Mouse-support is coming to the iPhone and iPad this fall. This is a feature many users have wanted for a while. However, on Cult of Mac, Killian Bell argues Apple still has the wrong attitude to the issue.
Apple “strongly emphasized this was designed and developed expressly for a certain segment of user.” In other words, Apple wants you to use touch if you can. You shouldn’t be controlling your iPhone or iPad with a mouse unless it’s absolutely necessary. But why is Apple so adamant about that? Why can’t it embrace the fact that some people — mostly those who use an iPad for work — would just prefer to use a mouse? What worries me about Apple’s view is that it will hold back iPad mouse support in the future. It’s almost as if Apple doesn’t want to make mouse support too good, just in case those who can use touch choose to use a mouse instead.
Check It Out: Apple’s Approach to Mouse Support for iPad is Wrong
I’d actually like to see the iPad work with large-format touchscreens, ideally with Apple Pencil support!
That being said, I think that having a common code base for Mac and iPad apps might mean that Apple could enable you to switch an iPad app to “Mac” (i.e. mouse/trackpad) mode if you wanted to use it that way.
We may be weeing a power struggle withing Apple over the future of the iPad. As a programmer friend of mine calls it a “religious argument”. In this case some see mouse support as a good option for users. The other side wants to stay true to Jobs view of the iPad (and iPhone) as finger input only. Neither side is completely right or wrong, but they will fight like cats and dogs over who wins.
As long as they support mouse input I’m happy. The 10% of the time when I need it, it will be nice to have.
Weeing is the right verb.
Aggghhhh. Seeing. Seeing is what I meant.
So when they do give mouse support they still whinge. Sometimes you can’t win.