iPad Pro 12.9 - a failed experiment?

[MyopicPaideia]

For me, the only negative thing was the lack of file system access. Say I needed to download a song from mymp3pool.com or whatever on the fly (being a DJ) and transfer it my Mac...I couldn't access the mp3 file. Besides that though, I enjoyed the screen size, enjoyed the Pencil and keyboard, but ended up selling it, as it became solely a larger device to do the things I did on my phone (games, browsing, etc).

Dropbox?

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

I'm not sure I understand. Most people don't feel love for material stuff in the first place. By that logic most products are partial fails, right?

When you just regard customer satisfaction the iPad forum at least gives no indication that people like their iPad Pro less than other iPads. That's at least the impression I got over the months.

Yeah, I should have put the /sarc in there. I had an iPad Pro and took it back, not because I didn't like it, but I realized that the new one was coming out soon, and will be getting that one.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

SOMEWHAT similar... though I would not characterize the 12.9 iPad Pro as a failed experiment.

I use split screen often. To have 2 full apps side by side is terrific. Most people don't know that on smaller iPads (like the 9.7 Pro) split window does NOT display the full app but a "mobile UI" version of it. ("mobile UI" is my term for it, I don't know what Apple calls it)

Writing and drawing on the 12.9 Pro is great. So is reading comics and magazines. That works well on the 9.7 too but because many of the magazines that I read are scans of vintage magazines and catalogs, clarity isn't always the greatest on the smaller screen.

Where I'm disappointed (not disillusioned) in the user experience for the 12.9 iPad Pro:

1. Selecting and switching apps in split window is quite primitive and a growing impediment to productivity the more that I reply on split window.
   
   
2. Inconsistencies between macOS iWork and iOS iWork. File compatibility is stellar (after installing AnyFont on my iPP and installing the custom fonts that I use) but even with the reduced function set of the new iWork, there are still things that are impossible to do within the iOS version. eg. apply character styles.
   
   The same holds true for other "Office-like" applications that offer a Windows/macOS version and iOS.
   
   
3. Lack of 12.9 iPad Pro-exclusive features in iOS. The larger screen and resolution offer so much potential that remains untapped.
   
   
4. Lack of additions that would help close the gap in using the 12.9 iPP as a notebook/netbook replacement (without compromising the unique character of the iOS user experience). A system-wide accessible filesystem (no DOCUMENTS is not an alternative), and optional support for Bluetooth pointing devices would've been very helpful. I use my Citrix X1 mouse with Jump Desktop on my iPad Pro and it works great... would love that option to be available system wide.

With a little over a year since the 12.9 Pro was released, I've come to the conclusion that Apple "rushed" (relatively speaking) it to market... probably in an attempt to slow down or halt the momentum that Microsoft was gaining with their Surface line.

The 12.9 iPP should NOT have been called "Pro". It should've been called, "Plus". But doing so would not have stopped the speculation that Apple was working on a true alternative to the Surface. By calling it "Pro" they were putting those rumors to bed. They were saying, "This Pro is it. Don't expect anything else."

Apple is notorious for offering a wide variety of accessories for their devices. With the 12.9 iPP, there is only 2 colors of smart cover, 2 colors of smart case, and 1 color Apple Smart Keyboard. This is quite uncharacteristic of Apple and quite puzzling.

So where I am right now with the 12.9 iPP is relegating it to be my secondary mobile solution. I've switch to my 11" MBA + iPad Mini 4 as my primary. For notetaking and other tablet-y things, the Mini 4 is adequate and the MBA can easily handle those notebook-y tasks. Together, they're still very portable... granted, not as compact as a 12.9 iPP+clear skin on the back+Apple Smart Keyboard, but the flexibility and function of the MBA+iPadMini combo are well worth the trade-off for me now.

I still find the 12.9 iPP enjoyable and productive but without advancements in iOS and apps it is clear that what the experience is, is what it is, and isn't going to improve unless something changes.

Great post, This is EXACTLY how my experience with the 12.9" Pro went. I had to go back to my rMB + iPad mini 4 setup. It is a killer combination for the ultimate portable productivity solution.

The 12.9" with smart keyboard weighs in at 1.1kg and is thicker and has a larger footprint than the rMB, which combined with the iPad mini 4 is only 100g heavier while being 1000% more productive (IMHO).

 

[Marshall73]

Couldn't go back to the 9.7, it's just way too small.

 

[jonnyb098]

SOMEWHAT similar... though I would not characterize the 12.9 iPad Pro as a failed experiment.

I use split screen often. To have 2 full apps side by side is terrific. Most people don't know that on smaller iPads (like the 9.7 Pro) split window does NOT display the full app but a "mobile UI" version of it. ("mobile UI" is my term for it, I don't know what Apple calls it)

Writing and drawing on the 12.9 Pro is great. So is reading comics and magazines. That works well on the 9.7 too but because many of the magazines that I read are scans of vintage magazines and catalogs, clarity isn't always the greatest on the smaller screen.


With a little over a year since the 12.9 Pro was released, I've come to the conclusion that Apple "rushed" (relatively speaking) it to market... probably in an attempt to slow down or halt the momentum that Microsoft was gaining with their Surface line.

The 12.9 iPP should NOT have been called "Pro". It should've been called, "Plus". But doing so would not have stopped the speculation that Apple was working on a true alternative to the Surface. By calling it "Pro" they were putting those rumors to bed. They were saying, "This Pro is it. Don't expect anything else."

Apple is notorious for offering a wide variety of accessories for their devices. With the 12.9 iPP, there is only 2 colors of smart cover, 2 colors of smart case, and 1 color Apple Smart Keyboard. This is quite uncharacteristic of Apple and quite puzzling.

So where I am right now with the 12.9 iPP is relegating it to be my secondary mobile solution. I've switch to my 11" MBA + iPad Mini 4 as my primary. For notetaking and other tablet-y things, the Mini 4 is adequate and the MBA can easily handle those notebook-y tasks. Together, they're still very portable... granted, not as compact as a 12.9 iPP+clear skin on the back+Apple Smart Keyboard, but the flexibility and function of the MBA+iPadMini combo are well worth the trade-off for me now.

I still find the 12.9 iPP enjoyable and productive but without advancements in iOS and apps it is clear that what the experience is, is what it is, and isn't going to improve unless something changes.

I agree with most of your assessment. I currently have the 9.7 Pro and love the balance of portability and multitasking. I don't do tons of long typing or drawing but I like that the option is there and I'm considering the Pencil to start honing some drawing/note taking.

The 12.9 Pro was definitely rushed as MANY of apples own apps didn't support split screen till iOS 10 (Music?!?!, app store, itunes store). That was clear by the back step and release of the 9.7 pro which is what MANY more wanted...those features in a smaller device. I think there is some wasted space on a few apps unless you're in split screen which is fine....but then the app switching is a bit of a mess they need to figure out. Their main purpose was to try and grab people who type and draw a lot. So I can appreciate that for sure.

Where I think everyone is going wrong is the idea of mac os on an iPad. GET OVER IT PEEPS, IT AINT HAPPENING.
iPad would lose all its charm if it just became another hybrid science experiment of an operating system, no thanks. The only one who want that are the 1% of uber-nerds out there. The other 99 percent are just fine. Apple just needs a bit more nipping and tucking on the iPad version of iOS. It doesn't need a mouse cursor. I would love for everyone to just stop and take a step back.....think about adding all that to a tablet......all you have then is a LAPTOP. So go get a laptop if you need one. The best thing about iPad is that is insanely simple and portable to get so many regular tasks done like browsing the web, email, drawing, watching movies, etc. If you are really a pro (as I am in my career) I use a 5K iMac to get high end professional tasks done. I dont expect that of my iPad. I want to kick back and have fun at the end of the day. Hell I still use iPad for meetings (email and documents).

I guess what I'm getting at is the people who want a Frankenstein version of iOS and Mac OS are missing the point....totally missing the point of iPad.

Hats off to whomever had the screw driver analogy.....SO TRUE.

 

[sracer]

I agree with most of your assessment. I currently have the 9.7 Pro and love the balance of portability and multitasking. I don't do tons of long typing or drawing but I like that the option is there and I'm considering the Pencil to start honing some drawing/note taking.

The 12.9 Pro was definitely rushed as MANY of apples own apps didn't support split screen till iOS 10 (Music?!?!, app store, itunes store). That was clear by the back step and release of the 9.7 pro which is what MANY more wanted...those features in a smaller device. I think there is some wasted space on a few apps unless you're in split screen which is fine....but then the app switching is a bit of a mess they need to figure out. Their main purpose was to try and grab people who type and draw a lot. So I can appreciate that for sure.

Where I think everyone is going wrong is the idea of mac os on an iPad. GET OVER IT PEEPS, IT AINT HAPPENING.

I agree. I own a Surface. Having a desktop OS on a tablet isn't a good experience.

iPad would lose all its charm if it just became another hybrid science experiment of an operating system, no thanks. The only one who want that are the 1% of uber-nerds out there. The other 99 percent are just fine. Apple just needs a bit more nipping and tucking on the iPad version of iOS. It doesn't need a mouse cursor. I would love for everyone to just stop and take a step back.....think about adding all that to a tablet......all you have then is a LAPTOP.

Out of curiosity, have you owned an Android tablet? If so, have you used a mouse with it? Or jailbroken an iPad and used a mouse? I have (all of the above), the experience is terrific and in no way interferes with using the tablet solely with touch. I know that "having options" is frowned upon by many Apple customers, but the option of being able to use a mouse if one is inclined... or in particular scenarios is very welcomed by some of us. I wouldn't want to ALWAYS use a mouse with my iPad Pro, but for some scenarios it is very useful.

I use my 12.9 iPad Pro to remotely connect to my iMac. Jump Desktop supports the Citrix X1 mouse. That gives me access to a full macOS user experience on my iPad... NOT that I want the iPad to run macOS, but when I need to do work using macOS, I can easily use my iPad as a "terminal" to access my iMac.

So go get a laptop if you need one. The best thing about iPad is that is insanely simple and portable to get so many regular tasks done like browsing the web, email, drawing, watching movies, etc. If you are really a pro (as I am in my career) I use a 5K iMac to get high end professional tasks done. I dont expect that of my iPad. I want to kick back and have fun at the end of the day. Hell I still use iPad for meetings (email and documents).

I guess what I'm getting at is the people who want a Frankenstein version of iOS and Mac OS are missing the point....totally missing the point of iPad.

Hats off to whomever had the screw driver analogy.....SO TRUE.

Sorry but that's a false dichotomy. This isn't a simplistic choice between "keeping the iPad as-is" or "turning the iPad into a 5K iMac". There is a wide area for middle ground and adding support for mice or universal file system in no way interferes with those who simply want to use it as a consumption device.

 

[motulist]

I'm hoping for the rumored mid-size Goldielocks between the 9.7 and 12.9 inch. The 9.7 is definitely cramped for my uses, but the 12.9 is too unwieldy. An ~11 inch would be the perfect balance.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

I guess what I'm getting at is the people who want a Frankenstein version of iOS and Mac OS are missing the point....totally missing the point of iPad.

The point of a cell phone is to make telephone calls, from wherever you are in the world. (that has cell phone coverage)
The point of a car is to get you from point A to point B.
The point of a television is to watch programs sent wirelessly to homes.
The point of a house is to keep the outside elements from affecting those inside.
The point of clothes are to protect you from outside elements while you are outside the house.

The point of this post is to show that while the point of so many objects has been exceeded, to our delight, into more than what the original inventors of these devices had in mind.

I too have a Surface, and enjoy the ability to use both. However, due to software limitations of aviation apps, I'll be getting an iPad when the new ones come out, and retain my interest in having a macOS and iOS combined device.

 

[Uncivil11]

I came from an iPad 2 to my 12.9 and I have zero regrets. I don't carry it around anywhere and just use it for a few games and bedside web surfing and think it's perfect!

 

[Foggydog]

I loved my 12.9 my first day of holding it. That's was almost a year ago. Today , I love it almost 365 times as much as the day I bought it.
I will agree that it isn't as portable as the 9.7, but did you hear, I LOVE IT.

 

[dingclancy23]

Great post, This is EXACTLY how my experience with the 12.9" Pro went. I had to go back to my rMB + iPad mini 4 setup. It is a killer combination for the ultimate portable productivity solution.

The 12.9" with smart keyboard weighs in at 1.1kg and is thicker and has a larger footprint than the rMB, which combined with the iPad mini 4 is only 100g heavier while being 1000% more productive (IMHO).

I am curious what kind of tasks do you delegate to your rMB and to your iPad Mini 4? What is your breakdown in terms of time spent?
Do you hook to an external monitor?

I am just interested in your workflow as it seems that the rMB and the mini 4 is a strong portable setup.

As for myself, I use the iPad Pro 12.9 a lot and it is now 90/10 for me. I only really need a Mac for very edge cases.

 

[Clix Pix]

I have the 9.7 iPad and also the 12.9 iPad as well as the rMB and an rMBP.......as well as the iPhone. I carry the iPhone most of the time when I'm leaving the house and the 9.7 iPad some of the time. The iPad 12.9 usually doesn't leave home. The rMB goes with me on trips out of town. At home, I find that I tend to use the iPads in the warmer weather more, when I'm able to sit outside on my deck and catch up with email, forums, etc. I also do like to on a cold winter's morning if I wake up fairly early, to grab the 12.9 iPad and catch up on forum stuff while still snuggled under the covers in a warm bed. I like the large size of the 12.9 iPad because everything is easier to read (I'm getting old, the eyes are getting old) and prefer it to the 9.7 in bed, but if the one is out of juice I'll gladly take the other. With both of them, though, my problem comes in when I want to download and keep stuff or move stuff around, etc. That is when I am much, much happier using my rMB or rMBP. iOS is great but it definitely still has limitations and when I smack up against those limitations I want to move on......

I am not an artist so I don't use the 12.9 for creating beautiful works of art. I prefer to consume others' works of art. That's why for me neither the 12.9 or the 9.7 iPads would ever be enough; I have to have the full OS which comes with a "real" computer in order to work with what I am seeing online and what I create online. That said, I do not consider either the 12.9 or the 9.7 iPads to be "a failed experiment." I love both of mine and plan to continue using them and to keep them......but maybe not replace them when the very next iterations of them come out.

 

[joeblow7777]

I agree. I own a Surface. Having a desktop OS on a tablet isn't a good experience.

In my opinion, neither is having a mobile OS on a so-called laptop replacement. That's why, for the time being at least, I use a laptop as my laptop and a tablet as my tablet.

 

[bensisko]

Out of curiosity, have you owned an Android tablet? If so, have you used a mouse with it? Or jailbroken an iPad and used a mouse? I have (all of the above), the experience is terrific and in no way interferes with using the tablet solely with touch. I know that "having options" is frowned upon by many Apple customers, but the option of being able to use a mouse if one is inclined... or in particular scenarios is very welcomed by some of us. I wouldn't want to ALWAYS use a mouse with my iPad Pro, but for some scenarios it is very useful.

It's not necessarily a "we want to limit options" as much as "we don't want to turn iOS into Android". Android is a good example of where NOT to go. Android continuously adds all kinds of things to the OS and makes it feel like it's a kludge of not knowing what it wants to be. Android tries to be everything to everybody and, from a personal experience, is slow and unnessisarily complicated. iOS, for better or worse, knows what it is and does it well.
[doublepost=1487041817][/doublepost]

Sorry but that's a false dichotomy. This isn't a simplistic choice between "keeping the iPad as-is" or "turning the iPad into a 5K iMac". There is a wide area for middle ground and adding support for mice or universal file system in no way interferes with those who simply want to use it as a consumption device.

Adding a mouse may not interfere, but adding file browser totally would.

 

[tonyunreal]

I personally love the screen real estate of the 12.9" and the high performance, although it does get a little too large to be used casually or be carried around at all times. iOS UI on iPads needs serious improvment, that's for sure. However I don't see the 12.9" going away in later iterations, I just wish it were a little smaller, lighter and easier to grab.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

I am curious what kind of tasks do you delegate to your rMB and to your iPad Mini 4? What is your breakdown in terms of time spent?
Do you hook to an external monitor?

I am just interested in your workflow as it seems that the rMB and the mini 4 is a strong portable setup.

As for myself, I use the iPad Pro 12.9 a lot and it is now 90/10 for me. I only really need a Mac for very edge cases.

From my post in another thread:

• 27" 5K iMac is the home media library hub, connected to the big RAID setup that hosts all the family photo, video and music, and Time Machine and iDevice backups. It also is the machine used for home video creation using iMovie and FCP.
• 12" rMB is the professional workhorse. Finance and Management consulting is my business, and I am on the go everyday - whether it be foot, car, train, plane. 4 Safari windows with 4-6 tabs open in each one, several large Excel, Powerpoint, Numbers, and Keynote files open at once, 8 email accounts in Mail App, several tabs of Finder, Messages, Notes, Adobe Creative Cloud, mostly Acrobat, and two Dropbox accounts syncing continuously with multiple active shared folders...the thing doesn't blink! Really impressed and gratified by the performance. Did the 1680x1050 modification to address the one and only weakness it had in my book (screen real estate), and it is by far the best laptop I've ever had anything to do with.
• 7.9" iPad mini 4 is the personal computer. It does everything I could ask for to keep my personal and family life in order. Personal finances/banking, reminders, calendar of kids events, games and media consumption, doing our taxes, planning our vacations, surfing the web, typing this forum post, etc etc etc. - I would never go back to a traditional laptop for personal use again.

I don't use an external monitor, ever. I do regularly connect to projectors and Apple TV's in conference rooms with the rMB though, either wirelessly or via the Apple multimedia adapter (HDMI version).

The reason this is relevant to this thread is because, like @sracer, I attempted to use the 12.9" iPP as a sole device, setup remote desktop access to my iMac, and did the thin client thing. It worked ok. I have a 1Gbps up and down connection at the home office where the iMac is located, so connection speeds were never ever a problem, but the experience was. it wasn't optimal in any case. When using the iPP this way, it just becomes a laptop, and not a very good one. It loses the iPad part of itself. Doing this convinced me that the approach Apple has taken thus far seems to be the best one. As an iPad, the 12.9" is huge and ungainly, it is no longer this amazingly powerful thing you can't believe to can hold in one hand (because you can't anymore).

So I then said to myself, "ok, you've got this big huge iPad, why not get a laptop to match it to emulate your previously almost perfect setup, but super sized?" So I bought the new 2016 15" MBP. AWESOME computer, I must say! BUT - after a week using the setup, lugging around the 15" MBP and 12.9" iPP and using them exactly the same way as I did the rMB + iPad mini 4 combo, it became ridiculous.

I couldn't even use the MBP on the train or plane, no point in even trying as I don't travel first class, and the iPP was more cramped to use than the rMB! I wasn't getting anything more done, actually less productive because I do actually do a lot of work on trains and planes, and having a laptop that could almost serve as my iMac replacement but wasn't any better at being my professional laptop than the rMB was not only unjustifiable, but even more so I wasn't getting that joy of ownership or use that I got every time I pulled out my iPad mini 4 or rMB. These two devices are much more magical, and thus much more of a joy to use. They pack an incredible amount of computing and productivity power in tiny little form factors that amaze every time you take them out.

So I returned the 15" MBP and 12.9" iPP and returned to the 12" rMB and 7.9" iPm4. Never been happier! The whole experience (I won't call it an ordeal, because even though it felt like one a lot of the time, I can see really good aspects of the large iPP) allowed me to appreciate the smaller devices like never before.

Just another nitpick maybe, but another really irritating thing with the 12.9" was the lack of differentiation in app usage experience. Yes, split screen was much better on it, but as @sracer pointed out, the experience for using it leaves a lot to be desired. Apps themselves are exactly the same, just...bigger. No optimized UI for the double amount of space to be utilized, just the exact same thing scaled. Actually felt easier to use apps on the smaller iPads, especially the mini.

For leisure and entertainment, it was the same. Games just looked blown up and not as crisp, and the controls for them were harder to use, because they were farther apart. Comics and books, the same.

It seems like they optimized the 12.9" to do only one thing better than its smaller siblings, split screen, and nothing else. IMHO, it isn't enough to sacrifice everything else. This new 10.5" rumor though, is interesting, if they fit the same resolution as the 12.9" in a 9.7" chassis size, it could get interesting. Personally though, I am hoping for a proper 7.9" iPad mini Pro release alongside, even though it is probably pie in the sky...

 

[MCube74]

I doubt IPad Pro 12.9 is a failed experiment.

I believe the product has sold well but due to the price and lack of great app support has not been accepted as well as it should have.

With Apple releasing a 10.9" tablet, it only makes things worse for iPad Pro 12.9.
Since Apple has already released a 12.9" tablet , they should stick with 9.7 and 12.9 tablets with some mini sized tablets. It will be perfect for them.

I personally have the iPad Pro 12.9 and 9.7 model. I find myself using the 12.9 more because I can type easily with it. All my office work is done with my iPad Pro 12.9. I got the iPad Pro 9.7 for my wife and daughter and even with the Smart Keyboard the iPad 9.7 is not so easy to work on for my office. The only advantage the 9.7 is with the portability issue. The display is not really a big factor as the iPad Pro 12.9 is very good already. It is not like I am viewing a picture that I have enough time to judge the display quality.

For me IPad Pro 12.9 is not a failure. It is the fastest and most powerful tablet in the market right now.

 

[44267547]

I personally love the screen real estate of the 12.9" and the high performance, although it does get a little too large to be used casually or be carried around at all times. iOS UI on iPads needs serious improvment, that's for sure. However I don't see the 12.9" going away in later iterations, I just wish it were a little smaller, lighter and easier to grab.

I think that's what's preventing me from upgrading to the 12.9 iPad Pro. The size would likely keep it restricted at home. Versus having the 9.7 inch iPad for portability. Although I have no use for the Apple Pencil, the larger iPad would serve more of as a desktop or in between my laptop. I would also like to upgrade to the keyboard as well to complete the package.

 

[MCube74]

I think that's what's preventing me from upgrading to the 12.9 iPad Pro. The size would likely keep it restricted at home. Versus having the 9.7 inch iPad for portability. Although I have no use for the Apple Pencil, the larger iPad would serve more of as a desktop or in between my laptop. I would also like to upgrade to the keyboard as well to complete the package.

Using the keyboard is a must for the iPad Pro 12.9. However I must add that it is not at all comfortable to use with the iPad Pro 9.7.

 

[44267547]

Using the keyboard is a must for the iPad Pro 12.9. However I must add that it is not at all comfortable to use with the iPad Pro 9.7.

I'm debating between Apple's Smart Keyboard or Logitechs lighted Keyboard. Both have advantages/disadvantages.

 

[MCube74]

I normally go for apple products unless the 3rd party option is way better. For me both are just as good except if you work at night with lights off?

 

[sracer]

I'm debating between Apple's Smart Keyboard or Logitechs lighted Keyboard. Both have advantages/disadvantages.

True. But they are both so different that once you decide what "characteristic" you want the iPP to have, the decision then becomes a piece of cake.

 

[bufffilm]

SOMEWHAT similar... though I would not characterize the 12.9 iPad Pro as a failed experiment.

I use split screen often. To have 2 full apps side by side is terrific. Most people don't know that on smaller iPads (like the 9.7 Pro) split window does NOT display the full app but a "mobile UI" version of it. ("mobile UI" is my term for it, I don't know what Apple calls it)

Writing and drawing on the 12.9 Pro is great. So is reading comics and magazines. That works well on the 9.7 too but because many of the magazines that I read are scans of vintage magazines and catalogs, clarity isn't always the greatest on the smaller screen.

Where I'm disappointed (not disillusioned) in the user experience for the 12.9 iPad Pro:

1. Selecting and switching apps in split window is quite primitive and a growing impediment to productivity the more that I reply on split window.
   
   
2. Inconsistencies between macOS iWork and iOS iWork. File compatibility is stellar (after installing AnyFont on my iPP and installing the custom fonts that I use) but even with the reduced function set of the new iWork, there are still things that are impossible to do within the iOS version. eg. apply character styles.
   
   The same holds true for other "Office-like" applications that offer a Windows/macOS version and iOS.
   
   
3. Lack of 12.9 iPad Pro-exclusive features in iOS. The larger screen and resolution offer so much potential that remains untapped.
   
   
4. Lack of additions that would help close the gap in using the 12.9 iPP as a notebook/netbook replacement (without compromising the unique character of the iOS user experience). A system-wide accessible filesystem (no DOCUMENTS is not an alternative), and optional support for Bluetooth pointing devices would've been very helpful. I use my Citrix X1 mouse with Jump Desktop on my iPad Pro and it works great... would love that option to be available system wide.

With a little over a year since the 12.9 Pro was released, I've come to the conclusion that Apple "rushed" (relatively speaking) it to market... probably in an attempt to slow down or halt the momentum that Microsoft was gaining with their Surface line.

The 12.9 iPP should NOT have been called "Pro". It should've been called, "Plus". But doing so would not have stopped the speculation that Apple was working on a true alternative to the Surface. By calling it "Pro" they were putting those rumors to bed. They were saying, "This Pro is it. Don't expect anything else."

Apple is notorious for offering a wide variety of accessories for their devices. With the 12.9 iPP, there is only 2 colors of smart cover, 2 colors of smart case, and 1 color Apple Smart Keyboard. This is quite uncharacteristic of Apple and quite puzzling.

So where I am right now with the 12.9 iPP is relegating it to be my secondary mobile solution. I've switch to my 11" MBA + iPad Mini 4 as my primary. For notetaking and other tablet-y things, the Mini 4 is adequate and the MBA can easily handle those notebook-y tasks. Together, they're still very portable... granted, not as compact as a 12.9 iPP+clear skin on the back+Apple Smart Keyboard, but the flexibility and function of the MBA+iPadMini combo are well worth the trade-off for me now.

I still find the 12.9 iPP enjoyable and productive but without advancements in iOS and apps it is clear that what the experience is, is what it is, and isn't going to improve unless something changes.

A well-thought out post.

Pro 12.9" was a half-ready product.

It could be the product that bridges PC/laptop and the mobile/tablet interface successfully if Apple would get serious and put some real legs on it.

The longer they dawdle, the more Windows gets better as an alternative platform.

 

[David58117]

From my post in another thread:



I don't use an external monitor, ever. I do regularly connect to projectors and Apple TV's in conference rooms with the rMB though, either wirelessly or via the Apple multimedia adapter (HDMI version).

The reason this is relevant to this thread is because, like @sracer, I attempted to use the 12.9" iPP as a sole device, setup remote desktop access to my iMac, and did the thin client thing. It worked ok. I have a 1Gbps up and down connection at the home office where the iMac is located, so connection speeds were never ever a problem, but the experience was. it wasn't optimal in any case. When using the iPP this way, it just becomes a laptop, and not a very good one. It loses the iPad part of itself. Doing this convinced me that the approach Apple has taken thus far seems to be the best one. As an iPad, the 12.9" is huge and ungainly, it is no longer this amazingly powerful thing you can't believe to can hold in one hand (because you can't anymore).

So I then said to myself, "ok, you've got this big huge iPad, why not get a laptop to match it to emulate your previously almost perfect setup, but super sized?" So I bought the new 2016 15" MBP. AWESOME computer, I must say! BUT - after a week using the setup, lugging around the 15" MBP and 12.9" iPP and using them exactly the same way as I did the rMB + iPad mini 4 combo, it became ridiculous.

I couldn't even use the MBP on the train or plane, no point in even trying as I don't travel first class, and the iPP was more cramped to use than the rMB! I wasn't getting anything more done, actually less productive because I do actually do a lot of work on trains and planes, and having a laptop that could almost serve as my iMac replacement but wasn't any better at being my professional laptop than the rMB was not only unjustifiable, but even more so I wasn't getting that joy of ownership or use that I got every time I pulled out my iPad mini 4 or rMB. These two devices are much more magical, and thus much more of a joy to use. They pack an incredible amount of computing and productivity power in tiny little form factors that amaze every time you take them out.

So I returned the 15" MBP and 12.9" iPP and returned to the 12" rMB and 7.9" iPm4. Never been happier! The whole experience (I won't call it an ordeal, because even though it felt like one a lot of the time, I can see really good aspects of the large iPP) allowed me to appreciate the smaller devices like never before.

Just another nitpick maybe, but another really irritating thing with the 12.9" was the lack of differentiation in app usage experience. Yes, split screen was much better on it, but as @sracer pointed out, the experience for using it leaves a lot to be desired. Apps themselves are exactly the same, just...bigger. No optimized UI for the double amount of space to be utilized, just the exact same thing scaled. Actually felt easier to use apps on the smaller iPads, especially the mini.

For leisure and entertainment, it was the same. Games just looked blown up and not as crisp, and the controls for them were harder to use, because they were farther apart. Comics and books, the same.

It seems like they optimized the 12.9" to do only one thing better than its smaller siblings, split screen, and nothing else. IMHO, it isn't enough to sacrifice everything else. This new 10.5" rumor though, is interesting, if they fit the same resolution as the 12.9" in a 9.7" chassis size, it could get interesting. Personally though, I am hoping for a proper 7.9" iPad mini Pro release alongside, even though it is probably pie in the sky...

My experience exactly!

Except 2015 15", but I carried both for awhile and told myself it was a good setup - but looking back it wasn't.

Now I have the 2016 13" and 9.7 iPad Pro.

I still have my 12.9 iPP, and going back to it, I realize how much wasted space there is. I used it for sheet music, but cropping with Forscore pretty much solves it for me. Even taking notes with the pencil - on CardFlow+ flash cards, now the flash cards just look unnecessarily huge and goofy on the 12.9. Writing on them and using notability isn't bad at all on the 9.7. I never really use split screen on it (I have my 13" rMBP/iMac if needed) - so..I don't see the point in keeping the 12.9.

 

[subjonas]

I enjoy my 12.9 very much and find it indispensable and irreplaceable.

It's great for drawing and creating art.
It's great for showing images to colleagues and clients.
It's great for using with a keyboard as a very portable laptop replacement for everyday productivity.
It's great for split screen.
It's great as a second monitor with my 15" MBP via Duet Display for heavy work on the go.

For all these uses I would never want anything smaller.

For casual web browsing, video watching, e-reading, I have an iPad MINI. For those uses I wouldn't want anything bigger. To me 9.7 is a compromise size that might save me from having two devices if I didn't have enough uses for either the bigger or smaller iPads. It's a valid trade off many people make. But for me, having plenty of uses for both, it's very worth having two devices that perfectly fit their jobs.

Is it a failed experiment? Depends on what the goal was, I suppose. Either way, I don't know how the numbers turned out. All I know is I would be upset to see it go.