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Mouse on iPad Pro
- Thread starter dontwalkhand
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This!!!
How is it a pro device when you need to stop typing, reach up and push the screen. This gets tiring after a while and really does break the workflow! With a screen that big it's quite a high reach up as well vs the Air 2 or Mini.
This is exactly my point. People are providing solutions rather than saying this is the problem I need solved. I would hope Apple is thinking a bit more outside the box then just transporting desktop paradigms onto iOS. Like 3D Touch for example. Some have mockingly called it right click. Maybe it is but Apple didn't need to bring a mouse to iOS to achieve it. Apple TV has the focus engine which allows you to know where you are on screen without needing a mouse pointer. Note too that most of Apple's PR material for iPad Pro do not show the keyboard attached (unlike the Surface). Note too in the product video when Jony Ive is talking about the new connector he doesn't use the word "keyboard" he says "accessories". Perhaps it's impossible for "real work" to be done without a keyboard attached but Apple certainly isn't positioning the keyboard as a central component of the device, at least not in their marketing materials. If you're not using the device with a keyboard how necessary is a mouse?
Again it's how one defines the word "pro". If your definition means must have keyboard attached then yeah constantly having to reach up to the screen would be a pain. Of course I would hope Apple is thinking outside the box; just bringing a mouse pointer to iOS certainly isn't.
I spend alot of my productivity time in complex dashboards usually having to do with WordPress management or remote use. No keyboard shortcuts nor touch works precisely and effectively enough for that kind of work.
Mouse please! I mean really, it is not like we are saying MAKE IT MANDATORY for crying out loud. Just there for folks who want it without having to jailbreak. Sheesh, this is pathetic. Just give us the mouse and get out of our way, Apple.
Mouse please! I mean really, it is not like we are saying MAKE IT MANDATORY for crying out loud. Just there for folks who want it without having to jailbreak. Sheesh, this is pathetic. Just give us the mouse and get out of our way, Apple.
I hope so too, because the laptop-angle solution isn't particularly elegant.
Lately I've been using the Pro without a keyboard, relying on the on-screen keyboard to see if I can get any reasonable level of productivity. The answer, surprisingly, is yes. I hate typing on glass, but I find that I'm nearly as fast on the IPP as I am on baby keyboards (like I used to use on the iPad 2). I think with a little practice I'd be even faster.
The upshot is this: I'm not ready to throw out the iPad interface just because it's not a PC interface. I have a smart keyboard on the way, but I wouldn't be surprised if it spent most of its time at home and not on the road.
Nevertheless, it still wouldn't surprise me if Apple decided to sell some kind of auxiliary pointing device, but it would be a purely defensive move, and only if devices like the Surface Pro severely threaten iPad sales (which they're not yet.) But even if Apple went that direction, I suspect it's not their way forward.
I said this before in another thread, but after trying the Smart Keyboard at the store, I decided I didn't like the way it folded when not in typing position. I bought the iPP with just a Smart Cover, and am using it mostly with the on-screen keyboard -- in fact, I'm typing this post right now using the on-screen keyboard. I also have an Appple Bluetooth keyboard to use with the iPP when I have a long document to type. So far, I really enjoy typing on the iPP on-screen keyboard, in both landscape and portrait, and feel that it makes me more productive than I was on the regular size iPads.
Interesting enough, when using the Bluetooth keyboard, I don't feel much desire for a mouse, probably because iOS 9's keyboard shortcuts cover most, if not all of the things I need to do when working on a document.
But you just typed Apple with 3 p's./s
Damn, I thought autocorrect would catch that! :s
I will be very sad if a mouse shows up on iOS because it means forward thinking people have left the company. Things like 3D Touch and Focus Engine give me hope though.
However I guess you have always wanted a Stylus for the iPad ever since it was 1st launched by Steve Jobs. Yes?
I bet if I go hunting, I can find loads of posts from you in the past about how Apple should have a Stylus for their iPad. Yes?
Or perhaps not
But remember what state-of-the-art was before the iPhone. You either had a pseudo-graphical display that was navigated by a little nub-joystick, or you had the Palm interface that was navigated by...wait for it...a stylus. I got a lot of work done with my beloved Palm IIIx - still remember submitting daily reports by IR syncing with the manager! But requiring a stylus to operate a phone seems like such an anachronism today.However I guess you have always wanted a Stylus for the iPad ever since it was 1st launched by Steve Jobs. Yes?
I bet if I go hunting, I can find loads of posts from you in the past about how Apple should have a Stylus for their iPad. Yes?
Or perhaps not
That direct-touch interface really was revolutionary, and was the basis, I suspect, of Jobs' comment about styli. Remember, too, that there was a lot of push-back from physical keyboard fans. It really wasn't obvious at the time that the iPhone-style interface would succeed. In that context, it feels more like Mr. Jobs was defending his decision to use an all-glass interface rather than establishing a hard, fast rule for all time.
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for Apple to deliver a pencil...
Adding mouse support for certain apps such as Excel and stuff would make it awesome. I'm sure it would attract even more type of "Pro" apps and even regular apps. Would be even more innovation possible in apps for developers. Even games would be able to use it, or stream games from Steam or something. I would not mind it at all. Maybe even Apple can create a new small mouse that they can market for the iPad Pro. More money. Nothing to lose.
3D touch is a silly gimmick since you still have to reach up to touch the screen when using a keyboard. Right mouse click menu selection is easier and quicker. Workflow workflow workflow...
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Android and iOS are two different operating systems. iOS does not detect a mouse and simply display a pointer as you suggest. That's why it requires a hack and I'm sure it's not a smooth experience. I'm talking about native support.
You shouldn't be sad if mouse shows up on iOS. Really, there is NOTHING WRONG with having mouse on ios. Shoot...maybe i'm tired of touching the screen...i would let my wireless mouse deal with that. I'm not sure if you're speaking on behalf of all the apple iOS users or not...still...we could have this as an option.
I used 3D Touch as an example. It's not even on the iPad and nobody uses hardware keyboards with iPhones. It's certainly not a gimmick on the iPhone.
3D touch makes more sense on an iPad than iPhone one handed but still a gimmick. It doesn't offer any benefits for productivity over a mouse and right click.
Sorry, but you have no idea what you're talking about. Although it requires jailbreaking on iOS, the experience of using a mouse on iOS is as smooth as using it on Android, which is smooth.
Surely the benefit it offers is that you don't have to carry a mouse in order to "right click."
Without a mouse, long press menu selection is less effort. Technique over force.
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I’m sorry but some of these comments are down right absurd, the only reason why most of you don’t want mouse support, is because it’s not available, the second Apple adds any new feature that was once shunned by the community, like say the stylus, everyone loves it. it’s just hypocritical and frankly I want mouse support, it’s important for a laptop replacement while sitting at a desk. I recently just purchased an iPad Pro myself and while using my Logitech keyboard, which I preferred over Apple's as there was no backlight and I really didn't like typing on it, it felt to much like a mobile keyboard. So since the Logi doesn’t have the same touch features, I absolutely wanted a mouse. Isn't the iPad Pro being marketed as a Surface competitor and possibly as laptop replacement. If not directly, definitely indirectly, you can't deny this, almost every single review out there states as much, even going so far as stacking them up against each other.
So like Tim Cook said about laptops with touchscreens as being flawed because the user has to constantly reach over the keyboard to navigate the UI, I feel the same way about the iPad Pro. At least when I'm using the Pro at my desk. In fact I am so bothered by the lack of mouse support that I won’t be using the iPad Pro for anything but the reason why I bought it in the first place, music creation.
I bought it so I could replace 2 of my 3 iPad Airs, yes I have 3, since iOS can’t run most of it’s apps in the background, even simple things like a terminal. I need to run at least three apps at once for live music. However that being said, the new dual app view only supports about 90 apps at the moment, bummer, so the iPad is just sitting in it’s box at the moment, I already have an iPad/Nexus 9/Shield Tablet for my tablet needs and frankly, the iPad Pro is just too big to use as a mobile tablet. I’m contemplating returning it and just buying the iPad Pro 2, hopefully by than iOS will be able to handle all of things that I want in an actual Pro device. There’s nothing wrong with the iPad Pro, it’s really great hardware, iOS just isn’t ready for it though.
So like Tim Cook said about laptops with touchscreens as being flawed because the user has to constantly reach over the keyboard to navigate the UI, I feel the same way about the iPad Pro. At least when I'm using the Pro at my desk. In fact I am so bothered by the lack of mouse support that I won’t be using the iPad Pro for anything but the reason why I bought it in the first place, music creation.
I bought it so I could replace 2 of my 3 iPad Airs, yes I have 3, since iOS can’t run most of it’s apps in the background, even simple things like a terminal. I need to run at least three apps at once for live music. However that being said, the new dual app view only supports about 90 apps at the moment, bummer, so the iPad is just sitting in it’s box at the moment, I already have an iPad/Nexus 9/Shield Tablet for my tablet needs and frankly, the iPad Pro is just too big to use as a mobile tablet. I’m contemplating returning it and just buying the iPad Pro 2, hopefully by than iOS will be able to handle all of things that I want in an actual Pro device. There’s nothing wrong with the iPad Pro, it’s really great hardware, iOS just isn’t ready for it though.
Jail break doesn't add features. It removes restrictions on the iOS for the features apple buried or removed access too.
Jail break devs in this case didn't add a small collection of BT mouse drivers and inject the UI code to read mouse movement.
In this case at least for in house testing apple clearly has mouse interaction in place. It even has support for at least generic drivers to sync up mice. Jail break devs didn't add all this. Apple did. Probably so while the engineers tweaked the touch screen stuff, other devs could have samples to work with in regards to interaction.
Going back to the whole pro moniker debates....access to this hidden developer backdoor I'd pay for. I'd pay for others. I am also sure in dev testing iOS has file system access in house. To run tail or other methods for real-time reporting on a process and quick log checks. Or if they have some in house means of SIEM (Security information and event management), aka syslogging, this would be the killer app they need to sell us and sell us now. Talking shut up and take my money now stuff lol.
all this i'd buy. Its what I do on many of my pro labeled gear. I pay for features that expand.
I'm referring to the ease at which you are able to use the device with a mouse pointer for a system designed around touch. It's akin to slapping touch screen support to an OS designed for a mouse.