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why no mouse support for iPad?

D

driphone

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
205
66
Hi,
First let me say I love my iPad and use it everyday now. I did use the Apple wireless keyboard with the iPad and it works great. My question is why there is no mouse support? adding that option will make the iPad a better substitute as a small portable laptop. Is this a technical limitation or exclusion by choice?
TIA.
Sam
 
Seems el-stevo just did not find a need for it. I wonder if there will be an app one day for that once we get multitasking.
 
driphone said:
Hi,
First let me say I love my iPad and use it everyday now. I did use the Apple wireless keyboard with the iPad and it works great. My question is why there is no mouse support? adding that option will make the iPad a better substitute as a small portable laptop. Is this a technical limitation or exclusion by choice?
TIA.
Sam
Click to expand...

The OS is designed for touch screen, so is the device = no mouse, ever. I thought that was pretty obvious.
 
Mouse support will come. Why? Android devices have it built-in. They are also touch devices from the ground up, but android developers were smart enough to realize that when using a keyboard with it (also supported) a mouse would be something everyone already knows how to use and it would keep your hand closer to the keyboard and off the screen for the duration. There are already a flock of android based tablets popping up, so Apple won't let that (mouse) deficiency keep you from buying an iPad in the future.
 
Wow! many replies, thanks.

YES...I do understand that the device is mainly to be used as a touch device but by adding the mouse support it can also function as a very sleek desktop computer without all the cables.

The Apple wireless keyboard and iPad setup looked ultra sharp just missing the good' ol mouse.
 
master-ceo said:
Yeah it was designed as a touch device, but it has a keyboard dock available. Some real clowns on here.
Click to expand...

Yeh!!! clowns with some real questions. Have you tried the KEYBOARD DOCK with your iPad? if you did, your hand would search the missing mouse.

Why not have a fantastic device that works both ways?

I do use the iPad mostly as a touch device and it works just fine.

PsyD4Me said:
cause that would only add more junk to the trunk
Click to expand...

a wireless mouse that most have with their other devices? or can purchase for $60-70 to keep at home only when needed?
 
driphone said:
Yeh!!! clowns with some real questions. Have you tried the KEYBOARD DOCK with your iPad? if you did, your hand would search the missing mouse.

Why not have a fantastic device that works both ways?

I do use the iPad mostly as a touch device and it works just fine.
Click to expand...

Honestly I don't think the keyboard was in the original plan at all, but designed after the fact when it became apparent that there'd be significant demand for it.

The keyboard dock looks awkward and, in my opinion, isn't at all what the iPad is about. The combination of a touch screen and physical keyboard is just uncomfortable, at least for the limited amount of time I've used the combination. Full touch or keyboard/mouse are the ways to go.
 
4DThinker said:
Mouse support will come. Why? Android devices have it built-in. They are also touch devices from the ground up, but android developers were smart enough to realize that when using a keyboard with it (also supported) a mouse would be something everyone already knows how to use and it would keep your hand closer to the keyboard and off the screen for the duration. There are already a flock of android based tablets popping up, so Apple won't let that (mouse) deficiency keep you from buying an iPad in the future.
Click to expand...

+1.
A logical answer.

miles01110 said:
... Full touch or keyboard/mouse are the ways to go.
Click to expand...

Imagine your iPad becomes your slimmed down iMac when needed. What is wrong with that picture? unless Apple doesn't want to hurt the other devices it sells.
 
driphone said:
Imagine your iPad becomes your slimmed down iMac when needed. What is wrong with that picture?
Click to expand...

For some people that works fine. For others the iPad is crippled by the operating system and lack of an ability to do anything useful.

By the way, learn to use multiquote when you respond to more than one post. Click the little "+" button in the lower right and then hit reply... all the messages you select will be quoted.
 
miles01110 said:
For some people that works fine. For others the iPad is crippled by the operating system and lack of an ability to do anything useful.

By the way, learn to use multiquote when you respond to more than one post. Click the little "+" button in the lower right and then hit reply... all the messages you select will be quoted.
Click to expand...

I don't intend to depart with my MacBook or iMac anytime soon. My point was intended for light computing needs using the standard keyboard/mouse and keeping our hands off of the screen so we don't have to clean it every 5 minutes when at home.

BTW, I do know how to use the multi-quote function. I am not sure why I didn't use it. Thanks anyway.

DriPhone out.
 
I've been using a bluetooth keyboard with the iPad to write/edit documents, and I don't miss the mouse. Sure, I reached for the mouse a few times at first, but I quickly got used to reaching for the screen instead. All in all, I find that reaching for the mouse and reaching for the screen requires me to move the same distance, just in different directions.
 
driphone said:
Hi,
My question is why there is no mouse support? adding that option will make the iPad a better substitute as a small portable laptop.
Click to expand...

No mouse support because you have these:
finger_food.jpg


Also the iPad is not a laptop or intended to be one.
 
driphone said:
The Apple wireless keyboard and iPad setup looked ultra sharp just missing the good' ol mouse.
Click to expand...

I miss the good old punch cards and keyboard-only input (prior to the GUI and mouse). :rolleyes:

You are thinking inside the box. You are looking at the FUTURE, with thinking mired in the PAST.
 
If there were a better on-screen keyboard (one that mimicked a regular keyboard more closely, with the ability to rest one's fingers on the home keys) this question would not have come up.

Oh and a better browser, to boot.
 
miles01110...this one is 4 u :)




Night Spring said:
I've been using a bluetooth keyboard with the iPad to write/edit documents, and I don't miss the mouse. Sure, I reached for the mouse a few times at first, but I quickly got used to reaching for the screen instead. All in all, I find that reaching for the mouse and reaching for the screen requires me to move the same distance, just in different directions.
Click to expand...

I guess your method can work although not familiar to most people who have used computers before.

miles01110 said:
Honestly do not understand this line of reasoning. If you don't want to clean the screen, why did you buy a touch device in the first place?
Click to expand...

I am not complaining. I have a soft cloth next to my iPad at work and do clean it regularly. I just like my gadgets clean.

Chupa Chupa said:
No mouse support because you have these:
finger_food.jpg

ooooooh you are scarying me. Nice pic.:D

Also the iPad is not a laptop or intended to be one.
Click to expand...

eawmp1 said:
I miss the good old punch cards and keyboard-only input (prior to the HUI and mouse). :rolleyes:

You are thinking inside the box. You are looking at the FUTURE, with thinking mired in the PAST.
Click to expand...

Ditch the mouse and you are a forward thinker OUTSIDE THE BOX created by Apple. Wow! I am impressed.:)
 
driphone said:
I guess your method can work although not familiar to most people who have used computers before
Click to expand...

Oh dear. I guess I'm dating myself, but I can recall the days when the mouse was not familiar to most people who have used computers before!
 
I want to use my iPad with a BT keyboard as a remote control for my Mac and I want a mouse when using it in that fashion. I haven't tried spirit jailbreak to see if it enables mouse support. Anybody know? Mouse support (along with filesystem access) would be incentive for me to jailbreak my iPad.

As for those hating on users for wanting a mouse, I'm not thinking of walking into a meeting with an iPad and a mouse or sitting on my couch with an iPad and a mouse. But I am thinking of sitting at a desk with an iPad, an Apple BT keyboard and a BT mouse remotely controlling my Mac and saving myself a trip to my "real computer" to use desktop software.
 
Listening to people ripping on those wanting mouse support sound an awful lot like those ripping on the lack of cut and paste in the iPhone. Rationalization and excuses to defend Apple, despite no real logical reason. Yes, we know it's a touch device and not a laptop, but that train of thought goes away by them offering an external keyboard. Pure speculation on my part, but I would not be surprised if it doesn't have mouse support for the same reason it doesn't have a calculator, stock, or weather program - Steve wasn't happy that it wasn't polished enough. I'm guess it gets one at some point and then people will suddenly change their mind on how useful it is.
 
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