Gah! The only thing now keeping me from buying an iPad is multi-user support. Trackpad/mouse support looks incredible. I really like how they merged traditional mousing with the AppleTV touchpad. Bravo Apple!
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iPad Trackpad 2 support in iPadOS 13.4 is AWESOME
- Thread starter Jedimindtrick
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It's true, you guessing the form factor will change, me hoping they won't, it's the same thing - we both don't know.
But some differences compared to previous Smart Keyboards. It's priced almost twice as much as the previous models. Which IMO means Apple views it as a premium add on. I can't see them launching a brand new design and concept in mid 2020 for three hundred and fifty freaking dollars (which required a revamped vision of the OS) and then leaving those customers in the dust by 2022. Keep in mind, it will still be a brand new purchase for many in 2021. Have they done that in the past? Yes, but I can't recall something THIS big for the iPad brand to come out since the iPad Pro.
I'd also argue that since Apple is making a major push as a laptop replacement, this move puts the iPad Pro more in the MacBook Pro or even iMac camp, in terms of form factor. Apples desktop and notebook designs often last 4-5 years. I'm thinking this current iPad Pro form factor (with possible changes to the bezel, adding another usb c port, etc.) is here to stay longer than past iterations. I think another 2-3 generations with the new keyboard is actually pretty likely (🤞)
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I'm pretty surprised that my Logitech MX mouse, using a 2.4Gh dongle plugged into one of the USB-A ports, on a little Reack USB-C hub, is __working__ on my 2018 12.9, without even setting it up under Bluetooth devices 
No gestures, but working as expected, scrolling, all the various cursor modes working, right-click bringing up the context menu in Notes.
No gestures, but working as expected, scrolling, all the various cursor modes working, right-click bringing up the context menu in Notes.
??? That's because your mouse is not a Bluetooth device. It's a USB device.I'm pretty surprised that my Logitech MX mouse, using a 2.4Gh dongle plugged into one of the USB-A ports, on a little Reack USB-C hub, is __working__ on my 2018 12.9, without even setting it up under Bluetooth devices
No gestures, but working as expected, scrolling, all the various cursor modes working, right-click bringing up the context menu in Notes.
That just sounds like wishful thinking. It's an accessory. It's an expensive accessory, no doubt, but an accessory nonetheless.
I don't have a trackpad, so just used a BT mouse with iPadOS 13.4. For me, I have to say that the experience is ok, but not great. Not nearly as smooth as using the trackpad on my MBA. Perhaps it would be better if I used a magic trackpad or Magic Mouse.
Too many features like programming extra mouse buttons to go home etc require Assistive Touch to be ok. This means that you have to tolerate the little assistive touch icon on the screen to take advantage of additional mouse buttons.
It is irritating to have to toggle it on and off. I have the shortcut but the implementation is still a mish-mash.
My Magic Trackpad 1 connects, but does not allow for 2 finger scrolling, right clicking or any other gestures, which makes it hard to use as you can imagine. I then found my old Mighty Mouse in a drawer, put some batteries in it and surprisingly it works, and the scrolling does too. Though with both devices I get the warning “Using [device name] may affect Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connectivity”
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I just found myself reverting back to touch. The mouse experience on my iPad was not very satisfying. I think I will stick with using my MBA as a laptop for keyboard and mouse intensive applications and use my iPad as a tablet for touch and pencil optimized applications. It's just easier to use the right tool for the job.
Right, I get that (I'm a software engineer, also been involved in hardware design/dev in the CV space ...
), but I'm __still__ surprised the mouse reported in at the software layer without being registered, via that chain of USB connectivity. I thought it was interesting (and neat) that the device was available, wasn't sure I had seen any confirmation of wired/USB interface pointing devices being tried/tested - especially through a hub.
Hmm... I’ll have to try this again. My original Magic Mouse (the one that uses AA batteries) didn’t work for scrolling on my iPad Pro 10.5”. Maybe I set something wrong but I couldn’t find a setting to fix that.
Wired USB mice work.Right, I get that (I'm a software engineer, also been involved in hardware design/dev in the CV space ...
My Mighty Mouse, not Magic Mouse (a couple years before the Magic Mouse) works with the iPad Pro 10.5”. I just found my old Magic Mouse 1 and though it is having issues staying connected, when it was connected for a minute I was unable to use gestures.
Im trying to use an ancient basic Bluetooth mouse and while it works, there seems to be no way for me to use it to return to the home screen. Is something like that possible with a basic bluetooth mouse?
Point your mouse cursor at the bottom of the screen, then keep moving down.
(Edited for clarification.)
I like the "snap to" implementation with the cursor, it makes it easy to - for example - stop right on the home indicator, or move past it with some momentum, nicely UX nuance.
Really can't wait for the official KB/TP product, in addition to making this iPadPro my primary travel device, I'm engaged in development on a couple of iPad apps (vertical products in the Fed space ...), it'll help in that capacity as well ((just for rapid UI navigation/input testing, etc.)
Very cool.
Yeah, that's what I was saying above, when the cursor hits the home bar, it has a slight stickiness, but you can/will move past it with enough velocity, so you just slow down a touch to snap to it
Really can't wait for the official KB/TP product, in addition to making this iPadPro my primary travel device, I'm engaged in development on a couple of iPad apps (vertical products in the Fed space ...), it'll help in that capacity as well ((just for rapid UI navigation/input testing, etc.)
Very cool.
Yeah, that's what I was saying above, when the cursor hits the home bar, it has a slight stickiness, but you can/will move past it with enough velocity, so you just slow down a touch to snap to it
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Neat, thank you. I figured there had to be a way! Can you do click and hold type things? It doesn't seem to like that.
Oh I see. Mighty Mouse, not Magic Mouse.
So yeah confirmed. My Magic Mouse 1 doesn't work for scrolling, but my Magic Mouse 2 works fine for scrolling.
P.S. I had forgotten just how much heavier Magic Mouse 1 is than Magic Mouse 2.
How to do this on iPad Pro with Touch ID?
Nice, went into Accessibility >> Assistive Touch >> Devices >> [USB or BT device] and was able to customize the "home button" on my MX mouse to be Home or double click for apps switcher, side button 4 brings up the assistive touch menu, [edit] side button 5 already handles hold-and-drag for like silde-over menus in a tableview, or moving the entire screen (for switching springboard pages for example). While it's not quite the gesture driven TP experience, since scrolling also works with the scrollwheel (either natural or reverse), it's pretty slick and full featured.
I plugged in my Logitech G502 and while interesting, I guess I am failing to see the revolutionary quality. The scrolling is unusable, which I assume is an issue with my particular mouse. And I am sure it is nice for text selection and more precise movements. But I used my external monitor with it and I am at a loss as to how this is better than using my MacBook Pro with an external monitor. It does show that the iPad is getting closer to replacing the need for a MacBook/MacBook Pro, but we still have a ways to go. Next is better monitor support and then windowing. Do those coupled with this mouse implementation and I think I would get rid of the MacBook Pro.
The Apple trackpad 2 most likely will work better than third party ones. That’s my experience with another third party trackpad.
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Apple announced they have new versions of the iWork apps coming to support the trackpad. You'll probably need to wait until those are released.