I think you misunderstand what you say.

Think of Windows Explorer as a app, because this is exactly what it is, really.

It does not really give you access to the "file system" but presents the data to you in the arbitrary and abstract form of file(names) and folder(names). This has absolutely nothing to do with how the files are actually stored, which is the *real* file system or file structure. It is a rather arbitrary type of data presentation, but the only one Explorer understands. You use it because there has not really been much else to use. Just like before that you only had your DOS commands, and before that - you really had to dig into the file system manually to get your data.

Windows Explorer gives you the data in a form it thinks is easier for you, just like any app does. And just like with any app, you have no clue how the data is "really" stored, what is the "real" structure. And you don't really care, all you want is to find it, click on it, and get the data you want. The problem with Explorer is that it is a very generic app, and so it does not present the data in a view specifically tailored to the application you want or to the file type you want, but in a very generic format, one size fits all, so to say. It is vey inefficient, by definition, an does not offer any advanced functionality. All Explorer does for you could be done much much better, depending on what you need.

Some of the shortcomings of presenting data like that, using Windows Explorer, is that it is harder to find stuff. For example: it does not let you search by content of the files, only by names and folders and maybe dates. Another example - it does not let you search across multiple folders for related data unless you start with the root folder and iterate through all sub-folders, which is slow and not efficient. A well designed app can potentially accomplish things like that easily and efficiently, depending on the purpose and the data.

Bottom line:
An app can present the same information in any given form which is suitable for the given application, even in the very inefficient form Windows Explorer uses - if you want to use such app (but why would anybody?) And most apps let you organize the data in a form you want, either generic or better still - suitable for the specific application. An app can also give you more powerful search and sort tools than Explorer can ever do. In terms of data storage and manipulation, an app represents (or can represent) a much higher and more advanced level of abstraction, which potentially lets you do more complex operations. Which is good, especially if the volume of data is large, which seems to be your case.

Your problem is that you got used so much to doing stuff in the inefficient way that it is hard for you to change now.
Its a learning curve, and like with each curve, you need to slow down to navigate it. But once you are past the curve, you will see that the road is wider and straighter and you can go much faster.

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- Bantari
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WARNING: This post might contain Opinions!!

It sounds like you want an android tablet.

It is all programs really, but nowadays called software, crapware, malware or app;)

Physical storage -> controller -> low level files system of the operating system -> high level file system a la DOS / Windows Explorer (in its text only view) -> further optional abstraction.

"inefficient, harder": depends on how dull / cute the user, the kind of data and the user's kind of usage of the data.

That a program can present files more nicely than the Windows Explorer does not mean that every program does. In fact, many programs fail. For special purposes, special other file views can be more suitable, such as a picture explorer when the task is picture-orientated rather than picture-file-orientated.

However, do not even pretend that file type specific file management would always the be best even if all programs would handle their files perfectly. E.g., with the Windows Explorer, you can do one-click actions for all files (e.g., in a partition) of all file types and while keeping their different access rights and sandbox rights. If every file type requires an app of its own for file actions, you might need hours for what you can do in seconds with the Windows Explorer (or a command line). Windows integrates file management and security, even if there are sandboxes.

Android, me? No. Unrooted android security is like Windows security in the 90s (almost non-existent), except that Google and app companies grab user data more greedily and security updates tend to stop soon. Besides, Android tablets (maybe except for Nexus) tend to have a slow GUI.

EDIT:

What I want does not exist yet: Reliable 10" 4:3 matt Windows Pro 64b slate with replacable battery.

If you want security that much, then you should not be using Windows at all. Or only from a virtualization.
Just saying...

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- Bantari
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Windows security is good if configured well. Out-of-the-box Windows is insufficient, but 10 times better than XP was.

If you are ok to settle for that, who am I to argue.
Carry on.

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- Bantari
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WARNING: This post might contain Opinions!!

As I have heard now, transfer of an encrypted gobook file from the Ipad to Windows is difficult but might work via the iPad backup on a Windows PC with a software to extract the app data contents, provided you can identify the files there. Otherwise, at least you get a backup of all app data.

Gobook files sent somehow (don't know about a local method yet) from a Windows PC to the iPad cannot be viewed in SmartgoBooks, but possibly in SmartgoKifu.

Simply put :

I love my iPhone / iPad,
but I hate iTune.

I would prefer the device just exposing its file sytem for file transfert

Still :

Smart go Go book's rocks
Smart go kifu rocks
Easy go rocks
Go problems rocks
Champion Go rocks

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Converting the book Shape UP! by Charles Matthews/Seong-June Kim
to the gobook format. last updated april 2015 - Index of shapes, p.211 / 216

That is one reason I am much happier with my Android device. It just feels much easier to get things done.

Hi Robert,

A few month ago (on 20th september to be precise), I sent this email to Anders Kierulf, the author of Smart Go :


And I got this answer



So may that will be possible to open own gobook in the "Go Books" apps in the future...

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Converting the book Shape UP! by Charles Matthews/Seong-June Kim
to the gobook format. last updated april 2015 - Index of shapes, p.211 / 216

There are various "file manager" apps available for Android tablets. I'm not familiar with iOS at all. but I would find it pretty strange that no such thing exists for the iPad/iPhone, unless Apple expressly excludes them. And, a quick search for "file manager app for iPad" revels that there are quite a few file managers for iOS. Here's a few URLs, chosen completely at random:

http://fileapp.com/

http://www.goaruna.com/pages/app/mobile-ipad-file-manager-app

There are also a bunch of review pages for "best file managers", like this:

http://www.igeeksblog.com/best-ipad-file-management-apps/

We need a .gobook reader for Windows, and I don't think Anders is going to get to it this decade (I have no problem with that... he's running a business, and I'm not). I may just have to see how hard such a thing would be to cook up. But I'll have to contact Mr. Kierulf to see if there is a way to get (or buy) a sample .gobook file to use during the development.

Hi Gohst,
The gobook format is discribed here : http://www.smartgo.com/blog/20130710.html
You will find a sample gobook into the pdf,(http://www.smartgo.com/pdf/gobookformat.pdf)

while not 100% full compliant, my own work about gobook are available here (javascript):
viewtopic.php?p=176249#p176249

you can give it a try it here :

http://www.gocdf.ch/gobook

you can use user "demo" and password "demo", or setup an proper account for you if you want to.

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Converting the book Shape UP! by Charles Matthews/Seong-June Kim
to the gobook format. last updated april 2015 - Index of shapes, p.211 / 216

Thanks Oca. I would need gobook samples that have far more detail than that, in order to be able to develop a proper viewer. But I think Mr Kierulf is willing to be helpful in that regard, so I may be set! The biggest hurdle will of course be free time... I never have any. but we'll see if anything comes of this.

It does not suffice for an app to pretend being a file manager. The problem is that probably they do not have access to all file types of all applications.

I agree with that, I don't like itunes so I did tried a few alternative, but any app I tried was slow and not really reliable... and for sure, you cannot access all files... that said, I only gave a look at free application, maybe commercial one are better... I don't know...

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Converting the book Shape UP! by Charles Matthews/Seong-June Kim
to the gobook format. last updated april 2015 - Index of shapes, p.211 / 216

For Mac I use Ibrowse, and aside from the occasional application crash it can access all files for read access (or at least, all files I checked, as you can imagine an iOS filesystem is pretty complex) and it can upload/download without a problem files for applications supporting iTunes file sharing. I don't use it very often though.

That said, I have dived into this before: iOS works differently. I know this is shocking for a lot of people and they don't like it, but well, it's what it is. If you really, really need file system access for some reason, get an Android device (well, and root it, too, if you want real full access.)

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Geek of all trades, master of none: the motto for my blog mostlymaths.net

I prefer go eye + dropbox. It is super convenient than anything else I bought. One tap to import my zip files from dropbox into a group. Selecting my games and output as zip to dropbox too.

Another option for iPhone Transfer is SmartIOApp, basically it transfer all contacts from one phone to other over wifi with in seconds,its best for iphone to iPhone/ipad/Android transfer.

Have you tried Wifi Transfer option...