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Why Microsoft’s iPad Trackpad Support Is a Big Deal
Even Excel-heads can love the iPad
By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 29, 2020 01:03PM EDT Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Computers Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Key Takeaways
Microsoft Office now supports the full range of iPad trackpad features.The Magic Keyboard and Trackpad really does turn your iPad into a MacBook Lite.Once you’ve gotten used to keyboard and mouse support on iPad, you may never want to go back. Apple Inc The trackpad is the most exciting—and important—thing to happen to the iPad in years. And now Microsoft is adding full trackpad support to its iOS Office, moving the iPad yet another step towards total laptop replacement. The Magic Keyboard with Trackpad transforms Apple’s tablet into a more-than-credible laptop alternative. All apps work with the trackpad, but when apps are redesigned to take full advantage, everything works better.. “iPad with keyboard and trackpad is a whole new experience and much more productive in our view,” founder of Ulysses app Max Seelemann told Lifewire via direct message. “Productivity is all Ulysses is about, so this is a required feature for us.” What Is Trackpad Support
Halfway through the life of iOS 13, Apple added full support for mice and trackpads to the iPad (and the iPhone, amazingly). All you have to do is hook up any USB or Bluetooth mouse/trackpad, and a little circle will appear on the screen. This circle is kind of a cross between the Mac/PC mouse pointer and a virtual finger. You can click and right-click (with two fingers), just like on a Mac, and you can use two fingers to scroll. If you’re using Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Trackpad case, or Apple’s Magic Trackpad 2 (the one that comes with the iMac), then you can also use two-, three-, and four-finger gestures to swipe between apps, show the iPad’s dock, and more. In short, the trackpad support is comprehensive, and can completely replace touching the screen if you want it to. If you slap the iPad Pro or Air into the Magic Keyboard with Trackpad case (where it is secured with magnets), then it behaves just like a MacBook. It’s almost uncanny how natural it seems, even from the first swipe. The trackpad works with any app, but software developers can add specific support. For example, the trackpad blob can morph into different shapes. It could become a pencil in a drawing app, and it can snap onto icons and buttons as you approach them, which makes clicking easier (the iOS mouse pointer is inherently less accurate than desktop pointers because iOS was built for fatter fingertips). Microsoft Office will offer full support for this. “When moving a finger across the built-in trackpad of Magic Keyboard,” writes Microsoft’s Bill Doll in a blog post, “the cursor transforms into the tool you need depending on the content you’re pointing to.” The pointer will turn into a pair of arrows when resizing an image, for example. Microsoft These are niceties, but hardly essential. However, one addition makes a huge difference in how you use the iPad: contextual menus. Right Click
Right-clicking is a fundamental part of using a desktop computer. You right-click (control-click or tap/click with two-fingers on a Mac) to get a contextual menu with various options. The iPad has always had a long-press, which can reveal extra options (and still can), but the problem is right there in the name: long. A right-click is instant and is now available all over iOS. iPad with keyboard and trackpad is a whole new experience and much more productive. You can right-click notifications on the lock screen to show a menu of options, you can right-click on an icon in the iPad’s dock, on its home screen. In apps, right-clicks can pop up menus. In Ulysses, for example, right-clicking on a word or words brings up the familiar black bubble menu, with options for spell checking and so on. Image-editing app Pixelmator Photo uses a contextual menu to give quick access to sharing, importing, and copying. The difference here is that it’s instant. And if you right-click on an interface element, you get a proper, desktop-style menu. This makes using the iPad so much faster (and more powerful). Apple Inc The iPad is still not a laptop replacement, nor is it meant to be. After all, why just duplicate the MacBook when you can buy a MacBook? But it is more than capable of being a laptop alternative, especially for newer users who haven’t grown up using the desktop PC paradigm. And now that you can finally use a mouse to edit your Excel spreadsheets, even the grayest of gray suits can learn to love it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Right-Click on a Mac How to Right-Click on iPad How to Set Up Dual Monitors on a Mac The 9 Best Mice for iPads, Tested by Experts How to Hide and Unhide Columns, Rows, and Cells in Excel The 9 Best iPad Pro Keyboards of 2022 How to Right-Click on a Laptop How to Use the Virtual Trackpad on the iPad Which iPad Should You Buy? Choose the Best Model How to Use Universal Control for Apple Devices The 9 Best Tablets in 2022, Tested by Lifewire How to Connect Magic Keyboard to a Macbook Configure Your Mac's Trackpad to Meet Your Needs How to Right-Click on Chromebook iPad Pro (2021, M1) Review: Desktop Performance in a Tablet iPad Pro vs. MacBook Pro: What's the Difference? Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies