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iPad Pro Now I have the Magic Keyboard, I’m regretting getting the 11” iPad Pro.

The Cockney Rebel

The Cockney Rebel

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Jul 17, 2010
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As per the title.

Wish I’d got the 12.9” for the full sized keyboard.

Can anyone offer some benefits of getting the 11” over the 12.9” to help alleviate my buyer’s remorse?
 
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The London Fella said:
As per the title.

Wish I’d got the 12.9” for the full sized keyboard.

Can anyone offer some benefits of getting the 11” over the 12.9” to help alleviate my buyer’s remorse?
Click to expand...
Sorry, no I can't. The 12.9" magic keyboard is so luxuriously spacious while the 11" magic keyboard is lilliputian. Am I doing the Apple hyperbole thing correctly? 😆

Even though I think that the 9.7" iPad is the best form-factor, The 11" iPad Pro is a great size. I've had the 12.9 Pro for a few years and there were just too many mobile scenarios where it was too large to use. (air travel in particular) Oh, and as @Northern Man mentioned, you've saved money.
 
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I have the 11 inch pro and the magic keyboard and I’m happy with it. I don’t intend to use the keyboard daily—or even that often but it’s great when I’m on a trip and all I have is my iPad to send out some emails and do a little work.
 
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Having tried the 11" and 12.9" with their Magic keyboards I'd recommend sticking to the 11" if you value using the ipad as a tablet. You can adjust to a slightly smaller keyboard with the 11" but handling the 12.9" as a tablet is a chore. If you see yourself using your ipad setup more like a laptop for the majority of the time then go 12.9".

All said I don't really recommend the Magic keyboard considering its price. It marks easily and I can see it wearing badly within 12 months even if handled with maximum care. Some people don't worry about the price or longevity, especially tech reviewers it would seem, but for my money I want my tech to last for years.
 
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jimmy_uk said:
Having tried the 11" and 12.9" with their Magic keyboards I'd recommend sticking to the 11" if you value using the ipad as a tablet. You can adjust to a slightly smaller keyboard with the 11" but the handling the 12.9" as a tablet is a chore. If you see yourself using your ipad setup more like a laptop for the majority of the time then go 12.9".

All said I don't really recommend the Magic keyboard considering its price. It marks easily and I can see it wearing badly within 12 months even if handled with maximum care. Some people don't worry about the price or longevity, especially tech reviewers it would seem, but for my money I want my tech to last for years.
Click to expand...

I think you’re spot on with regards to whether one is mostly using the iPad as a tablet, verses a laptop “replacement.”

However, I bought this iPad when they were first unveiled, so I’m stuck with it. I’ll either go for the larger size on the next refresh, or buy the first Apple silicon MacBook Pro and keep this mostly as a tablet.

I did actually buy the very first 12.9” iPad Pro (with the Home Button) but it was gigantic, so I sent it back. The 10.5” was perfect, but I had two units develop the bright spot issue, so I got my money back and went without.

However, the Magic Keyboard is superb, and I haven’t used my iPad as much as this since first buying it months ago. If you have a compatible iPad, I’d strongly recommend the Magic Keyboard.
 
barkomatic said:
I have the 11 inch pro and the magic keyboard and I’m happy with it. I don’t intend to use the keyboard daily—or even that often but it’s great when I’m on a trip and all I have is my iPad to send out some emails and do a little work.
Click to expand...

The trackpad and gestures are the biggest selling points for me.

Everything is so fluid.
 
I have the 11 inch with magic keyboard. I love it but its quite cramped. If i had to do lots of typing I’d probably just kept hold of my MacBook instead.

But I don’t do that much so when i do use it (like now I’m typing with it) for short periods its great.
 
The weight of the 12.9 iPP with MK is 3 pounds. The 2020 MBA is 2.8 pounds. If I was going that big I would pick the MBA for cost, weight, function keys and larger trackpad.

$1450 256GB iPP combo MK. $1099 for a MBA i5 256SSD

Now if they would of put the function keys on the 12.9“ MK and a larger trackpad like the MBA, then maybe just maybe a little confusion. But they did not....... And clearly the 11” is the perfect size for the iPP with MK.....
 
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I've had an 11" for a few months and was using it with the Logitech Slim Folio Pro. Paired a Magic Mouse to the iPad one day and was blown away with how much better it made my usage of my iPad, so started looking at the touchpad keyboard cases. Picked up the Logitech Folio Touch last week, and a few days later had second thoughts so also got the Magic Keyboard. Will probably keep the Magic Keyboard and return the Logitech Folio Touch.

Honestly, I never even considered getting the 12.9". It's a bit too large for me to handle as a tablet, and I think it might not fit into my daily bag (which just nicely fits a 12" Macbook). Then again, I've learnt over the past few years that I value portability...

I actually didn't notice that the 11" MKF isn't a full size keyboard... Typing on it right now and I still wouldn't be able to tell that it isn't. The typing experience is really very pleasant for me...
 
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We have a very long discussion on the 11 vs 12.9 topic and surprise surprise- it comes down to personal preference which screen and keyboard combinations work best for you, there is no right or wrong. Get what works best for you.
 
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Get the Logitech Folio touch if only for one main reason: you can detach the keyboard and you still have a stand! Can't tell you how many times I just want the keyboard out of the way–especially when I'm just using it to watch something––propping it on a countertop or using it on a plane, the keyboard is great, but also isn't always needed. The keyboard also works really well with all of the function keys.
 
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Popped into my local Apple Store today, to compare both sizes.

The 12.9” is gigantic. There’s such a difference between sizes.

I’m pretty much stuck with the 11” this time round, so I’ll just enjoy it for what it is and go for the larger size with the next refresh.

Another option (to get a full sized keyboard) is to return the Magic Keyboard and buy a regular “Magic” Keyboard and the trackpad. But that would take away from the convenient all in one form factor.

Maybe I’ll start to remove the iPad from the Magic Keyboard now and then, to use it as a tablet, then I may appreciate the convenient size.

As someone said above, pound for pound (or dollar for dollar) one could buy a MBA for the same price as a 12.9” Pro with Magic Keyboard. But I’m holding out for Apple silicon macs to buy my next Mac.

One thing hasn’t changed, though. I absolutely love the Magic Keyboard. Such a great device.
 
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