Q: Arrow keys anyone???

The other problem is that users cannot always use the zoom in approach because not all Apple apps support it.  Yes, contrary to what the fanatics claim, Apple's UI implementation is not consistent.  For example, touch compose in Mail and try to zoom in.  Also, even when you do zoom in within app that supports zoom, like Safari, you still have to touch and HOLD to reposition within a word, and that's A LOT slower than a tap on an arrow key.  For the zoom in, touch, zoom out approach to work, all apps would have to support it, and the precision would have to auto-adjust depending on the zoom level.

Appl's UI decisions are often well thought out, but obviously NO ONE at Apple did any serious UI re-evaluation when they decided to use the same touch-oriented OS on a screen larger than the iPhone.  Oops.

I want Arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys ....

marcelofrombh wrote:

 

I want Arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys, arrow keys ....

You are not speaking with Apple here.  So posting that will not help.  You may tell Apple your thoughts at:

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

Or just do like everyone else and get Bluetooth Keyboard.  The arrow keys on those work just fine on the iPad.

I agree with you: arrow keys are important to navigate text and for precise positioning of the cursor in the middle of a word. Here is a tip given to me by my son an iPhone user: tap on the word you want and hold the tap until a magnifying glass appears around the word. Keep touching the screen and move your finger right or left until you position the cursor exactly where you want. Once you have it where you want release, and start typing. Hope this was helpful.

You obviously didn't read the previous posts.  The cursor arrow keys are needed in addition to the magnifying glass.  The reasons are stated in the previous posts.

Thank you for the tip, but there shouldn't be a work around. There should be arros keys.

What Apple programmed with the keyboard was a snafu.

I will not translate that here. Check google.

Programs should work for users.

Users should not have to work around programs.

I agree, if you at a fast typist, arrow keys would be a lot faster than the touchscreen. I can get the cursor exactly where I want it a lot faster with arrow keys. I I tap the screen, the cursor rarely ends up where I want it, then I have to deal with that magnifying glass thing. Arrows would be nice. For example, if I type " she seashells" and want to put the word "sells" in between, I can click on the space and type "sells" but then let's say while I'm there I want to get rid of the word "seashells". On a regular keyboard, I would just hit the key that deletes everything to the right of the cursor. Or I would use the arrow keys and move to the right, then use the key that deletes everything to the left (which IS on the iPad keyboard) . It does take longer to stop and use the touchscreen to try to get the cursor into the right spot, especially if the text is really small. An optional arrow key popup would be nice :)

I just had a brilliant idea that Apple could do instead of arrow keys. Swipe the cursor with your finger to move it one space. Swipe it two times to move it two spaces. Swipe it three times to move it three spaces... The direction you swipe is the direction the cursor moves. You couldn't swipe up or down as that would scroll the window. It's brilliant IMHO!

Send suggestions here ->  http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

Interesting suggestion, but we are talking here about typing.

For those who type, having to lift their fingers off the keyboard to swipe -- instead of just using the arrow keys that should be on the iPad keyboard --- does not make sense.

You do have those characters. You have to long press (press/hold) on certain letters in order to pull them up.

Mouthyfromsouthie,

If you could please reply and inform us what characters to press/hold to obtain the arrow keys, this discussion, which began in January, can come to an end.

Thank you

Been having this issue for a long time. Just checked the net to see if there was any solution and it led me here. Frankly, I'm surprised by the fanatism some people maintain. Oh I know all the tricks there is on how to position the cursor all right. It's simply that arrow keys would make it so much easier. Apple by any standard is not stupid, so it has to be simply plain stubborn attitude.

Send suggestions here -> http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

The simple fact is (and I believe this is what could make apple re-instate the arrow keys) that I DO use other products than Apple's when editing any text longer than a few lines of an email. That means; editing a spread-sheet, a javascript, a quick html-file, an XML-document, a story, a PM, ...

If Apple would put the arrow keys back in, I would use apple's products more. As simple as that.

By the way, I heard somewhere that apple once decided to take out the arrow keys to prevent developers to simply "port" older programs to IOS. They wanted "their own" interface and therefore went down this strange path. Don't know if this is true, but it sounds reasonable.

/keep on pointing-moving-sweating to find the right spot-typeing-pointing again and re-do it all if you got it wrong"... until Apple shapes up and realises that this is a business obsticle.