to the iPad’s mission statement would turn a humdrum
announcement into a riveting one.
But then I pulled out my 12.9in iPad Pro and tried
to imagine how it would go. The lack of a trackpad or
a mouse is the least of the iPad’s problems. Selling
a Smart Keyboard with a trackpad might make a few
iPad diehards happy, but for the majority of users, it
wouldn’t change much about their day-to-day tablet.
A trackpad wouldn’t magically transform the iPad
into a Surface or even a Mac. It would be an overpriced,
clunky input device that adds a level of confusion and
does little to push the platform forward.Moving backward not forward
For the past 10 years, the iPad has cemented its legacy
as the leader of the tablet market. Even without any
meaningful changes to its core functionality, the
iPad is far and away one of the best portable devices
for both creating and consuming content. An ever-
growing app catalogue has continued to invigorate
and strengthen the iPad as productivity-minded
accessories have added to its capabilities.
But even with home screen widgets and USB-C,
the iPad is still an extension of the iPhone. That’s not
a criticism – that’s what it should be. From its original
introduction to the pro model Apple sells today, the
iPad’s success is built on its simplicity and ease of
use. You don’t need to master gestures or multitask
to get things done on the iPad, and if anything,
they’re secondary to the experience.
But a trackpad would change things. More than the
Smart Keyboard or even the Apple Pencil, a trackpadtotheiPad’smissionstatementwouldturnahumdrum
announcementintoarivetingone.
ButthenIpulledoutmy12.9iniPadProandtried
toimaginehowitwouldgo.Thelackofatrackpador
amouseistheleastoftheiPad’sproblems.Selling
aSmartKeyboardwithatrackpadmightmakeafew
iPaddiehardshappy,butforthemajorityofusers,it
wouldn’tchangemuchabouttheirday-to-daytablet.
Atrackpadwouldn’tmagicallytransformtheiPad
intoaSurfaceorevenaMac.Itwouldbeanoverpriced,
clunkyinputdevicethataddsalevelofconfusionand
doeslittletopushtheplatformforward.
Movingbackwardnot forward
Forthepast 10 years,theiPadhascementeditslegacy
astheleaderofthetabletmarket.Evenwithoutany
meaningfulchangestoitscorefunctionality,the
iPadisfarandawayoneofthebestportabledevices
forbothcreatingandconsumingcontent.Anever-
growingappcataloguehascontinuedtoinvigorate
andstrengthenthe iPadasproductivity-minded
accessorieshaveaddedtoitscapabilities.
ButevenwithhomescreenwidgetsandUSB-C,
theiPadisstillanextensionoftheiPhone.That’snot
acriticism–that’swhatitshouldbe.Fromitsoriginal
introductiontothepromodelApplesellstoday,the
iPad’ssuccessisbuiltonitssimplicityandeaseof
use.Youdon’tneedtomastergesturesormultitask
to getthingsdoneontheiPad,andifanything,
they’resecondarytotheexperience.
Butatrackpadwouldchangethings.Morethanthe
SmartKeyboardoreventheApplePencil,atrackpad