iPad Pro Should I buy a 16gb or 8gb version?

[cupcakes2000]

If the iPad allowed true multitasking then I would agree with you. Now, it is worth the extra money to get the 16GB model? For me definitely no since I don‘t use the iPad as my main device. I have an iMac with 48GB of RAM and a 16“ MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM for serious work. If Apple gave us the option to add 16GB to all storage models, then I would of course get the 16GB option.
I also think that iPadOS in its current state is perfect with 8GB of RAM.

I use my iPad for ‘serious work’ whatever that is. I have a 32gb i7 Mac mini and for a lot of stuff I do my 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 runs rings around it.
iPadOS isn’t the only thing that requires ram, in fact macOS doesn’t even *need* 16gb of ram to work. Or even 8. The apps need it more so than the os no matter what system you use.

 

[petvas]

I use my iPad for ‘serious work’ whatever that is. I have a 32gb i7 Mac mini and for a lot of stuff I do my 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 runs rings around it.
iPadOS isn’t the only thing that requires ram, in fact macOS doesn’t even *need* 16gb of ram to work. Or even 8. The apps need it more so than the os no matter what system you use.

The thing is that an OS that allows true multitasking potentially will require more RAM, especially for people that like or need to run multiple apps at once. This isn‘t currently possible on iPadOS, so at the end of the day it comes down to how much RAM does a single app can really use and how many apps should be held in RAM so that when you switch to them there will not be a resume. Of course 16GB will be better, but the difference will be for most users negligible.

 

[aacemyan]

If anyone has used the M1 macs they’ll see that 8gb and 16gb models are extremely close in performance with exception of when programs are doing a lot of crunching of large 4K video files, batch photos, etc. Apple has designed the ssd access to be so quick on newest macs that there isn’t a big difference in loading safari tabs and sleep state apps from ram vs ssd. People thinking that having 16gb will make a noticeable difference on day to day use or even on complex programs will be sorely disappointed. if you’re one of those YouTube video editors or professional photographers maybe but then again when’s the last time you’ve seen someone batch apply complex filters to raw files on an iPad….the file system is just not conducive to it. There’s a reason why the apple website doesn’t even mention the 16gb of ram when selecting the 1tb or 2tb options or the store as those shouldn’t really be deciding factors.

 

[petvas]

If anyone has used the M1 macs they’ll see that 8gb and 16gb models are extremely close in performance with exception of when programs are doing a lot of crunching of large 4K video files, batch photos, etc. Apple has designed the ssd access to be so quick on newest macs that there isn’t a big difference in loading safari tabs and sleep state apps from ram vs ssd. People thinking that having 16gb will make a noticeable difference on day to day use or even on complex programs will be sorely disappointed. if you’re one of those YouTube video editors or professional photographers maybe but then again when’s the last time you’ve seen someone batch apply complex filters to raw files on an iPad….the file system is just not conducive to it. There’s a reason why the apple website doesn’t even mention the 16gb of ram when selecting the 1tb or 2tb options or the store as those shouldn’t really be deciding factors.

The Apple Website does mention the 16GB of RAM. This happens for the first time ever..

 

[cupcakes2000]

The thing is that an OS that allows true multitasking potentially will require more RAM, especially for people that like or need to run multiple apps at once. This isn‘t currently possible on iPadOS, so at the end of the day it comes down to how much RAM does a single app can really use and how many apps should be held in RAM so that when you switch to them there will not be a resume. Of course 16GB will be better, but the difference will be for most users negligible.

You can multitask on an iPad, with respect to using multiple apps at the same time. I can have safari with multiple tabs open doing multiple upload and download tasks, I can be working on lightroom, I can have FileBrowser open on slideover renaming, moving and otherwise manipulating stored files across my iPad, iCloud, my Mac and my server and I can be watching something on PiP. What else do you want on such a small screen?
Background multitasking suffers compared to macOS - but it’s still possible to an extent. There is room for improvement obviously here though. But ipados is very young compared to any of the other big os’, traditional or mobile.

 

[aacemyan]

The Apple Website does mention the 16GB of RAM. This happens for the first time ever..

Yes, it’s mentioned under the tech specs but not when you’re actually configuring your iPad with the 1tb or 2tb options on the store page. I just don’t think they’re trying to make it a deciding factor in purchasing the device like they do on macs where it’s specifically called out for when you select the configuration.

 

[doxielover]

I’m still on my iPad Air 2. The only thing I don’t like is that it’s hard to read the screen while sitting in the sun.

 

[thadoggfather]

Even 8gb is a ton for an iOS device

that’s how much my Mac has

if you don’t also need 1tb storage and generally go with base storage I’d do the 8gb personally

OTOH if you have cash burning a hole in your pocket and are going 512gb and 12.9 and 5g might as well cough up a bit more

if tabs and apps refresh a ton with 8gb apple has an iOS ram management issue on their hands

 

[tazdevl]

Have a 512GB 11” IPP with 100GB free. I bought the 12.9 cellular 16GB/1TB. YOLO and file sizes aren’t getting any smaller. Sure with thunderbolt you can offload fIoes but have to carry the drive around if you may need them or offload to the cloud. Rather just have it all handy, not deal with moving stuff around.

 

[HEK]

There is a saying I have yet to find issue with.

”You can never be too young, have too much money, or have too much memory storage And ram.”

Being as old as I am, I loose out on the first point. Buying the top line Apple devices prevents me from ever having too much money. But with 2TB storage and 16GB ram, I did succeed on the last point. At least in my mind.