handled as normal PDF files....

From RIM:

Digital printouts remain safe and secure
Your digital printouts are securely encrypted on your PC or laptop and wirelessly pushed to your PlayBook over Wi-Fi�. Support for BlackBerry� Balance� technology ensures corporate data isn�t compromised as these digital printouts are kept on a secure partition of your PlayBook.

[Morten]

From RIM:

Digital printouts remain safe and secure
Your digital printouts are securely encrypted on your PC or laptop and wirelessly pushed to your PlayBook over Wi-Fi�. Support for BlackBerry� Balance� technology ensures corporate data isn�t compromised as these digital printouts are kept on a secure partition of your PlayBook.

Well - perhaps it will someday work like that for BES users - but - for "normal" users it simply copies onto the "Print" folder - for anyone to see... and not even option to add password to the PDF file...

anyway - let us hope OS2 is a beta of OS3 - and that it is still work in progress...

[MPG Vancouver]

I'm with the OP. I too looked forward to this application and was thoroughly disappointed when my first document showed up on my PB as a PDF. I quite like PDFs on my PC, but I hate, hate, hate the PDF reader on the PB. It's next to useless. P2G will be a great application when the PDF reader is significantly upgraded (e.g., search, zoom, bookmarks, annotations). Maybe Jotsy, when it completes Beta, will fill the gap here (and when it can open local documents).

As for the others who commented about sending PDFs to the field, I don't know how this works. In my case, I can only P2G from my desktop -- because I have added a WiFi USB stick -- and P2Ging over the air when, and only when, the PC AND PB are attached to the same SSID.

[patpatiar]

I agree wit the OP.
If you want to Print to your PB - you are most likely using the same WIFI network anyways.
So whenever I drag/drop music/videos to my pb - i also drag and drop documents.
Its the SAME THING but EASIER. I don't understand how people think this app is such a great invention. Why couldn't you people just drag and drop files before?


Sure the Application looks nice but the REAL fault is with the Adobe as a pdf reader. ITs capabilities are severely limited.

[Barredbard]

You're looking at the simplest possible use for it. You've got to think bigger. And by that I mean how it can be used, not what you had imagined it would be. Secretaries can send docs directly to a user's PB in the field. You can't do that with wifi-sharing. Just one example.

PDF is the standard for portable cross-platform documents.

Actually, I don't think this is possible. Apparently the Playbook and the computer being printed from have to be on the same network for Print to Go to work, and that certainly won't be the case if you're in the field. At least, it didn't work when I tried it.

[chasvs]

The App's TITLE tells you all you should need to know... PRINT to Go. What can you do with a PRINTED document? Nothing more than what you can do with the "P2G" document. It isn't called, portable document search and find and manipulate app.... Want to take a few important documents with you for reference, then P2G is just fine. I use it for my Travel Schedule documents, Meeting Agendas, etc. Works just FINE for what it was designed to do..

[jajano]

I have found that copying thru usb cable are more faster than the print to go...

[Toodeurep]

Wi-Fi sharing and USB cable may be faster, but I have several shop floor Playbooks and I need to send docs to them at once. This app is good for that.

Also, I suggest avoiding the use of the usb cable when possible. If you damage that connection point doing something as simple as trasnfering files or charging, you might not have it when you really need it.

[thelink74]

i am disapointed that i need to be connected to wifi to make it work!! at my company we do not have wifi so if i wanted to print something to my PlayBook i can not. it should atleast send it and when i'm in wifi range i should recieve it but it won't let me get past the Printing side of the document becuase it can't detect my PlayBook for pairing..

[kb5zht]

Print2go wound up a disappointment correct many. I know what it can do now, but you can do the same thing by emailing the document as an attachment. So really it wound up being a repackaging of the what you can already do.

[Toodeurep]

Print2go wound up a disappointment correct many. I know what it can do now, but you can do the same thing by emailing the document as an attachment. So really it wound up being a repackaging of the what you can already do.

It MAY not be the saving grace for the Playbook, but it is still better than a fart app.

In an environment such as ours, we have many programs that we simply cannot afford to have installed on every device or desktop. Pro/Engineer, AutoCAD, Oracle, GIZA just to name a few. In the past, we had to save our Pro/Engineer project files as a .pdf and then either email them or send a link to their location so that all users could access the same version. This product removes that time consuming step.

As an app for all users, it is a 3 out of 10. For our specific tasks we perform, this will save us valuable time so it is a 9 out of 10.

[bbqkid8]

Has anyone tried and sideloaded any PDF apps like Android PDF? Maybe that's your solution to the "terrible" pdf reader.

And just because printing to PDF isn't standard to some it doesn't mean that it isn't standard for others.

[auditman]

For me I use it and I like it. It's an added feature I welcome. If some people don't like it, don't use it. Use whatever works for you and quit complaining about this app.

[kcorey]

I installed the P2G app on my laptop and my home PC. This is ideal for anything you want to use as reference material - online transaction receipts, recipes, tournament schedules, directions, anything that you would normally print and then maybe discard soon after you used the doc. I don't need to open my email client and attach the file, then receive it, un-attach and save the file. Not to mention that my home PC has shared users and different email clients.

It is as elegant a solution as using a contact form on a web page versus a "mailto:" link. No bells and whistles, just simple, effective and everyday-life-useful!

[jigga2]

I agree with all the user on this one. I use dropbox but have use P2G and I am really feeling it. Instead of having to download and launch on my PB, my documents are right here in P2G. Cool feature, I'm loving OS2.

[Foppa_21]

This is all about options. If you want to quickly get a file/email/doc to your PB in PDF format, P2G works great. If you want the raw file, transfer over Wi-Fi or USB. If you want things sync'd in the backgroup, use Dropbox or Sugarsync. P2G does what it says it does, and if that's not for you there are several other options.

[Serkle K]

I like this feature, for me it helps me to not have to carry stacks of printed out tickets for when I am in the field and running from building to building and room to room. I do agree that the PDF reader itself could use an upgrade or overhaul. If I need to make notes to the ticket, I have to open my memo pad and make my notes there and then update them later on. I can't access my works ticket system over bridge, but I can over WIFI.

[omniusovermind]

It MAY not be the saving grace for the Playbook, but it is still better than a fart app.

that made me laugh