What about a mouse?

[richpjr]

I haven't anything about mouse support in an iPad. We know about the dock-keyboard and bluetooth keyboard support - will it support a mouse as well? If it's docked and you are typing, it would be real inconvenient to have to use the touchscreen to click on things.

 

[Peace]

Get used to not using the word "click". It is a multi-touch device.

 

[richpjr]

Get used to not using the word "click". It is a multi-touch device.

I realize it's a multi-touch device. That doesn't mean it wouldn't occasionally be useful to use a mouse with it.

 

[CPD_1]

The way the dock connects to the iPad, I'm fairly certain it won't be all that inconvenient to move your hand a couple of inches to tap the screen. No more so then moving it a couple of inches to mouse.

 

[richpjr]

The way the dock connects to the iPad, I'm fairly certain it won't be all that inconvenient to move your hand a couple of inches to tap the screen. No more so then moving it a couple of inches to mouse.

Unless one was sitting further back using a bluetooth keyboard, as I most would likely do. I guess time will tell. It's not a huge deal either way to me.

 

[CPD_1]

I'd be inclined to say that it's not going to happen. Not because I think it wouldn't be nice to have on occasion, but because I think it's inconsistent with Apple's vision. I suppose someone will jailbreak it or develop an app that communicates with a BT mouse, but we won't see an official Apple solution.

 

[jeznav]

Then you have to worry developers about supporting mouse pointers.

 

[jaykk]

can iPhone/iPod Touch can act as a input device. On desktop setup, with keyboard in place, we need mouse/touch input device next to our keyboard, right?

 

[Michael CM1]

Unless one was sitting further back using a bluetooth keyboard, as I most would likely do. I guess time will tell. It's not a huge deal either way to me.

How far back can you sit using a 10-inch screen? I seriously don't think you'll miss a mouse on a multitouch screen. I don't think most people will use a keyboard, so supporting mice is probably just a waste of time when there are so many other features it could use in the future.

 

[gkarris]

What if your fingers are greasy from burgers/fries?

I would rather get a keyboard and mouse dirty rather than a screen...

 

[colmaclean]

How about support for 2, 3, 4... 10 mice for that true multitouch experience?

Mouse support is not going to happen.

 

[Mystikal]

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/

 

[roadbloc]

Why on earth would you want mouse support on a touchscreen device? Does that not defeat the whole object?

 

[Etnies419]

That's like asking for horse support on a car.

 

[goobot]

What if your fingers are greasy from burgers/fries?

I would rather get a keyboard and mouse dirty rather than a screen...

it has the same screen as the 3gs so it doesnt get dirty. just trust me, my 3gs still looks new while my 3g is, well, i cant even describe it.

 

[rdowns]

Use the mouse that comes with the iPhone/iPod touch. Wait, what?

 

[mrgreen4242]

I haven't anything about mouse support in an iPad. We know about the dock-keyboard and bluetooth keyboard support - will it support a mouse as well? If it's docked and you are typing, it would be real inconvenient to have to use the touchscreen to click on things.

Congrats, you've discovered why a touchscreen iMac is a bad idea.

 

[richpjr]

How about support for 2, 3, 4... 10 mice for that true multitouch experience?

Mouse support is not going to happen.

Hang on now - if you use a Magic Mouse with it, you could get multi-touch with it!

 

[NT1440]

Uh, the entire OS is designed to not use a mouse.

Where would you use one? To click icons for apps?

 

[richpjr]

Why on earth would you want mouse support on a touchscreen device? Does that not defeat the whole object?

Not in the least. For the times you want to be mobile and light, you use the touch screen. For the times you need to sit down in a hotel room and bang out some emails or work on some Pages documents, you could use it as a mini-laptop. They are already supporting keyboards - how hard could it be to turn on a mouse cursor on when paired with a bluetooth mouse and handle single clicks or even multi-touch gestures with a Magic Mouse?

 

[NT1440]

Again, in what instance on this OS would a mouse even be useful?

 

[Bodhi395]

Then you have to worry developers about supporting mouse pointers.

Couldn't the OS just translate the apps normal touchscreen input to mouse input when you hook a mouse up to it?

I think that already happens when you use the iphone simulator on your mac. You can control the app with a mouse to test out your app. Although I'm not 100% sure about that since I'm not a programmer.

 

[richpjr]

Again, in what instance on this OS would a mouse even be useful?

Uhhh...to click on things without reaching towards the screen when it's sitting in the dock? I say this from experience - I have done a lot of work on embedded manufacturing systems with touchscreens and it can arm fatiguing to reach up towards a vertically mounted screen to click on things for a long period of time. Clearly this only applies when it is sitting in the dock - but that's the only time you'd likely use an external keyboard instead of the virtual one as well.

 

[richpjr]

Couldn't the OS just translate the apps normal touchscreen input to mouse input when you hook a mouse up to it?

I think that already happens when you use the iphone simulator on your mac. You can control the app with a mouse to test out your app. Although I'm not 100% sure about that since I'm not a programmer.

I am a programmer and adding basic support for a mouse is technically trivial.

 

[MTI]

If you have the need to run apps that require mouse inputs . . . you already know that there's a platform for that. Along with optical drives, usb/firewire, wired ethernet, audio in, DVI out . . .