Transferring Microsoft Office files to your iPad to edit them may be nice, but another reason to transfer files to your iPad is to carry and present them without having to lug around a bulky laptop computer. Now you can create your PowerPoint presentations, transfer and store them on your iPad, and give your presentation solely through your iPad. Just connect the iPad to a projector (using an optional video adapter), and you turn your iPad into a presentation tool. If you need to make last-minute changes, edit the presentation directly on your iPad.

If you have a Macintosh, you may find it easier to ditch Microsoft Office and use Apple's iWork on both your iPad and your Macintosh. This will give you near-seamless file format compatibility so you won't find an unpleasant surprise when opening a file and seeing the formatting all messed up.

Remember, the iWork suite won't be the only app that offers the ability to sync documents and other files. The App Store has plenty of third-party PDF readers, text editors, and more. As more companies offer iPad versions of their software, you can expect to share files between these other programs using the same methods explained in this chapter.