Apple wireless keyboard

[el-John-o]

Hey all,

So I got a gift card to the Apple Store for Christmas, just now spent it and got myself an Apple Wireless Keyboard. Absolutely loving it, it types a lot better than I thought (honestly, had it not been for the gift card I would have gone to another keyboard, one that was rechargeable, but I am loving typing on this thing! It's already replaced the 2.4ghz wireless keyboard I was using on my desktop!)

So anyway, here's the deal. I have my iPad propped up on the desk, and Steve Jobs was right, it is not the ideal way to use a multi-touch device. In fact, it's a pain in the BUTT! So my question is, what sort of Jailbreak tweaks are there that would allow me to get more use out of this keyboard, and perhaps use my iPad without reaching up and touching it? Ideally, I would be able to use the arrow keys to scroll on a web page, go back to the home screen, maybe even select apps from the home screen, etc. It would also be REALLY cool if the tab key worked like it did on Windows or Mac, in the sense that I could tab around and select things (like the 'post thread' button, heh)

I know there is the BTStack Mouse tweak, but I don't have a bluetooth mouse, several 2.4GHz ones (the kind that use proprietary dongles), but no bluetooth. I had an old IBM PC running Windows 3.11 that I never did have a mouse for, it worked fine with just a keyboard (not enough serial ports available for a mouse, remember those things?), and I have kind of kept that habit, I honestly don't use the mouse a whole lot, keyboard shortcut keys and arrow keys are my friend, how cool would it be to do that on the iPad! (For me, anyway).

Thanks,



John

 

[el-John-o]

Found a nearly identical thread from October that also had no replies, I guess that means it can't as of yet be done! Oh well.

 

[MikePA]

I have used the Kensington, Brookstone, Sena, and ZAGG/mate keyboard solutions and they address all the concerns you raise except for totally eliminating the need to touch the screen. No keyboard is going to do that. They have arrow keys, a tab key, an Enter key, etc.

Thus far, the ZAGG/mate is the best because it's pretty much a standard keyboard (specifically a right Shift key) with a few iPad specific keys.

 

[ZilogZ80]

I know there is the BTStack Mouse tweak, but I don't have a bluetooth mouse, several 2.4GHz ones (the kind that use proprietary dongles), but no bluetooth.

BTStack Mouse works OK, however not alongside Apple's bluetooth. You have to use BTStack keyboard which (last time I used it) isn't able to hide the soft keyboard. So everytime you go to a text box or whatever, the soft keyboard pops up even though you are using a bluetooth keyboard. Very annoying!

It would be great if there were a Cydia app to enhance the functionality of the Apple Bluetooth keyboard - but I don't know of any.

 

[el-John-o]

I have used the Kensington, Brookstone, Sena, and ZAGG/mate keyboard solutions and they address all the concerns you raise except for totally eliminating the need to touch the screen. No keyboard is going to do that. They have arrow keys, a tab key, an Enter key, etc.

Thus far, the ZAGG/mate is the best because it's pretty much a standard keyboard (specifically a right Shift key) with a few iPad specific keys.

Thanks, but I had an Apple Store gift card to spend and I have a brand new wireless keyboard here, it would be senseless to drop another $100 to add a few features.

Also, I do have a right shift key, and I can tab around webpages but only tab to different text input fields, can you tab to buttons? Can you scroll? I know they have home buttons, but the other features I don't understand why Apples own solution can't do what they can do!

BTStack Mouse works OK, however not alongside Apple's bluetooth. You have to use BTStack keyboard which (last time I used it) isn't able to hide the soft keyboard. So everytime you go to a text box or whatever, the soft keyboard pops up even though you are using a bluetooth keyboard. Very annoying!

It would be great if there were a Cydia app to enhance the functionality of the Apple Bluetooth keyboard - but I don't know of any.

That's what I'm saying, but I don't have a Bluetooth Mouse so that won't help me. I did try BTStack keyboard though, the Demo on Cydia, to see if it offered any more features, it didn't work. Just made my iPad SUPER sluggish (as in 2 seconds or more to switch home screens), and it completely locked out my keyboard. I had to delete it and reboot the iPad. Not a fun time.

 

[MikePA]

Thanks, but I had an Apple Store gift card to spend and I have a brand new wireless keyboard here, it would be senseless to drop another $100 to add a few features.

Also, I do have a right shift key, and I can tab around webpages but only tab to different text input fields, can you tab to buttons? Can you scroll? I know they have home buttons, but the other features I don't understand why Apples own solution can't do what they can do!

Apple's solution is not an iPad specific, or even an iPad accomodating, keyboard that's why it can't do what the ones I mentioned can. And yes, I can tab to buttons and I can scroll.

 

[el-John-o]

Apple's solution is not an iPad specific, or even an iPad accomodating, keyboard that's why it can't do what the ones I mentioned can. And yes, I can tab to buttons and I can scroll.

Huh, I may have to look into those then, later. And yes, I guess if I asked Apple they'd tell me I should have bought the keyboard dock (and then not be able to use landscape and be truly portable), but I would think that Apple could add a bit more functionality. Oh well, it does a good job for now, i can reach up and touch it ha!

-John