Haven't heard this yet - but has anyone hooked up their apple wireless mouse or super mouse to their iPad? I was thinking that, with the wireless keyboard - the mouse would be a good addition.

There is no pointer in the OS, so a mouse would not do any good. It defeats the function of a touch screen based OS.

Originally Posted by Seadog

There is no pointer in the OS, so a mouse would not do any good. It defeats the function of a touch screen based OS.

+1.....

RIP computer mouse:
R.I.P. the computer mouse, 1972-2010 | Digital City Podcast - CNET Blogs

Thanks - I appreciate the response! I'm not stupid, really - I'm just sitting her admiring my dock and cover - patiently waiting.

Mr. Late April!

1) it is premature to declair the death of the mouse. It gets nice attention for the author but is totally wrong headed. The mouse is a convenient, easy to use, intuitive input device and every desktop and "real" computer uses one today to great effect. If you want to do real work, or play WOW or use just about any current tool set, a mouse is easy and highly functional.
2) to add a keyboard and mouse to the IPAD is like putting lipstick on a pig. The target audience of the IPAD, at least in its current form, is NOT the hard core computer user. Its the vast untapped market of grandma and grandpa who want to do email and look at the kids pictures but will not go through the learning curve using a "real" computer requires. At least in their minds.

The marketing strategy is to get the IPAD into the hands of the early adopters and gradually penetrate the world of "real" computer users by providing them a useful, easy to transport and friendly new tool. ITs NOT to replace their laptops. Once the early adopters and "real" computer users get the IPAD and begin to use them, they will spread the word to grandma and grandpa and their cousins and . . . well you get the picture . . that here is a great, friendly, useful and NOT intimitading tool that anyone can use.

If you teather the IPAD to a keyboard and mouse you reduce its transportability and ease of use. I have 5 laptops but I chose NOT to drag one upstairs of an evening to play solitair or watch a tv show because it meant dragging along a mouse (hate touch pads) and the power cord, then its relatively big and bulky so where to set it? Its never in the right place to view or listen, and you NEVER take it into the bathroom cause it costs too much and if it got wet . .. !!!!

So the smart guys at Apple purposly created a device that works just fine for its limited set of uses, does not need or want a mouse or keyboard. Is limited to single functions at a time, but does what it does brilliantly.

By limiting the functionality but making the performance a wonderful experience, they are narrowing its focus to the target audience, NOT PC buyers, NOT laptop buyers.

Over time, there is a possibility that the IPAD may grow into a "real" computer, gain HDMI ports, get more memory, more CPU cycles, USB ports, multitasking, cameras . . . but not until it has saturated the Non-User customer base.

And I garantee you that if / when the IPAD does morph into a real laptop alternative it will have the capability to plug in a mouse and keyboard. But by then it will be a true dual purpose device. When traveling it will be good at operating in IPOD/IPAD mode. When you get where you are going it will be good at working in IPAD/Laptop mode. Think of the touch screen in that future IPAD/Laptop as the touchpad but to do real work you will plug in a real keyboard and a real mouse.

Now I want one of THOSE IPADs

Computers of the future will be very diverse. The ultimate will be when a computer has the capability to take garbled spoken language and respond without the need for input devices. There will always be a need for a view screen, but that can range from walls that act as screens, to projectors that allow the user to see objects without taking any real estate. Those will ultimately evolve into mental imaging effects that will create simulated realities.

I would love to be able to use the mouse with a VNC app like desktop connect.