arrows on ipad keypad please!

Question

Level 1

8 points

arrows on ipad keypad please!

Can you put some forward and backward arrows on the ipad keypad. When typing a long email it is very counterproductive to have to stop and touch the screen in the exact right place to change a word. And sometimes its necessary to enlarge the fonts to get the magnifier in the right place. A simple set of 2 arrows would be brill, add up and down and it would be even better!. Where can I register this as a wanted enhancement?

ipad, Other OS

Posted on Dec 12, 2010 9:20 AM

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Answer 1

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,725 points

Jan 3, 2011 2:08 PM in response to Martin_UK

Martin_UK wrote:
Each to their own I guess!

I find the issue when I want to correct a lengthy mis-spelled word. When using the virtual keyboard I can't delete a single letter. The iPad flags the entire word and it's deleted in entirety.

As I had indicated above, I use the ZAGGmate with KB when it really matters to me so I'm happy.

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Answer 2

May 29, 2011 8:44 AM in response to Martin_UK

"FWIW I find tapping between between the letter I want to change and the one to the right, pressing the backspace and typing the new letter just as painless"

==

Then you clearly are not capable of addressing the issue that is being presented, because that takes a tremendous amount of time; time that you apparently are not aware of, Martin_UK.

Some people have argued that "keeping" arrow keys is a step backwards. I suppose using larger displays is also a step backwards, and that we should all be very grateful to have 10" displays. If the iPad had a 30" display, I can see how "easy" placing the cursor between two letters may be, but even that would not be justifialbe means to remove arrow key navigation. And since the iPad is only a 10" display, getting rid of arrow key functionablity is a step backward. If the iPad is going to remain a consumption machine, only capable of viewing, then arrow keys are superfluous. However, if productivity apps are going to be created, arrow key functionality is still a must and by no means a step backward!

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Answer 3

Terry P

Level 1

17 points

Dec 13, 2010 1:21 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

I would guess that request must have been made hundreds or thousands of times (including mine a few days after I bought my iPad in July). But who knows whether it's been taken seriously, rejected, planned for implementation, or what? I was disappointed it didn't get added in IOS 4.2.

Clearly, individual replies are impractical, but how hard would it be for Apple to respond to identical requests when their numbers reach a high level?

Editing would be so much easier! I'd gladly sacrifice the Yen symbol or a few other alternatives to make space for left and right arrows. I'm curious to know what rationale was behind its exclusion from the keypad at launch.Anyone have any thoughts?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

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Answer 4

Dec 13, 2010 4:20 AM in response to Terry P

Terry P wrote:
Editing would be so much easier! I'd gladly sacrifice the Yen symbol or a few other alternatives to make space for left and right arrows. I'm curious to know what rationale was behind its exclusion from the keypad at launch.Anyone have any thoughts?

Speculating on Apple Policy or decisions is not permitted by the TOU. However, it is useful to note that there is no cursor. Just saying.

The Zaggmate Case with Keyboard has arrows.

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Answer 5

Dec 13, 2010 7:49 AM in response to igmackenzie

igmackenzie wrote:
Sorry Meg, maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean, but there certainly is a cursor on any text input screen.

Or I haven't had enough coffee. However, the second statement is definitely true.

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Answer 6

Chris CA

Level 10

82,476 points

Dec 13, 2010 8:51 AM in response to Terry P

Clearly, individual replies are impractical, but how hard would it be for Apple to respond to identical requests when their numbers reach a high level?

It would be very simple but adding this feature will not until it happens so there will be no replies stating if they are doing it or not.

If they were to publicly state they are doing it then for some reson were not able to do it, think of the stink that would cause.

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Answer 7

Dec 13, 2010 10:39 AM in response to bryani

Perhaps the reason there are no arrows is that the iPad is a giant touch screen. So even if the iPad is upright in the keyboard dock, you can simply tap at the point where you want the cursor to be. And if you want to scroll, you just swipe your finger. With that kind of system, the arrow keys seem redundant if not antiquated.

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Answer 8

Jan 3, 2011 1:44 PM in response to Jay Ducharme

Unfortunately, arrow keys are needed for scrolling within text boxes in a browser frame. You can scroll the frame itself, but if the text you want to edit isnt visible within the text box, you're out of luck. Until Apple develops a method for scrolling within small text boxes, it needs to bring back the arrow keys.

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Answer 9

Martin_UK

Level 2

150 points

Jan 3, 2011 1:54 PM in response to bryani

As i just posted in another thread, why do you need arrow keys? They exsist on hardware keyboards as a legacy control for the onscreen cursor on desktop computers, the arrival of the mouse started the clock on their obselesance, on a touch-capable device like the iPad there's not even the pretense of a need for them.

Seriously, why would you want to keep pressing an virtual button on an onscreen keyboard when a single tap of the screen will place the cursor (insofar as it even exists on the iPad) wherever you want it?

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Answer 10

Martin_UK

Level 2

150 points

Jan 3, 2011 2:13 PM in response to Philly_Phan

Obviously a user preference thing, FWIW I find tapping between between the letter I want to change and the one to the right, pressing the backspace and typing the new letter just as painless as I do using the trackpad on my MacBook Pro to achieve the same result.

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Answer 11

Oct 19, 2011 5:21 AM in response to Adam Berkey

The PlainText app features the most elegant solution to this problem that I've seen so far. Tapping on the left or right margin on the same line where the cursor is will move the cursor one character at a time. Without having to add arrow keys. Brilliant. I think it should be made standard behavior system-wide.

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