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use iPad as keyboard for pc over bluetooth

S

spitzmuller

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 10, 2008
7
0
Switzerland
Hi there.

I am trying to figure out if there is a way to use the iPad as a keyboard for a pc or mac. I don't want to install any software on the pc, but just use bluetooth instead and write an app that fakes a bluetooth keyboard for the pc. Is this even possible? If yes, how? Any other ideas on how to connect the iPad to a PC as an keyboard without installing additional software on the PC?

Thanks in advance for your help Greets Simon
 
You can do it if you jailbreak the iPad and use a custom Bluetooth stack, but there's no way for a regular app to make the iPad pretend to be a Bluetooth keyboard. WeBe++ seems to do exactly what you're trying to do, but it does require a jailbreak.
 
There are plenty of iOS applications that send keyboard/mouse events over VNC, and a few that use a custom software stack on the computer side. I use one called simply "TouchPad", along with RealVNC on my Windows system and OS X's built-in VNC support on OS X.
 
Thanks for pointing out the right direction for me! WeBe++ is actually exactly what I was looking for, or more precisely, BTstack is. Pitty the ipad has to be jailbroken for that, though.

Greets Simon
 
I find it strange that someone would want to use it as a keyboard instead of a keyboard with it. So far, it hasnt been the easiest thing to type on.
 
Captain America said:
I find it strange that someone would want to use it as a keyboard instead of a keyboard with it. So far, it hasnt been the easiest thing to type on.
Click to expand...

lol.

as much as i appreciate the fact that the ipad has a virtual keyboard, it isn't something i would choose over a regular keyboard. it's kind of like those hackers who replaced their mouse functions with the x-box kinect interface. kinect is cool for games, but pretty clumsy compared to a mouse.

sometimes people just want to do stuff to see if they can :)
 
Who said I wanted to use the virtual keyboard? I'd like buttons on my ipad that write whole textblocks on the pc. In my business, I write reports that many times consist of always the same sentences, so together with a regular keyboard, this could speed up my reportwriting tremendously

Not so strange anymore, huh?
 
spitzmuller said:
Who said I wanted to use the virtual keyboard? I'd like buttons on my ipad that write whole textblocks on the pc. In my business, I write reports that many times consist of always the same sentences, so together with a regular keyboard, this could speed up my reportwriting tremendously

Not so strange anymore, huh?
Click to expand...

Uh... Isn't that what macros are for? What programs are you using on your PC? If it is a halfway decent word processor, it should have macro functions. Or maybe you should look into templates. In our firm, we use templates for standard business letters that we just call up as we need them, then use a macro to automatically insert client address, fill in stuff like date and other items particular to that letter, and bam, we are done.
 
Night Spring said:
Uh... Isn't that what macros are for? What programs are you using on your PC? If it is a halfway decent word processor, it should have macro functions. Or maybe you should look into templates. In our firm, we use templates for standard business letters that we just call up as we need them, then use a macro to automatically insert client address, fill in stuff like date and other items particular to that letter, and bam, we are done.
Click to expand...

Don't even need macros, just autocorrect.

I'm a legal secretary and have hundreds of shortcuts through autocorrect. For example, a simple one, "yf" turns into:

"Yours faithfully


my company name here"

Autocorrect can replace text with anything, even complex layouts using tables, images etc :)

Edit:

The above assumes using Microsoft word 2007 or newer.
 
Yeah, I know about macros and autocorrect.

Unfortunately the third party application we have to use (hospital setting) is crappy, does not support text blocks or autocorrection. Plus there would be so many textblocks (100s) that remembering the shortcut is cumbersome. But thanks for your input, it is always good to hear how others do it.

Simon
 
spitzmuller said:
Yeah, I know about macros and autocorrect.

Unfortunately the third party application we have to use (hospital setting) is crappy, does not support text blocks or autocorrection. Plus there would be so many textblocks (100s) that remembering the shortcut is cumbersome. But thanks for your input, it is always good to hear how others do it.

Simon
Click to expand...

Well, that sucks, I'm sorry you are stuck using such a crappy program. Still, I don't think there are any apps that lets you push a button on your iPad to send text to PC, unless you write one yourself. And if such an app did exist, it would likely send text to the PC through the network rather than Bluetooth.
 
Hi there NightSpring

I have not found any app that does that so far. And it is imperative that it doesn't rely on additional software installed on the pc, so bluetooth might be the only way.

I am about to write an app myself, but the project is huge since I'm new to iOS-Programming. I will have to get some practice first. Do you want me to let you know when I've come up with something that works?

Greets Simon
 
spitzmuller said:
Hi there NightSpring

I have not found any app that does that so far. And it is imperative that it doesn't rely on additional software installed on the pc, so bluetooth might be the only way.

I am about to write an app myself, but the project is huge since I'm new to iOS-Programming. I will have to get some practice first. Do you want me to let you know when I've come up with something that works?

Greets Simon
Click to expand...

There may be other people on this board who might be interested, but I personally don't need such an app, thanks. Good luck with finding or writing an app that works for you.
 
Does anyone know if it would be possible to use the iPad as a keyboard using the new Bluetooth Low Energy API? It'd be cool to be able to use something like the Bluegiga BLED112 dongle as a bluetooth keyboard dongle with the iPad.
 
ejberg said:
Does anyone know if it would be possible to use the iPad as a keyboard using the new Bluetooth Low Energy API? It'd be cool to be able to use something like the Bluegiga BLED112 dongle as a bluetooth keyboard dongle with the iPad.
Click to expand...

If you have the iPad up and running, Bluetooth (and even WiFi) is such a minor amount of energy consumed compared to having the CPU, GPU, and screen going, that BT Low Energy wouldn't matter. BT Low Energy is meant more for ultra-low-power devices like heart rate monitors, shoe running sensors, and possibly keyboards where they only use power when an event is being generated (pressing a button.) The iPad, when being used "as a device", is drawing way more power just running than the Bluetooth or WiFi adds, that it doesn't matter.
 
So did any one find a way to type on the Mac OS X using the ipad/iphone?

I like to keep my macbook away but i need to bring it closer to reach the keyboard, So typing through ipad/iphone will help a lot.

I already have wireless mouse
 
kingmohd84 said:
So did any one find a way to type on the Mac OS X using the ipad/iphone?

I like to keep my macbook away but i need to bring it closer to reach the keyboard, So typing through ipad/iphone will help a lot.

I already have wireless mouse
Click to expand...

Um... Did you read the thread at all? :confused:
 
It would be to extend the limiting functionality

palpatine said:
lol.

as much as i appreciate the fact that the ipad has a virtual keyboard, it isn't something i would choose over a regular keyboard. it's kind of like those hackers who replaced their mouse functions with the x-box kinect interface. kinect is cool for games, but pretty clumsy compared to a mouse.

sometimes people just want to do stuff to see if they can :)
Click to expand...

I agree that there is no point in that. I am not sure what originators motivations, but mine would be to customize the functionality of the keyboard in ways that the physical keyboard and mouse couldn't. You might for instance have a set of pop-ups of a customized menuing system for specific applications and be able to switch among them, such as CAD/CAM and graphic design.
in its simplest form, you can have more function keys at your disposal.
Ergonomically you don't have to reach out to the mouse or other input devices. You could use the same real estate for both the mouse and the keyboard.
 
Captain America said:
I find it strange that someone would want to use it as a keyboard instead of a keyboard with it...
Click to expand...

Use case: I travel with a Windows8 slate (required for business stuff) and an iPad (for personal consumables like on-flight ezines, music, etc). It would be great to use either tablet as the keyboard for the other, rather than carry additional keyboards for each or suffering both of their own screen-covering virtual keyboards. WiFi solutions exist for use as keyboards - why not a more straightforward bluetooth solution?
 
Plugs said:
Use case: I travel with a Windows8 slate (required for business stuff) and an iPad (for personal consumables like on-flight ezines, music, etc). It would be great to use either tablet as the keyboard for the other, rather than carry additional keyboards for each or suffering both of their own screen-covering virtual keyboards. WiFi solutions exist for use as keyboards - why not a more straightforward bluetooth solution?
Click to expand...

Bump. I'm looking for the same thing. I have a mini that I regularly move to my big screen for watching tv shows and movies. My couch is about 15 feet away. So I use "air keyboard" to connect via my wifi network. But sometimes I bring my mini with me on the road. I don't want to always have to bring my keyboard and mouse because connecting to a local network isn't feasible.

Could I just create a network with my mini and connect to that?
 
ToomeyND said:
...Could I just create a network with my mini and connect to that?
Click to expand...

Apps like Benzle remote keyboard-mouse or Logitech Touch Mouse allow using an adhoc network IP setup, so yes, but this gets messy if then you want to connect to the internet (switch networks and reconnect with the "keyboard" on the hotel LAN?). A bluetooth-based keyboard app would keep network/lnternet issues separate from local hardware issues.
 
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