iPad Any real reason to upgrade from gen1 iPP

[SS4Luck]

So I started grad school this fall and with that my Gen 1 12.9 pro came out of retirement. It was my trusty note taking workhouse/day planner etc through undergrad. It’s seen better days, but I haven’t found any real reason to replace it.

I recently upgrade my MBP last year and found myself with an extra bit of money left over from grants to use toward school. I figure now would be the time to retire the iPP and move to a new gen Air or 11” iPP.i won’t lie I think mycurrent iPad is a bit bulky and sometimes cumbersome especially with its large screen bezel so the inch to inch and a half smaller profile of the new iPads is appealing. But also not spending $500-$1000 for no real reason isn’t appealing.

I use my iPad for note ability, Microsoft office apps, light streaming and research. My thought is if I upgrade I could use the new iPad for work and the old 12.9 for digital books.

am I over thinking this trying to replace ol reliable?

 

[AutomaticApple]

So I started grad school this fall and with that my Gen 1 12.9 pro came out of retirement. It was my trusty note taking workhouse/day planner etc through undergrad. It’s seen better days, but I haven’t found any real reason to replace it.

I recently upgrade my MBP last year and found myself with an extra bit of money left over from grants to use toward school. I figure now would be the time to retire the iPP and move to a new gen Air or 11” iPP.i won’t lie I think mycurrent iPad is a bit bulky and sometimes cumbersome especially with its large screen bezel so the inch to inch and a half smaller profile of the new iPads is appealing. But also not spending $500-$1000 for no real reason isn’t appealing.

I use my iPad for note ability, Microsoft office apps, light streaming and research. My thought is if I upgrade I could use the new iPad for work and the old 12.9 for digital books.

am I over thinking this trying to replace ol reliable?

Get the 11-inch iPad Pro. It has Apple Pencil 2 support.

 

[Hunter5117]

If you like taking notes by handwriting, the new functionality in iPad OS 14 is very nice and makes even the stock Notes app very usable for that. Also, the Magic Keyboard is a nice upgrade if you use the keyboard a lot, typing on it vs the Folio keyboard is much improved. Although, the Magic keyboard does make using the pencil difficult at least without removing the iPad first. I upgraded from my old iPP 10.5 and I find the newer models just seem to be better implemented, everything runs fast and smooth. I ended up getting both the 11 and 12.9, for me the 12.9 is too big to use as a notepad type device so it mostly lives on the Magic keyboard, the 11 goes with me everywhere with the pencil and a folio keyboard for a cover.

 

[ericwn]

Any iPad these days handles note taking easily, that is not really a reason to pick the pro model.

On the other hand, life is short and if your finances allow it, why not treat yourself. Maybe there is someone in need of an iPad so that you can gift the old one away, or maybe trade it in.

I’m using the first generation iPad Pro too and will keep it until it stops working.

 

[rui no onna]

Any iPad these days handles note taking easily, that is not really a reason to pick the pro model.

True but the AP2 is far more convenient than the AP1.

Granted, despite the lack of advanced features (e.g. pressure sensitivity, tap gestures, etc), I'm a big fan of the no-pairing convenience of the Logitech Crayon.

 

[MacDevil7334]

If you like to handwrite your notes, the lower pencil latency and faster screen refresh found in the 2017 models onward is really nice. Beyond that, I didn’t see anything in your use cases that would really compel an upgrade. If you feel the 12.9 inch is too bulky, the 11 inch pros are a really nice compromise between size and weight. You’ll shed a half pound of weight and won’t have to give up all that much in terms of screen size. I had a 12.9” 2nd gen and then 3rd gen but downsized to the 11 inch about 6 months ago. The larger screen was nice when using on a desk. But, for every other use, I much prefer the lighter weight of the 11 inch.

One option might be to look around for a used 2018 model. They are largely similar (same CPU, slightly inferior GPU, only 1 camera) to the 2020 models but can be found for a few hundred less. In any case, good luck with school! I am very jealous of anyone going through school in the iPad Pro era. I used a 3rd gen iPad with one of those styluses with the large mushy tips to take notes my last year of grad school. That experience was downright terrible compared to what’s available now!

 

[muzzy996]

I agree with ericwin , given your description of needs any current model of iPad would suffice. You weren’t specific about accessories and storage requirements though, so its hard to estimate really what device fits into your budget. Given that and the fact that you already have a working device , my recommendation is to wait for the next iPad announcement which is rumored to be soon and then evaluate.

I’d still lean towards an older iPad though, especially if cost is a concern. With the current air or 7th gen you can use the same pencil rather than have to buy a new generation pencil. Again with budget in mind the pro line can really add up with these newer models, not that they’re not great devices.

That $1000 price point is achievable though (assuming you don't sell your 12.9) with a current gen iPP 11" wifi 128gb, pencil 2 and keyboard folio. You'd just have to find one on sale to get it down under the $1160 total retail price.

 

[ericwn]

True but the AP2 is far more convenient than the AP1.

Granted, despite the lack of advanced features (e.g. pressure sensitivity, tap gestures, etc), I'm a big fan of the no-pairing convenience of the Logitech Crayon.

The new pen is certainly more convenient, no question. It’s not worth the upgrade just for the convenience though, and I say that as someone who writes daily.

 

[stlredbird]

I upgraded my gen 1 12.9 to the 2020 model this spring. I use mine for digital art and quick video creation, so the extra ram made me pull the trigger. Also the difference between the gen 1 apple pencil and the apple pencil 2 is substantial.

Now having said that, my gen 1 pro still ran like a champ with zero slowdown. If i couldnt make use of the ram upgrade i would still be perfectly happy with my gen 1.

The gen 1 pro is a fantastic device.

 

[The1andOnly]

I upgraded my gen 1 12.9 to the 2020 model this spring. I use mine for digital art and quick video creation, so the extra ram made me pull the trigger. Also the difference between the gen 1 apple pencil and the apple pencil 2 is substantial.

Now having said that, my gen 1 pro still ran like a champ with zero slowdown. If i couldnt make use of the ram upgrade i would still be perfectly happy with my gen 1.

The gen 1 pro is a fantastic device.

I still use my gen 1 12.9” iPP every day. Along with the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, it has been a wonderful device for me.

 

[rui no onna]

The new pen is certainly more convenient, no question. It’s not worth the upgrade just for the convenience though, and I say that as someone who writes daily.

To each their own.

One of my primary motivators in getting the Air 3 was Crayon support. Then I bought the iPad 7 on a whim when I saw it on sale for $229. I prefer to use two iPads side by side when annotating related documents instead of using side by side view on the Pro 12.9 (display too small) and I was getting tired of constantly switching between the Apple Pencil 1 on the Pro 10.5 and Crayon on the Air 3 (AP1 can't be paired to multiple devices at the same time).

 

[secretk]

The new pen is certainly more convenient, no question. It’s not worth the upgrade just for the convenience though, and I say that as someone who writes daily.

Same. It really is more convenient but IMO this cannot be the only reason you upgrade. There should be something more. Like portability (due to decreased size), USB-C port, magic keyboard. It depends on the person obviously but for me the pencil cannot be the only reason to upgrade.

 

[nothingtoseehere]

The gen 1 pro is a fantastic device.

So it is, also for me. But OP says:

i won’t lie I think mycurrent iPad is a bit bulky and sometimes cumbersome

and

found myself with an extra bit of money left over from grants to use toward school

Therefore you could go and buy the desired device, hoping that it will make you even happier 🤗
And if you can choose a store with a return option, you could test it within the return period and then make the final decision

 

[sracer]

So I started grad school this fall and with that my Gen 1 12.9 pro came out of retirement. It was my trusty note taking workhouse/day planner etc through undergrad. It’s seen better days, but I haven’t found any real reason to replace it.

I recently upgrade my MBP last year and found myself with an extra bit of money left over from grants to use toward school. I figure now would be the time to retire the iPP and move to a new gen Air or 11” iPP.i won’t lie I think mycurrent iPad is a bit bulky and sometimes cumbersome especially with its large screen bezel so the inch to inch and a half smaller profile of the new iPads is appealing. But also not spending $500-$1000 for no real reason isn’t appealing.

I use my iPad for note ability, Microsoft office apps, light streaming and research. My thought is if I upgrade I could use the new iPad for work and the old 12.9 for digital books.

am I over thinking this trying to replace ol reliable?

For your purposes, the 1st gen 12.9 Pro is still fine. I recommend not falling into the trap of the feeling of "missing out" because you're "stuck" with the "laggy" 1st gen Apple Pencil or those "chunky" bezels. My overuse of quotes is intentional, because there's a lot of hyperbole floating around that places a disproportionate value on the upgraded elements of the new models.

You didn't mention if you had the Apple Smart Keyboard cover, but I find that to be far superior to the folio keyboard cases of the new Pros.

If you didn't already have an iPad Pro, I'd recommend the 11" Pro.

I traded my 12.9 Pro in for a 6th gen 9.7 iPad. Multiwindow on the larger iPads is VERY hit or miss depending upon whether or not the apps you use support it. although I appreciated the larger screen real estate of the 12.9, I found it very frustrating that most of the apps I rely on don't support multiwindow (or did at the time that I got rid of the 12.9)... so I really wasn't able to fully exploit the larger screen to its fullest extent.

 

[serpico007]

I’m still using my 1st gen 12.9. I thought about updating but continue to push the limits of it. I currently use it as my laptop replacement with a USB to Lightning adapter. I connect a keyboard, mouse and flash drives to it. I think I’m only missing the external monitor via USB-C that I would love. But using iOS everywhere makes my life easier... for now LOL. Stick with your model and see how far it takes you, save your money.

 

[throAU]

am I over thinking this trying to replace ol reliable?

I think so.

If it still works well, keep using it.

The new hardware will be marginally faster, marginally thinner, whatever but it won't be life changing and there is always something better coming down the pipe.

Right now is probably a terrible time to buy an iPad Pro too, given new hardware is about to drop any day now.

 

[Ungibbed]

Concerning the bezels on the gen one and two 12.9 models, I actually prefer having the larger bezels to have a little something to hold onto while working with it in my lap (wheelchair user...) for using my pencil in affinity photo and procreate.