Using My Passport Wireless for Photography with iPad

[lensonnature]

my intent is to use this with an iPad in the field. I can connect to a PC when not in field.
Questions:

Does the Dashboard work on an iPad or only on a PC.

Using only an iPad can you set the photo import to only import new files rather than all files from and SD card or other card reader? Or do you set this connected to a PC and then it retains that setting?
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Can you import photo files from an XQD card reader?
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what is the transfer rate from an XQD card reader?
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How do you confirm that an import from SD card or other card reader was successful?
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How are photos organized after import? Can you create folders using the WD cloud app on a iPad?
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Can you attach another external drive and back up the contents of the My Passport Wireless SSD to that other external drive without a computer?

[NAS_user]

@lensonnature

my intent is to use this with an iPad in the field. I can connect to a PC when not in field.
Questions:

Does the Dashboard work on an iPad or only on a PC.

Any web browser on the same network will work. (In the field, you would use the network that the MyPassport creates*

@lensonnature

Using only an iPad can you set the photo import to only import new files rather than all files from and SD card or other card reader? Or do you set this connected to a PC and then it retains that setting?

You can set for incremental import.

@lensonnature

Can you import photo files from an XQD card reader?
*
what is the transfer rate from an XQD card reader?

No earthly idea (don’t even know what a XQD card reader is)

@lensonnature

How do you confirm that an import from SD card or other card reader was successful?

You can’t. Not without “browsing” the WD Drive directories. Oh. . . I guess the four lights on top will progressively show progress. . . .four lights on means complete. . . . .but that is weak in my view.

This is a major flaw of the device in my view; I am not a very trusting person.

@lensonnature

How are photos organized after import? Can you create folders using the WD cloud app on a iPad?

Photos are organized by SD card, then further subdirectories based upon date (a bit hazy on that last point). The SD card directory will be named for the serial number of the SD card, so having two cards of the same type is not a problem.

You can access the MPW using the WD cloud app - - - but considering the software, it is a pretty cludgy way to do it. I normally use a PC, and browse the folders directly. You can create folders using the app. . .probably move stuff around. Honestly, I have not tried too hard with the app.

@lensonnature

Can you attach another external drive and back up the contents of the My Passport Wireless SSD to that other external drive without a computer?

Not that I am aware of.

So - - - here are my thoughts. In general, I have used the WD mycloud app to access a number of WD products. It works. . .but I would hesitate to use it more for file browsing. You CAN stream a movie this way (using the app) to a tablet. I use VLC on a tablet; pretty sure I can stream using DLNA from the MPW as well as using the app.

To interface with the MPW, I find the best method is to use a laptop with a file browser.
Of course, on the road, once I have a laptop in the picture, then I have tended to plug in an external SSD drive into the computer and transfer the files using that the laptop and the SSD. The MPW is not a small device when you are travelling… . .so I stopped using it for travel for a while.

I recently obtained a Windows tablet. It only has one stupid USB port. . .so I try not to wear that port out. Recently, I was on a trip where I had the tablet, and I then used the MPW as a wireless network drive for various file transfers. I even plugged an SSD drive into the USB port of the MPW, so I wouldn’t have to use the tablets USB port at all. It worked out quite fine. (Note: I was not trying to actually edit photos across the wireless interface. . .that might be a challenge)

The MPW is also good for “quick and dirty” SD card backups, where I don’t want to fire up a PC. (and I no longer erase SD cards on the road(I just buy more cards)). That way, if the camera “disappears” in a city; a recent backup is back in the hotel room. I make darn sure that the SD cards are fully backed up before getting onto an airplane (verified with a PC)