Do iPad applications specifically have to suppor the bluetooth keyboard?

[shoelessone]

Hi all!

I have a friend who wants to use an iPad to give a PDF presentation to a client. Basically, they're going to setup the iPad facing the client, and they want to be able to change slides via the bluetooth keyboard.

Please, let's not get into the question of whether or not the iPad is the right tool to use for a presentation, they are using it regardless.

Anyway, they've purchased "PDF Reader Pro", and they were hoping they'd be able to turn the pages on a PDF using the bluetooth keybard. This isn't so.

Are there any better options out there for this? They basically want to be able to open a PDF from DropBox (they are larger ~15mb pdfs so it's important they are stored locally in DropBox), display each page full screen, and use the keyboard to change pages. That's it.

Anybody able to offer any advice?

If we need to purchase a new/different application, no problem, just tell us what!

Thanks again!

 

[hsotnicam8002]

It's not even possible to use a bluetooth keyboard (I use the Apple BT keyboard, so no 3rd party incompatibility) to change slides in the iPad version of Keynote. Sometimes Apple are just plain useless.

 

[shoelessone]

It's not even possible to use a bluetooth keyboard (I use the Apple BT keyboard, so no 3rd party incompatibility) to change slides in the iPad version of Keynote. Sometimes Apple are just plain useless.

Thanks for the response!

Have you tried any other applications that support full screen PDF viewing? I'm trying to find a way to show a PDF full screen (landscape) and use the keyboard to switch slides..

 

[ibosie]

It's not even possible to use a bluetooth keyboard (I use the Apple BT keyboard, so no 3rd party incompatibility) to change slides in the iPad version of Keynote. Sometimes Apple are just plain useless.

That's been pretty much my experience as well - every time I find myself wanting to use the Apple BT keyboard it doesn't do what I hoped it might. The keyboard feature seems to be considerably limited at the moment.

 

[jtara]

They don't have to specifically support the Bluetooth keyboard.

But they DO have to support control via keystrokes!

I suspect most app authors just haven't thought of this. If it were a desktop app, of course, most applications have keystrokes for controlling many/most actions. Of course, most users never use them.

Without a Bluetooth keyboard, there's no point in having keystrokes control the app. The keyboard has to pop-up (when?) then pop-down. An awful lot of trouble for the user when a simple touch would do.

So, it's a bit of a blind spot for app authors that should be addressed over time.

I have to admit I haven't read the Apple's iPad UI guidelines. Perhaps they need to emphasize this.