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I've tried to explain that my issues are with how the hardware is changing. There's now no such thing as a "premium" iPad that is less than 10". I feel that this is telling of Apple's intent to focus on laptop functionality over tablet functionality in the future.

If your main gripe is with the price of the iPad Pro just wait until they go on sale or start showing up in Apple's refurb store. The 2017 iPad was created to address falling sales. They had to cost cut somewhere to get to the $329 price point. None of this really points to prioritizing laptop functionality over all else IMO.
 
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Agreed. I upgraded to the 9.7 Pro 256GB because I was just a wee bit short of wanting to tear my hair out whenever I used my iPad Air 16GB (slow, storage always full).

Regardless of the release of a new and improved 10.5 model now, ~15 months later, getting the 9.7 Pro when I did has saved me a lot of frustration. Amortizing the cost during that time frame, it's ~$70/mo or ~$2.33/day. With how much I use it, it's been well worth it even if I stop using it today. Goodness knows I've spent more than that on a 1-2 week vacation.

Honestly, I wish I had upgraded to the Air 2 128GB back when it was first released. Would've saved me a great deal of grief from October 2014 to March 2016.

No regrets here either, but I do wonder - you'll hold on to it rather than sell it? The 9.7" iPad Pro was practically non-existent during the keynote, and doesn't exist online in the Apple store now. I feel it doesn't bode well for long-term support :confused:
 
I could care less about having another inch of screen of a 0.5 processor upgrade...
as long as iOS takes iPads to new heights, which I believe it will. I am very much looking forward to iOS 11.
 
I truly believe you will find the size difference meaningless while welcoming the new larger screen.

Your needs are probably the third priority for Apple at this point. They need the low cost iPad to get users to upgrade and they need the iPad Pros to further push their next generation of computing.

Your needs are now the in-betweeen. But I am sure Apple will address them in time.
 
No regrets here either, but I do wonder - you'll hold on to it rather than sell it? The 9.7" iPad Pro was practically non-existent during the keynote, and doesn't exist online in the Apple store now. I feel it doesn't bode well for long-term support :confused:
I don't sell my iPads. They get handed down to family members. Heck, both my dad and brother have already called dibs on my 9.7 Pro 256GB LTE whenever I upgrade.

As for long term support, I reckon replacing the 9.7 Pro when I actually find performance lacking (probably in 1-2 years) will work better than replacing it now with the 10.5 Pro in the name of "future-proofing".
 
No regrets here either, but I do wonder - you'll hold on to it rather than sell it? The 9.7" iPad Pro was practically non-existent during the keynote, and doesn't exist online in the Apple store now. I feel it doesn't bode well for long-term support :confused:

I wouldn’t worry much about support. It’ll likely continue to receive iOS updates for as long as A9 based devices do. Same maybe as the original 12.9”?
 
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I wouldn’t worry much about support. It’ll likely continue to receive iOS updates for as long as A9 based devices do. Same maybe as the original 12.9”?

Well the iPad Pro 9.7" seems to have vanished in the same way as the iPad mini 3, so I'm expecting it will be supported in a similar manner. I am not sure exactly what threshold to compare it against though - the iPad mini 3 most closely resembles the iPad mini 2. The 9.7" is essentially in limbo, with Pencil / keyboard (no longer buyable?) / A9X but 2GB of RAM. I trust Apple will support it much longer than e.g. the equivalent Android tablet, but it seems like Apple intends for it to be forgotten.

What troubles me is that the iPad mini as a whole had essentially the same treatment as the 9.7", but at least it's still visible on the Apple Store.
 
I would have trouble considering any $500 + iPad Pro. At that price point, a Surface Pro 4 or Pro 5 could offer full fledged Windows plus ergonomics to boot. I might ditch my iPad for the Surface Pro 4 around back to school sales that way I can use it for my final year in my masters program.
 
If your main gripe is with the price of the iPad Pro just wait until they go on sale or start showing up in Apple's refurb store. The 2017 iPad was created to address falling sales. They had to cost cut somewhere to get to the $329 price point. None of this really points to prioritizing laptop functionality over all else IMO.

I don't have any gripe, per se. I don't have an interest in buying any of the current iPads, and price is not an issue. I'm just sharing my thoughts.
 
As I understand it, the base iPad ($329) still gets all of the iOS 11 productivity improvement; i.e..g better multi-tasking, new dock, drag/drop capability, File App, improved virtual keyboard, etc.. Plus the base iPad continues to support iWork, iMovie, Garage Band, Photos and tens of thousands of apps.

It seems like people can do a lot with just the low cost model. I think it is a great option for most people.
 
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Well the iPad Pro 9.7" seems to have vanished in the same way as the iPad mini 3, so I'm expecting it will be supported in a similar manner. I am not sure exactly what threshold to compare it against though - the iPad mini 3 most closely resembles the iPad mini 2. The 9.7" is essentially in limbo, with Pencil / keyboard (no longer buyable?) / A9X but 2GB of RAM. I trust Apple will support it much longer than e.g. the equivalent Android tablet, but it seems like Apple intends for it to be forgotten.

What troubles me is that the iPad mini as a whole had essentially the same treatment as the 9.7", but at least it's still visible on the Apple Store.

But that is simply because they don’t list it for sale any longer, which I think is a good thing in a way. I’d rather they move forward instead of letting older models linger. Keeps a cleaner line up.

There’s still a section for all the 9.7” Pro accessories too. I really don’t see what the issue is.
 
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But that is simply because they don’t list it for sale any longer, which I think is a good thing in a way. I’d rather they move forward instead of letting older models linger. Keeps a cleaner line up.

There’s still a section for all the 9.7” Pro accessories too. I really don’t see what the issue is.
Agreed.

Apple stopped selling the iPad 4 (A6X) for a while after the Air was released but it's gotten iOS 10 while the A5-based devices only supported up to iOS 9 (although arguably, iOS 7 is probably the last actually usable firmware for A5). The iPad 3 and 4 have the same 1GB RAM but the iPad 4 fared much better compared to the iPad 3.

Also, despite the 9.7 Pro (A9X) not being sold anymore, the entry-level 2017 iPad (5th gen) only has a regular A9. The 9.7 Pro will be supported for at least as long as the 2017 iPad.
 
It seems like people can do a lot with just the low cost model. I think it is a great option for most people.
The way I see it, they have positioned the "pro" models as a good choice only for those who either a) want to make it their primary machine, or b) don't care about the cost.

For those who use an iPad to consume media and as a secondary device to a mac (or windows pc), the 2017 iPad is a vastly better value.
 
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Did you read anything I wrote beyond the title? :rolleyes:
No, they didn’t. Propbably one of those people who scream “FAKE NEWS!” Before reading the content.

I agree, the iPad needed to move forward with what they announced in iOS 11 today. They had no choice but to make the iPad Pro more feature rich and functional. If they didn’t, as much as people nay say, Apple would begin to surrender the pro tablet market share to Microsoft.

It’s quite impressive that Microsoft was able to get a fanless LTE i5 U processor in the Surface Pro 2017. Battery life will look at about 7-8 hours of real use (quoted 13) in the new SP2017, which is roughly the same as my 2015 iPad Pro 12.9.

Apple had to improve, or let their iPad languish. With all the laptop replacing marketing, it makes sense with what they did in iOS 11.
 
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