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

[blackcrayon]

Silly not to allow bluetooth. Apple doesn't even sell non-bluetooth mice. Typical Tim Cook Apple decision this

Lol, we don't even know if it's actually coming, but you know 1) it won't work with bluetooth and 2) that it was a Tim Cook decision in any way 😳

My guess is that it will work with bluetooth mice, just like iOS devices can work with USB or bluetooth keyboards. If not, I'd just use a 2.4 ghz wireless mouse which are pretty much everywhere *shrug*. It also means a keyboard maker could include a trackpad that communicates over USB.

 

[sparksd]

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...

Only specialized mice like Swiftpoint & Citrix when used with a remote connection to PC.

 

[fairuz]

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.

The whole tablet thing is full circle. There's no point, it's called using a laptop.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Wireless mice are usually USB, not Bluetooth.

Huh?

 

[gnasher729]

This is a very typical Macrumors post. This has not been announced by Apple, we have no clue whether or not Bluetooth devices are also supported, and Tim Cook likely has absolutely nothing to do with this decision.

What was the name of this website again? MacRumors if I remember correctly. Apart from the fact that "AppleRumors" might be a better name, it's perfectly alright here.

 

[subjonas]

Silly not to allow bluetooth. Apple doesn't even sell non-bluetooth mice. Typical Tim Cook Apple decision this

Not really typical if it doesn’t make Apple any money from accessories. 😵

 

[fourthtunz]

or Surface Pro

They should listen to their customers and make a superior Mac surface!

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

This 1000%. I have been wanting this since MS Office came to the iPad.

Seriously if they want to 1.5x-3x iPad sales, add mouse support. I will never take my iPad seriously until it has mouse, trackpade whatever support. My iPad is a 99% consumption device. It could replace my laptop if they added mouse support.

Touch is great but when trying to select multiple spread sheet cells in Excel, or use it with a RDP app onto my Windows computer..............touch < Mouse.

My parents, in their 70's, have iPad's, 12inch models that they use 80% of the time. They still have a computer that they use as well. Why.....no mouse support for the iPad. They would ditch that PC in a second if Apple did this.

Let me be 100% clear, this should be an OPTION, as in you can turn it off or not use it, because we know the cult followers will try to block this with some fo Apple cult rage.

 

[gnasher729]

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?

It's for customers who need a cable so that they know which way to put the mouse on a desk.

 

[Paulyboy]

This actually already exists, apparently, in Bluetooth form. I'm a quadriplegic and use a wireless head-operated mouse called the Quha Zono (with a attached puff tube add-on for clicking). The same company that makes the Quha Zono announced something they're calling "The iPad Adapter" back in January. They even demonstrated it at the annual ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association) conference in Orlando back in January.

This was HUGE news for me because it will allow me to use an iPad MUCH better than I currently can. I can't even begin to explain what possibilities this kind of thing will provide for me.

I get their products through a North American distributor called Grasp Assistive Technologies and they initially expected to ship it before the end of March, pending Apple's approval. When that didn't happen I was told around April 4th that they were going to ship on April 15th, which didn't happen either. The device is fully developed so these delays apparently are because of Apple. I haven't actually contacted Grasp since before April 15th because they told me they would send me shipping confirmation when it shipped so I've been waiting for that. Have dealt with these people a lot in the past and they're a good and reliable company so I can only assume Apple is holding this up for some reason. Then again I'm pretty sure the product wouldn't have been developed if they knew Apple would have a problem with it so who knows what's going on?

But for now I'll assume it's arrival is imminent. It cost $380 by the way which isn't surprising since anything considered "assistive technology" is always on the pricey side. The Quha Zono mouse itself (including USB wireless receiver) costs around $1,000. It works incredibly well though and sometimes goes a few days before it needs to be recharged.

Here's links for both the developer and distributor.

https://www.quha.com/products-2/ipad-adapter/

https://www.graspat.com/quha-zono

A competing product that uses USB as the connection method is due this fall.

https://www.ablenetinc.com/sidekick-1

PN

 

[Greymacuser]

Rumors here are a dime a dozen, so they all just become droning noise.
However, if this pans out to be true, it'll go a long way to making the iPad a little more computer like when it coms to usability.
Except for the whole no ports for external drives support and limited OS.
Ok, it'll still be a toy, but it'll have a mouse.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

What I would be most interested in is incorporated a trackpad into the smart keyboard (similar to surface). This would be especially useful for scrolling on web pages. On the home screen it could work similarly to the Apple TV with one finger, and 2 fingers could flip between home screen pages.

 

[ingik]

If anyone needs keyboard and a mouse on there iPad they are probably better of getting an Macbook.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

SOMEONE PORT DOOM, NOW!

For those complaining about no bluetooth mouse support, wireless mice have latency. Latency is the difference between fragging someone and being fragged by someone.

 

[DNichter]

The whole tablet thing is full circle. There's no point, it's called using a laptop.

Depends on the person, but not from my experience. I much prefer iOS to macOS so any additional features in regards to productivity just enhance the tablet experience. I don't find them comparable at all.

 

[EugW]

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.

USB keyboards already work on the iPad too. I did this on a lark, and it works fine.

(This setup needed power though, presumably because this old Mac keyboard includes a USB hub, so there is a USB power bank in the pic.)

 

[Falhófnir]

Cool, I doubt this will stay an accessibility feature long 😛 Guarantee mouse support is going to be built into a lot of apps shortly after it's announced, and not as an auxiliary interface option either!

Huh?

A lot of mice come with a USB dongle to connect them wirelessly, rather than using the computer's bluetooth connection.

 

[sparksd]

Huh?

No wire with a mouse that communicates via USB receiver. More common than Bluetooth mice.

 

[EugW]

Cool, I doubt this will stay an accessibility feature long 😛 Guarantee mouse support is going to be built into a lot of apps shortly after it's announced, and not as an auxiliary interface option either!

Well, if it's built into the OS, then apps would get access to it already by default, as it would just substitute for touch input.

 

[zombierunner]

So you need usb a to usb c dongle

 

[DaveOP]

What was the name of this website again? MacRumors if I remember correctly. Apart from the fact that "AppleRumors" might be a better name, it's perfectly alright here.

I didn't say it was not allowed or wrong, I just said it's typical. No reason to jump to conclusions until you hear Apple's story around this. These leaks are coming from a SDK most likely, so they don't have the full picture. It could very well be that Bluetooth mice are supported, and maybe Tim Cook spent his entire month of March championing this.

 

[sparksd]

Well, if it's built into the OS, then apps would get access to it already by default, as it would just substitute for touch input.

Exactly. Just like Android or a touchscreen laptop.

 

[edwurtle]

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.

True, I didn't think of that. I'm so used to mimicking gestures for iOS simulator, that I didn't think about still having touch functionality along with mouse.

 

[az431]

Silly not to allow bluetooth. Apple doesn't even sell non-bluetooth mice. Typical Tim Cook Apple decision this

You know it's a rumor right? And a sketchy one at best.

 

[Falhófnir]

Well, if it's built into the OS, then apps would get access to it already by default, as it would just substitute for touch input.

Getting excited for iOS 13, given there's also rumours of some level of floating window support. If they also make the files app more powerful I think the iPad pros can finally really step into laptop replacement territory the way they want them to!