iPad Pro Welp, i went and did exactly what i said I wouldn’t: got an iPad Pro 12.9

[Retops]

Agree with previous posters on the ease of use of the 12.9 iPad. I have a third generation that is my primary business and personal computer. The large screen is great for reviewing documents in split screen mode while taking notes. I handle big files including data bases with no problems. I don’t do photo editing but do shoot photos on some business projects. I carry over 50 technical manuals, several years of business files, all my accounting, and over 100 PowerPoint presentations for business plus lots of personal books, several thousand music files, and several GBs of note files.

I love being able to have this much power in such a small device. I never lug a laptop now.

 

[lax28]

I still have my 10.5" Pro and have been considering going to the 2020 Pro. I just haven't decided on 11" or 12.9" yet. The main reason I didn't go 12.9" before was the huge footprint it had before it got the redesign with Face ID.

keep the 10.5 and get the 12.9. That was my set up for a couple years now, it was awesome. I used both all the time for different things. My wife 9.7 battery really started to die way too quickly and gave me the green light to buy a new 11 if I gave her my 10.5. instead of buying her a new 11. She prefers Touch ID devices.

 

[jaybar]

well I went and did exactly what I said I wasn’t going to do. I was so damn sure the 11 inch iPad Pro was THE one for me. That it was a match made in heaven. That there couldn’t be a more perfectest size to where I would scream from the rooftops “dont get a 12.9 unless you’re a power user!” Welp...like any fun relationship, there’s a hell of a break up at the end. And I’ve broken up with my 11 inch and I’m here typing from my 12.9 and I have something to report: ITS AWESOME.



Like so awesome. So awesome that I got it totally having a mix of emotions between “this is awesome” and anger at myself for not getting this size two years ago when the big redesign happened. The last big iPad I had was the 12.9 first and 2nd gen. By the 2nd gen I was just so done with how big and bulky it was. It just became such a chore to take it out and use it I would usually just leave it in my backpack and use my phone. So I sold it and bought a 10.5 and was happy. I wanted the “tablet experience” and I got it.



Then I got the 11inch and it felt right. I read a lot and browse and watch movies and it felt good for that but then the magic keyboard happened. I could go on and on about it...but suffice to say i loved the keyboard experience w/ trackpad but it felt cramped as hell. And with it on, i wanted it farther away and i noticed how super small it felt. But i was just gonna let it go for awhile and not spend $1400 on a new ipad and keyboard...



But I’m going through a bout of depression right now and i thought ya know what? Screw it. I’ll give it a try. So i got the 12.9 AND the keyboard and everything feels absolutely perfect. I’ll try to shorten the rest:

• I got used to the size within a minute. It feels way smaller than the old one and i was surprised i can hold it like a tablet. I talked in old posts about a “perspective shift”, and i got that. Now it feels normal size and 11 feels tiny
• The size has changed the way i do things. Now I feel the need to get the pencil, I’m editing more pictures and I’ve been binge watching more shows because the screen looks so much better
• Reading books i thought was going to be...tedious. Like just too big. But it feels so much better
• I use my ipad on the couch, at work and in bed sometimes. iPad naked in couch feels great.
• The speakers were immediately noticeable. I had always heard they were a bit better, but i think “a bit” is really underselling it here. They are like the difference between your built in tv speakers and a really good expensive sound bar. iPad 11 feels more like 2 speakers, this feels more like all 4. Gets way louder too. I answered a call earlier and just used it like a speakerphone and that is now my preferred way to talk to people. No more iPhone at home. Also: when i got home from work i turned on my xbox, loaded up doom eternal and muted the tv and just listened to music on my ipad. I’ve never done that before
• I didn’t understand it when people said the 12.9 felt more “premium” but now i get it. Hard to explain. Everything feels better

I know this is way too long and there’s no way anybody’s seriously gonna read all this, but in the end: I wish i would have gotten the 12.9 sooner. Completely changes the experience and all these things i thought would be annoying to me just...aren’t. It doesn’t feel big and bulky, i still use it like a tablet on the couch and i never have the feeling of “i wish i was just a little bigger”. It’s absolutely perfecto

I am loving the 12.9 MK and IPP combination. At times, b/c I am nearsighted, I would like the IPP CLOSER to me, when in bed. Should I just pop it off the MK and use it naked when in bed? The design of the MK, with its floating design, seems ideally used to that idea. However, I am conditioned to the idea of some type of cover. Since I would only do that using the iPad in bed, I am beginning to rethink the need for the smart folio.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Love this post! So much how my mind works as well. I am so guilty of screen size hopping, it is almost embarrassing. There is always a honeymoon period where I convince myself that this is the best size ever and that everything I had before was the “wrong” size. ☺️ That’s why I have owned every screen size - in fact, now I think of it, I have owned every model of iPad except for the Air 3 and the iPad 6 and 7.

This is what I have learned about myself - I will always see the pros of the other sizes when I don’t own them, and always compare those pros to the cons I only realize with the screen size I own. This imbalance will always lead me to pine after the screen sizes I don’t have.

This is weighted against my strong desire to have a holy grail single mobile device, which pulls me towards smaller form factors, while at the same time the allure of the larger screens in smaller form factors pulls me in that direction.

I got the mini 4 and the 12.9” Pro at release in 2015. I mean, the 12.9” was simply massive, not comfortable to use as I had been using iPads previously at all. Kept it for a few months trying to tough it out, but then ended up selling it and taking the loss. The mini 4 on the other hand, I simply fell in love with. I thought to myself, “That’s it. This is the perfect size, I am never leaving this form factor!” Even though it is to this day my favorite ever size, that lasted all of, what, 6 months? Because when the 9.7” Pro was released in 2016, I convinced myself I would do more on it. So I had a 9.7” iPad Pro when they released. I was happy with it for a time, but the unused mini 4 was calling to me all the time, and I eventually went back to it after a year, selling the 9.7” Pro.

Then the 10.5” Pro came out, and this was a beast of a machine. I got it at release again, and it was my main machine for 2 years. Mini 4 sat unused, but notably, I couldn’t actually bring myself to sell it. Then the next gen 11” and 12.9” Pro‘s released, and I bought both. I think the original 12.9” experience ruined my objectivity, and I still much preferred the 11” form factor. But both, because of the continued limitations of iOS, didn’t offer much more to me, and I couldn’t justify them, so I actually returned both... ...and sold the 10.5” Pro as well. So there I was January 2019 and running on a 2015 iPad mini 4 that was still awesome, barely showing its age. I almost pulled the trigger on the iPad mini 5 as well, but I had read all the rumors about iPadOS, so decided to see what was going to happen.

Installed the beta on my mini 4 and it was great! Finally proper web browsing, and exploratory cursor support, I immediately started using it with a desktop setup - external monitor, keyboard and mouse. Quickly realized that the mini 4 still could hack it with its A8 as “just“ an iPad, but using full desktop web apps was asking a lot of the almost 5 year old device.

Then when a new job opportunity popped up out of nowhere I looked back at the Pro models again, went to the retail stores and played around with all the models, iPad 7, mini 5, Air 3, 11“ and 12.9” Pro’s put them through their paces with web app productivity suites like Google and Office 365, etc. and it was clear I would need a Pro, but took several revisits to retail locations to make a decision.

In the end I went with the 11” and it has been by far the best piece of tech I have ever owned. The versatility is astounding. My work bag actually feels empty half the time. With an external monitor for work the screen real estate disadvantages shrink. I am the kind of person that when I want to be mobile, I really want to be mobile, so the MK doesn’t really appeal to me.

That said, I am on the fence about what my next iPad is going to have for a screen size. If the next gen of mini gets a Pro-like form factor and becomes like a mini 11” - plus gets an A14 - then that would be a massively compelling device, something I would give up the 11” Pro for. But, on the other hand I have professional use cases where the extra real estate of the 12.9” resolution, like full iPad UI layout for apps in split screen, especially when I am working with sensitive data and have to disconnect the big external monitor and am still zoomed out to 50% on my big spreadsheets as I get older...

So I totally get it! The dilemmas of choosing a screen size! I still highly recommend the 11” because I so value the portability aspect, and am biased by my particular use case (professionally connected to an external monitor with desktop setup 8-10 hours a day - naked in personal use, and SKF when on the go, in meetings, or commuting)

 

[rkuo]

Love this post! So much how my mind works as well. I am so guilty of screen size hopping, it is almost embarrassing. There is always a honeymoon period where I convince myself that this is the best size ever and that everything I had before was the “wrong” size. ☺ That’s why I have owned every screen size - in fact, now I think of it, I have owned every model of iPad except for the Air 3 and the iPad 6 and 7.

This is what I have learned about myself - I will always see the pros of the other sizes when I don’t own them, and always compare those pros to the cons I only realize with the screen size I own. This imbalance will always lead me to pine after the screen sizes I don’t have.

This is weighted against my strong desire to have a holy grail single mobile device, which pulls me towards smaller form factors, while at the same time the allure of the larger screens in smaller form factors pulls me in that direction.

I got the mini 4 and the 12.9” Pro at release in 2015. I mean, the 12.9” was simply massive, not comfortable to use as I had been using iPads previously at all. Kept it for a few months trying to tough it out, but then ended up selling it and taking the loss. The mini 4 on the other hand, I simply fell in love with. I thought to myself, “That’s it. This is the perfect size, I am never leaving this form factor!” Even though it is to this day my favorite ever size, that lasted all of, what, 6 months? Because when the 9.7” Pro was released in 2016, I convinced myself I would do more on it. So I had a 9.7” iPad Pro when they released. I was happy with it for a time, but the unused mini 4 was calling to me all the time, and I eventually went back to it after a year, selling the 9.7” Pro.

Then the 10.5” Pro came out, and this was a beast of a machine. I got it at release again, and it was my main machine for 2 years. Mini 4 sat unused, but notably, I couldn’t actually bring myself to sell it. Then the next gen 11” and 12.9” Pro‘s released, and I bought both. I think the original 12.9” experience ruined my objectivity, and I still much preferred the 11” form factor. But both, because of the continued limitations of iOS, didn’t offer much more to me, and I couldn’t justify them, so I actually returned both... ...and sold the 10.5” Pro as well. So there I was January 2019 and running on a 2015 iPad mini 4 that was still awesome, barely showing its age. I almost pulled the trigger on the iPad mini 5 as well, but I had read all the rumors about iPadOS, so decided to see what was going to happen.

Installed the beta on my mini 4 and it was great! Finally proper web browsing, and exploratory cursor support, I immediately started using it with a desktop setup - external monitor, keyboard and mouse. Quickly realized that the mini 4 still could hack it with its A8 as “just“ an iPad, but using full desktop web apps was asking a lot of the almost 5 year old device.

Then when a new job opportunity popped up out of nowhere I looked back at the Pro models again, went to the retail stores and played around with all the models, iPad 7, mini 5, Air 3, 11“ and 12.9” Pro’s put them through their paces with web app productivity suites like Google and Office 365, etc. and it was clear I would need a Pro, but took several revisits to retail locations to make a decision.

In the end I went with the 11” and it has been by far the best piece of tech I have ever owned. The versatility is astounding. My work bag actually feels empty half the time. With an external monitor for work the screen real estate disadvantages shrink. I am the kind of person that when I want to be mobile, I really want to be mobile, so the MK doesn’t really appeal to me.

That said, I am on the fence about what my next iPad is going to have for a screen size. If the next gen of mini gets a Pro-like form factor and becomes like a mini 11” - plus gets an A14 - then that would be a massively compelling device, something I would give up the 11” Pro for. But, on the other hand I have professional use cases where the extra real estate of the 12.9” resolution, like full iPad UI layout for apps in split screen, especially when I am working with sensitive data and have to disconnect the big external monitor and am still zoomed out to 50% on my big spreadsheets as I get older...

So I totally get it! The dilemmas of choosing a screen size! I still highly recommend the 11” because I so value the portability aspect, and am biased by my particular use case (professionally connected to an external monitor with desktop setup 8-10 hours a day - naked in personal use, and SKF when on the go, in meetings, or commuting)

Good stuff. I love the mini!

The difference for me vs a lot of other iPad Pro users here is that my iPad is an ”in-between” device. I would never spend all my time on it, and I’m not trying to be maximally productive with it. If I need screen space, I don’t solve that with a 12.9” iPad ... I go to a desktop with multiple 27” monitors.

For now, I find myself just cooling off from work with it around the house, at the dinner table, or before bed ... taking a FaceTime call in another room ... and I’m sure I’ll be traveling with it, but I’m not expected to do serious programming while I’m on vacation! So the portability of the 11” is a good feature for me vs the extra display / weight / cost of the 12.9 at this point in time.

 

[Jamacfer]

Did you ever have a Smart Keyboard folio for your 11? Was it more difficult to type of the MK for the 11 than the Smart Keyboard for the 11? Just wondering If it’s more cramped on the MK because I had zero issues using the Smart Keyboard in that size.

I don’t think I’ll still be in my return window for my 11” pro by the time my MK arrives, but I did decide if I don’t like typing on the MK, I’ll just return it and go with a Smart Keyboard folio.

i use my iPad in my lap a lot, and even though the 12.9 is tempting, I think I’d wind up regretting it.

I found the 11” screen cramped while typing on the Magic Keyboard so I returned it and got 12.9”...which is just great!

 

[TheRealAlex]

For the Size Weight and Cost of a 12.9” iPad Pro there are 3 Major Options that are far superior.

#1. 2020 Dell XPS 13”
#2. MacBook Air
#3. Or get crazy with a 13” HP x360 touch screen 4K OLED for $1300 on sale 10th Gen Intel.

whats the cost of a 13” iPAd Pro and Keyboard ? $999 128GB base model plus $350 iPad Magic Keyboard. That’s

$1350 ! any 13” Laptop above has double the Storage and a lot more features.

 

[Jamacfer]

Good stuff. I love the mini!

The difference for me vs a lot of other iPad Pro users here is that my iPad is an ”in-between” device. I would never spend all my time on it, and I’m not trying to be maximally productive with it. If I need screen space, I don’t solve that with a 12.9” iPad ... I go to a desktop with multiple 27” monitors.

For now, I find myself just cooling off from work with it around the house, at the dinner table, or before bed ... taking a FaceTime call in another room ... and I’m sure I’ll be traveling with it, but I’m not expected to do serious programming while I’m on vacation! So the portability of the 11” is a good feature for me vs the extra display / weight / cost of the 12.9 at this point in time.

The 12.9” should be considered as an “hybrid” between a laptop and a tablet. Of course not a replacement of a “desktop with multiple 27” monitors”. I also own a 12.9” IPP (instead of my old MacBookAir + IPP 10.5”) and a 27” iMac.

 

[Jamacfer]

For the Size Weight and Cost of a 12.9” iPad Pro there are 3 Major Options that are far superior.

#1. 2020 Dell XPS 13”
#2. MacBook Air
#3. Or get crazy with a 13” HP x360 touch screen 4K OLED for $1300 on sale 10th Gen Intel.

whats the cost of a 13” iPAd Pro and Keyboard ? $999 128GB base model plus $350 iPad Magic Keyboard. That’s

$1350 ! any 13” Laptop above has double the Storage and a lot more features.

In my opinion is like comparing apples and pears. Tablets and laptops are 2 different devices...so it is not a matter of costs, sizes and weights...you get a plane if you need to fly and a car if you need to drive.

 

[secretk]

For the Size Weight and Cost of a 12.9” iPad Pro there are 3 Major Options that are far superior.

#1. 2020 Dell XPS 13”
#2. MacBook Air
#3. Or get crazy with a 13” HP x360 touch screen 4K OLED for $1300 on sale 10th Gen Intel.

whats the cost of a 13” iPAd Pro and Keyboard ? $999 128GB base model plus $350 iPad Magic Keyboard. That’s

$1350 ! any 13” Laptop above has double the Storage and a lot more features.

This is true! It is true that Macbook Pros cost more but honestly there are Windows laptops out there with more RAM (and even the option to increase if further during its life span) and storage that are less expensive than the newer iPPs. I know that my current Windows laptop costed as much as 11 inch iPP with 512 GB or 12.9 inch with 256. This is withought the keyboard and the pencil. Let's forget the pencil because my laptop is not touch screen either. But if we add the keyboard into the mix, we have to lower the storage to a notch. So my Windows laptop costs as much as 256 GB 11 inch or 128 12.9 inch iPP. The thing is that my laptop has 512 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD and I can add up to 32 GB RAM. And honestly I cannot go with less storage than that for a main device.

If you can afford having both sure have both but if I have to choose one device I would choose the laptop at this price.

 

[ssledoux]

For the Size Weight and Cost of a 12.9” iPad Pro there are 3 Major Options that are far superior.

#1. 2020 Dell XPS 13”
#2. MacBook Air
#3. Or get crazy with a 13” HP x360 touch screen 4K OLED for $1300 on sale 10th Gen Intel.

whats the cost of a 13” iPAd Pro and Keyboard ? $999 128GB base model plus $350 iPad Magic Keyboard. That’s

$1350 ! any 13” Laptop above has double the Storage and a lot more features.

Well, for someone like me, thise aren’t really options. I’ve never had a desire to own a laptop, I prefer iPadOS, and I want the versatility of going from a desk setup with keyboard to a tablet in my lap. Of. course I realize that isn’t the case for a lot of people, but I am happy to have reached a point where the iPP is the only computing device I need.

 

[secretk]

Well, for someone like me, thise aren’t really options. I’ve never had a desire to own a laptop, I prefer iPadOS, and I want the versatility of going from a desk setup with keyboard to a tablet in my lap. Of. course I realize that isn’t the case for a lot of people, but I am happy to have reached a point where the iPP is the only computing device I need.

The price is definitely worth it and even more for people that can rely on their iPP to be their only computing device. Things unfortunately seem differently for people that cannot achieve this. Then it all comes to budget - how much makes sense to do such expensive purchase compared to the needs you have. And this is where it is different for everyone of us.

 

[Coolpher]

well I went and did exactly what I said I wasn’t going to do. I was so damn sure the 11 inch iPad Pro was THE one for me. That it was a match made in heaven. That there couldn’t be a more perfectest size to where I would scream from the rooftops “dont get a 12.9 unless you’re a power user!” Welp...like any fun relationship, there’s a hell of a break up at the end. And I’ve broken up with my 11 inch and I’m here typing from my 12.9 and I have something to report: ITS AWESOME.



Like so awesome. So awesome that I got it totally having a mix of emotions between “this is awesome” and anger at myself for not getting this size two years ago when the big redesign happened. The last big iPad I had was the 12.9 first and 2nd gen. By the 2nd gen I was just so done with how big and bulky it was. It just became such a chore to take it out and use it I would usually just leave it in my backpack and use my phone. So I sold it and bought a 10.5 and was happy. I wanted the “tablet experience” and I got it.



Then I got the 11inch and it felt right. I read a lot and browse and watch movies and it felt good for that but then the magic keyboard happened. I could go on and on about it...but suffice to say i loved the keyboard experience w/ trackpad but it felt cramped as hell. And with it on, i wanted it farther away and i noticed how super small it felt. But i was just gonna let it go for awhile and not spend $1400 on a new ipad and keyboard...



But I’m going through a bout of depression right now and i thought ya know what? Screw it. I’ll give it a try. So i got the 12.9 AND the keyboard and everything feels absolutely perfect. I’ll try to shorten the rest:

• I got used to the size within a minute. It feels way smaller than the old one and i was surprised i can hold it like a tablet. I talked in old posts about a “perspective shift”, and i got that. Now it feels normal size and 11 feels tiny
• The size has changed the way i do things. Now I feel the need to get the pencil, I’m editing more pictures and I’ve been binge watching more shows because the screen looks so much better
• Reading books i thought was going to be...tedious. Like just too big. But it feels so much better
• I use my ipad on the couch, at work and in bed sometimes. iPad naked in couch feels great.
• The speakers were immediately noticeable. I had always heard they were a bit better, but i think “a bit” is really underselling it here. They are like the difference between your built in tv speakers and a really good expensive sound bar. iPad 11 feels more like 2 speakers, this feels more like all 4. Gets way louder too. I answered a call earlier and just used it like a speakerphone and that is now my preferred way to talk to people. No more iPhone at home. Also: when i got home from work i turned on my xbox, loaded up doom eternal and muted the tv and just listened to music on my ipad. I’ve never done that before
• I didn’t understand it when people said the 12.9 felt more “premium” but now i get it. Hard to explain. Everything feels better

I know this is way too long and there’s no way anybody’s seriously gonna read all this, but in the end: I wish i would have gotten the 12.9 sooner. Completely changes the experience and all these things i thought would be annoying to me just...aren’t. It doesn’t feel big and bulky, i still use it like a tablet on the couch and i never have the feeling of “i wish i was just a little bigger”. It’s absolutely perfecto

Call I had a personal experience something like that except for with a 2018 and it kind it was forced into the 11 inch because of the availability at the time you could only get the 11 inch without having to wait a month if I had gone with the 12.9 back in 2018 I probably wouldn’t have upgraded in 2020 but because I was on the 11 inch and I really needed to have the 12.9 inch for its size and quality of audio etc. oh I would’ve just gotten the magic keyboard and called in today but I ended up upgrading After all

 

[kupkakez]

Did you ever have a Smart Keyboard folio for your 11? Was it more difficult to type of the MK for the 11 than the Smart Keyboard for the 11? Just wondering If it’s more cramped on the MK because I had zero issues using the Smart Keyboard in that size.

I don’t think I’ll still be in my return window for my 11” pro by the time my MK arrives, but I did decide if I don’t like typing on the MK, I’ll just return it and go with a Smart Keyboard folio.

i use my iPad in my lap a lot, and even though the 12.9 is tempting, I think I’d wind up regretting it.

Yes! I have the Smart Keyboard folio as well. I do not notice a typing difference between the SK and the MK.

 

[ssledoux]

Yes! I have the Smart Keyboard folio as well. I do not notice a typing difference between the SK and the MK.

Well I hope that is the case for me. I typed really fast on my 11” Smart Keyboard. My MK arrives today, so we shall see!

 

[secretk]

Well I hope that is the case for me. I typed really fast on my 11” Smart Keyboard. My MK arrives today, so we shall see!

I have not used the MK but from what I have seen as reviews it seems to offer better typing experience compared to the smart folio. The smart folio is rather way too shallow and does not offer good key travel. I also hate the texture. Like my skin hates it. It does not react well to it. I get like numbness in my hands if I use it for more than an hour a day.

So I think that you will like MK but soon enough you will know.

 

[Traverse]

I will be curious to hear your thoughts after a week or so of use. I’ve known a few people who were thrilled with the larger iPads initially, but came to feel like they were burdensome in most situations after the honeymoon phase was over.

 

[Ghost31]

I will be curious to hear your thoughts after a week or so of use. I’ve known a few people who were thrilled with the larger iPads initially, but came to feel like they were burdensome in most situations after the honeymoon phase was over.

I’ll update this thread at the week and then the 1 month mark

 

[allisonv7]

I did something similar. I need an iPad to do some photo editing when traveling. I really, really wanted to get a mini because of the size. Cost is a factor too, but function is priority. After going to look at them in store the other day I bit the bullet on an 11" Pro, 256gb. If they had a Pro Mini I'd be in hog heaven, but they don't and I decided to sacrifice on size a bit for the upgraded features. After scrutinizing it in person I think the Mini would be slightly too small. If they could get rid of the bezel I think it would have been workable for me.

 

[MPclk2006]

great post... I haven’t purchased a new iPad yet (still on the IPP10.5), I was definitely in the 11 camp, but think I’ve now moved to the 12.9 way of thinking.
Partner has one coming so will be good to see it when it arrives.

not sure if I can justify a new iPad, but so tempting to get the 12.9

I feel the same way, I do not have a reason for a new Ipad, I have the 10.5 and a 2017 Macbook pro so I don't have a need for an 11 or 12.9. Do I want one of those? YES! lol

 

[Rick_2020]

Hi Ghost,

First, mental health is important and many people are being affected right now in the world. Depression is serious and glad you are happy with this purchase as I know for me, a distraction is sometimes helpful. I'm trying to focus on technology and read less news for example! Hope you are doing okay and stay well.

Second, thanks for all the info. I had the 11" and returned it. I thought it was too small, but oddly was expecting it to be too big. I'm waiting now for the right promo (Air Miles) before I purchase again. I think I will get the 12.9" next time thanks to your insight. I mostly just use my iPad in bed watching movies and surfing the net. It will be like having my MacBook Pro in bed, without the need to type!

Rick

 

[GuruZac]

well I went and did exactly what I said I wasn’t going to do. I was so damn sure the 11 inch iPad Pro was THE one for me. That it was a match made in heaven. That there couldn’t be a more perfectest size to where I would scream from the rooftops “dont get a 12.9 unless you’re a power user!” Welp...like any fun relationship, there’s a hell of a break up at the end. And I’ve broken up with my 11 inch and I’m here typing from my 12.9 and I have something to report: ITS AWESOME.



Like so awesome. So awesome that I got it totally having a mix of emotions between “this is awesome” and anger at myself for not getting this size two years ago when the big redesign happened. The last big iPad I had was the 12.9 first and 2nd gen. By the 2nd gen I was just so done with how big and bulky it was. It just became such a chore to take it out and use it I would usually just leave it in my backpack and use my phone. So I sold it and bought a 10.5 and was happy. I wanted the “tablet experience” and I got it.



Then I got the 11inch and it felt right. I read a lot and browse and watch movies and it felt good for that but then the magic keyboard happened. I could go on and on about it...but suffice to say i loved the keyboard experience w/ trackpad but it felt cramped as hell. And with it on, i wanted it farther away and i noticed how super small it felt. But i was just gonna let it go for awhile and not spend $1400 on a new ipad and keyboard...



But I’m going through a bout of depression right now and i thought ya know what? Screw it. I’ll give it a try. So i got the 12.9 AND the keyboard and everything feels absolutely perfect. I’ll try to shorten the rest:

• I got used to the size within a minute. It feels way smaller than the old one and i was surprised i can hold it like a tablet. I talked in old posts about a “perspective shift”, and i got that. Now it feels normal size and 11 feels tiny
• The size has changed the way i do things. Now I feel the need to get the pencil, I’m editing more pictures and I’ve been binge watching more shows because the screen looks so much better
• Reading books i thought was going to be...tedious. Like just too big. But it feels so much better
• I use my ipad on the couch, at work and in bed sometimes. iPad naked in couch feels great.
• The speakers were immediately noticeable. I had always heard they were a bit better, but i think “a bit” is really underselling it here. They are like the difference between your built in tv speakers and a really good expensive sound bar. iPad 11 feels more like 2 speakers, this feels more like all 4. Gets way louder too. I answered a call earlier and just used it like a speakerphone and that is now my preferred way to talk to people. No more iPhone at home. Also: when i got home from work i turned on my xbox, loaded up doom eternal and muted the tv and just listened to music on my ipad. I’ve never done that before
• I didn’t understand it when people said the 12.9 felt more “premium” but now i get it. Hard to explain. Everything feels better

I know this is way too long and there’s no way anybody’s seriously gonna read all this, but in the end: I wish i would have gotten the 12.9 sooner. Completely changes the experience and all these things i thought would be annoying to me just...aren’t. It doesn’t feel big and bulky, i still use it like a tablet on the couch and i never have the feeling of “i wish i was just a little bigger”. It’s absolutely perfecto

Big congrats! I used the 10.5 iPad Pro for 3 years in undergrad before moving to my 12.9 iPad Pro. My wife surprised me with the Magic Keyboard and with the 12.9 it’s a perfect match made. I totally understand what you mean about the experience feeling more premium. I’ve found it the extra real estate to be really nice for documents notes and videos...basically everything. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it for a while! ?

 

[riverfreak]

I feel the same way-- I had 2nd gen 12.9 and an 11 and used the 12.9 primarily for work and the 11 for play. 11 was by far my favorite. Now, with a refurb 2018 12.9, I want to use it for practically everything. The improved footprint makes a huge difference. I almost wonder if I should sell the 11, but it is nice for throwing in my purse for being out and about (not that much, because even in non-quarantine I work from home) and necessary to have both iPads for work when I travel. So since I already have the 11, I'll keep it.

I had the original 12.9 with the keyboard folio. It was so huge I rarely used it. It just felt unwieldy.

Now I have the 11” and 12.9”. Yeah, I’m one of the crazy ones. I use the 11” for reading, catching up on news and email, managing the stereo system, au naturel of course (the iPad, not me).

The 12.9 stays at my desk, and when I need it, I pop it off the MK and use it for sheet music at my piano. Coupled with a blue tooth foot pedal it is absolutely amazing.

I keep different complements of apps and accounts on each device to maintain a good separation of work and personal concerns.

It’s a great combination.
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Love this post! So much how my mind works as well. I am so guilty of screen size hopping, it is almost embarrassing. There is always a honeymoon period where I convince myself that this is the best size ever and that everything I had before was the “wrong” size. ☺ That’s why I have owned every screen size - in fact, now I think of it, I have owned every model of iPad except for the Air 3 and the iPad 6 and 7.

This is what I have learned about myself - I will always see the pros of the other sizes when I don’t own them, and always compare those pros to the cons I only realize with the screen size I own. This imbalance will always lead me to pine after the screen sizes I don’t have.

This is weighted against my strong desire to have a holy grail single mobile device, which pulls me towards smaller form factors, while at the same time the allure of the larger screens in smaller form factors pulls me in that direction.

I got the mini 4 and the 12.9” Pro at release in 2015. I mean, the 12.9” was simply massive, not comfortable to use as I had been using iPads previously at all. Kept it for a few months trying to tough it out, but then ended up selling it and taking the loss. The mini 4 on the other hand, I simply fell in love with. I thought to myself, “That’s it. This is the perfect size, I am never leaving this form factor!” Even though it is to this day my favorite ever size, that lasted all of, what, 6 months? Because when the 9.7” Pro was released in 2016, I convinced myself I would do more on it. So I had a 9.7” iPad Pro when they released. I was happy with it for a time, but the unused mini 4 was calling to me all the time, and I eventually went back to it after a year, selling the 9.7” Pro.

Then the 10.5” Pro came out, and this was a beast of a machine. I got it at release again, and it was my main machine for 2 years. Mini 4 sat unused, but notably, I couldn’t actually bring myself to sell it. Then the next gen 11” and 12.9” Pro‘s released, and I bought both. I think the original 12.9” experience ruined my objectivity, and I still much preferred the 11” form factor. But both, because of the continued limitations of iOS, didn’t offer much more to me, and I couldn’t justify them, so I actually returned both... ...and sold the 10.5” Pro as well. So there I was January 2019 and running on a 2015 iPad mini 4 that was still awesome, barely showing its age. I almost pulled the trigger on the iPad mini 5 as well, but I had read all the rumors about iPadOS, so decided to see what was going to happen.

Installed the beta on my mini 4 and it was great! Finally proper web browsing, and exploratory cursor support, I immediately started using it with a desktop setup - external monitor, keyboard and mouse. Quickly realized that the mini 4 still could hack it with its A8 as “just“ an iPad, but using full desktop web apps was asking a lot of the almost 5 year old device.

Then when a new job opportunity popped up out of nowhere I looked back at the Pro models again, went to the retail stores and played around with all the models, iPad 7, mini 5, Air 3, 11“ and 12.9” Pro’s put them through their paces with web app productivity suites like Google and Office 365, etc. and it was clear I would need a Pro, but took several revisits to retail locations to make a decision.

In the end I went with the 11” and it has been by far the best piece of tech I have ever owned. The versatility is astounding. My work bag actually feels empty half the time. With an external monitor for work the screen real estate disadvantages shrink. I am the kind of person that when I want to be mobile, I really want to be mobile, so the MK doesn’t really appeal to me.

That said, I am on the fence about what my next iPad is going to have for a screen size. If the next gen of mini gets a Pro-like form factor and becomes like a mini 11” - plus gets an A14 - then that would be a massively compelling device, something I would give up the 11” Pro for. But, on the other hand I have professional use cases where the extra real estate of the 12.9” resolution, like full iPad UI layout for apps in split screen, especially when I am working with sensitive data and have to disconnect the big external monitor and am still zoomed out to 50% on my big spreadsheets as I get older...

So I totally get it! The dilemmas of choosing a screen size! I still highly recommend the 11” because I so value the portability aspect, and am biased by my particular use case (professionally connected to an external monitor with desktop setup 8-10 hours a day - naked in personal use, and SKF when on the go, in meetings, or commuting)

Some people have cautioned about using a single device for both work and personal tasks if your work could ever be the subject of a discovery claim. Perhaps of greater concern is if confidential work documents be spilled via discovery in a personal matter. Or even more simply, what if you inadvertently mix things up with your employers Dropbox or email system and then lose access when you move to greener pastures.

Totally off topic, sorry. I’ll return to my Tiger King.

 

[MacManTexas56]

I had exact same thoughts as you. When I would hear about or see the 12.9 inch Pro I would say how stupid it was being that big lol. Now here I am typing on my magic keyboard on my 12.9 inch iPad Pro! This thing is the perfect size as the screen is the same size as all the apple laptops I’ve had. It’s completely replacing my laptop and will be my only “computer” and this thing will be great. My wife has the 11 inch iPad Pro with magic keyboard and she loves it. I had that right before this big one and kept saying to myself, I need something just a tad bigger. Love this 12.9 pro!!

 

[Six0Four]

Nice choice. I picked up the 12.9 2018 model on sale and it’s now gonna replace my laptop.