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iPad Pro 11" iPad Pro big enough for Lightroom/Comics?

johnhackworth

johnhackworth

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 5, 2011
136
142
UK
Sorry, yet another 11" vs 12.9" thread - hopefully my specific circumstances justify it.

I'm looking to buy an iPad Pro for my own use - specifically it needs to be good for both light Lightroom editing and also reading comics and magazines. My natural inclination is bigger = better so go for the 12.9".

However, I just bought my wife the 12.9" iPad Pro and whilst waiting for the Magic Keyboard to arrive I've been having a play with it. Editing photos and reading comics is a glorious experience on the 12.9" version - and yet, ergonomically, I'm struggling. It's just too big to hold comfortably for more than a few moments - so I'm sure that the 11" would be easier for me to hold comfortably.

The question then becomes how much of a compromise is the 11" for editing photos and reading comics? I also have a 27" iMac, and a 4K 32" USB-C monitor - so I can edit photos on a big screen if I need to.

So, I'm looking for peoples experiences here - are there any 11" iPad Pro owning photographers or comic readers out there and if so, how do you feel about the 11" model? Do you regret not going bigger?
 
I read comics in double page spread landscape mode on the 12.9" (roughly 2x 9.7" iPad side by side) so I find anything 9.7" or above in portrait quite comfortable for that task.

Magazines tend to be A4/letter sized and have smaller font and for those, the 12.9" is much more comfy unless you don't get annoyed by constant zooming in and panning.

Mind, I bought the 12.9 primarily for ease of reading comic double page spreads. Doesn't really fit in my purses though, and it's painful dropping it on your face/nose just as you're falling asleep. Hence, I have both medium-sized iPad and large iPad and just alternate upgrading between the two size classes. Sometime this year or next, the 12.9 is due for upgrade (coming from 2017 2nd gen).

Can't comment on the photo editing.
 
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I'd have to agree that holding the newer 12.9" especially for reading comics while looking amazing, is a bit of an ergonomic faff. It's so much glass to hold, where do you rest it when reading with it in your hands?

I got by for years using all of the ipads from the very first up to the 10.5" ipad pro for all things and comic reading just fine. When I swapped it out for a 12.9" gen 1 I ended up not using it very much because I hated the size and weight as a tablet (fine on keyboard) and ended up defaulting to my iPhone 7 plus for consumption and email and eventually gave up reading comics. Yes, the newer gen 12.9" is a bit smaller and a little lighter but is still large as a tablet and you have first-hand experience.

I recently setup a 12.9" gen 2 and magic keyboard and thought it was great on a table and using it as a laptop. But the second I snapped it off the case to use as a tablet I immediately thought nope, this is too big still.

Now like you, I have the itch for an ipad again. I think the 11" is the best all-round size for most things and would be easier to hold for comic reading. Naturally most default to the 12.9" because it's the biggest and bests - and now feels more like a laptop replacement. I also think buying the 11" would bring about the feeling of "should I have bought the bigger one", there's no getting away from that. At least you have choices.

My advice as you have a 12.9" in the house and don't really feel it's right for your uses, would be to buy an 11" and try it for a week and compare. If you don't love it, return it and get the 12.9" for yourself.

Tablet for consumption, light editing and comics. iMac for work and heavy lifting.

That said even now as I think about buying an 11" myself and knowing it's the better fit, I keep reading all the glowing comments from people who chose the 12.9" and it still triggers me to think "maybe I should to.......maybe I'll adjust........" 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️
 
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I love the 11” for reading comics, mostly laying down on the bed or couch. I have not used a 12.9” to compare it to, though, and it sounds like it’s great in landscape. I use the 11” in portrait mode.

I would try one and take advantage of that return policy, figure out what’s best for you and avoid the 12.9” vs 11” thread after you decide. :)
 
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Thanks for the many responses - super helpful.

Now that her magic keyboard has arrived I've handed the 12.9" iPad Pro over to my wife - and I've been using her old first-generation iPad Air.

This has enabled me to play with Lightroom and read comics on a 9.7" iPad Air. From a comics perspective I find the 9.7" screen *totally* fine - especially with the pane zooming on the Kindle app. The ergonomics are also far superior.

Lightroom however is less good - with the tools visible the actual photo being edited is really quite small. An 11" screen would be better - but still nowhere a 12.9" experience.

However, I kinda feel that overall ergonomics probably mean more to me than just screen size - so I'm currently leaning towards the 11".

Again, thanks for the advice.
 
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Yes reading kindle comics on my iPad Air 3’s 10.5 screen is very good when the comic is in portrait, but sometimes the next page of the comic flips to landscape and that can be really annoying e.g. X-Men Marriage of Cyclops and Jean Grey. You have to zoom in or put your iPad into landscape Orientation.
 
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So, I've just placed an order for a silver iPad Pro 11" 1Tb Wifi.

My reasoning goes something like - I'm still finding my wife's 12.9" iPP too large, it just *feels wrong* to me. Everything is a compromise and I had to choose between portability and ideal screen size - and portability won.

I'm really excited about it's arrival - it stands a chance of being a really great "unit of compute" which when I'm out and about is really portable and performant - and when I'm home can be plugged into a 32" 4K monitor. External display handling really needs some work from Apple for it to really shine but I'm optimistic about this. Just as long as they don't use external display handling as a differentiator for ARM Macs ;-)
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Again thanks for all the inputs from everyone on this thread - super helpful.
 
Congrats on your decision. I assume it's a 2020 model?

I've gone the other way in my head and now I want a 12.9" after dismissing it as too large. Sadly theres been a no show on refurbs of the 2018 model for the last two weeks and UK stock of 2020 has dried up (although too pricey for my liking). Typical.
 
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jimmy_uk said:
Congrats on your decision. I assume it's a 2020 model?

I've gone the other way in my head and now I want a 12.9" after dismissing it as too large. Sadly theres been a no show on refurbs of the 2018 model for the last two weeks and UK stock of 2020 has dried up (although too pricey for my liking). Typical.
Click to expand...

Cheers, yes the 2020 model. Lack of WiFi 6 and rumours of overheating problems put me off the 2018 model. I ordered it from John Lewis as they have stock for next day delivery and a two-year guarantee.

As you wrote in a previous post on this thread - whatever choice you make you end up wondering whether you've made the right one. However, I'm pretty happy that, for me, the strengths of the 11" make up for its weaknesses.
 
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