iPad/iOS needs keyboard, mouse and monitor support

[Monique1]

Right now I'm using just 2 devices for all my needs. (Windows 10" tablet and cheap Windows phone). It works pretty well because I get the mobility of a tablet and pen support when out and about and when I'm deskbound I simply dock it to a 27" monitor, full sized keyboard and mouse. I get portability and the desktop experience all with just one device.

But I do miss my Apple devices. Mainly the build quality and rich app selections for iOS. I simply got tired of the limitations of iOS on the iPad. It was great for simple things and I think I could actually eliminate my OSX needs if only iOS worked more like a Windows tablet. Yes, it can handle a keyboard and external monitor support is mainly for watching video because it won't scale anything else correctly. And of course there's no other input support available to iOS other than touch. Plus, no stylus support (I don't count those huge, rubber-tipped mushy faux things).

I would love to see the rumored iPad Pro incorporate OSX or a ramped up version of iOS so it could do all these things.

 

[Pakaku]

It has keyboard support, you just need to invest into bluetooth tech.

If you're tired of "the limitations", then upgrade to a MacBook, since that's basically what everyone wanted out of the iPad anyways now that it's a tiny little motherboard running on one USB-C port. It runs a real OS, handles real apps, actual keyboard/mouse support, external monitors are possible, the screen stays up due to a nifty hardware feature "the hinge", and pretty much everything except the touchscreen is there.

 

[Monique1]

It has keyboard support, you just need to invest into bluetooth tech..

I said as much.

If you're tired of "the limitations", then upgrade to a MacBook,

You didn't read. Been there. Had it all.

Again, I'm trying for only "2" devices in the Apple System. I had a MBP, iPad and iPhone. I tried to eliminate the MBP but couldn't survive on just the iPad. Inversely speaking, I like the mobility of a 10" device like the iPad but you can't do any heavy lifting with it so you still need a real machine with an OS worthy of such. A Windows tablet gives me this. But it's Windows. Not necessarily a bad thing (especially Win10), I just spent a very long time in the Apple ecosystem and was comfortable with it.

Thought about a 11" MB Air to replace both MBP and iPad but no touch support and now that I'm using a stylus with Windows I'd miss that as well. Windows tablets try to be all things to all people but these things just don't do it very well in my opinion.

 

[newellj]

Right now I'm using just 2 devices for all my needs. (Windows 10" tablet and cheap Windows phone). It works pretty well because I get the mobility of a tablet and pen support when out and about and when I'm deskbound I simply dock it to a 27" monitor, full sized keyboard and mouse. I get portability and the desktop experience all with just one device.

But I do miss my Apple devices. Mainly the build quality and rich app selections for iOS. I simply got tired of the limitations of iOS on the iPad. It was great for simple things and I think I could actually eliminate my OSX needs if only iOS worked more like a Windows tablet. Yes, it can handle a keyboard and external monitor support is mainly for watching video because it won't scale anything else correctly. And of course there's no other input support available to iOS other than touch. Plus, no stylus support (I don't count those huge, rubber-tipped mushy faux things).

I would love to see the rumored iPad Pro incorporate OSX or a ramped up version of iOS so it could do all these things.

What your post says but you didn't include in the thread title is that what you're envisioning would also need to run OS X.

Honestly, though as a guess since Tim Cook doesn't send me confidential emails, I don't see Apple going that way. They seem to have various bright-line product distinctions, and those seem to include not putting OS X on an iDevice and not supporting input devices other than a BT keyboard on iDevices (let's see what if anything happens to stylus support on the iPad Pro...).

Basically, good luck, I don't think Apple is interested. There is another company offering more or less what you want in every respect other than running OS X, and it is a very, very slick piece of tech (my wife and my 28 year old son both use it as their principal machine). If it has to be OS X, you're probably out of luck.

 

[sracer]

Right now I'm using just 2 devices for all my needs. (Windows 10" tablet and cheap Windows phone). It works pretty well because I get the mobility of a tablet and pen support when out and about and when I'm deskbound I simply dock it to a 27" monitor, full sized keyboard and mouse. I get portability and the desktop experience all with just one device.

But I do miss my Apple devices. Mainly the build quality and rich app selections for iOS. I simply got tired of the limitations of iOS on the iPad. It was great for simple things and I think I could actually eliminate my OSX needs if only iOS worked more like a Windows tablet. Yes, it can handle a keyboard and external monitor support is mainly for watching video because it won't scale anything else correctly. And of course there's no other input support available to iOS other than touch. Plus, no stylus support (I don't count those huge, rubber-tipped mushy faux things).

I would love to see the rumored iPad Pro incorporate OSX or a ramped up version of iOS so it could do all these things.

I think there's a good possibility (or at least I hope there is) that Apple will produce an iPad with support for BT pointing devices and active stylus, and a few tweaks to iOS to assist in content creation.

iOS software is already quite mature, it is the hardware limitations that are holding it back for me. And so I patiently wait (while my iPad 2 is limping along because of iOS 8.4)

 

[Monique1]

I think there's a good possibility (or at least I hope there is) that Apple will produce an iPad with support for BT pointing devices and active stylus, and a few tweaks to iOS to assist in content creation.)

This is what I'm hoping for. With all this talk of tapping into the Enterprise market Apple needs to do something other than finally allowing multiple email attachments in their mail app. (after 8 versions of an operating system no less). I hope they're looking closely at the dwindling iPad sales and just put Jony Ive on sabbatical for about 6 months. iOS needs more mainstream function, not a prettier bezel.

iOS software is already quite mature, it is the hardware limitations that are holding it back for me. And so I patiently wait (while my iPad 2 is limping along because of iOS 8.4)

I actually think the opposite. That iPad of yours screams in the geek bench scores compared to similar "Win" Atom based tablets.

iOS is just getting long in the tooth and I believe they've simply boxed themselves into a corner now. MS has got the right idea with a universal OS/app approach but I fear it's too little too late.

 

[whtrbt7]

If you use the camera connection kit with USB, you can connect a USB keyboard. iOS does however connect with Bluetooth keyboards and even some smart pens. As for monitor support, you really can't beat AirPlay to an apple TV connected to a large TV or monitor. The lag is quite acceptable for AirPlay and it's easy to use.

 

[lusheslewis]

Too little too late? I don't understand. The iPad is barely 5 years old, who knows what they will be like 10 years from now.

Personally I think Apple plans to keep the products separate. They will keep making both of them thinner and lighter but also more powerful. Having two devices isn't a problem because everything syncs and the iPad is so thin and light you barely know it's there. You also get two devices to use together or get 20+ hours of battery life.

Based on what you're saying I think where Microsoft is outdoing Apple is in ultra portable laptops. You can see them trying to push the envelope again with the new MacBook (the Air is no longer portable enough, how things change).

What tablet do you have btw? In my experience the Windows tablet experience is just awful compared to my iPad.

 

[Monique1]

What tablet do you have btw?

Lenovo Thinkpad 10. Comes with stylus. Also have their keyboard, dock and flip cover. All in all it's an ok setup. It's so nice carrying everything you own in a small device when out and about then plugging that same device into a dock with keyboard, mouse and 27" monitor. No need to sync files with another device or jump into a different OS.

In my experience the Windows tablet experience is just awful compared to my iPad.

I agree. But that's mainly because iOS is limited in what it can do. Windows on the other hand just needs to do too much and it's just not conducive to small devices. But if one needs to run the full MS office suite (like me) at least I have the ability to do so.

I really miss my iPad with the protective 3rd party keyboard. Until I needed it do something which it simply wasn't designed for.

 

[Thares]

Why don't you just buy a Windows tablet like the Dell Venue like this guy? It's small, it's more tablet-ish than a Surface and you connect all the stuff you want to it, including a mouse, a keyboard and an external display.

I agree with you that it would be nice to have more productivity features on the iPad. But I don't think that will happen to the extent you desire.

 

[Zaft]

Get a macbook, its a real computer. iPad is great for casual browsing, social media, Netflix, video etc. Its a consumption machine. I rarely edit anything on my iPad.

 

[whtrbt7]

Depending on what you use on the Microsoft office suite, the Microsoft apps for iOS are actually really decent. If you have an Office365 account, it gets even better since it syncs across to even corporate stuff so collaboration can take place. Realistically, if you have a Bluetooth keyboard,  tv and tv and a tv/monitor, the entire setup trumps most other setups I've seen for word processing, spreadsheet generation, and presentation editing. If you are dealing with the other MS office adding such as Access or I don't even know what is in the latest release, then you may have no choice but to use Windows and associated machines. Normally for stuff like that, I have a MacBook Pro running virtual machines that I can access from the iPad and just use the iPad virtually anywhere with a full desktop setup.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

There is no need for os x. iOS is just fine. But I would think it would be great if we could use a mouse.

 

[s2mikey]

Won't happen. I actually prefer that it didn't. Why? Because Apple has a product lineup that IMO covers the bases and they stay away from the "jack of all trades, master of none" problem that plagues many other devices out there. iOS is supposed to be a lightweight OS with a slick interface, easy use, minimal futzing, and lower hardware requirements. That's what makes it run so well on a tablet as light and portable as the iPad. If they mess with the formula then it could ruin the experience.

Most of us can get by with a tablet as our main device with a lower end laptop as a secondary device when you need one. Power users need to just accept the fact that the current iPad can't be their programming system or their auto cad design system. Get a MacBook.

For the record, I have considered a MacBook but the lack of cellular data support stops me. I am too used to having cell data on my iPad and couldn't get by on wifi only. Damnit.

 

[newellj]

There is no need for os x. iOS is just fine. But I would think it would be great if we could use a mouse.

Maybe it's fine for you. It's fine for me as long as I only want to browse web pages, watch a video or read email. If I want to use Word or Excel or other similar apps/programs, iOS is just not the same (and wouldn't be, even if mouse support were added although I agree that that would be very significant).

Apple's product divides are hard to understand and create real functional issues. Tablets can't have mouse support. Laptops can't have internal cellular support. iOS and OS X won't converge. Etc. ...

 

[s2mikey]

Maybe it's fine for you. It's fine for me as long as I only want to browse web pages, watch a video or read email. If I want to use Word or Excel or other similar apps/programs, iOS is just not the same (and wouldn't be, even if mouse support were added although I agree that that would be very significant).

Apple's product divides are hard to understand and create real functional issues. Tablets can't have mouse support. Laptops can't have internal cellular support. iOS and OS X won't converge. Etc. ...

One thing I will agree with is the lack of cell support on laptops. They are getting so svelt and portable that they could replace our iPad and allow us to truly get down to one device. If they offered cellular data on the new MacBook I'd have already ditched my iPad Air and gotten one of those. Not gonna happen though.

 

[newellj]

I agree - on all points, and your second to last sentence is probably why.

 

[Monique1]

Some of the remarks in this thread merely illustrate the quandary of iOS. I'm convinced Apple won't beef it up to the point of replacing a laptop. Indeed, that would be pretty stupid on their part. (Of course, I swore Microsoft would never release Office on iOS either and laughed at the rumors this was going to happen). And if that bigass iPad ever comes to fruition it will still be the same OS under the hood.

I'll most likely stay with my 10" Windows tablet form factor. Great for mobility when out in the field, has real stylus support and it instantly converts into a desktop when I'm at home. These days Baytrail processors can do everything I need including some modest video editing.