10.5 or 12.9 IPad Pro for a student?

[Mainsail]

Actually if they make an iPad with 3:2 aspect ratio it won't be cramped any more of all sizes from Mini 7.9" to 12.9" Pro.

4:3 Aspect ratio of an iPad is the reason why it feels cramped, it is less wider but soo much taller, 3:2 for at least the safe zone not too narrow and too tall. 4:3 nowadays is soo 90's like my grandmothers old black and white TV

The issue isn’t aspect ratio. IOS will not allow you to have two documents from the same app open side by side. So, for example, you can’t have two Word documents open at the same time. You could kind of get around this by having a Word and a Pages document open, but then you are going to run into some formatting issues. Same is true of spreadsheets and presentation software.

Anyway, why fight it? I really don’t see what a student gains by having an iPad only. If you wait for good sales, you can own both for about $1,000. Most students in the US are paying between $100K and $150K for their education. So, I don’t see the economy in spending at least $800 for a iPad Pro with accessories vs $1,000 for a MBA plus standard iPad. The $200 difference is spread over a 4 year degree that is costing you well over $100 grand. I wouldn’t want to hamper my acedmic effectivness and huge college investment because I lacked the right tools just to save couple of hundred bucks. We call it “stepping over dollars to pick up dimes”.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I finally got to try out the 10.5 with an ASK the other day, and I have to say I really prefer the 12.9 version. There wasn’t really any transititon time from a regular keyboard to the 12.9. Maybe with some time to get used to it, the 10.5 would be OK. Looking at the keyboard design, it SHOULD be pretty similar— the most obvious difference is that the keyboard for the 10.5 doesn’t have the empty margin around the outer edge. But for whatever reason, it still felt more cramped. Maybe the space between the keys is smaller too.

I still love my 9.7 Air 2 and have kept it because I use the two iPads in tandem for work functions. But I have to say, the longer I have the 12.9, the more I’m finding that I use it for things I previously thought it was too big for... like an above poster said... in bed, on airplanes, whatever. It’s really a joy to use... my favorite computing device I’ve ever had.

Right now, there isn’t enough of a difference between the Air 2 and the 10.5 for me to upgrade it as a secondary device. If they do something super cool in 2018, maybe.

 

[eyeseeyou]

Whichever one you go with make sure you get a keyboard to go with it.

If you want to save a couple bucks get the 9.7.

 

[eVolcre]

The issue isn’t aspect ratio. IOS will not allow you to have two documents from the same app open side by side. So, for example, you can’t have two Word documents open at the same time. You could kind of get around this by having a Word and a Pages document open, but then you are going to run into some formatting issues. Same is true of spreadsheets and presentation software.

Anyway, why fight it? I really don’t see what a student gains by having an iPad only. If you wait for good sales, you can own both for about $1,000. Most students in the US are paying between $100K and $150K for their education. So, I don’t see the economy in spending at least $800 for a iPad Pro with accessories vs $1,000 for a MBA plus standard iPad. The $200 difference is spread over a 4 year degree that is costing you well over $100 grand. I wouldn’t want to hamper my acedmic effectivness and huge college investment because I lacked the right tools just to save couple of hundred bucks. We call it “stepping over dollars to pick up dimes”.

Excellent post. I’d say a laptop is needed too. Another option is to keep an eye on rumors for the expected Mac mini Mac nano. Appletv sized mini. Add a keyboard and screen and you’re off and running. I need the portability or a laptop (travel way too much ) but would be very happy with chucking a Mac nano into my bag and AirPlaying it to the hotel hdtv.

oP we haven’t talked budgets. Whats yours ?

 

[trnma]

I'm an Engng student, highly recommend the 10.5, it's identical to B5 paper size so it fit perfectly in my bag.

 

[Saskat]

Will it be your sole computing device? If so I would go with the boring laptop suggestion. For engineering, aerospace, mechanical, civil, electrical or even biomedical, I would get a Windows laptop dual boot to Linux/Ubuntu; for computer science or software engineering, MacBook Pro with Unix shell dual boot to Windows via Bootcamp.

Between 10.5” and 12.9”, I would say 10.5” if you have a separate laptop, if not 12.9” with the keyboard.