Apple Rumored to Add USB Mouse Support to iPad Pro as Accessibility Feature

[DeepIn2U]

I’m still waiting for Apple Mouse support on iPad. It would make teamviewering so much easier!

USB support for mice, really Apple? I thought Apple was moving towards a fully wireless future and yet with Bluetooth 5 Apple does not support their own Bluetooth mouse/trackpads lol.

Don't even ask about external USB hard drive support .. you'll have to goto LaCie and get their Wi-Fi model and install an iOS app (at least there is some solution).

 

[vladimirc]

I would love a mouse (bluetooth, USB, I don't give a crap) on the iPad, so when I get an after hours call, I can just carry a small messenger bag and an iPad, instead of my damn laptop everywhere.

I ended up fixing the problem by getting a Surface, which is actually a real computer. I love MacOS and iOS, but some of this stuff is getting really tiresome from an actual productivity standpoint.

exactly on the same boat. Had to buy a surface to deal with productivity tasks when on the road. I will buy an iPad Pro the next day they add mouse support. It's incredible how people don't realise that one requires mouse input to work with large documents.

 

[jlseattle]

USB support for mice, really Apple? I thought Apple was moving towards a fully wireless future and yet with Bluetooth 5 Apple does not support their own Bluetooth mouse/trackpads lol.

Don't even ask about external USB hard drive support .. you'll have to goto LaCie and get their Wi-Fi model and install an iOS app (at least there is some solution).

This rumor is dumb. They would just add apple mouse support over bluetooth versus archic USB mouse support for something Apple is moving away from. This rumor doesn't make any sense. I wouldn't even touch USB mouse on the iPad pro. Who would buy it?

 

[sparksd]

USB? Now there's an idea that sucks.

 

[jpn]

Keyboard, Mouse, Multitasking... Basically iPad is becoming a MacBook.

this.
next step: a trackpad on the Smart Keyboard.
this will make it a viable option to finally get some work done on an iPad.

 

[jlseattle]

exactly on the same boat. Had to buy a surface to deal with productivity tasks when on the road. I will buy an iPad Pro the next day they add mouse support. It's incredible how people don't realise that one requires mouse input to work with large documents.

Yea, Apple is still trying to digest what productivity looks like on the iPad pro. I am hopeful when they merge mac os and ios (rumors have it) that we'll see more functionality get onto the iPad. i also want a touch screen mac. I can clean the screen so just give it to us. Put the coating you put on the ipad and the iphone on the mac.

 

[Mac 128]

IMO, one of the biggest things holding the iPad back when using a keyboard is lack of mouse support. Having to reach up and touch the screen for the many things that aren't supported with keyboard shortcuts is a lesson in bad ergonomics. Seems kind of strange to only offer it via USB though.

It’s this exact same ergonomics argument Apple made for not adding touch screens to MacBooks — ‘the need to reach up and touch the screen would be too difficult and uncomfortable’. Yet they have no problem marketing and selling an iPad with a keyboard that creates that exact situation without any other way to interact with the screen but to hold ones arm in midair to touch the screen.

Apple hypocrisy at its finest.

 

[The Game 161]

Awesome if true

 

[marcmartineau]

Steve Jobs must be upside down in his grave !

 

[TimTheSheriff]

Another feature that would be SO helpful is being able to view full webpages rather than defaulting (normally) to mobile versions. Although there is an option to request the desktop version of a webpage, that doesn't always work. There are some things that I simply cannot do (or are very difficult to do) on an iPad due to the limitations a mobile browser brings.

 

[WilliamG]

I’m still waiting for Apple Mouse support on iPad. It would make teamviewering so much easier!

It would make EVERYTHING easier. Copying and pasting is a freaking nightmare with a finger.

And yes, if you use Remote Desktop to a PC/Mac, a mouse is a must have.

 

[Rogifan]

Another feature that would be SO helpful is being able to view full webpages rather than defaulting (normally) to mobile versions. Although there is an option to request the desktop version of a webpage, that doesn't always work. There are some things that I simply cannot do (or are very difficult to do) on an iPad due to the limitations a mobile browser brings.

Apparently iOS 13 will default certain sites to desktop view. Not sure how the OS determines which websites should point to desktop view.

 

[EvilEvil]

Can't wait for the overpriced dongles! /s
[doublepost=1556033023][/doublepost]

Steve Jobs must be upside down in his grave !

He's doing barrel rolls.

 

[jayducharme]

I wonder how will they support it. One of a mouse features is not only pointing and clicking but also hovering the cursor over stuff and getting visual cues. That doesn't make sense on iOS.

Exactly. This doesn't make sense to me. There's no cursor in iOS, and therefore no point in having a mouse. The only solution I could imagine (if this were true) would be to initiate a cursor when a mouse is connected. Then we've come full circle back to the original 1984 Mac -- a screen with a mouse but no keyboard.

 

[edwurtle]

I wonder how gestures will be handled. Using a mouse with the iOS simulator is a real pain. The swiping feels unnatural. Pinch zooming is awkward key+mouse combo. Multi finger gestures are nearly impossible.

 

[Mac 128]

Exactly. This doesn't make sense to me. There's no cursor in iOS, and therefore no point in having a mouse. The only solution I could imagine (if this were true) would be to initiate a cursor when a mouse is connected. Then we've come full circle back to the original 1984 Mac -- a screen with a mouse but no keyboard.

Huh? The original Mac had a keyboard. No arrow keys, but a keyboard. And the iPad has a keyboard. In fact Apple is marketing and selling it with one, and no mouse, requiring the user to lift their arms to touch the screen — something Apple explicitly stated was a reason they wouldn’t offer a touch screen on a Mac.

 

[EugW]

There are three main things I want from my iPad Pro (2nd gen 10.5").

1. Mouse/trackpad support. <--- This might be coming in iOS 13.
2. Full external storage support. <-- This likely will not be coming in iOS 13.
3. Default desktop version for websites. <--- This is likely coming in iOS 13.

Why?

1. For mouse/trackpad support there is some productivity software that would work much better for me on my iPad. Stuff like Excel/Numbers is really annoying with a touch interface. It's so much more efficient with a mouse. Also, my VPN software is basically non-functional with a touch interface. I can't get any work done with remote desktop type software with a touch interface. That means if I even have a small chance I might need to VPN somewhere, I need to carry my MacBook, not my iPad. Ironically, some of the VPN software options out there already have Bluetooth mouse support on iOS, but it's proprietary and only works in their software, and is very expensive.

2. It's pretty sad that I can't load in a spreadsheet or Word document via USB on my iPad at work and then do a minor edit and then put it back on that USB drive, even though I have a USB 3 dongle that can work with USB drives (for photos and video). At least with most of my spreadsheets and Word documents I can sometimes work around it with email and cloud storage, etc. but it's a PITA. OTOH, with large presentiations or video files, I can't do this easily. USB storage support would be so much simpler.

3. We can work around this already, but it seems bizarre that the default is still to get mobile websites on iPads. It's about time this is coming, since we've needed this since about 4 years ago.

Right now I am carrying my iPad Pro 85% of the time. Once these three things come, it will be 95% of the time.

---

Note that even if Bluetooth is not supported, one workaround is wireless RF. On the 3rd gen iPad Pros, it would just mean a small USB-C RF dongle. On the Lightning iPads, it would mean a USB adapter, and then the RF dongle. But yeah, it would be annoying if it's USB-only, because Bluetooth support would mean no dongles necessary.

---

BTW, once these three things come, and the iPad Pros go 6 GB across the board, I'll be inclined to upgrade from my 2nd gen iPad Pro. Otherwise I don't see much point in upgrading for my usage. YMMV.

 

[sparksd]

Exactly. This doesn't make sense to me. There's no cursor in iOS, and therefore no point in having a mouse. The only solution I could imagine (if this were true) would be to initiate a cursor when a mouse is connected. Then we've come full circle back to the original 1984 Mac -- a screen with a mouse but no keyboard.

Exactly how Android works with a mouse - initiate a cursor when a mouse is connected. That works extremely well.

 

[DNichter]

It’s this exact same ergonomics argument Apple made for not adding touch screens to MacBooks — ‘the need to reach up and touch the screen would be too difficult and uncomfortable’. Yet they have no problem marketing and selling an iPad with a keyboard that creates that exact situation without any other way to interact with the screen but to hold ones arm in midair to touch the screen.

Apple hypocrisy at its finest.

Apple isn't really wrong when it comes to the crappy ergonomics, but I think it's mainly because they already have a touch first OS and touch would be crappy in macOS. I think they are finally coming around to it on the iPad as that platform is more popular than Mac's, they want to port Mac apps to the iPad, and there is a niche group of users who want it for productivity apps.

 

[Berko]

I think the USB term was mistakenly used. The tweet says nothing about USB. I'm sure it means wireless which would obviously be bluetooth.

 

[Mac 128]

I wonder how gestures will be handled. Using a mouse with the iOS simulator is a real pain. The swiping feels unnatural. Pinch zooming is awkward key+mouse combo. Multi finger gestures are nearly impossible.

I don’t understand why people see this as an either/or situation. Some things are better with a mouse, others with a touch screen. Connecting a mouse doesn’t mean one stops touching the screen. It’s the same argument in reverse with the Mac.

 

[bingeciren]

Exactly. This doesn't make sense to me. There's no cursor in iOS, and therefore no point in having a mouse. The only solution I could imagine (if this were true) would be to initiate a cursor when a mouse is connected. Then we've come full circle back to the original 1984 Mac -- a screen with a mouse but no keyboard.

Get your hands on a new Samsung device, like the S10 and see how it’s done. Once the mouse is connected, a cursor appears and you use it just like a PC. Oh and a keyboard works too and no need to say that a Fat32 formatted disk works as well.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Can a Bluetooth mouse be used already? I know I can use a keyboard, I've never tried a mouse before. That might be something appealing to people that can't use a stylus, or keyboard. Interesting...

 

[fairuz]

USB mouse support would be a little odd... why no bluetooth mouse support in this day and age?

Wireless mice are usually USB, not Bluetooth.

 

[Unity451]

It'll be the new USB-APL, Apple's proprietary (and expensive) USB technology that only works with their devices and peripherals. I believe the team was led by John Sculley.

"This is THE BEST USB technology we've ever made!" -Timmy