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iPad with a mouse

C

Chronimac

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 5, 2008
73
0
So here is my question:
Would it be possible for a developer to write an application that receives input from a bluetooth mouse?
As to control a pointer like a normal OS.

I don't want a mouse overlay on any part of the OS, just inside an app designed for both touch and pointer input. I think this would be amazing in pages especially, but all of iWork would be easier to control with a mouse while docked. I don't think I would feel comfortable poking at my iPad while it's in the dock. That's a pretty big device in a pretty small stand. Now I don't know how stable it will feel when docked, but if I'm typing for a long time, I think mouse input is much easier and more effective than reaching up and tapping or dragging along the screen anyway.

Now the apple case looks really cool, and seems sturdy enough to use the touch screen in the layed-back position and use a bluetooth keyboard as to save the screen space the touch keyboard takes up, but as far as the dock with keyboard attached, a bluetooth mouse seems almost necessary for iWork.

:D Possibilities?
 
Chronimac said:
So here is my question:
Would it be possible for a developer to write an application that receives input from a bluetooth mouse?
As to control a pointer like a normal OS.

I don't want a mouse overlay on any part of the OS, just inside an app designed for both touch and pointer input. I think this would be amazing in pages especially, but all of iWork would be easier to control with a mouse while docked. I don't think I would feel comfortable poking at my iPad while it's in the dock. That's a pretty big device in a pretty small stand. Now I don't know how stable it will feel when docked, but if I'm typing for a long time, I think mouse input is much easier and more effective than reaching up and tapping or dragging along the screen anyway.

Now the apple case looks really cool, and seems sturdy enough to use the touch screen in the layed-back position and use a bluetooth keyboard as to save the screen space the touch keyboard takes up, but as far as the dock with keyboard attached, a bluetooth mouse seems almost necessary for iWork.

:D Possibilities?
Click to expand...

When I first started to read your question, I was scratching my head thinking, "Why on earth would anyone need/want a mouse input" but when I came to the end about iWork, it then dawned on me, I could see how this would be useful for some.

I'm going to say that yes, the theory behind it is very feasable. I mean, look at it this way - if someone created a Jailbreak script for the iPad, the options are endless. Someone could very well then create a Bluetooth Application to work with a Bluetooth mouse, and then create the desired input. It's definitely possible, but is there a market for people wanting to use a mouse input, I'm not sure.

Great idea none the less.

Cheers,
 
Good luck performing multi-touch operations with a mouse. Maybe if you used two :D
 
It doesn't need to do multi touch, but with the magic mouse I see it as possible. And besides, I'm only talking about if the app was designed for mouse style input.
 
I don't see the appeal of using the iPad as device that would utilize a mouse, for any reason. Even in iWork suite. Why not use your computer if you are going to be using a mouse a lot?
 
I don't think Apple would ever build mouse support into the iPhone OS. It's a completely different design philosophy from a mouse OS and has incompatible interface metaphors.

I think when we delve deeper about this kind of software (Pages or something similar), the typing is mostly separated from the design phase. So it might be easier for us to type the text for the article on the keyboard, then remove the iPad from the dock and use our hands for the actual design part afterwards.
 
Matthew9559 said:
I don't see the appeal of using the iPad as device that would utilize a mouse, for any reason. Even in iWork suite. Why not use your computer if you are going to be using a mouse a lot?
Click to expand...

Because its hard to carry your iMac around with you.

I don't see a mouse as viable because there is no visible pointer.
 
Now, if you do a little checking, you'll find that they not only offer the Keyboard/Dock, but they also offer their Wireless Keyboard as being compatible. I personally think it's ridiculous to have a Keyboard, and not a mouse. I would find the mouse useful, and I have wondered about this from the first day that I saw the keyboard available. I did notice that they don't offer any compatible mouse yet. I sure hope they do.
So, my answer to your question, I hope so.

Here's the link to the keyboard: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg&mco=MTcyNTM4MjE

Read the 2nd line under Overview where is says 'iPad'.
 
Scooterman1 said:
Now, if you do a little checking, you'll find that they not only offer the Keyboard/Dock, but they also offer their Wireless Keyboard as being compatible. I personally think it's ridiculous to have a Keyboard, and not a mouse. I would find the mouse useful, and I have wondered about this from the first day that I saw the keyboard available. I did notice that they don't offer any compatible mouse yet. I sure hope they do.
So, my answer to your question, I hope so.

Here's the link to the keyboard: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg&mco=MTcyNTM4MjE

Read the 2nd line under Overview where is says 'iPad'.
Click to expand...

Describe for me how you could even use a mouse on the iPad? It doesn't have a cursor for the mouse to move, so what is the mouse supposed to do?

jW
 
Scooterman1 said:
Read ALL of the posts, and your question will be answered.
Click to expand...

I have read all of the posts, thank you. :rolleyes: None of them describe any situation in which it would make sense to attach a mouse to a system without a mouse cursor. In fact, it's been made quite clear I think that it's illogical to even try.

Your post was quite ridiculous, in fact.

jW
 
Mal said:
I have read all of the posts, thank you. :rolleyes: None of them describe any situation in which it would make sense to attach a mouse to a system without a mouse cursor. In fact, it's been made quite clear I think that it's illogical to even try.

Your post was quite ridiculous, in fact.

jW
Click to expand...


It was clear to me, from reading the initial post, that the question was whether the iPad would be able to understand input from a bluetooth mouse, for use in particular apps.
It was made clear that this would be for when one was using the bluetooth/docked keyboard.

Basically, being able to use standard desktop inputs, but for iPad apps.

I think it's unlikely to be supported. But it would be nice to have that option for some things such as iWork.
 
After you've finished typing and you want to select a button or tool on the screen, you are going to need to move your hand away from the keyboard to do this; whether you're touching the screen or using a mouse. Surely it's easier to just reach up and touch the item on the screen directly, rather than move your hand across to the mouse and then move the cursor to the button?

I'm sitting here typing on my PowerBook and could easily imagine reaching over to "press" the [submit reply] button and then swipe to scroll the page. Incredibly easier than using a mouse or trackpad, no? I can't really think of a situation where a mouse would be more convenient…

Maybe it's hard for us to truly imagine being in the situation without a mouse because we've never really experienced using a touchscreen computer before.
 
Mal said:
Describe for me how you could even use a mouse on the iPad? It doesn't have a cursor for the mouse to move, so what is the mouse supposed to do?
Click to expand...

It's actually very simple - how do you think the iPad/iPhone simulator works?

The best way to do it would be to do exactly what some iPhone demonstrations have done, which is the mouse cursor is a semi-transparent circle about the diameter of a fingertip to represent where a finger is and a mouse-click is a tap.

I think it's a great idea. I actually use a touch-screen monitor at work with a touch-friendly program (large buttons and such). It is much easier to just use the mouse when sitting down to use the computer. For one, it's tiring to continually reach up to the screen to touch objects when you can just use a mouse pointer. A mouse pointer move faster will less effort and is also more accurate because it doesn't obscure the screen.
 
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