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iPad Pro is too expensive, but I can't un-see the Pro Motion display..

T

tonybarnaby

macrumors 68020
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Dec 3, 2017
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Walmart has the 11" Pro on sale for $674( I believe Amazon price matches). I went out to get an Air, but I couldn't pull the trigger on it because I keep thinking something new could be announced soon. I won't be willing to spend the money on a brand new pro, but possibly the 256gb 11 or even 12.9 pro will drop in price.

I checked out the Pro, and of course now I can't spend the money on an Air when the Pro just looks so much nicer in use.

I'm too cheap to buy a Pro, and the Air 3 lacks Pro Motion and I can't un-see it. So I left empty handed and bitter. Not a shot at the Air 3 at all, I just can't buy one when Pro Motion is so ridiculously good.
 
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bbednarz said:
Grab a 10.5" pro on clearance. Gotta imagine someone still has them in stock somewhere.
Click to expand...

I agree with this recommendation.

Although it was awesome to get a big discount on the 2018 Pros when Best Buy messed up the pricing on their website some time ago. That would have been a great time to buy one but only lasted for a very short period of time.
 
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I don’t know if I even know what pro motion IS. I have just never noticed that much of a difference in iPads. I went from a 12.9 iPP 2nd gen to a 2018 iPad, and used it for 9 months before I bit the bullet on a new pro. There are obviously differences, but in my day to day use, nothing I could likely point out directly.
 
Pro motion is one of the main reasons I went with a Pro over a regular iPad a couple years ago. Sure, it's a luxury and certainly not needed but I can see a big difference between my iPad Pro and my wife's regular iPad. I justified the cost because I travel with it all the time and it replaced a laptop. I wouldn't want to go back to a regular iPad. If I only used my iPad at home for casual media consumption, I don't think I could have been able to justify the cost of the Pro.

Smart Keyboard support is the other main reason I went with a Pro.
 
There's always going to be a new model around the quarter. Amazon has the 12.9 Pro 3rd Gen base model for $799. You should also see similar deals during the holidays if a new model is released this year.
 
tonybarnaby said:
Walmart has the 11" Pro on sale for $674( I believe Amazon price matches). I went out to get an Air, but I couldn't pull the trigger on it because I keep thinking something new could be announced soon. I won't be willing to spend the money on a brand new pro, but possibly the 256gb 11 or even 12.9 pro will drop in price.

I checked out the Pro, and of course now I can't spend the money on an Air when the Pro just looks so much nicer in use.

I'm too cheap to buy a Pro, and the Air 3 lacks Pro Motion and I can't un-see it. So I left empty handed and bitter. Not a shot at the Air 3 at all, I just can't buy one when Pro Motion is so ridiculously good.
Click to expand...
You say that "ProMotion is so ridiculously good" but really how good can it really be if you aren't willing to spend extra to pay for it?
 
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You also get Stereo Speakers with the 10.5 and 11 iPad Pro :). Between the Pro Motion display the extra screen size, USB-C and the Stereo speakers I talked myself in to the iPad Pro 11" 256GB. I got a 64GB at Best Buy for 649 tax free. But I was lucky enough to get the $625 price mistake deal on the 11" 256GB. I am really happy with it and its a noticeable upgrade from the 9.7 Pro. It will also be future proof for many years to come.
 
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sracer said:
You say that "ProMotion is so ridiculously good" but really how good can it really be if you aren't willing to spend extra to pay for it?
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I can't justify the price of a pro for my budget. I'm at the point where I'd rather have nothing if I can't afford a pro. We'll see what happens in the future. Maybe i can catch some flash sale.
 
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tonybarnaby said:
I can't justify the price of a pro for my budget. I'm at the point where I'd rather have nothing if I can't afford a pro. We'll see what happens in the future. Maybe i can catch some flash sale.
Click to expand...
Fair enough. I wasn't sure where you were going with this because you said you were "too cheap" to buy a Pro. That implies wanting something but not willing to pay the price. That's different than not being able to justify the price of the Pro for your budget. That is wise.

I have owned most versions of iPads (Pros and non). I've used them heavily as laptop replacements with varying degrees of success. I've concluded, based on the current state of iOS, that the added features of the Pro models do not justify the asking price.

That might change with iPadOS and if it does, I'll adjust my opinion accordingly. :)
 
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sracer said:
Fair enough. I wasn't sure where you were going with this because you said you were "too cheap" to buy a Pro. That implies wanting something but not willing to pay the price. That's different than not being able to justify the price of the Pro for your budget. That is wise.

I have owned most versions of iPads (Pros and non). I've used them heavily as laptop replacements with varying degrees of success. I've concluded, based on the current state of iOS, that the added features of the Pro models do not justify the asking price.

That might change with iPadOS and if it does, I'll adjust my opinion accordingly. :)
Click to expand...
At this point the only non-Pro iPad I would even consider buying is the iPad Air. The Apple Smart Keyboard Folio makes all the difference, but only with 10.5” or larger iPads. If it doesn’t have a keyboard with 18+ mm spacing, then it’s a non-starter.
 
EugW said:
At this point the only non-Pro iPad I would even consider buying is the iPad Air. The Apple Smart Keyboard Folio makes all the difference, but only with 10.5” or larger iPads. If it doesn’t have a keyboard with 18+ mm spacing, then it’s a non-starter.
Click to expand...
Unless you use the logitech create keyboard... which is even better than the 10.5 smart keyboard
 
AutomaticApple said:
Am I the only one who can go from a 120 Hz display to a 60 Hz display?
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No, I have no problem. And I guess most people don't either.
Personally I move from the 9.7 to the 10.5 pro barely noticing pro-motion. Maybe I am just more focused on what I do my ipads than how they look when you scroll etc.
 
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tonybarnaby said:
I'm too cheap to buy a Pro, and the Air 3 lacks Pro Motion and I can't un-see it. So I left empty handed and bitter. Not a shot at the Air 3 at all, I just can't buy one when Pro Motion is so ridiculously good.
Click to expand...

Well that depends on how much your going to use it.
 
I don’t think I really notice it on my 10.5 inch pro. I don’t really play fast paced games or do drawing on it. I think that’s where is makes a difference. I honestly can’t really tell the difference between my iPad mini 5 and my iPad Pro 10.5.
 
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I’m drawn to the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, same as I am with the galaxy note (I’m fully entrenched in Apple). I currently do everything I need on my Xs Max and do not use a computer, but wonder if I would utilize the iPad..
 
nrvna76 said:
I’m drawn to the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, same as I am with the galaxy note (I’m fully entrenched in Apple). I currently do everything I need on my Xs Max and do not use a computer, but wonder if I would utilize the iPad..
Click to expand...

If you live in an area where Apple offers their two weeks return policy, maybe just order an iPad with pencil and see if it works for you.
On the other hand it’s cool that your phone covers all your computing needs- make sure you’re not creating a need when there isn’t one to begin with.

Life’s short, give it a go!
 
ericwn said:
If you live in an area where Apple offers their two weeks return policy, maybe just order an iPad with pencil and see if it works for you.
On the other hand it’s cool that your phone covers all your computing needs- make sure you’re not creating a need when there isn’t one to begin with.

Life’s short, give it a go!
Click to expand...

That’s exactly what I was considering, might wait to see if there’s an update this fall to hopefully get a cheaper price, and I am definitely weary of creating a need where there isn’t one, kinda feel like I did that with the HomePod already but that was a lot cheaper.
 
Promotion is one of those features that isn’t necessary but nice to have. It does make navigating iPad feel overall slicker imo. I just have reservations with apple using it as an upgrade incentive. At this point I feel it is one of those kind of features that should be implemented as standard on portable displays, rather than something you pay extra for.
 
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