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iPad Ipad standard vs Pro. educate me!

scribble79

scribble79

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 12, 2014
57
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I currently have a 8th Gen iPad that I use daily for note taking, email correspondence, spreadsheets, word documents, and the occasional internet surfing. I am going to be purchasing a new unit so my kids can use the current model at home. I am trying to see what real advantage I would receive to upgrade to the 11" pro version.

Thank you for all your inputs.
 
Better everything, except price. ?‍♂️

EDIT: Face ID or Touch ID is the only thing you could argue about. I prefer Face ID.
 
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ericwn said:
Check this out:

www.apple.com

iPad - Compare Models

Compare resolution, size, weight, performance, battery life, and storage of iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini models.
www.apple.com
Click to expand...
I have gone through that several times but other than the Keyboard and Pencils I really don't see a reason for choosing the Pro. So just looking to see if someone has a better aha than I am seeing.
 
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scribble79 said:
I have gone through that several times but other than the Keyboard and Pencils I really don't see a reason for choosing the Pro. So just looking to see if someone has a better aha than I am seeing.
Click to expand...

Personally, I want more local storage for downloading purchased/DRM content (512GB ok, 1TB very comfy) so the Pros are the only option for that. Also, the frequent app/Safari tab reloads do annoy me at times so the extra RAM's a nice bonus.

Only you can evaluate your needs, though. If you don't have any complaints about the iPad 8th gen, then I don't see why 9th gen wouldn't suit you as well.
 
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scribble79 said:
I have gone through that several times but other than the Keyboard and Pencils I really don't see a reason for choosing the Pro. So just looking to see if someone has a better aha than I am seeing.
Click to expand...

More RAM, better speakers, better screen, promotion display, USB-C connector, Better Apple Pencil, more storage options, laminated screen, faster. This may or may not be a huge deal to you, hence I suggest you order one, compare it to your current iPad in your use case, then decide.
 
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scribble79 said:
I currently have a 8th Gen iPad that I use daily for note taking, email correspondence, spreadsheets, word documents, and the occasional internet surfing. I am going to be purchasing a new unit so my kids can use the current model at home. I am trying to see what real advantage I would receive to upgrade to the 11" pro version.

Thank you for all your inputs.
Click to expand...
More of a want then a need for most people choosing the pro as the base models do basically everything the pros do. The pros just do it better, better speakers, brighter and more colour accurate display, almost triple the ram of the base models, the M1 is an overkill chip but will definitely help keep them future proof.

I have the 11” M1 pro and I love it, I definitely didn’t need it but I’m still very happy with my purchase. Just a faster and more fluid experience
 
There is one difference between the Pro and Air that keeps me with the Pro. ProMotion. I can detect the lag in the Pencil on an Air and really do not like it. With the Pro and ProMotion, there is minimal lag and the writing experience is more enjoyable. I use it daily to project notes for students, so Pencil capability is of utmost importance.
 
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I had a similar doubt a few weeks ago. I have the basic iPad 9, and it is astonishingly great. I scan a lot and the Pencil is cool. The screen is way better (I had a 2017 basic iPad), and it had no problems running all the content I want. Speakers and promotion are features that I honnestly dont care. Your kids wont too, I guess.
 
scribble79 said:
I have gone through that several times but other than the Keyboard and Pencils I really don't see a reason for choosing the Pro. So just looking to see if someone has a better aha than I am seeing.
Click to expand...
Just to add some confusion to the mix the Pro isn't just helpful for "Pro" scenarios. An example with gaming: back when Fortnite was on Apple devices they did have a release that was specifically for the Pro.

www.theverge.com

The iPad Pro can now run Fortnite at 120 frames per second

Four times smoother than the Switch
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com
 
The 9th gen iPad has some nice upgrades over the 8th gen. Has better cameras, True Tone display, faster processor and more storage. You cant go wrong with the classic iPad for the price.
 
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From my point of view (but keep in mind that’s highly subjective), the main differences are display quality and more RAM available. Those are two factors that you can actually touch in daily usage.
storage can be a point for same users (for me 128 GB are enough), and in that case the Pro offers more options, but an insanely high price.
 
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I am using iPad Mini 5 and was difficult to use Lightroom- which runs fine on 2021 Intel Mini (16/512) and is not a memory hog. I chose the M1 11” iPad Pro (8/128) to be on safe side and to last.

On the mini 5 LR would close after 4 minutes - feels like it was crashing - so I wanted to be sure a new iPad wouldn’t give any trouble.

Software ends up selling hardware, the software will keep adding features to take advantage of newer hardware. Can iPadOS take advantage of more memory now? If there was a 12GB model that might be sweet spot for now.
 
MisterSavage said:
I guess I just imagined playing Magic Arena on mine a few minutes ago.

OP said he was buying it for his kids. Some kids play video games.
Click to expand...
I understand and respect your option, but is it something one can highly recommend?
For me a tablet is an useful tool for work, it makes me confuse seeing kids handling a tablet for games.
A pro tablet for kids (and specially for games) makes no sense, I guess...
 
RaphaZ said:
I understand and respect your option, but is it something one can highly recommend?
For me a tablet is an useful tool for work, it makes me confuse seeing kids handling a tablet for games.
A pro tablet for kids (and specially for games) makes no sense, I guess...
Click to expand...
I play games on my iPad (and PS5) all the time. If someone was interested in gaming only I would say pick a console 100%. If someone was shopping for an iPad and gaming was important to them I would lean towards the Pro. The App Store on the iPad has 5 tabs on the bottom and one of them was changed to "Arcade". That makes it harder to argue that Apple isn't trying to push gaming.
 
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scribble79 said:
I currently have a 8th Gen iPad that I use daily for note taking, email correspondence, spreadsheets, word documents, and the occasional internet surfing. I am going to be purchasing a new unit so my kids can use the current model at home. I am trying to see what real advantage I would receive to upgrade to the 11" pro version.

Thank you for all your inputs.
Click to expand...

Laminated screen with non-reflective coating
120Hz screen which means nicer scrolling
Larger screen
USB-C/Thunderbolt connectivity
Larger storage options
Faster CPU and more RAM
Superior camera technology
Apple Pencil 2 compatibility
 
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I went with the standard 9th generation iPad with a similar use case as the OP. Still have my 5th generation in use as well. I primarily use a MBP for work (and most other things) so the iPad is more of a secondary device for me. I use it primarily to consume content and light work tasks while travelling. It is also great for kids looking to game as well. If you do not need a Pro device for work (and you will know if you need it) then I would definitely recommend the standard iPad for the vast majority of users.
 
Madhatter32 said:
I went with the standard 9th generation iPad with a similar use case as the OP. Still have my 5th generation in use as well. I primarily use a MBP for work (and most other things) so the iPad is more of a secondary device for me. I use it primarily to consume content and light work tasks while travelling. It is also great for kids looking to game as well. If you do not need a Pro device for work (and you will know if you need it) then I would definitely recommend the standard iPad for the vast majority of users.
Click to expand...
The 5th gen to 9th is the exact upgrade I’m doing for my moms as she uses her iPad as her computer as well.

And yes, the 9th gen is definitely a great device for kids and gaming. My kids use their Air 3’s, with the one gen older A12, as their main gaming devices and it has definitely held up very well for that
 
Let me tell you what I did.

I bought a MBA M1 and returned it for a MBP m1, mostly because of the screen differences.

I also have the new base iPad that just came out. I have zero desire to upgrade it. I don't see the value. The base unit works great and I'm someone that had to upgrade to the latest and greatest laptop.

Get the base with 256gb and don't look back.
 
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