How To Blog From An iPad (If You Must)
Written by Darnell Clayton in
35 Comments
With many people receiving iPads through a credit card or a significant other (lucky them), a few have wondered whether the iPad is an excellent tool for producing content (and not just consuming it).
Although it is easier to create a lengthy post via iPad, adding your own custom media (like images) might be slightly difficult due to the iPad’s limitations.
For those of you desiring to ditch your laptops, here are 3 iPad apps that can help you blog upon your latest iDevice without having to resort to a super sized iPhone app.
BlogPress (Price: $2.99 USD)
Basically an expanded version of the iPhone app, the BlogPress iPad app will allow bloggers to align images (to the left, right and center) as well as adjust the image size within the post.
BlogPress will also instantly tweet your posts to your Twitter stream (which can help boost your overall traffic).
BlogPress currently supports Blogger, WordPress and MovableType, with limited support for Typepad, Joomla and Drupal fans (as well as LiveJournal too).
Photobucket (Price: Free)
Instead of buying Apple’s camera connection kit in order to upload pictures that you have taken in the wild, bloggers may be interested in downloading the Photobucket iPad app for free.
Bloggers can simply shoot an image from their cell phone (both smart phones and feature phones) and upload their images to Photobucket’s servers via email or mobile apps.
Bloggers can then download their images thanks to Photobucket’s iPad app, and insert them within their blog posts without having to touch their bulky laptops.
Photogene (Price: $3.99 USD)
Bloggers desiring to tweak their images (or simply sharpen them) may want to check out the Photogene iPad app, which will allow them to easily crop, insert text or add special effects upon their images.
Unfortunately users who purchased Photogene’s iPhone app will have to pay again to download the iPad app (as this is not a universal app like BlogPress).
Any others?
If you are fortunate to receive an iPad (note: I’m already saving up my extra cash in order to purchase one ASAP!), and are using it for blogging, feel free to inform the rest of us in the comment section on your favorite iPad apps that help you blog on the go.
Last I heard, there’s an official (and free) WordPress app for the iPad. You might want to check that out if you use WordPress.
The iPad WordPress App is great for comment moderation, and typing posts only in text.
However if you want to add images, it becomes a pain as it merely places all of them in one spot (if you use multiple photos).
BlogPress gives me a lot more flexibility with posting media and images, and thus far it’s the only WordPress compatible app that supports video uploading.
blogpress support the blog is all in the ipad blog is really pleasant to use, free of charge even more okay lol…
I was noticing this problem too.
I’m going on a 6-week Eurotrip and will be blogging while traveling on the iPad. I’m blogging on a self-hosted wordpress, will the blogpress still work? This might be an option for me.
I also have a photogallery plug-in installed on my blog (Next-Gen Gallery). I was trying out two different FTP apps in hopes of uploading them to my site, then getting the next-gen gallery to recognize the uploads. You can insert photos from the photos uploaded to next-gen gallery through wordpress while using safari. This was my plan anyhow.
I tried out FTPOnTheGo and wearyingly paid the $10. It looks like it has alot of promise, but I could never get the photos to upload. You select all the ones you want to upload and it puts them in this “transfer” dock, then uploads them all at once. I could never get anything to upload. The wifi on the ipad had the “loading” circle, but the photo never left. I just tried one really low res photo and nothing.
Then I also tried FTP Deluxe, which actually worked and was only .99 cents. The only pain, you can only upload one photo at a time. But I’ve been having problems getting it to work now, it freezes up alot.
I’ve also used the iPhone Flickr app on the iPad and you can upload photos there, one at a time, but you can’t get the link unless you get out of the app and go to safari. Kinda a pain, but that’s what I might have to do since I can’t get the FTP’s to work and I’ll need galleries of my photos.
Does anyone else have any suggestions on how else to upload photos?
Hey Jenni,
BlogPress supports WordPress.org & will upload multiple photos to your server.
It will also upload them where you want them instead of attaching them all at the end (like the official WordPress app).
It is not yet iOS4 compatible, but it still works fine (so no quick app switching).
Thanks Darnell,
I’ll look into the BlogPress app then.
Thanks for the reply!
FYI I just downloaded FlickStackr ($1.99) this allows you to upload multiple photos (amongst other things) to flickr and it works great.
Nice review! Check mine at the below link..
Gear Lust (part one) iPad –first impressions
http://mousejockey.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/hello-world/
Like so many other Apple users I’m enamored with each deliciously-designed product that they release. But I understand what they are doing to us – they are changing the way we think, compute, consume and buy. As a futurist and early-adopter of most technology I’m ok with these changes. But Apple seems to be single-handedly launching us into new markets long before the public knows what to do with them. On one hand it’s the entrepreneur’s dream to have a new wild-west to conquer. But as consumers we are easily tricked into putting money back into Apple, AT&T and so many other companies’ products to feel like we are on the cutting edge of technology in this brave new age of computing. My first impressions of the iPad are exactly these thoughts. It’s not a matter of is it cool (it totally is) or do I want one (couldn’t wait.) It does everything I wanted and more. It’s got a few limitations I find frustrating. But once I got my hands on it I was drinking Apple’s kool aid once again and didn’t put it down for about 14 hours. Below is a brief review of the product and some initial impressions of the philosophy behind the technology, some questions about productivity and some excitement about the possibilities.
Thanks for the info! Although I’m not an iPad user (yet), I was wondering how to publish a blog post using iPad. This post helps me a lot..thanks again.
I just use bloggers mail posting option, it works perfectly. you can post photos, videos, the works
Has anyone tried this with a privately hosted wordpress site?
To clarify, not *.wordpress.org
Im writing this comment from the apple shop and must say it types pretty well but wondering what it’s like on blogger.com
Considering buying one and it would be the deal breaker that blogger worked well for me.
The iPad is going to get better (and already is) for bloggers. no pc, tablet or otherwise can survive for too long without being blogger friendly.
I’ve been looking at blogging tools for the iPad and have posted a couple of blog entries on this at http://pocketmojo.net/home/the-ipad-blogging-toolkit/ and
http://pocketmojo.net/home/google-analytics-on-the-ipad/
Cheers
I’ve made my last two blog posts from my iPad. I use DocumentsToGo for text and ArtStudio for illustrations. I also use the Blogger app.
Hey Chrissy
So, does that mean you do your writing in Docs to Go and then copy/paste into the Blogger app? Why don’t you just work directly in the app?
Hey Darnell thanks for the cool post and these apps are cool with nice features on blogging; and don’t forget the one app for all the blogging needs: wordpress for ipad! But the main problem with ipad is the touch keyboard, I find it tiresome when typing a lot on that. LOL! I wouldn’t be able to write so much as a comment from my ipad, this one is from my laptop
DragonSpeak (voice to text) speeds up my text content creation considerably.
Unfortunately, it is not (yet) possible to order iPad 2 online to many countries
Nice review about post
Nice post thanks for updating!
Hmm.. I don’t have an iPad yet but this is an awesoem information, since it helps me to clear my vision about it, that means I really can work from an iPad.. thank you.
Hai friend,
Do blogpress also link to the facebook as occurred on twitter.?
Thanks
Hello,
BE Write HD is an iPad app that lets users post to WordPress and Blogger. You can post to wordpress.com blogs or independent sites running WordPress (see http://www.bewriteapp.com/wordpress, for example).
Also, you can use it to upload docs to Google Docs, send formatted emails, draw, insert images from the web, and much more. Plus you can easily post your artwork and images to your blog.
Â
http://www.bewriteapp.com
Also, for a limited time we are giving away free touch pens with purchase of app. See web site for how to get your pen (hint: it’s really easy, just buy the app and prove it to us).
~ Traci Yavas at BE Write App
Its good to know that the ipad photo bucket is free, a lot will feel glad on that one. I am looking forward for the next post.
great review It,s interresting reading
Blogpress is the best. Since I am using wordpress I can blog in my bed before I go to sleep.
Looking forward for the next post, Blogpress, in the sad case is not for free, but their services were really great, it is indeed worth the pay.
Anyone else having problems with the size and clarity of their images with BlogPress? The program is easy enough to use, but i am not happy with what happens to my images.
I have been using Blogpress for such a longtime, and it is indeed unusual to have those kinds of problems like what you are talking about Jenny, Blogpress works well with all of my photos.
I’ve been using Blogsy for the iPad. I’ve tried almost all the others available, and they’re no where near as good. I use it for all my blogs, so my pc is pretty redundant where blogging is concerned. Blogsy also allows multiple blogs/posts/photo uploads etc with a really slick drag n drop interface. Their app support is brilliant too. highly recommended. (i have no connections with them other than a siatisfied blogsy user.)
my blogs(s)
http://rob.runtothehills.org <- personal blog
http://thief.runtothehills.org <- photo blog
others are linked from there.
I dont have an ipad yet but i want to buy an ipad now… this blog is very informative for me….Thanx for this nice post.
Hi coloured earphones, its really time to get an ipad! with the blogging app it is so easy to run a blog and in every other life-circumstance you can use the ipad too. I don´t want to give mine ever again away….
Hi, I know I’m late, but I was searching for a solution to blog from my iPad, don’t know why I don’t do enough research before buying rather than after….anyways, I blog on blogspot, and now I can’t seem to format or add images to my post. I can see the para breaks while I’m creating the post, but as soon as I publish it, sans images, the spacing, para breaks all just disappear.
Another thing is about attaching images, the choose image option is not usable only!!!
As its been a few years since you had faced these probs I’m hoping with my fingers crossed that you can help me out….
I would also like to know how I can link url, to names too.
Please leave your suggestions and help on my post, http://lotus-n-peacocks.blogspot.in/2012/02/tech-help-required.html.
Oh yes, another problem I faced was, there are times when iPad let’s me copy paste a link and sometimes it just does not work! Gets very frustrating!
Wow, this iPad app sounds great! Thanks a lot