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iPad Mouse Support - The Missing Elephant
- Thread starter neteng101
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People are working in that for sure, but eye tracking is doable today.Let's skip directly to mind reading!
Most of the patents, are not implemented at all, but when they are, normally It is after quite some time from being published, 2 years is nothing.
yea but you mentioned doable today. guess they are holding that out for the iPad Super Pro model.
No, I said doable today because with the right expertise, the right algorithm and maybe even with the help of machine learning this functionality could even be pushed as a feature of ios11 or ios12. No need for new hardware or magic is just the front camera and positional tracking which would have to be excellent for this thing to work and If so it would work much better than a mouse...maybe that is the reason there is no mouse support for IPad, the solution is coming quicker than we thought.
Yeah that is what i'm saying, mouse support doesn't make any conceptual sense, but definitely there is a problem that needs a solucion and I firmly believe the solution is Eye-tracking.
A much more Apple solution
Now that's something I'd love to see.. but ONLY if Apple do it.
I can't see anybody else being able to crack it in a practical, flawless way
not to further derail this thread, but don't some android phones already have eye tracking ? and mouse support makes as much sense as an external keyboard. they are both external input devices.
Yeah, It would be one of those paradigm shift moments that only Apple could pull off
They do have that support, but I don't think it was really a great breakthrough or boost to productivity..
But that's probably because ANdroid tablets are dead now and developers don't waste their time writing apps that'll probably only work on the latest Samsung devices for a short while .. :/
Not sure how using it with a RDP client tells you it's a great way of interacting with the iPad overall.
To answer the many posts like these:
It might well affect those who don't use a mouse and it might well be a negative option, because (also pointed out by several other people):
It's entirely possible that having mouse support will result in developers implementing interfaces that are designed for mouse rather than touch, simply because it's easier (straight port of your desktop UI, anyone?) and they will assume that anyone using their app would want to use a mouse. That will result in a worse user experience for those using the app with touch (touch targets will be too small etc.) which is one of the things that Apple were pretty clearly trying to avoid when they designed the iOS UI and HIG.
It's not too hard to apply the experience elsewhere. Pages and Numbers could use it well. Not sure why it's so hard to grasp for some people. The mouse is a useful input tool for the iPad. Point - click.
If an app implementation results in a worse user experience - for any reason, not just because it was implemented with a mouse in mind - then the market will take of that. It's user base will be limited and nobody is forcing you to use an inferior app.
A keyboard is an input device but the lack of a mouse has no impact on screen real estate, an onboard keyboard does. Hence the option for an external one. It's not a like for like comparison.
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That's seems like a totally unfounded fear based on Apple's practices and goals, and the form factor of the iPad. Apple is very intent on keeping the touch UI. Just think of how they crippled gaming on the AppleTV to keep support for the remote. They would simply require app developers to keep the touch UI. And for all those worried about the amount of coding it would take I have to laugh. People with no budgets have done it for jailbreak. Jumpdesktop has added within their app. It's really not a major departure as the mouse arrow clicks on the GUI the same as anyone's fat finger does. It just registers differently and couldn't do the gestures you can do in a touch interface.
I really scratch my head at the notion that a mouse cursor will somehow lead to crappy apps. As you say, if it it simply mimic'd a fat finger touch, how is the experience ruined? Apps could work as they always do for touch and those that don't like them don't have to use them. Very strange argument to me.
That argument is given by people who are unaware that Android has had mouse support for years.
How you use your iPad, and you usage requirements, are not the same as everyone else’s.
Mouse support should be optional. Many professional apps, such as excel and word, would be better with a mouse. It doesn’t need to be mandatory. If I tried to use excel on my iPad the way I do my MBP, I would quickly give up out of frustration.
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Very cool
The fact is apple believes app developers would develop apps with a mouse in mind. This would lead to apps not being optimised for touch control and that goes against what apple believes its iOS system should be about.
Im not sure why anyone who needs to do a lot of spreadsheet work wouldn't just buy a laptop in the first place it has the mouse and key board built in and if you need something portable there are options.
I dont believe the mouse is going to go away though. If apple was imagining we use macs with touch or they would have done it already.
Apple would simply mandate that all apps have to be developed with full touch input usability. They done it before. I'm not sure such a rule would actually be necessary though.
You will almost never get developers developing for mouse, as the number of active users will be tiny - the vast majority will be touch users. Some apps that really benefit from a mouse may add some specific enhancements, like those that support apple pencil.
Mostly this would be a free additive benefit to most apps without needing specific developer support.
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Actually you would have a potential impact on usable real estate. If I'm using excel for example, I could keep the screen zoomed out if I'm using a mouse because I can more easily select cells - so I have more 'usable' real estate.
I agree with the keyboard though. I understood the benefit of an external keyboard from a 'typing comfort' point of view, but hadn't anticipated the huge benefit from getting half your screen back due to not needing an on-screen keyboard.