Mouse on iPad Pro

[Trius]

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.

I understand Jailbreaking in itself doesn't add any features. It simply blows a hole in the walled garden. As far as mouse support by simply jailbreaking and pairing a mouse? If that's truley the case, i'm surprised. I would assume some software would have to be installed post jailbreak to allow this functionality. Considering there is no UI for it, for example.

 

[Trius]

Surely the benefit it offers is that you don't have to carry a mouse in order to "right click."

I use 3D Touch all of the time. Quick launching podcasts from the home screen is a real time saver. It's much faster and easier than a long press. Not to mention long press can exist at the same time as 3D Touch adding another layer of interaction. I'm not sure what you have against it, but to act like it's a useless gimmick is being disingenuous.

 

[Night Spring]

I use 3D Touch all of the time. Quick launching podcasts from the home screen is a real time saver. It's much faster and easier than a long press. Not to mention long press can exist at the same time as 3D Touch adding another layer of interaction. I'm not sure what you have against it, but to act like it's a useless gimmick is being disingenuous.

You must be confusing me with some other poster. I wasn't arguing against 3D Touch, I was pointing out why it could be beneficial.

 

[Night Spring]

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

Well, you could say we are just following Steve Jobs example. One moment he's saying no one wants to watch video on a tiny iPod screen, the next year Apple comes out with the video iPod. One moment nobody reads books anymore, but next moment Apple is selling eBooks.

So yes, you may be right that many of the people who are now arguing against mouse support in iOS will embrace it if and when Apple comes out with one. But I think if Apple does add mouse support, it will be in such a way as to put my reservations regarding mouse use in iOS to rest. Namely, I'm afraid that adding mouse support will interfere with the touch-first paradigm. If Apple implements mouse support in iOS and I'm convinced it doesn't detract from the touch experience, I'll be singing its praises. But until I actually see such a thing, I'd be skeptical it can be pulled off.

 

[sjleworthy]

i'd love a mouse.

i understand the purists, but the option at least would be nice. wouldnt harm anyone.

i still stand by this statement 100%. it's easily achievable, so achieve it. if you dont like it ignore it and dont use it. why let it ruin your life? so its a pointing device on a tablet, wow, what a crises. in reality, the Pencil isnt a million miles away from that right now. i use the Pencil all the time in every app as a pseudo mouse.

there are also a ton of ios features i dont like so i ignore, but i dont stress over them. i dont worry about the tablet loosing it's identity or turning into another device.
so yes, add mouse support for those who like it and lets all get over ourselves these arguments are pretty petty. (including my own )

 

[Rogifan]

I use 3D Touch all of the time. Quick launching podcasts from the home screen is a real time saver. It's much faster and easier than a long press. Not to mention long press can exist at the same time as 3D Touch adding another layer of interaction. I'm not sure what you have against it, but to act like it's a useless gimmick is being disingenuous.

3D Touch is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about when I say I hope Apple is forward thinking about solving some of these problems. One could argue elements of 3D Touch are like right-click. I would agree. But Apple didn't need to introduce a mouse pointer to achieve it. I use Excel at work every day and I have so many keyboard shortcuts mastered that are so much faster than using a mouse. I don't think a mouse is necessary to navigate the OS. So the question is what to do in specific apps where a physical keyboard would most likely be in use. Do Office apps on iOS allow for keyboard shortcuts like they do on the desktop? Perhaps Apple's keyboard needs to offer a trackpad or way for easy text selection like they did with the software keyboard. My concerns about a mouse pointer is turning iOS into a desktop-like OS that is no longer a touch-first OS.

 

[Night Spring]

Perhaps Apple's keyboard needs to offer a trackpad or way for easy text selection like they did with the software keyboard.

I find that the easiest way to select text is shift+arrow. In fact, that's what I do when using a physical keyboard -- I never use the mouse for that.