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I also would recommend this. I don't actually use OneNote nor do I have the Apple Pencil, but I use Word and Excel often, and the 1 TB of OneDrive storage is a great deal. Having OneDrive really helps you with using the iPad as it gives you a file system. I also use Documents by Readdle instead of Microsoft's OneDrive app to access my OneDrive space, and that gives me a central file manager to keep my files organized.
Oh, please do buy a Pencil, it makes the iPad so much more useful!
Then again if you really don't need it, it's a bit expensive.
 
I've had a base 2015 12" Macbook for a year which I purchased refurbished from Apple. I cashed in some rewards points from work and just got a 12.9" IPP (it was free.) So I'm about to run this experiment myself. I plan to get the Smart Keyboard and learn all of the keyboard shortcuts. The screen on the 12" Macbook is very good but the 12.9" IPP screen is just stunning. I feel like the IPP is also a bit quicker in normal use. I've had three 9.7" iPads and they always felt like big iPhones to me. The IPP screen is actually bigger than my Macbook screen and is very usable in both portrait and landscape mode. Anyways, I'm excited to see how the IPP works out.
 
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Oh, please do buy a Pencil, it makes the iPad so much more useful!
Then again if you really don't need it, it's a bit expensive.
I say get it anyways. (and this is why you try to get a good deal on the iPad Pro itself...to reduce the overall cost) It can take some time to introduce it into one's workflow but it does open the door of opportunity for additional uses.

I have heavily used iPads daily since day-1 of the first gen iPad. I even had Apple's keyboard dock for it. So when the Pencil was released, it took some time to work it in because I've had so much non-Pencil experience... but now, while I don't use it for everything, I do use it more than I thought I would.
 
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I also would recommend this. I don't actually use OneNote nor do I have the Apple Pencil, but I use Word and Excel often, and the 1 TB of OneDrive storage is a great deal. Having OneDrive really helps you with using the iPad as it gives you a file system. I also use Documents by Readdle instead of Microsoft's OneDrive app to access my OneDrive space, and that gives me a central file manager to keep my files organized.
Thank you, you've encouraged me to try out Documents 5. So far, so good!
[doublepost=1494604542][/doublepost]Refurb is a good way to get Apple stuff. I prefer the Apple Store's refurb, but I'v also gotten refurb from Amazon. I'm typing this on a Smart Keyboard that I got from Amazon refurb.
 
I'm on the road a ton, and have a work-issued iPP 12.9. I find myself taking my MacBook Air 13 with me on every trip, and connecting the iPP via Duet to use dual monitors.

Bottom line for me is the lack of trackpad/mouse support in iOS. Particularly when navigating drop-down forms and manipulating spreadsheets.
 
Get a samsung chromebook plus. Just picked one up after selling my ipad pro 12.9 and macbook 12. saved hundreds of dollars and the chromebook since it runs android apps natively now can do everything my ipad did since it comes with a stylus and also is a full computer with keyboard. Changed my life.
 
Bottom line for me is the lack of trackpad/mouse support in iOS. Particularly when navigating drop-down forms and manipulating spreadsheets.

That's the one wish list feature that makes me want to Jail Break my IPP. I don't how why Apple thinks the IPP can be a laptop replacement without BT mouse support.
 
Get a samsung chromebook plus. Just picked one up after selling my ipad pro 12.9 and macbook 12. saved hundreds of dollars and the chromebook since it runs android apps natively now can do everything my ipad did since it comes with a stylus and also is a full computer with keyboard. Changed my life.
I wish it were an option. Employer provides either iPP or Windows laptop. I can use the handwriting in the field, which really does work well, however forms and spreadsheets on the iPP are just a PITA compared to BT mouse.

The upcoming ARM-based Windows 10 tablets may be what I've been waiting for. The claim is that they will include LTE connectivity and allow installation of legacy apps (in addition to Windows Store-based apps), with "real" multitasking support. That's the combo I need.
 
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On iOS I wouldn't say that "word is just better than Pages". They're comparable in function but Pages has a slight edge in UI design. Office for iPad is best suited for viewing and editing existing office docs on the iPad.
But for creating docs, particularly, docs with advanced formatting, office for iPad is not that good.

Ya know, it's funny. I was thinking the same thing. Pages, though, doesn't do some things that are just standard in Word. Like having one section of a document horizontal. I had to go back to Word for a document I needed to do this. At that point for this class, I said "screw it" and will do all the rest of the papers in Word.
 
Arm processors and Windows 10 RT didn't do very well in the last iteration I tried.
Ditto that. The new Windows competitor to Chrome OS should be interesting. If they can pull off a usable version (I don't need heavy intensive apps like video editing) with smooth and consistent stylus inking I may be on board, absent some major transformations in iOS 11 (better multitasking support and wishlist mouse support).
 
I'm on the road a ton, and have a work-issued iPP 12.9. I find myself taking my MacBook Air 13 with me on every trip, and connecting the iPP via Duet to use dual monitors.

Bottom line for me is the lack of trackpad/mouse support in iOS. Particularly when navigating drop-down forms and manipulating spreadsheets.

I had grave objections to Microsofts use of the Apple Pencil in excel. It could only draw :(
Now you can use it to select cells, manipulate them a bit and draw. It still isn't a replacement for a large screen when on the road, it still isn't a mouse, but perhaps it might help you just enough to not have to haul along a MacBook Air + iPP 12.9?
 
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I had grave objections to Microsofts use of the Apple Pencil in excel. It could only draw :(
Now you can use it to select cells, manipulate them a bit and draw. It still isn't a replacement for a large screen when on the road, it still isn't a mouse, but perhaps it might help you just enough to not have to haul along a MacBook Air + iPP 12.9?
I'll have to give that a shot, thank you for the heads up
 
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What about the free web versions of Office apps (Word Online, etc). A basic Outlook.com account gets you free storage in OneDrive and web apps. Works well enough in Safari on my 2017 IPP (as long as you don't have OneDrive installed, because the web links always seem to launch the OD app to create blank docs).
 
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