Rgeradts

Q: Why is there no mouse support on ipad. Needed when docked.

We are investigating if we can use the ipad for salesmanagers. But when they are in the office they need to work with papers and numbers. It's very easy then when the ipad is docked to use a mouse.

iPad, iOS 4.3.2

Posted on May 24, 2011 12:12 PM

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Q: Why is there no mouse support on ipad. Needed when docked.

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  • by varjak paw,Solvedanswer

    varjak paw varjak paw May 24, 2011 1:47 PM in response to Rgeradts
    Level 10 (169,883 points)
    May 24, 2011 1:47 PM in response to Rgeradts

    http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

     

    Mouse support would be rather useless, though, except in some specific apps since there's no global cursor in iOS and hence no way to see what you're selecting.

     

    Regards.

  • by Rgeradts,

    Rgeradts Rgeradts May 24, 2011 2:01 PM in response to varjak paw
    Level 1 (1 points)
    May 24, 2011 2:01 PM in response to varjak paw

    Why does everybody say that there is no pointer on the ipad. Ofcourse if apple will enable mouse support it will also gets a pointer. Also i saw movies of a jailedbreak ipad showing a pointer. It's just not enabled on the ipad by apple. My question is why?

  • by varjak paw,

    varjak paw varjak paw May 24, 2011 2:44 PM in response to Rgeradts
    Level 10 (169,883 points)
    May 24, 2011 2:44 PM in response to Rgeradts

    Why? Because that's not Apple's design paradigm. The iPad is a touch-screen device and that's how Apple has built the OS.

     

    I don't know what you saw, but there is no pointer in iOS. Any pointer and mouse support appearing on a jailbroken iOS device was added by additional software.

     

    Anyway, you can comment to Apple via the feedback page.

     

    Regards.

  • by Rgeradts,

    Rgeradts Rgeradts May 24, 2011 2:53 PM in response to varjak paw
    Level 1 (1 points)
    May 24, 2011 2:53 PM in response to varjak paw

    Thanks. I will lookup the feedback page. The idea is that the ipad in the field must be a tablet controlled without a mouse ofcourse. In the office it may replace the laptop but then it must be docked and attached a mouse and keyboard.

     

    Using papers on an ipad docked with a keyboard and then using your hand isn't easy at all. So two diffrent situations. I think apple can sell a lot more of these things if the also focus on laptop replacement, but the you must support the mobile AND docked situation. Thans for the feedback.

  • by Jason Costomiris,

    Jason Costomiris Jason Costomiris May 26, 2011 7:38 AM in response to varjak paw
    Level 1 (70 points)
    May 26, 2011 7:38 AM in response to varjak paw

    Dave Sawyer wrote:

     

    http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

     

    Mouse support would be rather useless, though, except in some specific apps since there's no global cursor in iOS and hence no way to see what you're selecting.

     

    Regards.

    Perhaps in your use case it would be rather useless, but in those used by many of us, it would be of huge value.

     

    I guess you don't do a lot of RDP or Citrix sessions from your iPad.  Many of us do.

  • by varjak paw,

    varjak paw varjak paw May 26, 2011 7:41 AM in response to Jason Costomiris
    Level 10 (169,883 points)
    May 26, 2011 7:41 AM in response to Jason Costomiris

    Guess you missed the part where I said "except in some specific apps". And yes, I do use Citrix on a regular basis and understand the need there. I doubt, though, that would be sufficient incentive for Apple to add a cursor and mouse support to iOS; it hasn't been to date, anyway.

     

    Again, as with the OP, you can express your thoughts to Apple via the feedback page.

     

    Regards.

  • by Jason Costomiris,

    Jason Costomiris Jason Costomiris May 26, 2011 7:50 AM in response to varjak paw
    Level 1 (70 points)
    May 26, 2011 7:50 AM in response to varjak paw

    Dave, seems like a slightly waffle-ish response Useless, except...  Then, it's clearly not useless.

  • by Rgeradts,

    Rgeradts Rgeradts May 26, 2011 8:05 AM in response to Jason Costomiris
    Level 1 (1 points)
    May 26, 2011 8:05 AM in response to Jason Costomiris

    There seems to be al lot of answers like there is no mouse pointer. Again offcourse if apple will implement mouse support they will also implement the mouse pointer so those anwsers aren't relevant.

     

    And again i saw it work perfectly in pages on an jail breaked iPad. So i suppose that it will be rather easy for apple to implement this.

  • by varjak paw,

    varjak paw varjak paw May 26, 2011 9:11 AM in response to Jason Costomiris
    Level 10 (169,883 points)
    May 26, 2011 9:11 AM in response to Jason Costomiris

    My point is that without inclusion of a cursor, which does not exist in iOS, mouse support would be useless for the vast majority of apps since there would be no visual guide to what is being pointed to. Only those few such as remote desktop apps, which display a cursor on the remote desktop, would be able to effectively use a mouse.

     

    I hope that now makes my comment clear.

     

    'nuff said.

  • by GeoffreyS,

    GeoffreyS GeoffreyS May 26, 2011 12:34 PM in response to Rgeradts
    Level 1 (20 points)
    May 26, 2011 12:34 PM in response to Rgeradts

    For those of you mentioning the need to have an external pointing device and cursor when using Citrix, you can do that with your iPad if you have an iPhone with the Citrix Receiver app also installed.  You can pair the iPad and iPhone using Receiver and use the iPhone as a TouchPad.  I use a wireless bluetooth keyboard and the iPhone sitting next to it and it works great.

  • by Jason Costomiris,

    Jason Costomiris Jason Costomiris May 26, 2011 12:52 PM in response to GeoffreyS
    Level 1 (70 points)
    May 26, 2011 12:52 PM in response to GeoffreyS

    That's awesome.  I just setup an iPod Touch as a trackpad.  It's a little clunky, but it's a TON better than using the screen for the pointer.

  • by MPSilva,

    MPSilva MPSilva Jan 12, 2012 8:48 AM in response to Jason Costomiris
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 12, 2012 8:48 AM in response to Jason Costomiris

    Hi.

     

    I've got iPad 2.

     

    Is there a new way to have an bluetooth mouse to use on it?  I already have the keyboard which works fine.

     

    But I need to have a mouse for RDP connections.

     

    Cheers,
    Marco

  • by PogoPossum,

    PogoPossum PogoPossum Jan 12, 2012 12:10 PM in response to MPSilva
    Level 4 (2,505 points)
    Jan 12, 2012 12:10 PM in response to MPSilva

    No.

  • by gyrhead,

    gyrhead gyrhead Jan 12, 2012 12:20 PM in response to PogoPossum
    Level 3 (785 points)
    Jan 12, 2012 12:20 PM in response to PogoPossum

    You should use an app like LogMeIn Ignition if you want to use a virtual mouse on the iPad for remote connections.

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