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iPad Pro Anyone still using first gen 12.9”

My gen 1 128GB is still jamming on iOS 12. Even boots faster than my 2017 10.5” iPad Pro which I think is interesting. It’d probably be my #1 productivity platform if I didn’t put Civilization VI on it during its $24 sale last month...
 
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I am pleasantly surprised how well my gen 1 12.9” still performs especially with iOS 12.x. I’m sure that it could run the full monte Photoshop though it might struggle with large (huge) file sizes and high-res video.
 
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My only reason for getting the new one is because I only got the 32gb Gen 1, and I’m constantly deleting apps to add updates, etc. It still works fine. Might give it to my dad.
 
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I want to upgrade my first gen 12.9 but the problem has always been accessories. If I get the new $999 iPad Pro then I have to rebuy the price-increased $199 Smart Keyboard and $129 Pencil. So that makes it $1329 for an iPad that will essentially do the same thing as my current setup.

I’m feeling that iOS13 will be the Pro iPad Revolution we’ve been waiting for. Customizations that specifically take advantage of the bigger screen, USBC file storage support and the biggest thing...... Apple Software that actually offers Pro function (FCPX. Aperture). Give me a truly Pro ecosystem and I’ll gladly pay Pro prices because I’d actually be doing Pro work on it.
 
Brhinminn said:
I have a first gen 12.9, use it 4-8 hours a day at work. My only issue is that I went through 3 smart keyboards, since they stopped working after about a year. I am hoping that the new folio is better...But, the Pro is great, but I can almost literally watch the battery indicator % drop when using, just for split screen with OneNote and email, which is the preferred configuration. Assuming that I have charged this at least 1 per day, that means over 1000 charges adn I am OK with that. I will be getting the new 12.9 next wednesday, and will post any follow ups!
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I had mine replaced three times.
 
SHKLMRE said:
I’m just wondering how first gen 12.9” iPad pros are running with iOS 12. Anyone still using one?
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You know sister... Well even as of now, a very gentle cared iPad Air (First Generation) from 2013 can hold up like media consumption, and not so heavy games as of 2019 before it finally cuts supports. How much more the iPad Mini 4/Air 2 and newer will perform? Or course 2.5 to 10 times better
 
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Mine was replaced by Apple in 2017, and although I suppose it was a refurb, it was manufactured then too. Still performing flawlessly. The first one lasted a year, then had battery failure.
 
I’m using the 9.7-inch iPad Pro (I know, not a 12.9, but it’s a first gen), on iOS 9. It’s working wonderfully. Battery life is slightly lower if compared to when it was new, but it’s still way more than enough. (Went from 14 hours on-screen with light use, to around 12-13).
Games, movies, web browsing, you name it - everything runs flawlessly.
 
I still use mine almost every day. It works just fine. I use it mostly for note taking and email and internet browsing.
 
Got mine from the early days. Still use it pretty regularly though wouldn't call myself a heavy user. I've been thinking a lot about buying the 2018 version. Would use 1st generation as backup.
 
themaestro said:
Got mine from the early days. Still use it pretty regularly though wouldn't call myself a heavy user. I've been thinking a lot about buying the 2018 version. Would use 1st generation as backup.
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If one is not a heavy user it seems like any cheaper iPad would do the same things for you. Except for the 12.9 screen of course. But to buy another one when you’re not even utilising the current one properly seems like a bit of a waste.
 
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I’m using mine every day but I’m thinking about selling it when the next generation is out.

Battery isn’t what it used to be but with the 29 W MacBook charger its not really an issue.
 
Still using my IPP 1st gen with v12.4.1 and it continues to work very, very well. My uses are email, web access, and the normal productivity stuff using all of these: Excel, Numbers, Word, Pages, Keynote, PowerPoint, and OneNote. I have cellular service with it so it functions well anywhere with a signal. I keep looking at newer generations but like @urkel states, the cost of a replacement for very little additional functionality is not worth it to me. I’m not an interactive gamer so don’t need the higher speeds provided by newer hardware.
 
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Yep, and yet to encounter anything it won't take in its stride. I am considering the 4th gen 12.9 suggested to be released late this year or early next, just for a bit of a change really. But if they're just a minor chip bump and iOS 13 continues to run well (and I see no reason it shouldn't) I might even try holding out to the gen 5s...
 
ericwn said:
If one is not a heavy user it seems like any cheaper iPad would do the same things for you. Except for the 12.9 screen of course. But to buy another one when you’re not even utilising the current one properly seems like a bit of a waste.
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I need the 12.9 screen. it's just about enough to read music. I'm a professional musician. Reason for buying another iPad is just in case the original one dies just before a concert. I could print out the music just in case but that's very time consuming.
 
themaestro said:
I need the 12.9 screen. it's just about enough to read music. I'm a professional musician. Reason for buying another iPad is just in case the original one dies just before a concert. I could print out the music just in case but that's very time consuming.
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That makes perfect sense of course. Nothing can replace screen estate. My iPad Pro is serving for notes on a music stand too.
 
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Oh yeah, I just made a thread about falling back in love with my first-gen iPad Pro 12.9. Used it regularly for 3 years but it’s recently been becoming more and more useful everyday. That’s the beautiful thing about the iPad. You can use it regularly for a long time and still be missing a lot of what can make things easier for you. The one device Apple made and I’ve not checked at all what the newer models have. My favorite Apple device, no doubt
 
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themaestro said:
I need the 12.9 screen. it's just about enough to read music. I'm a professional musician. Reason for buying another iPad is just in case the original one dies just before a concert. I could print out the music just in case but that's very time consuming.
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I bought the 1st gen pro for the same reason (sheet music). Was using a surface pro 3. Ipad pro was larger and virtually as good as A4 paper. Very expensive for that use, but nothing equivalent (other than the much more expensive Surface book). So I still bought it and thought it was so future proof with its 4GB RAM and USB 3.0 that maybe one day I would get more use out of it as a bonus. 4 years later and we have some great pro music apps (which have made me use windows and mac very little for music since) and ipad OS (since IOS 11 I use ipads for a lot more things and even more as time passes and new great apps appear). I don't think I'll replace this ipad before it's at least 10 years (mind you I have several smaller ipad pros and minis).
 
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