iPad Pro Help me decide... yes another one

[J.T.H.]

Hello all,

I am currently iPad Air 1 user, had the first iPad, the first Retina iPad. I have been a Mac user since a 512k Mac, like others have/had numerous iPhones. I am trying to decide if the iPad Pro is right for what I am looking for. I am hoping current owners/users can relate to the the uses I believe that the iPad Pro would work for, and give recommendations or suggestions based on their experiences.

I am debating between going with the iPad Pro or waiting for the Air 3. Yes I know there will always be something new around the corner, but it is down to those two. I have noticed me Air 1 is "slowing down" but mainly is my perception as my iPhone 6S Plus "seems" faster than the Air 1.

My main uses/wants:

1) faster iPad
2) taking notes/to do's/keeping track of things at work. I currently use a pen and small notebook that co-workers ask if it is my diary. I don't draw, not creative, stick figures are the best I can do, is there still a use for the Pencil? For note taking does it feel like writing on paper or close enough?
3) Better Web experience, seems not all websites handle to "smaller screen" of previous iPads and content is not optimized for iPad. I have used a IPP here at work and from my brief use, it does look like the web experience is better. Is this true??
4) Is the keyboard experience worth it, and if so Apple Smart Keyboard, or other options.
5) Is it too big, carrying it around at work with a cover does it feel like I am carrying around a monitor.
6) Are apps being updated to support the larger screen/resolution. Again from my brief time with it, seemed like some/most apps are not.
7) Split Display/Multitasking really usable.

I have read through many of the threads here and some reviews, and I would say I am still 50/50.

Thanks for any help!

 

[sjleworthy]

i would say 99.99% of the decision making process when pondering the Pro is screen size. period.

i've used a regular sized ipad for years. speed and all isnt the issue (speeds are always catching up), the screen size is the clincher!
multitasking as fantastic, Pencil stuff is awesome, media consumption is brilliant, internet is magic etc etc. All screen size issues and advantages.
To be honest, the only advantage the regular ipad has over the Pro is a smaller convenient size (and a lot cheaper).

personally, a laptop sized screen, which i find relatively light and easy to carry around and use all day is a no brainer! it's my stand-in laptop

 

[Night Spring]

4) Is the keyboard experience worth it, and if so Apple Smart Keyboard, or other options.
5) Is it too big, carrying it around at work with a cover does it feel like I am carrying around a monitor.
6) Are apps being updated to support the larger screen/resolution. Again from my brief time with it, seemed like some/most apps are not.
7) Split Display/Multitasking really usable.

4. Keyboard -- I'm using the iPP with an older Apple Bluetooth keyboard, with a Smart Cover to prop up the iPP. I like this combo because I can position the iPP away from the keyboard for a better viewing angle. But I also find typing on the onscreen keyboard quite comfortable. It's up to your personal preference which keyboard option works best for you, but I think you should definitely try iPP with an external keyboard, especially when working on longer documents. iOS 9 added a lot of keyboard shortcuts that make it so that you don't have to tap the screen all that often when using an external keyboard.

5. No, it doesn't feel like carrying around a monitor, it's the size of a letter-size notebook. I walked around my office with the iPP showing people documents I wanted to discuss, and nobody blinked an eye.

6. The Kindle app got updated for iPP the other day, and I and a few other posters here saw no difference. Apparently my aging eye sight can't pick up the difference in resolution between iPP optimized and non-optimized apps. In my view, it's more important that apps support split view, which apparently is separate from resolution optimization.

7. Each half of a split view on a Pro is nearly the size of a full iPad Air display. Yes, split view is usable. My mom loves it -- she uses it to study English, keeping the English book or document she's reading in one half and a dictionary in the other. I don't use it as much, but then I don't often need to compare documents side by side.

 

[bensisko]

The problem is that (almost) all of your questions are completely subjective.
(1) It is faster (and, in some cases, notably so).
(2) There's no compairison in taking notes on the iPad Pro vs. other Stylii out there. It's smooth, accurate, and it feels perfect... For me. It really depends on the user.
(3) I haven't noticed the "web experience" to be any different, with the exception that a larger screen makes. To me, it's pretty much the same as an Air 2, just bigger.
(4) I LOVE the keyboard, but, again, this is subjective. For me, it's one of my favorite keyboards ever - for others, they hate it (though, I will tell you my initial reactions were very poor - I thought it looked stupid, felt awkward, and just overall a bad design - that was just playing with it for a couple minutes at a time at the Apple Store - then I had the opportunity to sit down and use it for a half an hour and completely changed my mind)
(5) I don't think it's too big to carry around, but I do notice it. You can feel the weight more so than an Air (especially Air 2), but it's not overwhelming. It's not even a thought, and I have a nice messenger bag for out-and-about.
(6) Apps - they're starting to. It's a process.
(7) Again, subjective. I almost never use it and don't have much want/need. If I need to, I'm best using the task switcher, but using it on the Pro gives you ~ 2 Mini sized screens side-by-side.

 

[RickTaylor]

You might consider getting a stylus for your current iPad Air. That way you could test it out and see for yourself if that arrangement worked or if you needed a larger screen or more accurate stylus. If you decide against the iPad Pro, perhaps you might consider getting an Air 2. No one knows for sure how long it will be before the Air 3 comes out, and with its better speed and memory, the current Air 2 is a good deal, in my opinion.

 

[J.T.H.]

You might consider getting a stylus for your current iPad Air. That way you could test it out and see for yourself if that arrangement worked or if you needed a larger screen or more accurate stylus. If you decide against the iPad Pro, perhaps you might consider getting an Air 2. No one knows for sure how long it will be before the Air 3 comes out, and with its better speed and memory, the current Air 2 is a good deal, in my opinion.

I have tried with previous iPads and stylus and I don't the accuracy is that great. I was hoping the Apple Pencil improved the accuracy and palm detection.

 

[RickTaylor]

I have tried with previous iPads and stylus and I don't the accuracy is that great. I was hoping the Apple Pencil improved the accuracy and palm detection.

Then if taking handwritten notes is important to you, it sounds like the iPad pro is for you. If you buy it from Apple, you can try it for two weeks, and return it if it's too bulky for you. But no one knows for sure how long it will be before the Air 3 comes out, or whether it will support the pencil when it does.

 

[Night Spring]

Then if taking handwritten notes is important to you, it sounds like the iPad pro is for you. If you buy it from Apple, you can try it for two weeks, and return it if it's too bulky for you. But no one knows for sure how long it will be before the Air 3 comes out, or whether it will support the pencil when it does.

If OP is mainly interested in an Air size device, it might not hurt to wait until mid-March to see if anything is announced.

 

[JonSarge3108]

1) faster iPad
2) taking notes/to do's/keeping track of things at work. I currently use a pen and small notebook that co-workers ask if it is my diary. I don't draw, not creative, stick figures are the best I can do, is there still a use for the Pencil? For note taking does it feel like writing on paper or close enough?
3) Better Web experience, seems not all websites handle to "smaller screen" of previous iPads and content is not optimized for iPad. I have used a IPP here at work and from my brief use, it does look like the web experience is better. Is this true??
4) Is the keyboard experience worth it, and if so Apple Smart Keyboard, or other options.
5) Is it too big, carrying it around at work with a cover does it feel like I am carrying around a monitor.
6) Are apps being updated to support the larger screen/resolution. Again from my brief time with it, seemed like some/most apps are not.
7) Split Display/Multitasking really usable.

1 - it's faster. I don't believe it's only subjective, it feels faster than my phone (6) and definitely less lag than the iPad (non-air. Don't know which model) my other half has.

2 - I love writing on the iPad Pro - but if you chose a small paper pad over an A4 pad, maybe an iPad Air 3 would be more suitable ?

3 - I think browsing is better - it's still the mobile site but I believe it's just a more natural size format.

4 - I've gone IPad in a folio type case and then use a magic keyboard when I want to use one. Rarer than I thought due to the on screen keyboard being so good - but I still want the option sometimes (mainly excel for me). I tried the Logitech keyboard but prefer the iPad in a folio case so I can turn up at a meeting and use it like a notepad with pencil without having to attach de-tach the keyboard. Less of an issue with the smart keyboard I know.

5 - it feels like I'm carrying a small (as in thin) conference folder.

6 - yup - some rushed out, others more slowly. Everything I use daily is converted.

7 - oh yes. Beautifully.

 

[Eric5273]

1) Yes, it's really fast.

2) I don't have the pencil, so I can't comment on that.

3) Web experience is as good as my 2010 MacBook Pro, except much faster. While it doesn't have flash, I haven't even noticed as very few websites are still using flash these days.

4) I don't own the Smart Keyboard, but after trying it in the store, I wasn't terribly impressed. I'm leaning towards just buying a separate keyboard and using the on-screen keyboard those times when I'm not home or not sitting at my desk.

5) This is a slow process, but I'm sure it will happen in time. Many have already been updated. It seems that very few companies are updating their apps just for this purpose, but as new versions of apps are released over time, most will receive this capability when they are updated.

6) I suppose some apps will receive some sort of update to render differently on the larger screen, but I don't think this is necessary for the majority of apps. I have noticed that some games will require such an update... for example, ones with an on-screen joystick -- often times the joystick is now way too large for my fingers to reach on the Pro.

7) I think this is probably the most noticeable improvement of the larger screen. You can use the split screen in landscape mode, and each half is basically the size of an iPad Air in portrait mode. Since the iPad Air is the most common iPad screen size, most iPad apps are made to feel very natural with that screen size. So I find using split screen mode to be more usable than when I try to do that on my MacBook Pro 13" where everything feels just a bit cramped.

One more thing I'll add.... The speakers on the iPad Pro are better than the ones on my MacBook Pro. The sound is awesome. I guess that's not something many people will care about, but just thought I would mention.

 

[MartyCan]

1) faster iPad
2) taking notes/to do's/keeping track of things at work. I currently use a pen and small notebook that co-workers ask if it is my diary. I don't draw, not creative, stick figures are the best I can do, is there still a use for the Pencil? For note taking does it feel like writing on paper or close enough?
3) Better Web experience, seems not all websites handle to "smaller screen" of previous iPads and content is not optimized for iPad. I have used a IPP here at work and from my brief use, it does look like the web experience is better. Is this true??
4) Is the keyboard experience worth it, and if so Apple Smart Keyboard, or other options.
5) Is it too big, carrying it around at work with a cover does it feel like I am carrying around a monitor.
6) Are apps being updated to support the larger screen/resolution. Again from my brief time with it, seemed like some/most apps are not.
7) Split Display/Multitasking really usable.

1) Faster, yes
2) Similar to writing on paper anyway but perhaps a bit less friction
3) Yes, better due to the size of the screen.
4) I like the keyboard a lot. Using it right now.
5) It is big and with the back cover and smart keyboard it seems to weigh as much as a MacBook Air. But lighter than a laptop for sure.
6) I expect they will be updated.
7) Yes, nice to have two regular iPad screens sometimes though I don't use that much myself.

 

[jaymc]

1) Faster, yes
2) Similar to writing on paper anyway but perhaps a bit less friction
3) Yes, better due to the size of the screen.
4) I like the keyboard a lot. Using it right now.
5) It is big and with the back cover and smart keyboard it seems to weigh as much as a MacBook Air. But lighter than a laptop for sure.
6) I expect they will be updated.
7) Yes, nice to have two regular iPad screens sometimes though I don't use that much myself.

The size of the screen, fore sure. Read a lot of magazines using Zunio and a nine inch iPad seems too small for my 57 year old eyes.

 

[MartyCan]

Almost 51 myself. One of the reasons I have an IPP and a 6+.

 

[kdoug]

The size of the screen, fore sure. Read a lot of magazines using Zunio and a nine inch iPad seems too small for my 57 year old eyes.

56 and in the same boat. IPP and a 6S Plus.