Does the iPad support a mouse?

I support a corporate client that has been using netbooks for it's on the road technicians and sales force users. We have just completed a trial run with one user hoping to replace netbooks with iPads. No dice. If iPad worked with a mouse out of the box, every netbook in the company would get replaced with iPads. As it is, our trial revealed that without a mouse, the iPad is "cool", but not efficient enough in a corporate environment. I'm sure there is some strategic reason for Apple not to support a mouse on the iPad, but I believe it is a huge mistake. Practically all our laptop/netbook users would have iPads if Apple would support a mouse out of the box. Apple, please reconsider. Thanks.

This is a user-to-user tech support forum, not a way to make a request to Apple to do that,please visit http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

As to the reason why there is no mouse, it's because the touch screen interface is not the same as a pointer interface - with a few exceptions (typing), there is no single pointer for the mouse to control.

Check Galaxy Tabs, Xoom, or any other android tablet.

The come with mouse support, sdcard, allow downloading and installing of non market apps, uploading and downloading of files from the web, and even flash content.

Android is a much much better corporate machine, the iPad is a consumer machine.

Mouse support could work perfectly as a supplemental feature; meant to enhance work-focused tasks like text editing and simple navigation, rather than being an alternative to multi-touch.

I have a feeling the reason it's not yet implemented is simply Apple's own interests; maybe it would cannibalize Mac sales too much. I cannot imagine any other logical reason, as it would likely take only minimal technical effort to implement, with the core OS X already running on the iPad.

I think you are absolutely correct. Alternative IOS solution works fine so it is not a platform technology issue. Maybe sacrificing near term enterprise device position for a future product release? Hope breakthrough is soon.

"Alternative iOS solution works fine..."

No, it doesn't. And to get there far too much is tossed away, such as security.

Apple does have an operating system designed for a mouse or track pad. It is called OS X.

As a vendor agnostic enterprise user, the alternative does work well in my instance and security has not proven an issue to date. Each unto his own.