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iPad Pro People out there who use both 11” and 12,9” iPad, Why?
- Thread starter DrSarah
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I use both iPads for work, often at the same time—I teach online, including a lot of drawing on a whiteboard. When I had 2018 11 inch and 2017 12.9, the 11 inch was my preferred device. I recently upgraded the 12.9 to a refurbished 2018, and now that is my favorite. Even in bed, the 2018 12.9 doesn’t seem too big, maybe because it is so much better than 2017.
i like my new MKF for the 12.9, but it is a beast. I only keep the iPad in there when I’m actively using the keyboard.
i like my new MKF for the 12.9, but it is a beast. I only keep the iPad in there when I’m actively using the keyboard.
Help me understand, what is the MKF again? Magic Keyboard Folio? I don’t follow if that is the case.
My main iPad is the 11 Pro. It's a wonderful machine on which I am able to do 80% of my work and all my leisure activities. I recently added an iPad Mini 5, which is a fantastic device for media consumption, reading on the sofa, etc..... But now I am starting to think the ideal setup would be an iPad Mini and a 12,9inch iPad Pro. This thread is a never ending rabbit hole..... 😅
Yes. It’s just a bit bulky and makes it laptop shaped instead of tablet shaped. So when I’m using it as a tablet, I take the iPad out of the folio.
Screen unresponsive while charging, keyboard locked up, developed colored stripes across screen that gradually turned to dark bands. Apple replaced ipad after many chat/phone sessions (at a cost to me) then this new replacement refuses to download some of my music. Was on phone to "top level" support twice today for over two hours and they were not able to totally fix issue. Had me do screen shots and send to them so they can forward to "engineers" to determine what's wrong. I know what's wrong - ipad air is a shoddy piece of equipment. Ipad pro works flawlessly for me using same apps.
12.9 + Mini5 is such a good combo. But I’m waiting for the big iPhone12. If the lowered iPhone 12 prices is for real then I think a 12.9 + iPhone 12Max would be amazing a great combo. (Pending I actually have anywhere to go)
I have both 2018 iPad Pros (12.9“ 1TB Space Gray Cellular & 11” 512GB Silver Cellular). I use them both in different scenarios. When I travel and bring my MacBook Pro, I bring the 11”. When I only bring one device, sometimes it’s the 12.9. I got both of the magic keyboards and they both work equally well. When I need more “room” for stuff I pick up the 12.9.
Curling up in bed with a 27“ iMac is so cumbersome.
I have devices for different uses. My work computer is a MBP. I have a Windows gaming/photo editing/general purpose PC at home. I have an 11 iPad Pro as a consumption device when walking around the house or traveling for reading, surfing the web, email, videos, etc. My 12.9 is more a personal laptop for me - use it when I am not at my desk and need something with a bigger screen and keyboard for MS Office, video editing, light photo editing and games. I also use both for mobile app testing for the apps my company produces (which also means I get my boss to pay for them - but I’d have both even if he didn’t).
It’s such a shame you cant get hold of the magic keyboard for your 12.9 arrival today. For me it’s been a game changer and I’m using my 12.9 in more and more places that I would normally have to grab my MacBook Pro 13
The form factor of just lifting it from the keyboard to go into tablet mode is brilliant.
When first released, I trialled the 11 and 12.9 at the same time for 2 weeks. Ultimately I lusted after both and would love both but I know that extra screen real estate of the 12.9 pulls me in all the time so I ended up returning the 11.
One of the main reasons was I often use my iPhone Pro Max when I’m just on the sofa and cant be bothered to get up go get the ipad especially if its just a quick browsing on websites or forums as it’s always with me.
Rumour is that the 2020 ”max” is going to be up to 6.7 inch screen so not a bad screen size as a combo with the 12.9
Anyway - enjoy the 12.9 - hope it arrives today. Nothing beats the thought of a new toy being delivered.
Thanks for your reply!
I just got a notification that the Magic keyboard will be in stock at a shop 4th of may, i will ordered right away if i like the 12.9” iPad. It would arrive on Wednesday then,, so way within the return period if it all does not work out.
I really like to use the iPad on the sofa, but that is with my 11”, my phone is more of a texting companion and quick lookup device for me
iPad should arrive today between 14.25 and 17.25,, my doorbel is broken so i hung up A sign that they have to knock on the door, otherwise they will take it back and deliver it the next working day at a depot,, that would suck.
A pakkage yesterday was dilivered to a neighbour even though i was home!
stress stress stress stress.. ..
I’m looking forward to hearing what your first impressions are. When I got my first 12.9 (2015), I laughed when I opened the box as my husband picked it up and brought it to me at work on release day and I hadn’t seen one before. I was actually shocked at the size at the time and got buyers remorse. I returned it towards the end of the two weeks as I was undecided, only to buy it and keep it a week later. The 3rd and 4th gen models are not as large even though the screen is the same size (minus the rounded corners). It look me some time to get used to the size, but I ended up loving it. It’s like the size seems to shrink in time, although switching between the sizes can make it feel big again.
Anyway, good luck. I’m looking forward to reading your first impressions later.
Oh and if you’re a regular side car user on the Mac, I think you’ll find it’s a much better companion to that than your 11. So you may want to try it.
I actually do a lot of client presentations (or used to pre lockdown!) that are just 1-1 or 1-2 and use PowerPoint on my Mac13 and side car my 12.9 in front of the client who are generally sitting on the opposite side of the table.
It’s even got a few “wow” comments from the client!
I actually do a lot of client presentations (or used to pre lockdown!) that are just 1-1 or 1-2 and use PowerPoint on my Mac13 and side car my 12.9 in front of the client who are generally sitting on the opposite side of the table.
It’s even got a few “wow” comments from the client!
I know I’m not answering your question directly, but my situation is very similar to yours and here’s the way I view it.
I have the 2018 11 inch IPP and Magic Keyboard...and like you think it’s an amazing combination. I also have a 2018 15 inch MacBook Pro.
I use my IPP primarily as a media consumption device. It’s also my go to device for emails, texts, etc... As nice as the IPP/MKC combination is, I still don’t view my IPP as a laptop replacement (ie The quirky file system, limited functionality of productivity and creative software, etc..). So, for me, the choice is ”between” the 11 inch IPP or the 12.9 inch IPP, but not “both”. I chose (and love) the 11 inch primarily for it’s portability. I use my MBP for when I do Lightroom, Photoshop, MS Office via Parallels/Windows, etc...). But...for all of my media consumption needs...the IPP wins the Day.
I find the combination of the 11 inch IPP and a MBP to be perfect!
But couldn’t the basic entry level iPad perform these content consumption tasks just as well?
Hey guys,
So today the ipad 12.9” arrived. The iPad is amazing and there is definently some more screen real estate. I played around with it and it sure does work wonderfull in remote desktop, i could even play some Google Stadia Games.
But,, i am going to return it. In the end i am spending 1229 euro’s on a tablet i already have but a bit smaller. I think i now know for sure the 11” will be my mate for the future to come and the Magic Keyboard go’s amazing alongside it.
Thank you everyone For discussing this and i hope it helped out some people.
So today the ipad 12.9” arrived. The iPad is amazing and there is definently some more screen real estate. I played around with it and it sure does work wonderfull in remote desktop, i could even play some Google Stadia Games.
But,, i am going to return it. In the end i am spending 1229 euro’s on a tablet i already have but a bit smaller. I think i now know for sure the 11” will be my mate for the future to come and the Magic Keyboard go’s amazing alongside it.
Thank you everyone For discussing this and i hope it helped out some people.
Lol funny cause i just had a similar experience last night. I have an 11inch and been thinking recently “i love my ipad. What if i went even bigger? Thats just more to love right? OMGGGG let’s consider it!” I couldn’t go to the apple store and try it out in the store and see how i feel, so i was actually just thinking about ordering one and if i dont like it, send it back. And i was right about to do it until...
one of my clients (I’m in healthcare) let me try their 12.9 ipad. it didnt take more than a second for it to hit me. Like seeing lizzo in person, damn thats big! Too big for me to handle. I tried to sit down with it and do what i normally do. Try reading a book or browsing apple news. Way too uncomfortable unless I’m just gonna lay it in my lap. Browsing reddit? Nope. Too big. Only position it felt ok in was when it was docked to a keyboard on a table. Other than that, i just couldn’t use it. It just made me think too much about how i have to hold it and i didnt feel like i had the freedom to just pick it up and go do what i want. Suffice to say, i am no longer gonna order a 12.9. I felt so relieved to go back to my 11 inch. Goldilocks zone for me
My experience is opposite. I have been using several models (9.7 and then 10.5) for years. A few weeks ago I decided to switch to 11" but after a few days I realized that 12.9 would have been an even better experience (especially today thanks to the possibility to use the mouse). I returned the 11“ and bought the 12.9“ and I'm extremely satisfied with the choice. The larger (but not so much) model allows to fully enjoy the device both for leisure and work.
Potentially! Are you saying there are no advantages to the IPP over the basic entry level iPad for pure consumption? How about ProMotion (120 hz refresh rate), laminated display, design, form factor, face id, size, compatibility with the magic keyboard case, etc... How about people that just prefer the iPad Pro and don’t mind “paying up” to have it.
Sure the basic iPad can suffice for some and is a great choice for many. Some people just prefer the iPad Pro.... regardless of their use case from a purely functional/utilitarian perspective.
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I went through this debate internally for a bit, but between both the 11 or 12.9, not just for myself but also for my wife.
I work in tech, finally moved off my MBP 15 2015 (great machine, but both RAM AND storage full at 1TB = too many beachballs, so it became time) to an MBP 16 32GB, and had an aging Air 2.
My wife teaches, and as many know - this is pretty much remote at the moment. I'd already nudged her back off a craptastic Dell school issue into an MBA, but she could really benefit from an Apple Pencil for some of the recordings and sessions she was doing, while her own iPad of choice had been the Mini.
For me, I can't use either IPP as my desktop replacement - no VMs, no x86 compilers, no SQL tools, etc...but I wanted to see if I could get to 'good enough' for 'travel work' - emails, Word, Diagrams, presentations, etc. and wanted to use Sidecar as a 3rd screen for myself. I waffled a bit on the 11" vs 12.9" but decided I'm going to use it daily as a sidecar screen, daily for bedtime/relaxation tablet use, and sometimes for travel with real keyboard usage. I went with the 12.9 for myself but had some hesitation on the decision. It was the right choice for me, and I did pick up the Magic Keyboard although it's insanely priced - and for me, I couldn't imagine using a keyboard much narrower - the 12.9 MKB is basically the same width as my MBP keyboard, although sans ESC key and Touch Bar or function keys.
Why the 12.9 works for me
For my wife, the choice was a bit harder. Her preference was always for the iPad mini from the start and she uses it a lot for reading on the couch or bed. As a teacher, she could really benefit both from an Apple pencil, and at least some sidecar use or at least at the moment, presenting from a tablet. Using a keyboard for productivity work was secondary for her, but I still had some concerns over the screen size, but the mini is a lightweight and she's more 'portable' than I am for casual use, so also didn't want needlessly large.
The 11" worked out perfectly for her. We worked out both where sidecar and standalone modes made the most sense for her teaching, and surprisingly to me, she may be willing to give up her mini. We'll see where that winds up, but I don't think she'd be using the 12.9, let along the 12.9 with a keyboard case, for reading in bed. If she does decide she wants a keyboard, I think the 11" might be too narrow vs her MBA keyboard, but she can use my spare bluetooth keyboard as it would likely be an only occasional thing, while both sidecar, sharing of screen in meetings and pencil use, followed by casual table use, were the biggest items for her.
YMMV as always, but consider your expected actual use. My 12.9 IPP with Magic Keyboard is heavier than her MBA. Not owning an MBA but an MBP16 - works for me, but not for everyone.
I work in tech, finally moved off my MBP 15 2015 (great machine, but both RAM AND storage full at 1TB = too many beachballs, so it became time) to an MBP 16 32GB, and had an aging Air 2.
My wife teaches, and as many know - this is pretty much remote at the moment. I'd already nudged her back off a craptastic Dell school issue into an MBA, but she could really benefit from an Apple Pencil for some of the recordings and sessions she was doing, while her own iPad of choice had been the Mini.
For me, I can't use either IPP as my desktop replacement - no VMs, no x86 compilers, no SQL tools, etc...but I wanted to see if I could get to 'good enough' for 'travel work' - emails, Word, Diagrams, presentations, etc. and wanted to use Sidecar as a 3rd screen for myself. I waffled a bit on the 11" vs 12.9" but decided I'm going to use it daily as a sidecar screen, daily for bedtime/relaxation tablet use, and sometimes for travel with real keyboard usage. I went with the 12.9 for myself but had some hesitation on the decision. It was the right choice for me, and I did pick up the Magic Keyboard although it's insanely priced - and for me, I couldn't imagine using a keyboard much narrower - the 12.9 MKB is basically the same width as my MBP keyboard, although sans ESC key and Touch Bar or function keys.
Why the 12.9 works for me
- sidecar usage for 10+ hours a day - the bigger screen is nice, and I don't care about the weight.
- couch or bedtime consumption - no problem, although I need to find a real case that also works with the MKB for some level of protection and the MKB isn't a winner for in bed/couch reading so I wind up removing (magnetic - quickly) from the MKB
For my wife, the choice was a bit harder. Her preference was always for the iPad mini from the start and she uses it a lot for reading on the couch or bed. As a teacher, she could really benefit both from an Apple pencil, and at least some sidecar use or at least at the moment, presenting from a tablet. Using a keyboard for productivity work was secondary for her, but I still had some concerns over the screen size, but the mini is a lightweight and she's more 'portable' than I am for casual use, so also didn't want needlessly large.
The 11" worked out perfectly for her. We worked out both where sidecar and standalone modes made the most sense for her teaching, and surprisingly to me, she may be willing to give up her mini. We'll see where that winds up, but I don't think she'd be using the 12.9, let along the 12.9 with a keyboard case, for reading in bed. If she does decide she wants a keyboard, I think the 11" might be too narrow vs her MBA keyboard, but she can use my spare bluetooth keyboard as it would likely be an only occasional thing, while both sidecar, sharing of screen in meetings and pencil use, followed by casual table use, were the biggest items for her.
YMMV as always, but consider your expected actual use. My 12.9 IPP with Magic Keyboard is heavier than her MBA. Not owning an MBA but an MBP16 - works for me, but not for everyone.
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Yup, all different use cases and customer types exist and the small differences between the model lines are well documented. I was just interested in why you got the Pro over the rest. These are all just tablets, there is no wrong or right in my opinion.
Yeah I’m the same. I pick up my wife’s 11 and it feels so small. I wouldn’t be able to adjust.
