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Expanded Mouse Cursor Support Coming to iPadOS 14 Alongside New Smart Keyboards With Trackpads

The surprising thing here is 'leaked iOS 14 code' :oops: Either this is an Apple mandated leak, or someone's in big trouble... lots of leaks from officially released OS code, but can't remember this happening before...

As to the leak itself, sounds like this will be the next logical step to making iPads the tablet which can act more like a Mac when plugged into the Keyboard cover!
 
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As others have stated, about time. It was inevitable it was coming - I guess Apple wasn't going to release it until they could make money on hardware too.

Kind of funny to go back and look at all those threads and posts where so many people were adamant that Apple would never add mouse support to an iPad.
 
PhoneI said:
If you ever used a surface, you would know the answer to that.
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I have used a Surface Pro 6, I sold it later on. Hardware wise it was a nice device, however the iPad is a better tablet. But that’s the point! The iPad is a tablet. The surface is a computer that can be a tablet (with tablet mode).
 
Why not make the iPad new smart keyboard resembles from the MacBook.
 
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Dave245 said:
This is moving closer to a hybrid device, something Apple has been against. In which case, why not buy a Surface?
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Have you ever used a Window Touch laptop?

Used one for years and one right now. There is NO way to use Windows without a pointer device (trackpad/mouse). Its near impossible.

The touch is half baked at best. Its best feature to use touch for is scrolling really and general pecking at icons to open stuff.
 
Almost all here show a huge lack of expertise. Crying for a touch pad as if this solves any problem.
the whole os is cramped and isolated. The apps can’t communicate with each other efficiently.
That and much more are the real topics.

am not sure if Apple has enough intelligence left for the coming huge evolutionary step ahead!

it seems they want to emerge both platforms and make universal apps a thing.
that would make the Mac the favorite device if it gets a detachable Touchscreen. But I can’t see them doing it.
 
D.T. said:
Yeah, if the keyboard + trackpad peripheral is true (seems to be the case) many of us expect iPadOS 14 to make substantial improvements to handling external input devices (in particular, the trackpad).

__Hopefully__ this won't be a next-gen-only peripheral, and work with the current Smart Connector implementation ...
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It’s seems like every year is a new iPad size, form factor and new smart folio or keyboard cover.
 
1144557 said:
Have you ever used a Window Touch laptop?

Used one for years and one right now. There is NO way to use Windows without a pointer device (trackpad/mouse). Its near impossible.

The touch is half baked at best. Its best feature to use touch for is scrolling really and general pecking at icons to open stuff.
Click to expand...

yes the Surface Pro 6, i found the touch to be fine. The trackpad use was better I agree. However we are talking about Apple adding mouse support on the iPad. The iPad is a tablet and not a PC with a tablet mode.
 
Dave245 said:
This is moving closer to a hybrid device, something Apple has been against. In which case, why not buy a Surface?
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I don't think Apple is against a hybrid device in general, they're against forcing the merger of the devices. It certainly looks like they are taking a natural progression to get there, and I think that's the best course of action. So far, I think Apple has gotten most of its big endeavors right. Laptops, all-in-one desktops, mp3/music player, smartphone, tablet... there have been all of those devices before Apple's, but they took the time and got it right. I think when/if Apple releases a hybrid device, it will blow Microsoft out of the water. It's all subjective, but after using Windows at home until about 2011, and still using updated versions of Windows at work, I would not want to deal with the headache of a windows device, either in a desktop or tablet.
 
This news while great for many is troubling to others. Not everyone wants mouse support on an iPad. The main reason being that when mouse support it welcomed by Apple some developers will end up having apps that only function well when using a mouse. Thus encouraging users to have to use a mouse which is exactly the opposite of why many bought an iPad in the first place. This isn't blurring the lines between an iPad and an MacBook, this is bringing an iPad closer to becoming a MacBook and thus rending the iPad useless to people who don't want to have to carry around a mouse and keyboard.
 
I shudder to think how much this new smart keyboard is going to cost since the 12.9” is already $200. We could be looking at a $270 iPad keyboard. Add a pencil for $130 and you’re looking at $400.
 
GermanSuplex said:
I don't think Apple is against a hybrid device in general, they're against forcing the merger of the devices. It certainly looks like they are taking a natural progression to get there, and I think that's the best course of action. So far, I think Apple has gotten most of its big endeavors right. Laptops, all-in-one desktops, mp3/music player, smartphone, tablet... there have been all of those devices before Apple's, but they took the time and got it right. I think when/if Apple releases a hybrid device, it will blow Microsoft out of the water. It's all subjective, but after using Windows at home until about 2011, and still using updated versions of Windows at work, I would not want to deal with the headache of a windows device, either in a desktop or tablet.
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I think Apple have gotten a lot of the tablet experience right, ive used an iPad for years. Im using the 2nd gen iPad Pro, after having an issue and Apple replacing it, I love the iPad Pro. I love it because it’s the best tablet ever! I don’t want Apple to water it down by turning it into a laptop. They should keep the Mac and iPad experience separate for the most part and avoid merging them. There are some great features that the iPad Pro has when working with a Mac, for example I love using Sidecar with my 2019 MacBook Pro and iPad Pro.
 
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luvbug said:
Apple, please figure out how to include backlighting on the keyboard, otherwise its usefulness will be greatly diminished.
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I have long wondered if the current Smart Connector is capable of supplying enough power for this.

jclardy said:
I hope the new trackpad smart keyboards don't require a new connector...
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It would be brilliant if they didn't. An excellent way to extract another $250+ from many 2018 iPad Pro owners.
 
Sethal said:
This news while great for many is troubling to others. Not everyone wants mouse support on an iPad. The main reason being that when mouse support it welcomed by Apple some developers will end up having apps that only function well when using a mouse. Thus encouraging users to have to use a mouse which is exactly the opposite of why many bought an iPad in the first place. This isn't blurring the lines between an iPad and an MacBook, this is bringing an iPad closer to becoming a MacBook and thus rending the iPad useless to people who don't want to have to carry around a mouse and keyboard.
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A mouse and keyboard won't be a requirement. It'll be an add-on
 
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I’m really excited to see the new design And how it will attach to the iPad. i can’t see anyway the current design would allow room for the trackpad. The pic in this article wouldn’t work with the current way the iPad attaches to the back.
 
I hope that mouse support is available on all iPads and that the Magic Trackpad and mouse both finally work with it too.
 
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luvbug said:
Apple, please figure out how to include backlighting on the keyboard, otherwise its usefulness will be greatly diminished.
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Except for us touch-typists. My ipad keyboard doesn’t even have all its letters anymore, and it’s fine!

F4F46935-4AA9-4B01-9CC3-4C996B875C27.jpeg
 
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