Apple Rumored to Add USB Mouse Support to iPad Pro as Accessibility Feature

[DNichter]

How so?

I see it as the future of computing, or at least a major part of it. Since it’s a closed ecosystem, Apple will continue to develop and support it in the long term. It’s in their best interest. On top of that, it’s extremely stable, fast, very cost efficient, has great app support (which will only grow with Marzipan), great for desk use or mobile, ecosystem is an advantage, excellent consumption device, kind of the best of both worlds. iOS and the iPad in particular is already much more popular than the Mac and macOS so I decided to move on from that platform and adopt my workflows to wireless and the iPad. It just has a brighter future at this point.

 

[jimmy_uk]

It doesn’t feel like using a MacBook because iOS is gimped compared to MacOS. The irony though is supporting these peripherals makes it seem that iOS has an identity crisis

It does have an identity crisis: it is a phone os trying to support a productivity device. And that's not working.

With a controlled operating system and their own processors they will continue to add/drip feed us into the eco system and add features and peripherals so we will not need a traditional laptop or desktop again. One day. The long game is due to the pace of technology that fits their vision, to make as much money on the way, and to shift people away from Windows/Linux/MacOS reliance.

Apple are managing to get iOS devices into the hands of people of all ages. A child can work and learn an iOS device with ease, and an old person can pick it up pretty quickly with some guidance without the fear of wrecking the operating system. Apple are bringing new generations into computers and building on top the future of computing. It's a slow burn by design and it is working.

I eventually got rid of my ipad pro 12.9 because I wanted it to do more/be more. Apple give us a taste of the future but hold it back. But I realise they do this because they've built iOS from scratch and are growing it while making buckets of cash. I can't bring myself to buy a laptop because the experience feels gimped compared to my desktop for work and for lightweight use + entertainment not as instant or as appealing as an ipad. Especially comparing the build quality, display and speakers on the new ipad pros. I'm very much hoping for mouse support and Adobe software to make the ipad more than just a lightweight tablet, it can be that and a laptop. I want it all in one device.

 

[Tech198]

This seems well kinda weird.. Particularly on a "touch first" device. Designed as a touch first, not a 2-in-1

Next thing Apple will supply a keyboard with the larger iPad's and call them 50% complete Just need to wait now for the BIG change.. The OS.

I can see why Apple would do this to larger devices *first*

I eventually got rid of my ipad pro 12.9 because I wanted it to do more/be more. Apple give us a taste of the future but hold it back.

I got rid of my 10.5 i had due to screen size too large.. The shortest time i ever had an iPad on record... 3 days and it was back to Apple.

 

[jimmy_uk]

This seems well kinda weird.. Particularly on a "touch first" device. Designed as a touch first, not a 2-in-1

Next thing Apple will supply a keyboard with the larger iPad's and call them 50% complete Just need to wait now for the BIG change.. The OS.

I can see why Apple would do this to larger devices *first*



I got rid of my 10.5 i had due to screen size too large.. The shortest time i ever had an iPad on record... 3 days and it was back to Apple.

I've owned most of the ipads since the very first. I was so excited to finally own a product that could be my digital comic and I could hold the internet in my hands on a large screen. And it was amazing, then the norm and quickly the prices creeped with the drip feed of features which in many ways were just bells and whistles. Now the prices Apple want for the pro models make me consider my purchase alot more than before. If they want laptop money it needs to better and this requires iOS to grow up.

 

[jayducharme]

Huh? The original Mac had a keyboard.

Interesting. I had been told long ago that the original Macintosh came with a mouse, but the keyboard was extra.

 

[DNichter]

I've owned most of the ipads since the very first. I was so excited to finally own a product that could be my digital comic and I could hold the internet in my hands on a large screen. And it was amazing, then the norm and quickly the prices creeped with the drip feed of features which in many ways were just bells and whistles. Now the prices Apple want for the pro models make me consider my purchase alot more than before. If they want laptop money it needs to better and this requires iOS to grow up.

I think they’ll get there, it just takes time. They are struggling with keeping the iPad simple and straightforward while adding more and more advanced features. I definitely expect Apple to stay aggressive here though and take the training wheels off.

 

[Mac 128]

Interesting. I had been told long ago that the original Macintosh came with a mouse, but the keyboard was extra.

No, everything came with the original Mac, through the Mac Plus. I think it was the Mac II/SE where Apple decided to charge extra for the keyboard, and gave the customer the option of the regular keyboard or the pro keyboard. That was during Jean Louis Gasse's time after Jobs left, and pretty much stopped after the SE/30, and Gasse's departure.
[doublepost=1556237626][/doublepost]

This seems well kinda weird.. Particularly on a "touch first" device. Designed as a touch first, not a 2-in-1

Next thing Apple will supply a keyboard with the larger iPad's and call them 50% complete Just need to wait now for the BIG change.. The OS.

I can see why Apple would do this to larger devices *first*



I got rid of my 10.5 i had due to screen size too large.. The shortest time i ever had an iPad on record... 3 days and it was back to Apple.

As long as any iOS device can be plugged into a larger external screen and keyboard, it makes sense to also support a mouse since it's no longer primarily a touch device.

 

[fairuz]

I was referring to the Apple Mouse! It's 'dongle-less'... Why would I want to use a non-Apple mouse with an iPad?

Cause the Apple one sucks

 

[rowspaxe]

I think they’ll get there, it just takes time. They are struggling with keeping the iPad simple and straightforward while adding more and more advanced features. I definitely expect Apple to stay aggressive here though and take the training wheels off.

Hope the mouse implementation is more "agressive" than the monitor support.

 

[ipponrg]

With a controlled operating system and their own processors they will continue to add/drip feed us into the eco system and add features and peripherals so we will not need a traditional laptop or desktop again. One day. The long game is due to the pace of technology that fits their vision, to make as much money on the way, and to shift people away from Windows/Linux/MacOS reliance.

Apple are managing to get iOS devices into the hands of people of all ages. A child can work and learn an iOS device with ease, and an old person can pick it up pretty quickly with some guidance without the fear of wrecking the operating system. Apple are bringing new generations into computers and building on top the future of computing. It's a slow burn by design and it is working.

I eventually got rid of my ipad pro 12.9 because I wanted it to do more/be more. Apple give us a taste of the future but hold it back. But I realise they do this because they've built iOS from scratch and are growing it while making buckets of cash. I can't bring myself to buy a laptop because the experience feels gimped compared to my desktop for work and for lightweight use + entertainment not as instant or as appealing as an ipad. Especially comparing the build quality, display and speakers on the new ipad pros. I'm very much hoping for mouse support and Adobe software to make the ipad more than just a lightweight tablet, it can be that and a laptop. I want it all in one device.

Not sure I agree here. The iPad is great at what it does which is taking simple flows and allowing them to be portable. For any serious work, you still will have to lean on your desktop or laptop.

It might be possible that like Dnichter you don’t have a need for doing anything more than a very concentrated task. For myself, I code, make edits in illustrator, and work with multiple terminals. The iPad Pro is not an option here due to several limitations

 

[Marco Klobas]

You're not wrong, but so what? We talk a lot about the legacy of Steve, but one of the best things he did in my view was to let each product line be everything it could be without concern for whether one Apple product ultimately cannibalized another. By contrast, it seems right now that *both* the Mac and the iPad are being held back for fear of what innovation (or simply introducing features already standard in the non-Apple market) would do to another existing Apple product.

I just wanted to point out how these two separate products are eventually converging. If the iPad had to offer almost the same functionality of a MacBook (and vice versa) then it wouldn't make sense to keep both.

I mean, for the consumer, of course. For Apple would be a double win.

The purpose of tablets and notebooks were and are different. This difference is shrinking year after year.

It's curious to observe how consumers are led to buy something that changes/evolve with time to something that they already had.

In the fashion field this is very evident and, to some extent, annoying.

 

[jimmy_uk]

Not sure I agree here. The iPad is great at what it does which is taking simple flows and allowing them to be portable. For any serious work, you still will have to lean on your desktop or laptop.

It might be possible that like Dnichter you don’t have a need for doing anything more than a very concentrated task. For myself, I code, make edits in illustrator, and work with multiple terminals. The iPad Pro is not an option here due to several limitations

But Adobe are bringing full fat Photoshop to ipad. How long before we get the whole suite?
With keyboard and mouse support along with the pencil why can the ipad not be all things?

Do you lean on your laptop or desktop for the processor power, mouse, hard drives? Apple are already proving they can make powerful processors. Give us better file access, mouse support etc then this can be as good as any laptop.

 

[rowspaxe]

But Adobe are bringing full fat Photoshop to ipad. How long before we get the whole suite?
With keyboard and mouse support along with the pencil why can the ipad not be all things?

Do you lean on your laptop or desktop for the processor power, mouse, hard drives? Apple are already proving they can make powerful processors. Give us better file access, mouse support etc then this can be as good as any laptop.

Cut and paste? Not really.

 

[DNichter]

Hope the mouse implementation is more "agressive" than the monitor support.

I think the mouse implementation will be a lot more straightforward since it won't rely on developer support. With monitor support, they will need to provide tools for developers and get them to handle the implementation. It was relatively minor because all of the iPad specific features were pushed from iOS 12 to iOS 13, leaving a great piece of hardware (iPad Pro 2018) without the OS they designed for it. This is going to be a huge WWDC though and further cement the iPad as the future of computing for Apple.

 

[ipponrg]

But Adobe are bringing full fat Photoshop to ipad. How long before we get the whole suite?
With keyboard and mouse support along with the pencil why can the ipad not be all things?

Do you lean on your laptop or desktop for the processor power, mouse, hard drives? Apple are already proving they can make powerful processors. Give us better file access, mouse support etc then this can be as good as any laptop.

The root of the problem is not that the apps out today are not fully featured apps. iOS is itself limiting the experience. It doesn’t support true multitasking parallel experiences. I can’t run VMs, drag/drop in multiple windows, have multiple windows disolayed, keep all background tasks running, do file management, etc

There have been more descriptive posts about features it lacks vs the laptop.

For those that do desktop/laptop flows, the iPad will never replace until iOS becomes more of a desktop os

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Cause the Apple one sucks

‍♂️ I rather like it. I haven't used a different brand on a mac for years. They are fragile. I dropped one, and bent the thin aluminum at the edge, and couldn't get it to work right after straightening it. OUCH!

 

[jimmy_uk]

Cut and paste? Not really.

I'm not understanding your response? Anyway I get the gist, you dont think ipad can become a main computer for your uses.
[doublepost=1556282785][/doublepost]

The root of the problem is not that the apps out today are not fully featured apps. iOS is itself limiting the experience. It doesn’t support true multitasking parallel experiences. I can’t run VMs, drag/drop in multiple windows, have multiple windows disolayed, keep all background tasks running, do file management, etc

There have been more descriptive posts about features it lacks vs the laptop.

For those that do desktop/laptop flows, the iPad will never replace until iOS becomes more of a desktop os

But this will happen. Why wouldn't it?

 

[LordVic]

I think they’ll get there, it just takes time. They are struggling with keeping the iPad simple and straightforward while adding more and more advanced features. I definitely expect Apple to stay aggressive here though and take the training wheels off.

I tend to agree with you for the most part about Apple focusing on the average computer user bein able to just use an iPad. It makes sense for day to day use. Especially with the power that the iPads can offer.

I still think Apple however can't stop getting in their own way with iOS and just don't seem to understand that if they're going to sell and market the iPad as a computer replacement than it needs to be able to do the tasks a computer can do.

it's gotten so much better especially with the latest Pro adding USB-C (all iPads should move USB-C). Heck, an iPad now is basically nothing more than an Arm based mac when you pair in a keyboard (and hopefully soon mouse).

but the artificial limits (no external storage, limits on some devices you can use, limits of the tools for the filesystems). As said, until Apple takes the training wheels off iOS, it's going to continue to get blasted by many people that iPads can't replace computers because of these. The question is, does Apple wish to relinquish a little more control to hit potentially larger audiences, or do they hold on and keep the course.

I believe if Apple keeps the current course of iOS and keeps parity features off iPad's that people look for in their computers, than the iPad market is essentially mature and where we'll see it stay. If they can open it up to make it more computer like, they may be able to grow and steal some traditional laptop purchases away

 

[DNichter]

I tend to agree with you for the most part about Apple focusing on the average computer user bein able to just use an iPad. It makes sense for day to day use. Especially with the power that the iPads can offer.

I still think Apple however can't stop getting in their own way with iOS and just don't seem to understand that if they're going to sell and market the iPad as a computer replacement than it needs to be able to do the tasks a computer can do.

it's gotten so much better especially with the latest Pro adding USB-C (all iPads should move USB-C). Heck, an iPad now is basically nothing more than an Arm based mac when you pair in a keyboard (and hopefully soon mouse).

but the artificial limits (no external storage, limits on some devices you can use, limits of the tools for the filesystems). As said, until Apple takes the training wheels off iOS, it's going to continue to get blasted by many people that iPads can't replace computers because of these. The question is, does Apple wish to relinquish a little more control to hit potentially larger audiences, or do they hold on and keep the course.

I believe if Apple keeps the current course of iOS and keeps parity features off iPad's that people look for in their computers, than the iPad market is essentially mature and where we'll see it stay. If they can open it up to make it more computer like, they may be able to grow and steal some traditional laptop purchases away

100% agree with your points here. I am sure it's a tough balance for them since they likely don't want to offend/cannibalize their Mac users, but I think the time has come where they need to make a serious move. As you said, that is how they are going to grow this segment - not by the slow incremental churn they have been doing thus far. Maybe iOS 13 is the start of that.

 

[LordVic]

100% agree with your points here. I am sure it's a tough balance for them since they likely don't want to offend/cannibalize their Mac users, but I think the time has come where they need to make a serious move. As you said, that is how they are going to grow this segment - not by the slow incremental churn they have been doing thus far. Maybe iOS 13 is the start of that.

if they think they're going to cannabalize the Mac users, than Apple's leaders have leess of a grasp on their own business products than IMHO I gave them credit for.

First, The Mac Business is tiny in comparison to the potential from iPad sales. It's also a business line for them that has been shrinking over the last few years regardless of what efforts they've put into the macs. if they're losing mac sale anyways, they should be trying to keep those users in the Apple ecosystem with the iPad that can do 90% of the low end mac stuff anyways. And in regards to the Mac users who need the power and performance of a workstation/laptop, than they're not going to the iPad anyways. These two products should be able to easily exist within the same ecosystem without major cannibalization. And if Apple can expand their Mac lineup back into the pro space, it would only further help everyone.

 

[polaris20]

People need to realize that the lack of a mouse input is not the real hinderance when it comes to making an iPad a real computer for productivity. The biggest problem is iOS itself. Adding a mouse doesn't make productivity better on the iPad because you can still do the same with touch input. iOS is neutered as an OS to do any real productivity.



Even if they add mouse support it doesn't really enhance the workflow at all. Just another way of doing the exact same thing. iOS is more of a hinderance for productivity than a mouse is.

You're assuming your workflow is the same as mine. It isn't. I spend a lot of time in SSH windows, support client, KVM, RDP, VDI, etc. these absolutely suck (well, mostly the latter four) without a mouse.

 

[DNichter]

if they think they're going to cannabalize the Mac users, than Apple's leaders have leess of a grasp on their own business products than IMHO I gave them credit for.

First, The Mac Business is tiny in comparison to the potential from iPad sales. It's also a business line for them that has been shrinking over the last few years regardless of what efforts they've put into the macs. if they're losing mac sale anyways, they should be trying to keep those users in the Apple ecosystem with the iPad that can do 90% of the low end mac stuff anyways. And in regards to the Mac users who need the power and performance of a workstation/laptop, than they're not going to the iPad anyways. These two products should be able to easily exist within the same ecosystem without major cannibalization. And if Apple can expand their Mac lineup back into the pro space, it would only further help everyone.

Also agree, different use cases for different types of users. No reason they can't coexist. You make a lot of good points and I do think we will get there eventually, but it falls on Apple to determine how quickly we get there.

 

[bluespark]

I just wanted to point out how these two separate products are eventually converging. If the iPad had to offer almost the same functionality of a MacBook (and vice versa) then it wouldn't make sense to keep both.

I mean, for the consumer, of course. For Apple would be a double win.

The purpose of tablets and notebooks were and are different. This difference is shrinking year after year.

It's curious to observe how consumers are led to buy something that changes/evolve with time to something that they already had.

In the fashion field this is very evident and, to some extent, annoying.

Fair enough, and I agree there is natural convergence here, at least up to a point. My point is slightly different, which is that Apple seems to be actively resisting this natural convergence out of what appears to be deference to entrenched product line divisions. For example, absent the iPad, it's hard to imagine Apple not coming out with a touch-capable MacBook with "tent mode" and other features now prevalent on the Windows side. In fact, that's the sort of thing Apple would have been first to market with at one time (albeit probably having previously denied that such a thing could work well).

I'd like to see Apple loosen up in the sense that Mac designers should be free to (in fact, pushed to) take the best parts of the iPad experience and iPad designers should similarly be free to (pushed to) take the best parts of the Mac. If complete convergence happens, it will happen organically. If it doesn't, it will be clear why, and that too will inform decisions about subsequent product generations.

 

[ipponrg]

But this will happen. Why wouldn't it?

If it happens, then it's going to become a Surface. This "tablet" experience really is just a laptop with a touchscreen. I'm not saying this is bad or good. I'm just pointing out the irony if the tablet becomes that.

 

[DNichter]

If it happens, then it's going to become a Surface. This "tablet" experience really is just a laptop with a touchscreen. I'm not saying this is bad or good. I'm just pointing out the irony if the tablet becomes that.

Not necessarily. Microsoft slapped a touch layer onto Windows and created the Surface. It's a laptop first and a crappy tablet. If Apple can keep adding traditional PC-like features (need to get creative of course) to their touch first platform, it becomes something completely different than we have today. The potential to be that best of both worlds device. It will take a lot, but I think that's the goal (at least from a consumer perspective).