iPad Mouse Support - The Missing Elephant

[barbarbar]

That´s true, if you definitely want to use iPad Pro as your main computer, some task like text editing is painfully with finger.

I have buyed every version of iPad pro in the Market, right now i have an 10,5 256 gb + 4g iPad Pro, and i am going to return it. The next step for iPad had to be Mouse support, if Apple want to replace PC with iPads.

 

[alFR]

Super-light, small form factor device with mouse support = MacBook.
Super-light, small form factor device with touch = iPad.

Have any of the "iOS needs mouse support" people actually thought about how it would work? iOS doesn't even have a pointer anywhere in the UI, or scroll bars, or dropdown lists with a picker that would work with a pointer instead of touch. The whole UI is engineered exclusively for touch. Surface works with both touch and mouse because it runs normal Windows with touch support added. iOS is not macOS with touch added (thank God). Mouse support in iOS is not going to happen, apart from some niches like per-app support for mice in RDP clients.

Finally, before anyone brings up the stylus/pencil thing again because Jobs said in 2007 "if you see a stylus, they blew it":

• He was referring to the resistive touchscreen devices of the time where you needed a stylus for touch accuracy in comparison to the then-new capacitive screen on the iPhone - he might as well have said "if you see a stylus that you have to use to operate the UI, they blew it".
• He was referring to a device with a 4-inch screen, not a 9.7"-plus one where there are much greater opportunities for drawing etc.
• The Pencil contains a lot of tech (pressure / angle sensitivity for a start) that the dumb styluses of the day didn't have.

Mice in iOS is not the same thing.

 

[kave]

I have been using the iPad pro 12.9 with a Logitech keyboard cover with iOS 11B and I must say mouse/trackpad support seems like a very logical next step to take.

 

[mrklaw]

Super-light, small form factor device with mouse support = MacBook.
Super-light, small form factor device with touch = iPad.

Have any of the "iOS needs mouse support" people actually thought about how it would work? iOS doesn't even have a pointer anywhere in the UI, or scroll bars, or dropdown lists with a picker that would work with a pointer instead of touch. The whole UI is engineered exclusively for touch. Surface works with both touch and mouse because it runs normal Windows with touch support added. iOS is not macOS with touch added (thank God). Mouse support in iOS is not going to happen, apart from some niches like per-app support for mice in RDP clients.

Finally, before anyone brings up the stylus/pencil thing again because Jobs said in 2007 "if you see a stylus, they blew it":

• He was referring to the resistive touchscreen devices of the time where you needed a stylus for touch accuracy in comparison to the then-new capacitive screen on the iPhone - he might as well have said "if you see a stylus that you have to use to operate the UI, they blew it".
• He was referring to a device with a 4-inch screen, not a 9.7"-plus one where there are much greater opportunities for drawing etc.
• The Pencil contains a lot of tech (pressure / angle sensitivity for a start) that the dumb styluses of the day didn't have.

Mice in iOS is not the same thing.

Then why bother with a keyboard? The comparison just doesn't make sense

And yes I've thought about it. Maybe it's only in some apps, but it seems to me you could just make a pointer appear if you connect a Bluetooth mouse and then when you click, it behaves like a touch. Why wouldn't that work in most situations? Add in a wheel for scrolling the screen and I think you'd be able to do 90% of tasks without needing to touch the screen.

How do developers make iOS apps on their macs? Don't they have an emulator which uses a mouse to simulate touch input already?

I don't think anyone is asking for a 100% touch-free experience but if it can be used in most situations where you need rapid and accurate selection/pointing, particularly when you are also using a keyboard, then I think it could be a valuable addition

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

I am genuinely curious as to what people would gain from having mouse support on an iPad. Why not just go with a Macbook then, and get better software, better hardware and same portability?

 

[mrklaw]

I am genuinely curious as to what people would gain from having mouse support on an iPad. Why not just go with a Macbook then, and get better software, better hardware and same portability?

Why ever buy an iPad in that case? Couldn't you ask the same question about literally every feature - keyboard, file system etc.

People want iPads because they're very portable and let them do many things well - sometimes better than a normal laptop. So if adding some additional functionality brings more value to users without killing anyone's dog, why not do it?

And I honestly find it hard to believe people can't understand why you'd want a mouse on an iPad. We want it for precisely the reasons a mouse/trackpad is useful on computers - rapid and precise relative pointing. Neither touch nor pencil can deliver that. And that combines with the comfort from having keyboard & mouse vs keyboard and reaching across to peck at a wobbly vertical slab of glass

 

[007p]

Have any of the "iOS needs mouse support" people actually thought about how it would work? iOS doesn't even have a pointer anywhere in the UI, or scroll bars, or dropdown lists with a picker that would work with a pointer instead of touch. The whole UI is engineered exclusively for touch.

Used a mouse on a jailbroken ipad for a year back in iOS 7. Absolutely no problems, a click just acts as a touch. It really isn't that hard. Had no problems with it whatsoever, I have no idea why Apple insists on not implementing it, it would be fairly simple to do. The only complex thing to implement I can think of would be scrolling. As for the 'pointer', if it exists in multiple ways in the jailbreak world - I'm sure Apple can manage it.

No one is saying its 'needed'. The pencil isn't 'needed', but it opened the ipad to wonderful things no one thought an ipad would ever be used for - it would be the same with a mouse.

Just because something is added, doesn't mean it has to be required for everything. If you don't want to use the pencil, you don't have to. If you don't want to use a mouse...you wouldn't have to.

 

[eyeseeyou]

Once they figure out a way to truly market the strengths of a macbook over a mouse enabled iPad then they'll add mouse support.

Why would you buy a macbook if an iPad can do everything a macbook can do?

 

[smirking]

I think some people are mistakenly making the assumption that the iPad will forever and a day always be an iPad. I think it's a device that will morph over time.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't an ongoing debate over whether to provide mouse support for iPads internally at Apple. I would guess that it wouldn't happen until they feel like they can do it without compromising the integrity of the iPad user interface. It's a classic dilemma of designing user experiences. Users are lazy, but designers need to create order even at the same time they want to give the users what they want. The ideal user interface is a single button that reads your mind and does exactly what you wish for it to do each time you press it.

Since that magic button doesn't exist, they're constantly having to make decisions on whether to maintain the integrity of the UI when arriving at a difficult situation that could be easily solved by you breaking a rule. On the the flip side, the question is if you should just follow the path of least resistance knowing that it would be the superior user experience in a specific case, but at the risk of the decision coming back to bite you later?

I have to believe they WANT to make mouse support available, but probably are rightfully concerned about how that would drive UI decisions in a device form factor that is still evolving.

There is no right answer here. Both answers are flawed. Even though I personally would love to see mouse support on iPads, I don't think it's a good move. Not yet anyway, but perhaps in a year or two or three the calculus of user experience will tip the other direction.

Apple is approaching this as a design company first and an engineering company second. Microsoft is taking the opposite approach. They're both aware of the risks and benefits. They're both gambling.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Why ever buy an iPad in that case? Couldn't you ask the same question about literally every feature - keyboard, file system etc.

And that's what I don't get - I don't see *any* advantage of the iPad over a Macbook - Other than touch, which in itself is in most cases an inferior interface.

People want iPads because they're very portable and let them do many things well - sometimes better than a normal laptop. So if adding some additional functionality brings more value to users without killing anyone's dog, why not do it?

A Macbook is just as portable. Especially if you include a detachable keyboard on the iPad, I would even argue the Macbook is more portable, as iPad keyboards are always something you have to clumsily juggle with around during travel.

And short of couch surfing at weird angles, and some games which cater to the touch interface, I fail to see what the iPad does better? Again, genuinely curious, as I have had 3 iPads myself, and short of the two things mentioned, I've always felt iPads to be inferior in all aspects.

And I honestly find it hard to believe people can't understand why you'd want a mouse on an iPad. We want it for precisely the reasons a mouse/trackpad is useful on computers - rapid and precise relative pointing.

That I completely get. I just don't get why you wouldn't go with a laptop instead, as pointed out above.

 

[ascender]

Gruber had some suggestions about how they could provide a touchpad of sorts, even just a small one, on the smart keyboard which would help with tasks like text editing on the iPad. Obviously the Pencil has eliminated the need for a mouse on some programs. Working with image files was one of those things I used to do on the Mac, but the Pencil has changed my attitude to that.

There's not many use-cases where I miss having a mouse now, I'm struggling to think of any to be honest and I suspect once I get used to the smart keyboard shortcuts and iOS 11, there will be more things I do on the iPad where previously i'd have reached for the Mac. The Files app might take a bit of getting used to with the different gestures.

My main one originally was using Citrix Receiver to connect to Windows VMs - but now Citrix have made a mouse for that one so that's been a big improvement for me.

 

[Sunshoopa]

Not sure if anyone said this yet, but Android supports Mice just fine. Apple could do it easily without a problem. It's just a matter of them not wanting to do it is all. Only way you're going to get this is if you're jailbroken.

 

[maflynn]

Apple could do it easily without a problem

I don't think anyone is saying its can't be done (I haven't read through the entire thread), but that apple has chosen not to do it.

 

[Lisat78]

I don't think mouse support is needed through iOS as a whole. I do think it should be implemented in areas where the onscreen keyboard can already act as a trackpad with the gesture and I wonder if this is the direction they're going in. Wasn't there an apple patent filed recently about adaptable touch keyboards that could change according to what was happening on screen as per the touchbar? I could see something like that replacing the current keyboard cover- and if if does I'd absolutely buy it. I do a lot of writing on my iPad with an external keyboard and there's no denying that not having a trackpad to facilitate editing is really irritating. More irritating still is the fact that I've got sufficiently used to it that I sometimes find myself reaching across to touch my macbook's screen but it is not ideal.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

A mouse is not an eloquent solution and would ruin the iPad experience, that is why you do not see that option from Apple.

 

[DNichter]

I am okay with mouse support on certain apps. Something like Word or Excel would be great with mouse support, but I don't think it is needed system wide. For people who say "If you want a mouse, get a laptop", that's really absurd. You can add mouse support to certain productivity apps without taking away what makes an iPad an iPad. Added support doesn't hurt anyone and simply gives certain users that option.

 

[seadragon]

I honestly do not understand the objection for mouse support. It would the an OPTIONAL tool to use with the iPad. Absolutely nothing would suffer because of it. However, for those of us that have a use for it, it would be amazing.

For those wondering why not just get a laptop, well for me its so that I don't have to have both a laptop and an iPad. As I stated earlier, if the iPad had mouse support, I could literally just take my iPad with me when away or on vacation etc. I wouldn't have to bring my laptop as well. The iPad would truly replace my laptop at that point.

Anyone that's used the Citrix mouse with the iPad will attest that its a great experience. I'd just like to have native mouse suppport. But buying a Citrix mouse here in Canada is not easy. It's like you have to find some guy that sells them and go meet them in a dark alley past all the steam pipes. The Citrix store doesn't ship to Canada. Just give me native mouse support... PLEASE.

 

[mrklaw]

and from Apple's perspective, more people may be inclined to buy the expensive ipad pro and smart keyboard / magic mouse if they can properly get rid of their (likely windows) laptop.

 

[bmac4]

I can't be bothered to read all the post in this thread, but I will liken mouse support for an iPad to a physical keyboard on an iPhone. Apple changed the smartphone forever when they made the first iPhone with a virtual keyboard that actually work well. Since then the need for a physical keyboard on a smartphone has gone almost completely. While the iPad has taken longer to develop into a laptop replacement, I think we are about 5 or so years away from seeing this. I think the way we compute in these coming years will completely change to touch base, which in turn will almost completely eliminated the need a mouse. Sure you will have companies that still write software that require a mouse input, but like smartphones those companies will become fewer and fewer. Touch is the way of the future.

 

[mrklaw]

I can't be bothered to read all the post in this thread, but I will liken mouse support for an iPad to a physical keyboard on an iPhone. Apple changed the smartphone forever when they made the first iPhone with a virtual keyboard that actually work well. Since then the need for a physical keyboard on a smartphone has gone almost completely. While the iPad has taken longer to develop into a laptop replacement, I think we are about 5 or so years away from seeing this. I think the way we compute in these coming years will completely change to touch base, which in turn will almost completely eliminated the need a mouse. Sure you will have companies that still write software that require a mouse input, but like smartphones those companies will become fewer and fewer. Touch is the way of the future.

why wouldn't you compare it to using a physical keyboard on an ipad?

And why is there this odd inability to understand that - no matter how amazing and magical touch might be - it isn't the 100% best option for all interactions with a computing device. Keyboards can be useful, voice dictation can be useful, stylus input can be useful. There are still plenty of scenarios where a 'pointing device' (mouse, trackpad) can be the best way to carry out a particular task.

 

[bmac4]

why wouldn't you compare it to using a physical keyboard on an ipad?

And why is there this odd inability to understand that - no matter how amazing and magical touch might be - it isn't the 100% best option for all interactions with a computing device. Keyboards can be useful, voice dictation can be useful, stylus input can be useful. There are still plenty of scenarios where a 'pointing device' (mouse, trackpad) can be the best way to carry out a particular task.

A physical keyboard on an iPad is much different then a mouse. You could still get a keyboard for an iPhone as well if you go aftermarket. The keyboard does not change the way you use iOS. A mouse would change the way you use iOS. Let's compare the sales of any other tablet/laptop combo to the iPad pros. The iPad pros crush them, and all of them offer mouse/trackpad support. It's a dying form of computing.

I am not sure what you are saying that I can't understand. You have your opinion that mouse/trackpad support hurts nothing and only adds function to the iPad. I hold that using a mouse/trackpad is a dying form of input for computing. It's not a lack of understating of your opinion, it's that I don't agree it's what's in the future of computing. What part of that don't you understand? I am in no way denying that adding the support adds function for users right now, but if Apple does not feel that is the future, they are not adding support for it. There idea is the world will conform to the way they see people using computers in their future. For the most part it has. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[bufffilm]

The people who keep saying "If you need a mouse, get a laptop" are stuck in a time warp.

Adding mouse support to the iPad is optional. No one is saying the touch interface needs to go...it will always be there, front and center.

But if someone wanted to pair a mouse, it opens up a whole range of possibilities.

If you can't see that, well ok then. But it would.

 

[Skika]

Apple argues Macs dont have touchscreens because it wouldnt be comftorable, but somehow an iPad with the keyboard and no mouse is fine workflow? This is what baffles me. Touch input is great for devices in your hands, but when you set one on a table its not ideal.

 

[Pete Rodgers]

Apple argues Macs dont have touchscreens because it wouldnt be comftorable, but somehow an iPad with the keyboard and no mouse is fine workflow? This is what baffles me. Touch input is great for devices in your hands, but when you set one on a table its not ideal.

Totally agree. I had a Google Pixel tablet for a while and the support for trackpads was great. When I used the keyboard, I found myself only using the trackpad, but when I picked it up I'd only use my finger.

 

[rowspaxe]

That's why the OP said, mouse support, not mouse requirement.

.

Its analogous to the pen introduction: "ipad doesn't need a stylus"! But the pen has not diminished the ipad experience and neither will a mouse.