iPad Mouse Support - The Missing Elephant

[MyopicPaideia]

The remote desktop app called Screens has support for turning a secondary iOS device (such as an iPhone or iPad mini, for example) into a trackpad for use on the remote computer. I tried it today with my 10.5" iPad Pro and iPhone 7 as the trackpad, removing into my iMac at home for test purposes.

Worked very well, I must say. Auto adjustment of resolution would make it a perfect remote desktop solution...

 

[AppleRobert]

Citrix is overseas, right? Is there a place to get the mouse in the states, I would like to try it out.

My iPad cannot replace my laptop, the latter does not have touch support but has a trackpad and I rather that than touching the screen.

 

[bufffilm]

For me, when using the iPad is sitting in the Smart Keyboard it is much more "natural" to reach horizontally for a mouse rather than pickup up the pencil, raising hand and tapping the screen. With a mouse, the experience is exactly like using a laptop and that is ideally what I'd like while its mounted in the Smart Keyboard. But the beauty of it is that you can still touch the screen and do stuff if you want to. That is why I think mouse support would be amazing. You can interface with the iPad however you like.

Exactly.

You want me to use a pencil to select text and flit from window to window.

Sure, it's an option, but I'd rather have a mouse. Yes, I would have to be on a flat surface. Give me a mouse, anyway.

 

[seadragon]

Citrix is overseas, right? Is there a place to get the mouse in the states, I would like to try it out.

If you're in the US, you can order one right from Citrix.

http://store.citrix.com/store/citrix/en_US/pd/ThemeID.37713000/productID.317779200

 

[yegon]

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.

Totally agree on this. The number of times this is spouted is ridiculous, and is quite revealing of people's selective memories, or (lack of) astuteness.

I had a HTC TyTn aka Vario II, pre iPhone days. Using a stylus (and a start menu lol) to perform basic phone functions was terrible. Functionality wise the TyTn was brilliant at the time before we knew better though.

 

[seadragon]

Well, I just ordered a Citrix X1 mouse for my iPad. I can't wait to get it!

 

[AppleRobert]

Well, I just ordered a Citrix X1 mouse for my iPad. I can't wait to get it!

Me too, thanks for the link to order it.

 

[seadragon]

Me too, thanks for the link to order it.

Nice! My brother has one and uses it with his 12.9 iPad for controlling VMs. He says its just like having the PC in front of you. For me, this will mean I don't have to tote my laptop with me on vacation anymore!

Freeeeeeedom! (Well sort of).

 

[sparksd]

For me, when using the iPad with the Smart Keyboard it is much more "natural" to reach horizontally for a mouse rather than pickup up the pencil, raising hand and tapping the screen. With a mouse, the experience is exactly like using a laptop and that is ideally what I'd like while its mounted in the Smart Keyboard. But the beauty of it is that you can still touch the screen and do stuff if you want to. That is why I think mouse support would be amazing. You can interface with the iPad however you like.

My XPS 13 laptop has a touchscreen and I never use it - I use the mouse because of that horizontal reach being more natural and quick. Same with Android tablets I have - when using a physical keyboard with one of them, I also use a Bluetooth mouse. Mouse provides much finer control than a fat finger for some applications and works better the screen is upright, not laying flat.

 

[onepoint]

Maybe, but it does not seem to be a thriving market. Either you want just a tablet or just a computer. Maybe it takes off, but I just don't see that happening. I see more people working around their iPad making it their one device for work and fun without a mouse. The more people do this, the less need for mouse support becomes.

I'm not one of those people

Better multitasking and mouse/trackpad support would allow me to leave my MacBook Air at home, spending 200+ days per year on the road. I think iOS 11 will provide a strong enough push on the multitask ability, but my shoulder isn't able to forego the mouse/trackpad side of the equation.

My use case is basically annotating PDF forms outdoors, and using those notes to fill in web-based forms that include lots of drop-downs and "check the box" buttons. Absolutely niche, I'm sure. But reaching up to touch the screen for hours on end isn't viable, nor is taking a laptop to the field.

Edit: if the promised ARM-based Windows tablets provide the battery life they claim in a form factor similar to the iPad, I'll go that route and maybe keep the 10.5 around for media consumption - honestly that would be the most efficient and comfortable route (file systems I'm used to, ability to open multiple files of the same type simultaneously, trackpad support, etc.)

 

[bmac4]

I'm not one of those people

Better multitasking and mouse/trackpad support would allow me to leave my MacBook Air at home, spending 200+ days per year on the road. I think iOS 11 will provide a strong enough push on the multitask ability, but my shoulder isn't able to forego the mouse/trackpad side of the equation.

My use case is basically annotating PDF forms outdoors, and using those notes to fill in web-based forms that include lots of drop-downs and "check the box" buttons. Absolutely niche, I'm sure. But reaching up to touch the screen for hours on end isn't viable, nor is taking a laptop to the field.

Edit: if the promised ARM-based Windows tablets provide the battery life they claim in a form factor similar to the iPad, I'll go that route and maybe keep the 10.5 around for media consumption - honestly that would be the most efficient and comfortable route (file systems I'm used to, ability to open multiple files of the same type simultaneously, trackpad support, etc.)

Sorry I was not saying you specifically. I was just saying you in general. I am not one of those people either. My company is so slow in adopting new tech, so to think I could do anything for work on a iPad is crazy. The only thing I can do is email remotely on my iPad.

I use a surface pro for most mobile work stuff, and my iPad is for more consumption based stuff. I like to use it for some creative stuff as well. Again the 2-1s may blow the iPad out of the water, and then cause Apple to really start to think about adding support for a mouse or trackpad. I just think at this point it's to niche of a market to really push Apple that way. I don't want anyone to think I am saying this could not be useful for some users, but my past experience with Apple is that they cater to the majority. I don't think the majority of users in the iPad Pro market need a mouse or trackpad. Until that number drastically changes, I don't see Apple's formula changing. As I said before, I think most people are making their work flows work around the touch screen. I also understand a user like yourself would not have this option, or at least it's not a valid option. I think your use case is just much too small at this point.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Totally agree on this. The number of times this is spouted is ridiculous, and is quite revealing of people's selective memories, or (lack of) astuteness.

I had a HTC TyTn aka Vario II, pre iPhone days. Using a stylus (and a start menu lol) to perform basic phone functions was terrible. Functionality wise the TyTn was brilliant at the time before we knew better though.

I was on the bandwagon demanding a mouse for my HTC Universal.

 

[AlexJoda]

I think it is very easy: if you are doing indirect interactions like with a keyboard you need the complementary indirect pointing device like a mouse. it is absolutely awkward to switch between the keyboard and a touch screen. So allowing and selling a keyboard with the iPP and not allowing a mouse or trackpad is inconsistent from Apple. I am using the Citrix X1 mouse together with Jump Desktop too and have always the problem to switch back to touch screen usage when going back to IOS with the upright standing iPad and the keyboard. It feels very unnatural and uncomfortable. That maybe also the reason why Apple did not develop a touch screen for the MacBooks.

If I am using the iPP without a keyboard for direct interactions I am totally fine with the touch screen and loving it therefore. It is just another use case. So heaving a mouse support would let us having the best of both worlds and allowing real pro usage. I don't think it is necessary to made an ideological contest out of it...

 

[sracer]

I think it is very easy: if you are doing indirect interactions like with a keyboard you need the complementary indirect pointing device like mouse. it is absolutely awkward to switch between the keyboard and a touch screen. So allowing and selling a keyboard with the iPP and not allowing a mouse or trackpad is inconsistent from Apple. I am using the Citrix X1 mouse together with Jump Desktop too and have always the problem to switch back to touch screen usage when going back to IOS with the upright standing iPad and the keyboard. It feels very unnatural and uncomfortable. That maybe also the reason why Apple did not develop a touch screen for the MacBooks.

ha! Join the club!

If I am using the iPP without a keyboard for direct interactions I am totally fine with the touch screen and loving it therefore. It is just another use case. So heaving a mouse support would let us having the best of both worlds and allowing real pro usage. I don't think it is necessary to made an ideological contest out of it...[/QUOTE]
That's an excellent point! When I'm using my 12.9 Pro with a smart cover and the onscreen keyboard, I don't miss the mouse. Touching the screen when my fingers are already there feels quite natural. But as you point out, when using the ASK, using a mouse feels quite natural. That feeling is magnified (as you stated) when using Jump Desktop and the Citrix X1.

 

[canesalato]

I think it is very easy: if you are doing indirect interactions like with a keyboard you need the complementary indirect pointing device like mouse. it is absolutely awkward to switch between the keyboard and a touch screen. So allowing and selling a keyboard with the iPP and not allowing a mouse or trackpad is inconsistent from Apple. I am using the Citrix X1 mouse together with Jump Desktop too and have always the problem to switch back to touch screen usage when going back to IOS with the upright standing iPad and the keyboard. It feels very unnatural and uncomfortable. That maybe also the reason why Apple did not develop a touch screen for the MacBooks.

If I am using the iPP without a keyboard for direct interactions I am totally fine with the touch screen and loving it therefore. It is just another use case. So heaving a mouse support would let us having the best of both worlds and allowing real pro usage. I don't think it is necessary to made an ideological contest out of it...

Every missing feature (multitasking, stylus, mouse, file manager, RAM memory, flash space, ports etc) is/was subject of ideological contests here on mac rumors. Then in a couple of years, features are implemented and are the best thing ever and "totally makes sense". It's part of why this place is so fun.

 

[seadragon]

Every missing feature (multitasking, stylus, mouse, file manager, RAM memory, flash space, ports etc) is/was subject of ideological contests here on mac rumors. Then in a couple of years, features are implemented and are the best thing ever and "totally makes sense". It's part of why this place is so fun.

Haha! So true! The critics disappear once Apple makes it a feature.

 

[eyeseeyou]

I think it is very easy: if you are doing indirect interactions like with a keyboard you need the complementary indirect pointing device like mouse. it is absolutely awkward to switch between the keyboard and a touch screen. So allowing and selling a keyboard with the iPP and not allowing a mouse or trackpad is inconsistent from Apple. I am using the Citrix X1 mouse together with Jump Desktop too and have always the problem to switch back to touch screen usage when going back to IOS with the upright standing iPad and the keyboard. It feels very unnatural and uncomfortable. That maybe also the reason why Apple did not develop a touch screen for the MacBooks.

If I am using the iPP without a keyboard for direct interactions I am totally fine with the touch screen and loving it therefore. It is just another use case. So heaving a mouse support would let us having the best of both worlds and allowing real pro usage. I don't think it is necessary to made an ideological contest out of it...

Our work provided windows laptops have touchscreens and I sometimes forget that they have touchscreens.

Working in IT there is a short list of applications to where I absolutely need a mouse, with excel being one of them and even then that's for the more complicated excel sheets.

On the creative side the iOS versions of adobes offerings are getting closer and closer to not even needing to fire up the macbook or a mouse.... or Wacom tablet.

Maybe adding mouse pointers to specific apps would be a good start.

 

[sparksd]

Every missing feature (multitasking, stylus, mouse, file manager, RAM memory, flash space, ports etc) is/was subject of ideological contests here on mac rumors. Then in a couple of years, features are implemented and are the best thing ever and "totally makes sense". It's part of why this place is so fun.

I remember in 1984 when the original Macintosh showed up in the research lab I was working in and we were amazed and somewhat perplexed as it challenged how many of us viewed computers at the time. In a few years, discussions like this one will look amusing. The best changes are the ones we can't foresee.

 

[eyeseeyou]

I'll admit right clicking to pull up the drop down menu is easier than reaching up and two finger tapping the screen to pull up the secondary menu along with tap,hold and drag to highlight with a mouse pointer than the touch version process.

 

[AlexJoda]

Every missing feature (multitasking, stylus, mouse, file manager, RAM memory, flash space, ports etc) is/was subject of ideological contests here on mac rumors. Then in a couple of years, features are implemented and are the best thing ever and "totally makes sense". It's part of why this place is so fun.

I don't have a problem with an ideological contest here at MacRumors but I have a problem with ideological dogmas from Apple. The mouse pointer was always included in IOS from the beginning as many might know from jailbreaked IOS devices and it is no problem at all for Apple to allow this as they did with the keyboard. Nobody have to use a mouse or trackpad if they don't want to as you don't have to use the keyboard or pencil....

 

[seadragon]

I don't have a problem with an ideological contest here at MacRumors but I have a problem with ideological dogmas from Apple. The mouse pointer was always included in IOS from the beginning as many might know from jailbreaked IOS devices and it is no problem at all for Apple to allow this as they did with the keyboard. Nobody have to use a mouse or trackpad if they don't want to as you don't have to use the keyboard or pencil....

Yoda... very wise he is.

 

[canesalato]

I don't have a problem with an ideological contest here at MacRumors but I have a problem with ideological dogmas from Apple. The mouse pointer was always included in IOS from the beginning as many might know from jailbreaked IOS devices and it is no problem at all for Apple to allow this as they did with the keyboard. Nobody have to use a mouse or trackpad if they don't want to as you don't have to use the keyboard or pencil....

Exactly. Mouse support is already there. It's just disabled. Indeed we also use it everyday in the Apple-provided iOS simulator.
And if you are doing text input work with the on-screen keyboard, it's actually altrady enabled (the whole keyboard is a trackpad), although the implementation is kinda bad and buggy and has not improved since iOS9. So why can't we have it when using an external keyboard with the screen vertical?
My suspect is that a smart keyboard with trackpad support was not ready, and they did not want to add support before being ready to make some money out of it. Ideology in the meantime is a convenient excuse.

The funny part in all of this is that Apple ideology sometimes contradicts itself!

Apple (and apologists):
"A touchscreen on the Mac doesn't make sense at all! It's a vertical surface, touchscreens are useless on vertical surfaces. Do you have gorilla arms? It's much better to use a trackpad"

Me:
"Ok, so can I have a trackpad on a tablet for when I use it in vertical position?"
Apple (and apologists):
"Why do you need a trackpad??No, just use the touchscreen!"

Trackpad is coming next year, if they update the OS for the iPad, or in 2 years, if they take another year off like they did with iOS10.

 

[sracer]

I don't have a problem with an ideological contest here at MacRumors but I have a problem with ideological dogmas from Apple. The mouse pointer was always included in IOS from the beginning as many might know from jailbreaked IOS devices and it is no problem at all for Apple to allow this as they did with the keyboard. Nobody have to use a mouse or trackpad if they don't want to as you don't have to use the keyboard or pencil....

I DO have a problem with ideological contests when they aren't personally arrived at beliefs but simply taking a stand on what Apple decides not to do at the time. Then when Apple changes their mind, they do too.

I get the impression that most people who are against mouse support in iOS don't know that Android has had native support for mice for years without issue.

 

[AppleRobert]

When my Citrix mouse arrives what needs to be installed for it to work on my iPad? I see mention of Jump Desktop in the thread, I checked the App Store and it is $14.99. Do I need that app?

 

[AlexJoda]

I DO have a problem with ideological contests when they aren't personally arrived at beliefs but simply taking a stand on what Apple decides not to do at the time. Then when Apple changes their mind, they do too.

I get the impression that most people who are against mouse support in iOS don't know that Android has had native support for mice for years without issue.

And many might not know that IOS has native mouse support too and just disabled it as canesalato explained above....This is just ridiculous...
[doublepost=1497915976][/doublepost]

When my Citrix mouse arrives what needs to be installed for it to work on my iPad? I see mention of Jump Desktop in the thread, I checked the App Store and it is $14.99. Do I need that app?

Yes, you need Jump Desktop or the Citrix Receiver app for Citrix VMs....Sadly the VMware Horizon App or Teamviewer did not support the X1 mouse....