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Yes I am waiting for iPad Pro 2. Nothing wrong with original iPad Pro but want to get newest and keep it for a long time. Using my air 2 for the moment. Will be keeping that one for personal use and he big one for professional.

Waiting till the end of he year or the June WWDC? What is the launch date?
 
Many of the Apps are only for Windows, that is why, when buying the MBP I have to install Windows too on it. But there is no touch on it. Will Windows be good on MBP?
Well, Surface Book or Laptop - fantastic devices and they have touch, Thinkpad X1 carbon or t470s are good too, but they have matte screen (maybe it is good, I don't know).
I am typing for about 10 hours a day, that is why I need very good and productive keyboard. I don't know which device has the best one.

Apple recently added proper Windows 10 and driver support. A bit behind direct Microsoft support for Surface devices or even enterprise Thinkpads.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204990

Thinkpad keyboard is the industry standard followed closely by Surface and older Macbooks. Boils down to preference. You may not like the shallow keyboard on newer Macbooks or iPad Pro smart keyboard.

Are you paying out of pocket or is the university paying for it? If university, see if they have loaners you can try before committing.

Another strong option to consider is the new Thinkpad X1 Yoga 2nd gen due out soon that has the most features with the fewest compromises. 3# light and has latest 7th gen Intel Kaby Lake, 14" touch screen with versatile 360 degree hinge, pen input, OLED display option, USB-C and USB-A ports, HDMI port for projectors, built-in WWAN mobile data, micro SD slot, etc.

http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptop...ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-2nd-Generation/p/22TP2TXX12Y
lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery4.png

lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery7.png

lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery9.png
 
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Dear friends, thank You for Your suggestions and comments.
After summarizing what You said, I am going to choose between 2 options:
1) MacBook Pro 13 or 15 (but I think 15 will be better)
2) Surface Laptop or Book, or something on Windows like Thinkpad X1 carbon or t470

I realize, that without full MS Office and special apps like SPSS, Stata and others, that were mentioned by Mi7chy, my working life will be not so effective.
Many of the Apps are only for Windows, that is why, when buying the MBP I have to install Windows too on it. But there is no touch on it. Will Windows be good on MBP?
Well, Surface Book or Laptop - fantastic devices and they have touch, Thinkpad X1 carbon or t470s are good too, but they have matte screen (maybe it is good, I don't know).
I am typing for about 10 hours a day, that is why I need very good and productive keyboard. I don't know which device has the best one.

Maybe You can help to make the final choice.
Thank You!

Personally, unless you need the extra processing and GPU power, I don't see the point in getting the MacBook Pros and the Surface Book (or similar spec devices).

My issue with the Surface Book is that it is thick and (relatively) heavy. The combined weight of a 12" MacBook + iPad Pro (9.7 or 12.9) is very similar to a Surface Book. But the iPads have a battery life of 10 hours making it ideal for reading articles, teaching lectures/tutorials and when traveling to conferences. And depending on what you intend to do for the day, you can choose to bring the iPad or the MacBook or both. If cost is an issue, the latest iPad is very affordable and is sufficient unless you need to use the Apple Pencil.

The Surface Book's tablet portion has a battery life of 3 hours, so its not meant for prolonged tablet usage. In most situations, you have to lug around the entire laptop. The charging brick is also heavy too. Don't get me wrong, I think the Surface Book is a very capable device, but unless you need the processing power and the dGPU, I think you are better off with a lightweight laptop + an iPad (whether its the iPad Pro or just the regular iPad).


Having an iPad (or a very lightweight tablet) is very useful for an academic, even the very affordable normal iPad. As for the laptop, get something that suits your needs as an academic. Convertible laptops like the Yoga series are not great for tablet use due to the weight (which is an issue if you plan on using one to teach), so that is another tradeoff.

Anyway, all I'm saying is that MacBook Pros, Surface Books and other similar spec high end laptops are expensive, so it is worth thinking twice about what the cost/benefits are before purchasing them.

And also do consider battery life and portability, because their benefits become very obvious when you travel, especially to attend conferences. And also think about what existing devices you currently have access to. If the university already provides you with access to powerful desktops and laptops, then you don't really need a high specced laptop, but a portable one.
 
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The iPad Pro 12.9 plus smart keyboard is about 2.3# so not much different from Surface Laptop at 2.5#. Also, it doesn't support trackpad nor mouse required for programs like Excel. Affordability is also debatable since iPP 4GB/128GB with smart keyboard is $1068 ($899 + $169) compared to $999 ($899 with edu discount) Surface Laptop. And, smart keyboard has a lot of bad 1 star ratings on Apple's site.

https://www.apple.com/shop/reviews/MJYR2LL/A/smart-keyboard-for-129-inch-ipad-pro-us-english

Adding Macbook 12" to run professional software increases total weight to 4.3# and cost to $2367 ($899 + $169 + $1299) with the 2nd worse keyboard.
 
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Apple recently added proper Windows 10 and driver support. A bit behind direct Microsoft support for Surface devices or even enterprise Thinkpads.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204990

Thinkpad keyboard is the industry standard followed closely by Surface and older Macbooks. Boils down to preference. You may not like the shallow keyboard on newer Macbooks or iPad Pro smart keyboard.

Are you paying out of pocket or is the university paying for it? If university, see if they have loaners you can try before committing.

Another strong option to consider is the new Thinkpad X1 Yoga 2nd gen due out soon that has the most features with the fewest compromises. 3# light and has latest 7th gen Intel Kaby Lake, 14" touch screen with versatile 360 degree hinge, pen input, OLED display option, USB-C and USB-A ports, HDMI port for projectors, built-in WWAN mobile data, micro SD slot, etc.

http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptop...ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-2nd-Generation/p/22TP2TXX12Y
lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery4.png

lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery7.png

lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery9.png

Great device, thank You. When it will be available? Summer? Maybe You know.
[doublepost=1494385387][/doublepost]
The iPad Pro 12.9 plus smart keyboard is about 2.3# so not much different from Surface Laptop at 2.5#. Also, it doesn't support trackpad nor mouse required for programs like Excel. Affordability is also debatable since iPP 4GB/128GB with smart keyboard is $1068 ($899 + $169) compared to $999 ($899 with edu discount) Surface Laptop. And, smart keyboard has a lot of bad 1 star ratings on Apple's site.

https://www.apple.com/shop/reviews/MJYR2LL/A/smart-keyboard-for-129-inch-ipad-pro-us-english

Adding Macbook 12" to run professional software increases total weight to 4.3# and cost to $2367 ($899 + $169 + $1299) with the 2nd worse keyboard.

Like a variant: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/create-ipad-pro-keyboard?crid=1221
[doublepost=1494385651][/doublepost]
Personally, unless you need the extra processing and GPU power, I don't see the point in getting the MacBook Pros and the Surface Book (or similar spec devices).

My issue with the Surface Book is that it is thick and (relatively) heavy. The combined weight of a 12" MacBook + iPad Pro (9.7 or 12.9) is very similar to a Surface Book. But the iPads have a battery life of 10 hours making it ideal for reading articles, teaching lectures/tutorials and when traveling to conferences. And depending on what you intend to do for the day, you can choose to bring the iPad or the MacBook or both. If cost is an issue, the latest iPad is very affordable and is sufficient unless you need to use the Apple Pencil.

The Surface Book's tablet portion has a battery life of 3 hours, so its not meant for prolonged tablet usage. In most situations, you have to lug around the entire laptop. The charging brick is also heavy too. Don't get me wrong, I think the Surface Book is a very capable device, but unless you need the processing power and the dGPU, I think you are better off with a lightweight laptop + an iPad (whether its the iPad Pro or just the regular iPad).


Having an iPad (or a very lightweight tablet) is very useful for an academic, even the very affordable normal iPad. As for the laptop, get something that suits your needs as an academic. Convertible laptops like the Yoga series are not great for tablet use due to the weight (which is an issue if you plan on using one to teach), so that is another tradeoff.

Anyway, all I'm saying is that MacBook Pros, Surface Books and other similar spec high end laptops are expensive, so it is worth thinking twice about what the cost/benefits are before purchasing them.

And also do consider battery life and portability, because their benefits become very obvious when you travel, especially to attend conferences. And also think about what existing devices you currently have access to. If the university already provides you with access to powerful desktops and laptops, then you don't really need a high specced laptop, but a portable one.

Thank You! Absolutely agree.
iPad Pro - good for teaching, reading, internet, mail, notes.
But the main problem for me is writing difficult papers/manuscripts in Economics field on iPad Pro, which is not very effective and fast, as on Windows or Mac OS.
If I will know how to write manuscripts on iPad Pro, I will probably go to buy it.
[doublepost=1494385877][/doublepost]
Apple recently added proper Windows 10 and driver support. A bit behind direct Microsoft support for Surface devices or even enterprise Thinkpads.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204990

Thinkpad keyboard is the industry standard followed closely by Surface and older Macbooks. Boils down to preference. You may not like the shallow keyboard on newer Macbooks or iPad Pro smart keyboard.

Are you paying out of pocket or is the university paying for it? If university, see if they have loaners you can try before committing.

Another strong option to consider is the new Thinkpad X1 Yoga 2nd gen due out soon that has the most features with the fewest compromises. 3# light and has latest 7th gen Intel Kaby Lake, 14" touch screen with versatile 360 degree hinge, pen input, OLED display option, USB-C and USB-A ports, HDMI port for projectors, built-in WWAN mobile data, micro SD slot, etc.

http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptop...ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-2nd-Generation/p/22TP2TXX12Y
lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery4.png

lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery7.png

lenovo-thinkpad-x1-yoga-gallery9.png

And what do You think about X1 Carbon and matte screens? Many people say, that they are more effective for working with texts.
 
Hello, friends!
Waiting for the new amazing products from Apple, that will be announced on Monday.
And then I will decide, which device to buy:
1) iPad (new)
2) MacBook (new)
3) Surface Pro
4) Surface Laptop
5) Thinkpad X1 Carbon 5th gen
6) Thinkpad X270
 
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Dear friends! What do You think about new Apple devices?
With the new features of iOS 11 the iPad can beat the PC or Mac. But what iPad to buy: 10,5 or 12,9?
 
I still believe if you are looking for a laptop replacement, the 12.9" is the way to. I like the onscreen keyboard better. I think the larger screen size is better for long periods of work. I think the size of the Smart Keyboard is better.

There is a nick against the 12.9 for perceived lack of portability. I think when you factor in the size of a laptop, the Pro is competitive in size and weight.

That said, unless you are willing to go all-in on iOS and still accept some pain points, I would go with the MacBook. iOS 11 helps with some of the issues. App issues like missing features in Office are outside of Apple’s control.
 
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Dear friends! What do You think about new Apple devices?
With the new features of iOS 11 the iPad can beat the PC or Mac. But what iPad to buy: 10,5 or 12,9?

I'm glad they're moving to include proper multitasking and a system-wide file manager. Good things to come.

That said, I think you'd be far better served by the devices you were considering for what you described as your needs.

The keyboards on the X1 Carbon and T470 are the best you can get in a laptop. The new Yoga 720 is an aggressively priced 14 or 15.6" laptop/convertible (360 degree hinges) with a quad-core i7 7700HQ and GTX 1050, 4K IPS touch/pen screen.
 
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The university where I worked when the iPad 2 came out did a one-to-one program with students. Our office made a manual and did training and all of that after the university basically told us, "hey, we're buying all of these, find out how we can use them," which is a pretty bad approach to something like that if you ask me.

The idea was that students would use e-books for some of the classes. Some of the students really liked it and some really didn't, but most were indifferent. I think that having it forced on them was the main problem. The whole situation was less than ideal to begin with, but that's a longer story.

A lot has changed since then, though. There is actually a decent keyboard for the iPads now, but it's not quite the same as just writing a paper on a laptop. And if you're getting an iPad and keyboard you're approaching the price of a laptop, which is something people are quick to point out.

I still think about it and am intrigued by it.

One of the best things we did with it was use Respondus Turning Point for classroom polling. Some of the instructors used that to do quizzes and interactive polls during class. Of course, that can be done on phones that students usually already have.

The main takeaway for me was yes, you can use an iPad as a replacement, but it's not a clear-cut decision yet. Personally I love the iPad, but not everybody does and what we found was that we were trying to convince people to use the it instead of showing them that they needed it to solve a problem.

It was an interesting and fun project but we kept running into "Yeah, I can do that with the iPad but I can do this more easily/cheaper/faster/whatever." What has always bothered me is that we didn't really find many instances of it being the clear solution, so now I post long, pointless posts on it years later.
 
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In the past at the training class I used to carry 9.7 Air 2 around doing home work and set up appointment using Calendar with stock Mail both synced with my iPhone perfectly. Once in my dorm room I can use my rMBP for heavy work I am able to check with my Calendar which was updated perfectly via iCloud.
I don't use any other email app because Mail worked perfectly with Calendar.
 
I'm glad they're moving to include proper multitasking and a system-wide file manager. Good things to come.

That said, I think you'd be far better served by the devices you were considering for what you described as your needs.

The keyboards on the X1 Carbon and T470 are the best you can get in a laptop. The new Yoga 720 is an aggressively priced 14 or 15.6" laptop/convertible (360 degree hinges) with a quad-core i7 7700HQ and GTX 1050, 4K IPS touch/pen screen.

Thinkpad x1 carbon has better keyboard, than macbook pro?
[doublepost=1497014870][/doublepost]Aftet WWDC I am choosing between MBP, MB, iPad Pro.
Pluses for iPad Pro, I can:
1) make notes with pencil
2) use, while teaching
3) send mails, messages on the go
Pluses for MBP or MB, I can:
1) more easily write thesis and scientific papers
2) more programs for academics like spss, stata, etc
3) can use windows

Am I right?
 
Thinkpad x1 carbon has better keyboard, than macbook pro?
[doublepost=1497014870][/doublepost]Aftet WWDC I am choosing between MBP, MB, iPad Pro.
Pluses for iPad Pro, I can:
1) make notes with pencil
2) use, while teaching
3) send mails, messages on the go
Pluses for MBP or MB, I can:
1) more easily write thesis and scientific papers
2) more programs for academics like spss, stata, etc
3) can use windows

Am I right?

The X1 Carbon keyboard is among the best you can get in a laptop -- and I'm a keyboard snob (have 15 of them).

I don't see how sending emails is any easier on the iPad than a MBP, especially if you have to deal with attachments (which may be of file types that don't play well with the iPad).

Even just plugging in to the projectors is easier with a MBP/laptop/PC. Most of the engineering profs at my university use a Surface of some sorts because they plug it in and can write on the lecture slides directly.
 
The X1 Carbon keyboard is among the best you can get in a laptop -- and I'm a keyboard snob (have 15 of them).

I don't see how sending emails is any easier on the iPad than a MBP, especially if you have to deal with attachments (which may be of file types that don't play well with the iPad).

Even just plugging in to the projectors is easier with a MBP/laptop/PC. Most of the engineering profs at my university use a Surface of some sorts because they plug it in and can write on the lecture slides directly.

Or Really?
Have You tried new MBP keyboard (buuterfly 2)? Less comfortable?
What do You suggest? To buy x1 carbon ? Or x270? Non touch matte display?
 
Or Really?
Have You tried new MBP keyboard (buuterfly 2)? Less comfortable?
What do You suggest? To buy x1 carbon ? Or x270? Non touch matte display?

Yes, the new butterfly (2nd gen) keyboard is designed to be very thin -- thinner than scissor switches would allow and still be any good. But that doesn't mean that it's better, it just results in a thinner body and an acceptable keyboard.

I don't know that I'd buy a laptop solely on its keyboard, though! If I were to get the X1 Carbon (and I've been eyeing it among others), I'd probably get the X1 Yoga since it has the 360 degree hinge, touch + pen support (and included pen that's stored in the laptop body).

It all depends on how much you want to spend and what you want to do with it. What kind of teaching do you do? Science/engineering/math might be well suited to a convertible/2-in-1 with pen so you can draw on slides, while text-heavy subjects might be well suited to a MBP or even rMB.

At my university, I rarely see an iPad, be it among professors or students. That could change someday, but for now, you have to work with the tools that are on campus (hardware, software, web systems, etc). That means connecting to the projectors using the methods available, and dealing with assignment submissions through Blackboard or other systems, etc.

Personally, I'm looking for a desktop OS and ports, but with pen support and either detachable or 360 degree hinge as my MBP 17" isn't efficient or well suited for what I need do on campus (in engineering).
 
Yes, the new butterfly (2nd gen) keyboard is designed to be very thin -- thinner than scissor switches would allow and still be any good. But that doesn't mean that it's better, it just results in a thinner body and an acceptable keyboard.

I don't know that I'd buy a laptop solely on its keyboard, though! If I were to get the X1 Carbon (and I've been eyeing it among others), I'd probably get the X1 Yoga since it has the 360 degree hinge, touch + pen support (and included pen that's stored in the laptop body).

It all depends on how much you want to spend and what you want to do with it. What kind of teaching do you do? Science/engineering/math might be well suited to a convertible/2-in-1 with pen so you can draw on slides, while text-heavy subjects might be well suited to a MBP or even rMB.

At my university, I rarely see an iPad, be it among professors or students. That could change someday, but for now, you have to work with the tools that are on campus (hardware, software, web systems, etc). That means connecting to the projectors using the methods available, and dealing with assignment submissions through Blackboard or other systems, etc.

Personally, I'm looking for a desktop OS and ports, but with pen support and either detachable or 360 degree hinge as my MBP 17" isn't efficient or well suited for what I need do on campus (in engineering).
And what do You think about Surface Pro or Surface Laptop?
I have viewed few reviews on notebookcheck about Thinkpads and was shocked about very low brightness of the screen they have.
 
Aftet WWDC I am choosing between MBP, MB, iPad Pro.
Pluses for iPad Pro, I can:
1) make notes with pencil
2) use, while teaching
3) send mails, messages on the go
Pluses for MBP or MB, I can:
1) more easily write thesis and scientific papers
2) more programs for academics like spss, stata, etc
3) can use windows

Am I right?

Do you really think that one device will satisfy all your needs? If you are a faculty member, spend your grant and get a proper computer with a large monitor (for your primary machine) and a laptop (for traveling , meetings and/or teaching).

Besides, iOS does not allow the use of citation software for "cite as you write" integration with Word.

iPad or iPad Pro should only be considered as a third device. I have one and do use it often in meetings and teaching. However, the key here is "often", not "always". In many cases, iPad is not sufficient for all the tasks I need.
 
And what do You think about Surface Pro or Surface Laptop?
I have viewed few reviews on notebookcheck about Thinkpads and was shocked about very low brightness of the screen they have.

I quite like the Surface Pro/Book (haven't tried the new one (5) or Surface Laptop yet). I find the screen a bit small, although it's a really nice 3:2 aspect and overall nice. I wish they had updated the ports but the ones on it are alright. Reliability seems to be above average from what I can tell.

A lot of professors and TAs seem to use the Surface Pro in the sciences. Rarely see a Surface Book or iPad, though.

I agree, Lenovo screens really aren't all that great, though they seem to last. You kind of get what you pay for and the Yoga is very well priced for its specs (at least here in Canada), so that's what happens.

I was considering a Spectre x360 but I'm too concerned with reliability to go ahead with it... the design and specs are great, though it's a bit expensive (for non-Apple :p) and seems to have questionable reliability/build quality.
 
Where is the better pen experience:
Surface Pro Pen has 4096 levels of pressure, tilt sensitivity, 21 milliseconds of latency
AND
iPad Pro ??

What do You think?
 
Dear Professors, Academics!
You will scold me, but I have bought iPad Pro 10.5 with kb and pencil. Maybe I will sell it in 2 weeks, because I can not still get used to it.
Maybe You can help me with the question how to optimize the work and make it more productive.
Many thanks!
 
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