why no mouse support for iPad?

[DoFoT9]

The cursor will click on the apps, click on the little dots to change pages, or swipe with magic mouse. Closing apps can have a shortcut on the keyboard. U don't have to swipe to delete an email, you click on delete. And u don't have to zoon while yu raw using. Mouse, it's mostly for making text input, copy and paste, etc.. easier. But if you just had to be doing that, there's a magic mouse for that. All really non complicated ways tonget around your "limitations".

tangent? maybe - but who on earth would want to use a mouse with an iPad, especially when you take into consideration the main use of the thing (e.g. portability, using on the train, using while on holidays etc).

if you plan on having it sitting mounted on a desk, with a keyboard and mouse - get a laptop.

just sayin

 

[richpjr]

Those clamoring for a mouse, may I ask how you plan to use it on say, the home screen? How will you navigate from one page of apps to the next? How will you close the app you're in and choose another app?

Pair a magic mouse with the iPad. When the pairing is complete a cursor shows up. Swipe left or right on the mouse to move back and forth between screens. Double tap the mouse to emulate the home button.

In Mail, how will you swipe to delete an email?

Move the mouse cursor over the email you want to delete, tap the mouse once and swipe left.

In Photos, how will you zoom a picture?

Move the mouse cursor over a picture, tap the mouse once and spread your fingers out.

To do these and other touch/home button based things, without a compete rewrite of the OS to include contextual menus and mouse event handlers, you will have to occasionally, if not more often, reach out and touch the iPad.

It would not be difficult to emulate a large subset of the gestures built into the OS, especially with something like the magic mouse.

If it's perched on a stand, you may need both hands to stabilize it when you touch it. Thus, you are looking at increasing the modes of interaction from one to 3...an ergonomic mess.

How is that different than what you do now with a keyboard? Using a mouse reduces this issue, not increases it.

I'm not sure why people are getting such a wedgie over this. Normally you wouldn't use a keyboard or a mouse. But on those occasions where you want to do some word processing while sitting at a desk with the iPad docked, it would be far more convenient and less fatiguing to move back and forth between a keyboard and mouse than reaching up to touch the screen, especially if using a blue tooth keyboard situated further back than the dock keyboard.

 

[DoFoT9]

Pair a magic mouse with the iPad. When the pairing is complete a cursor shows up. Swipe left or right on the mouse to move back and forth between screens. Double tap the mouse to emulate the home button.

are these serious inputs? or are you dreaming? (legitimate question)

 

[richpjr]

are these serious inputs? or are you dreaming? (legitimate question)

Just throwing out an idea on how it could work - just idle speculation on what could be done without rewriting the entire OS.

 

[DoFoT9]

Just throwing out an idea on how it could work - just idle speculation on what could be done without rewriting the entire OS.

oooohhhh ok. gotchya.

download BetterTouch Tool - check out the MASSIVE amount of touch gestures that the MagicMouse actually has. it would easily be more then 20. for the ipad, thats 20 gestures for each application, thats alot (i figure anyway)!

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

Follow along, it's not that hard. What I originally said in this thread was: "The onscreen keyboard sucks big time. It's useable for the light stuff you would use an ipad for, but it won't work for any serious word processing."

Then I was asked: "Then isn't serious word processing something you shouldn't use the iPad for?"

It seems to me that some are just sticking their heads in the sand and saying the ipad does not, cannot, should not, and never will do serious word processing. When I asked "why not" I was asking in general why couldn't the ipad be a serious word processor. We already know the obvious reasons it can't be one in the present (which I stated one by initially referring to the keyboard), but why can't I use it for this purpose in the future? It's more of an introspective question because of course no one has the answer as we don't know what Apple is thinking or what updates/hardware/accessories they may or may not release in the future. But it was meant more for the "never" crowd to maybe consider the possibility.

Shhhhh... don't upset the loyal Apple users. They tend to like to define a product's potential not by what it could be, but with what it can only do at the present moment. If you upset this mindset, be prepared for the usual "Then the **** isn't for you" or "The **** isn't intended for that" responses.

 

[DoFoT9]

Shhhhh... don't upset the loyal Apple users. They tend to like to define a product's potential not by what it could be, but with what it can only do at the present moment. If you upset this mindset, be prepared for the usual "Then the **** isn't for you" or "The **** isn't intended for that" responses.

if they dont like using the on-screen, then they can get an external BT keyboard.. no biggie...

and whats with the apple hating?

 

[INeedAMacBook]

well with multi-tasking wouldnt there be an app that makes you be abe to use a mouse and then you can keep tht app open doing when other things?

 

[spinedoc77]

Shhhhh... don't upset the loyal Apple users. They tend to like to define a product's potential not by what it could be, but with what it can only do at the present moment. If you upset this mindset, be prepared for the usual "Then the **** isn't for you" or "The **** isn't intended for that" responses.

Lol I know what you mean! Internet forums are funny at best, vicious at worst. It always amazes me how hard some fight for internet forum discussion type stuff when it should just be like we are all out having a beer.

 

[spinedoc77]

and whats with the apple hating?

I don't see any Apple hating, just a deep seated annoyance with the type of user who shuts out everything non-Apple automatically. I'll use any device/brand/OS, etc if it fits my needs, and won't use it if it doesn't fit my needs.

 

[OGDaniel]

Apple's not ever going to make mouse support for the iPad. I couldn't think of any reason why anyone would even want mouse support, since part of the iPad experience is the multi touch. Mouse support for the iPad is like if you bought a lamborghini and wanted the car to come with a good pair of walking shoes so you could walk away. I don't really like the keyboard dock either, but that makes a lot more sense than mouse support.

 

[DoFoT9]

I don't see any Apple hating, just a deep seated annoyance with the type of user who shuts out everything non-Apple automatically. I'll use any device/brand/OS, etc if it fits my needs, and won't use it if it doesn't fit my needs.

i am also of that view. i like simple yet effective - e.g. osx for me.

i use nokia E-series of phones and detest the iphones because they are not for me. the ipad will be awsome to use though

 

[r0k]

Apple's not ever going to make mouse support for the iPad. I couldn't think of any reason why anyone would even want mouse support, since part of the iPad experience is the multi touch. Mouse support for the iPad is like if you bought a lamborghini and wanted the car to come with a good pair of walking shoes so you could walk away. I don't really like the keyboard dock either, but that makes a lot more sense than mouse support.

I agree that the iPad use case envisioned by Apple has no room for a mouse, but Apple has already shown they respond to customer demands and eventually get around to implementing things normally only available by jailbreaking. Categories and wallpaper are two such concessions.

Once RemoteTap for iPad is out, I'll see how they handle drag and drop and if they have a workaround, I won't care so much if Apple never gets around to giving us mouse support. But if remote control of a Mac is limited to things I can click on and I never ever have a way to drag and drop, I expect Apple to finally relent and offer mouse support because many logmein, remotetap and vnc users will be clamoring for it.

 

[4DThinker]

Why no mouse support? No room in the case for droppings.

 

[driphone]

Why no mouse support? No room in the case for droppings.

Now that's a good one, thx for the much needed laugh...

Ok! let's kick it up a notch:

why no WINDOWS support for iPad?

ha ha ha...just kidding guys...

My original posting happened after I used the Pages with the BT keyboard. I immediately reached for the missing mouse and touching the screen while standing on the Apple's iPad cover turned out not to be so great as it kept moving, I was forced to use two hands (a solid stand may result in a different experience). I think most other iPad Apps can be easily managed using the touch screen and so far I have had no problems doing so and love doing it.

I am a great consumer/advocate for Apple and (at least during the past 10 years) I try to buy and experiment with every product Apple makes. I was just presenting a question which appeared valid to me.

I am fully aware that iPad is not a MacBook (have that too) or an iMac (have two) or an Apple TV, iPod, iPhone (please refer to my sig.)...

 

[dstar]

Eventually you'll see android ported to the iPad, just as it's being done on the iphone. It'll make things very interesting having dual boot on the iPad.

 

[Night Spring]

My original posting happened after I used the Pages with the BT keyboard. I immediately reached for the missing mouse and touching the screen while standing on the Apple's iPad cover turned out not to be so great as it kept moving, I was forced to use two hands (a solid stand may result in a different experience).

Ah. I've been using this. This lets me tap the iPad one-handed without having it fall down on me.

 

[firewood]

My question is why there is no mouse support? adding that option will make the iPad a better substitute as a small portable laptop.

Better???

If you want it, you can try it by downloading the developer SDK and running the iPad Simulator on your iMac/MacBook using a mouse.

Most developers find that testing iPad apps that way isn't better, but worse, and prefer testing their the UI feel of their apps on an actual device (with touch, and no mouse).

 

[hitekalex]

Basically, there are no technical reasons against implementing a basic mouse functionality on an iPad.. Other than the dogmatic "iPad wasn't intended for that.. it's a touch device.. blah blah blah" type responses..

A Bluetooth keyboard/trackpad combo would be extremely useful for those who want to do real work while sitting at their desk on an iPad. As simple as that.

 

[Sinfire]

I am with most responses here, there is no reason to have a mouse for use on the iPad. The iPad is made for touch control and for consuming data. If you want to treat it like a computer then buy a macbook or a tablet PC.

Before a mouse, I would rather see apple come out with a stylus so that we can use it as a pen to write notes on the screen.

 

[hitekalex]

I am with most responses here, there is no reason to have a mouse for use on the iPad. The iPad is made for touch control and for consuming data. If you want to treat it like a computer then buy a macbook or a tablet PC.

Before a mouse, I would rather see apple come out with a stylus so that we can use it as a pen to write notes on the screen.

Stylus on an iPad?? Surely you jest.. Didn't you get Commander Jobs' verdict on the matter - "if they have a task manager or a stylus - they blew it". Sheesh..

 

[driphone]

Better???

If you want it, you can try it by downloading the developer SDK and running the iPad Simulator on your iMac/MacBook using a mouse.

Most developers find that testing iPad apps that way isn't better, but worse, and prefer testing their the UI feel of their apps on an actual device (with touch, and no mouse).

I think you didn't read my posting well. I meant when using a program like Pages on your desktop along with a keyboard. You are absolutely right when using most other iPad Apps.

Basically, there are no technical reasons against implementing a basic mouse functionality on an iPad.. Other than the dogmatic "iPad wasn't intended for that.. it's a touch device.. blah blah blah" type responses..

A Bluetooth keyboard/trackpad combo would be extremely useful for those who want to do real work while sitting at their desk on an iPad. As simple as that.

+1.

I am with most responses here, there is no reason to have a mouse for use on the iPad. The iPad is made for touch control and for consuming data. If you want to treat it like a computer then buy a macbook or a tablet PC.



Before a mouse, I would rather see apple come out with a stylus so that we can use it as a pen to write notes on the screen.

But what if you don't want or can't buy another notebook. Why not have the option, think of most light computer users needs when it comes to basic computing: surfing the web, email, photos/games,doing some word processing. I would think it will make the iPad more marketable to more people, yet another reason to own one.

Stylus...I tried this one:

http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=21236&cat=2751

it doesn't work well as you have to press hard to make it work which makes it not to slide too easily, finger still the best stylus.

 

[brewno]

+1.
What is wrong with that picture? unless Apple doesn't want to hurt the other devices it sells.

I don't believe it would hurt sales - it would actually increase their mouse sales.

 

[BergerFan]

Well, things seem to have changed...

 

[nsorrelle]

Most of the opposing arguments here are pretty pathetic and short sighted. Word processing and remote desktop are reason enough to have mouse support. Android OS supports it and there's no reason why the iPad shouldn't be able to.

People don't want to use the mouse to navigate between Apps and other situations that are clearly designed for touch functionality.