Microsoft to Add Trackpad Support to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Apps on iPad

[MacRumors]

Microsoft plans to add trackpad and mouse support to its Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for iPad by the fall, according to TechCrunch and The Verge.

iPadOS 13.4 introduced trackpad and mouse support on all iPad models released in the past four to five years. Keyboards with trackpads include Apple's Magic Keyboard and Brydge's Pro+ for the iPad Pro and Logitech's Combo for the 10.2-inch iPad and the 10.5-inch iPad Air.

When using a trackpad, the cursor displays as a circle on the screen, popping up only when you have a finger on the trackpad. The circle then morphs into various other shapes when hovering over app icons, text fields, or other on-screen elements.

Article Link: Microsoft to Add Trackpad Support to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Apps on iPad

 

[EugW]

This may finally make Excel and PowerPoint usable on the iPad.

 

[gutefahrt]

I use PP regularly and the trackpad works, but the curser does not animate. It’s also buggy - sometimes I can use it to select slides or editing tools, and sometimes it does nothing when I hover and click. I’m looking forward to this update.

 

[TJT1991]

by the fall??? Hoping that’s a typo...

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Aren't these OS level changes that work on all apps? Why would they have to add support for them?

 

[The Game 161]

Just hope we get 3 page spilt screen on iOS 14

 

[mikejd1]

Fall 😂

 

[roland.g]

Aren't these OS level changes that work on all apps? Why would they have to add support for them?

Exactly. So Apple made this thing but instead of it working for apps through the OS, the developers have to add the functionality on a per app. Another reason to avoid the $300-$350 Keyboard.

 

[zhenya]

By the FALL????

 

[Marlon DLTH :)]

I hope they finally add the full versions of the Office apps to the iPad, it’s the right moment to do that

 

[jeme]

By the fall, really?

 

[Krevnik]

Aren't these OS level changes that work on all apps? Why would they have to add support for them?

If the developer uses standard controls, everything works. The more the developer creates custom controls (like say, the Ribbon), the more you then have to do yourself.

My trackpad works with the Office apps. It doesn’t properly support things like the I-Beam in a Word document. There are bugs with the Ribbon where it doesn’t always recognize the tap (like the other poster reports), and there’s no animation on the buttons in the Ribbon. I think they might be doing a lot of custom UI and in the process made the automatic stuff Apple provides not work. And I’m not sure how much choice you have when talking about the document view.

Another annoying bug is that there’s some stuff around making selection touch-friendly that Word seems to do that other apps don’t (tapping will try to put the cursor at the front or end of a word), which still happens with mouse input, and is just plain annoying.

By the fall, really?

I wonder if it is “by the start” or “by the end”. Huge difference there.

 

[VforVelveta]

Office 365 users: You're going to make us wait until the fall?! Get it together Microsoft!

GSuite users: Wow, multi-window in beta, and cursor support by this fall? That sounds amazing...

 

[blackcrayon]

Exactly. So Apple made this thing but instead of it working for apps through the OS, the developers have to add the functionality on a per app. Another reason to avoid the $300-$350 Keyboard.

And how is exactly is it going to work perfectly in all apps that were never designed for it? If they added touch to MacOS, would it suddenly work perfectly in all apps that only expected a mouse pointer?

It generally works, but apps are going to need updates, especially if they aren't using Apple's standard text fields and controls (and something tells me Microsoft Office is in that category).

 

[EugW]

by the fall??? Hoping that’s a typo...

Fall seems perfectly reasonable. MS Office is a massive software suite, and implementing proper trackpad support would be a lot of work. It's not just a matter of flipping a trackpad-on switch.

 

[sracer]

Aren't these OS level changes that work on all apps? Why would they have to add support for them?

It is reasonable to think that, but no. Since iOS (and iPad OS) is, from the very beginning and continues to be, a smartphone OS, Apple relies on app developers to include support for what is typically OS-level functionality found on traditional operating systems.

Things like clipboard support, background processing, multi-window, etc.have to be included by the app developers. This is why features like multi-window are of limited value for some because not all apps support it. The larger the iPad the more frustrating it is.

And how is exactly is it going to work perfectly in all apps that were never designed for it? If they added touch to MacOS, would it suddenly work perfectly in all apps that only expected a mouse pointer?

It generally works, but apps are going to need updates, especially if they aren't using Apple's standard text fields and controls (and something tells me Microsoft Office is in that category).

It would work perfectly in all apps if iOS were designed properly. Android has had full and global support for mice and trackpads for many years. Android apps don't need to be "aware" of the presence of a mouse. That is handled by the OS.

When a mouse is detected, Android displays a mouse pointer. But when it is not, no mouse pointer. It's seamless.

I find it odd that people look at what Apple is doing with mouse support in iOS as if no other mobile OS provided mouse support before.

 

[itguy06]

Exactly. So Apple made this thing but instead of it working for apps through the OS, the developers have to add the functionality on a per app. Another reason to avoid the $300-$350 Keyboard.

Just buy the Surface already. It's a better mobile computer and a decent tablet.

 

[toonetown]

We’re still waiting for the long-promised and demoed-at-wwdc multiwindow support in these apps (at least it’s now in beta). I’m not holding my breath that it will be available in the fall...more like next spring. 😡

 

[dugbug]

Exactly. So Apple made this thing but instead of it working for apps through the OS, the developers have to add the functionality on a per app. Another reason to avoid the $300-$350 Keyboard.

Roland, if they use standard controls the answer is yes it works. As for custom widgets its not possible for apple to morph or understand the code's intent from the outside. Its possible to do stuff like interact with a large graphic as a button where morphing a cursor to absorb the large graphic would not be what you want.

As for the attempted snark on the keyboard, that has nothing to do with this: any paired mouse or trackpad will work.

I encourage those with comments that are off base to study the APIs and code something for fun to get the hang of this.
-d
[automerge]1588947817[/automerge]

Just buy the Surface already. It's a better mobile computer and a decent tablet.

The ipad is a better tablet and a decent mobile computer so.... get the right one for you not do something silly like react to comments.

 

[oilers780]

I still can’t imagine myself doing too many models on an iPad Pro’s version of Excel.

I am still so used to having more RAM, a traditional clamshell laptop, and X86 computing power.

 

[roland.g]

Just buy the Surface already. It's a better mobile computer and a decent tablet.

I use a Surface 7 Pro for work. Replaced my Dell with one in December. Don’t know about the new iPad keyboard, but the Surface Type cover is very much like a Mac external or laptop keyboard. The original iPad keyboard/cover had horrible keys. As to the Surface I use it as a computer, never as a tablet because I do my work on it which doesn’t benefit at all from tablet or touch uses. I also use a mouse with it and not the small trackpad on the type cover. In the office it is docked and I actually have an Apple keyboard with 10 key plugged into the dock via usb. For personal use I have a MacBook Pro and an iPhone. I leave the iPads to my kids. However, my wife has a Surface Pro for her personal computer. For me, I wouldn’t use a Windows machine as a personal device.

 

[CalMin]

by the fall??? Hoping that’s a typo...

No. I think they spelled it right.

 

[moabal]

Aren't these OS level changes that work on all apps? Why would they have to add support for them?

No it is not universal. For example on Pages, you can use the trackpad to easily select. On Word at the moment you cannot. etc etc.

 

[blackcrayon]

It is reasonable to think that, but no. Since iOS (and iPad OS) is, from the very beginning and continues to be, a smartphone OS, Apple relies on app developers to include support for what is typically OS-level functionality found on traditional operating systems.

Things like clipboard support, background processing, multi-window, etc.have to be included by the app developers. This is why features like multi-window are of limited value for some because not all apps support it. The larger the iPad the more frustrating it is.



It would work perfectly in all apps if iOS were designed properly. Android has had full and global support for mice and trackpads for many years. Android apps don't need to be "aware" of the presence of a mouse. That is handled by the OS.

When a mouse is detected, Android displays a mouse pointer. But when it is not, no mouse pointer. It's seamless.

I find it odd that people look at what Apple is doing with mouse support in iOS as if no other mobile OS provided mouse support before.

Mouse support is a new feature, and that is why apps need to support it for it to work well. It already works to some extent. It's the same as macOS developers adding Apple trackpad support for gestures and pressure sensitivity, even though technically the trackpad already "worked" with their software. iOS apps don't need to be "aware" of a mouse to use them. I find it odd that you seem to believe the mouse won't work at all unless serious work is done to an application.

Have you even looked at someone using iOS's mouse support? I'm not sure that you have, or you wouldn't have made the comparison to Android regarding the appearance of a mouse pointer. Of course, Android is known for having "global support" for things and then receiving piles and piles of "lowest common denominator" software. Sure, it "works" with no developer attention, and then developers don't *give* it attention (notice years of poorly adapted phone apps for Android tablets rather than ones considered for the larger screen size).

 

[EugW]

I still can’t imagine myself doing too many models on an iPad Pro’s version of Excel.

I am still so used to having more RAM, a traditional clamshell laptop, and X86 computing power.

Glad you don't represent everyone in the world then.

Different tools for different people with different use cases. The problem before though was without proper mouse/trackpad use, Excel and Numbers on the iPad were royal PITAs, even for relatively light users. However, once mouse/trackpad is properly supported, lighter users can use an iPad for their work. Power users will still need much larger screens, etc., however.

I don't know about "X86 computing power" though, since the iPad Pro 2018 is already faster than most MacBook Pros out there.