Yeah I got my 2018 12.9 refurbished from Apple. Saved over $200 which covered the cost of my Pencil and then some. Now with the Magic Keyboard its my favorite device.
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iPad Pro Welp, i went and did exactly what i said I wouldn’t: got an iPad Pro 12.9
- Thread starter Ghost31
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I know you said you’ll give an update at the 1 week mark, but feeling a little impatient and really curious to see how you feel now that you’ve had it the best part of a week, especially with the 12.9 magic keyboard.
My partner received his the other day and boy it’s huge! Although he doesn’t have the keyboard.
I flipped earlier thinking the 11 must be a better size, but just looking at that screen and I’m drooling.
For someone that was so set on the 11, will be interesting to read your thoughts now, especially with the ‘heavy’ keyboard.
I have three iPads. I use the 12.9 (first gen) the most, love it, for most things, work and consumption, in the house, it is wifi only. Carry the Cellular iPad mini everywhere with me, perfect on the go size, so light i can hardly feel it in my bag. I love the 10.5 too, There are some situations where it is the perfect size, I also use it in tandem with the 12.9 when working. I won’t replace the 10.5, the 12.9 and the mini are the perfect combination for me.
That’s partly the trouble, I have the IPP10.5 which I love already.
I do like the look of the magic keyboard though, and don’t think it’s worth getting a Smart Keyboard now for a device which is 3 years old now, even if it is as good as day 1... so if I did splash out the cash I’m really torn by the 11 vs 12.9
keep coming around to the 12.9, but it’s that niggle as it’s just damn big.
I know @Ghost31 was set on the 11, so great to have some updates, especially with the Magic Keyboard.
Ghost, do you pick up the iPad just as much as you did before you went with the 12.9?
Well in that case, here’s my update! Don’t know how long i can make this since im at work pretending to work, but if i can escape my boss for a good 10 minutes, I’ll type a little something out.
So my expectations were totally flipped from what i thought they would be. I figured I’d give the 12.9 a try and feel its too big and end up returning it. And hey. At least i’d get to write in these threads about how i gave it a try and my experience with it and I’d get the peace of mind of being able to try it, KNOW its not for me and go back to the 11 not having any doubts whatsoever. Those were what i expected...
but it flipped completely. I got it, thought “wow that’s so big. But like..manageable! Way smaller than my old one” and i instantly fell in love. During my first day with it the thought did creep into my head “I’m probably just in awe of its size. But given time, I’ll probably hate it being so big and not like it as much”. Well its been just about a week...and i think i love it even more now than i did the first day i got it.
I think we all have a gut intuition when we see something that makes sense for us. We cant always put it into words or explain it perfectly, but we can see it and get this feeling within ourselves that says “yes. That feels right. I like this. This is for me”. I have that everytime i get out my 12.9. I was pretty happy with my 11inch ipad, but especially after getting my magic keyboard, started to feel like it was a tad too small. But i kept talking myself out of it because i told myself the bigger one is just way too big. Well the size is something you can get used to and it gets to a point where it feels completely normal. Here’s a couple pictures of me doing normal things. Now if you didn’t know i had a giant ipad, does it really LOOK that big? When people talk about it being “beastly” and “unwieldy” and a “monstrosity”, is this what you picture? Or does it look no more crazy than a person holding a notebook? The first picture is me on my day off just in my dark living room. Apple TV in the background and my ipad set up on a tray table feeling totally good. The second is me reading in kindle and its the size of books i used to read in school. Only this one is actually thinner and lighter. I remember how thick Harry Potter felt and what a pain it was to carry around. This? Ain’t nothing. And the last is just me watching tik tok videos. It’s incredibly comfortable. And i got to borrow someone’s Apple Pencil to try out, but i don’t think it was made for people like me that write like a 4 year old. I will say though: it feels a hell of a lot nicer than the old one i used to have.
I primarily use my ipad at work and on the couch at home. Sometimes I’ll take it off the case and just use it as a tablet and its actually better for me as a tablet than my old one. I can see more. Everything catches my attention so much better on the bigger screen. I’m more prone to watching full length movies or tv shows, I’m much more likely to read. I just used my ipad so much more now than i did with the 11. Thinking about trying Apple Arcade and seeing how i like gaming on the bigger ipad. I don’t have a single regret other than not getting it sooner. I think the bigger ipad gives me more purpose to move away from my big iPhone. Ive got the bigger iPhone. So a lot of times with my ipad 11 inch, I’d figure it wasn’t that much bigger to go on the ipad and use my iPhone for stuff. But now? The difference is so big, if i can use the ipad for anything, I’ll use it over my phone. That makes it worth the price right there
And a little side note about bulk: This video explains it well. Guy in medical school talking about the size difference and how when you’re carrying it, its not really noticeable.
I used to say get the 11 by default and only the 12.9 if you’re some weird rare use case. But now I’d go the other way. By default, I’d tell people to try the 12.9. Give it a real shot. And if you want more portability, cool get the 11. But at this point i feel like I’d be missing out so much if i had to go back to the smaller one. The better speakers, the easier to see screen, the ability to use Apple Pencil and magic keyboard without feeling cramped, Full size ipad apps in split screen, etc. I feel good. I’ll let ya know if i ever change my mind, but so far...i can see myself having this for years and not getting sick of it. This was supposed to be short. I rambled. Once i start, sometimes i can’t stop! Back to work
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Just wanted to shout you out and say thanks for the comment about mental health. Surprisingly, you’re the only one that brought it up and I appreciate it. Things have been hard over here. I’m a medical worker and i lost a couple people the past month with everything thats going on and i usually rock at not getting overly emotional about things, but lately i’ve just been in a funk. 12-16 hour shifts will do that to ya. Getting a new toy definitely got me excited again
Hope you end up getting the 12.9 and join the club my man. When you do, you gotta let us know how its working for ya and if it was everything you wanted. Take care
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Thank you so much @Ghost31 , thats really helpful.
Especially the point about thinking you’d end up getting used to the 11, but didn’t...
Id say you pretty much covered everything there so it’s great to read how someone so set on the 11 has changed to the 12.9
sorry to hear about the things you’ve been going through, glad you’re getting back on track.
thanks again for all the good insight!
take care
Dangit people! Stop making me question whether the 11 is the right iPad for me! My return window is almost up at ATT.
Update to my previous message...
@Ghost31 tipped me over the edge (and also seeing my partners new 12.9) and I’ve just placed a click and collect order for a 12.9 one for pickup tomorrow.
Haven‘t purchased the Magic Keyboard..... (yet!)
@Ghost31 tipped me over the edge (and also seeing my partners new 12.9) and I’ve just placed a click and collect order for a 12.9 one for pickup tomorrow.
Haven‘t purchased the Magic Keyboard..... (yet!)
I do like hearing people’s experiences when they’ve switched to a different size iPad and can see the benefits for their use cases. In my case, I adore the larger screen, aspect ratio and split view on the 12.9”. I also think the larger Magic Keyboard suits me better. I can cope with any weight or size issues because it’s worth it for that screen for me. It’s usually on my lap or on a desk. I don’t walk around with it or use it on public transport etc. I use my iPhone 11 Pro Max for that.
The one thing I do think about is split screen - I know it’s a better experience with a 12.9. I also know the keyboard would be full size, so I am sure the experience of that would be better, although I’m already pretty used to this one for the 11, and it’s really fine for me because my hands are small. But I just had to consider how often I use split screen (rarely), and how often I really need to type for long periods (also rarely). For me I just don’t think holding the 12.9 in my lap or trying to read with it in my lap or bed would be comfortable, and those are things I’m likely to do more.
It’s funny - I went into this with every intention of getting the 12.9. I mean after all, I was selling my iMac and the 12.9 is certainly a better, more logical size replacement for that, but the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t get past the compact, more portable 11.
Of course reading all this makes me question my decision, but then I grab the 11” pro off the MK and go sit in a chair with it and realize it’s pretty darn perfect for my needs.
That's only because you haven't tried the 2018/2020 iPP 12.9. 😉
That could be the case, but doing AT&T I just don’t have the options of returning and trying it and then if I don’t like that one, returning again. It would be a disaster.
I know. I wonder if they’d charge them if I was swapping. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t.
But at this point, I’ve gotten my skins, and I have my Magic Keyboard, and it just seems like too much of a hassle. I think I’ll just resign myself to enjoying my device, and consider the 12.9 with the next release.
So around 6 months?
I don't change phones often but I admit, if Apple had an iPad Upgrade Program, I'd be so on it (getting both Pro sizes).
So around 6 months?
I don't change phones often but I admit, if Apple had an iPad Upgrade Program, I'd be so on it (getting both Pro sizes).
Well, I’m not sure I’m expecting them to release a second pro model in a year, and if they did, I doubt I’d make a change that quickly, but maybe a year or so from now I would.
I think one was originally planned for late 2020 (actual upgrade instead of minor refresh) but I expect it's been delayed due to the pandemic.
I feel like they’ve been on about an 18 month cycle, so spring made sense, but IDK. Sometimes I can’t keep up. ;-p
It’s great to hear that you are enjoying the 12.9” still and hearing about your use cases. I apologise for not mentioning mental health previously. It’s not easy to bring up a subject that could be touchy and personal in a public forum. Do reach out to us or others if you need to chat. I’m glad that the 12.9” seemed to come at a perfect time for you. I think that I was also using my trying of the iPP 11” somewhat as a distraction of what is going on in the world. I’ve stopped thinking about switching to the 11” now and I’m feeling content right now with my 12.9”. I am a software engineer, so I’m able to work from home at the moment, but once we return to the office, the idea of an 11” may or may not return again, we shall see. We have been advised that we will be working from home for at least another 4 months at this stage. I’m still waiting on my Magic Keyboard and now I’ve ordered the new Raspberry Pi 4 8GB version that I’ll play with and use either connected directly to the iPad or remote connect to it from the iPad. It’s really just for fun at this stage, but I think that I might learn to code in Python or make a Minecraft server for my kids and their cousins. Anyway, my point is that I got that for something to do and as a distraction.
Keep your updates coming, they are good.
If it makes your decision any easier, I have the 11” and don’t have any intention to change. The 12.9” is unquestionably too big and unwieldy for daily use for me. There isn’t one time I haven’t looked at or played around with a 12.9” where I haven’t thought, “geez, this is way too big.” I love how I can hold my 11” one handed if needed and it’s the perfect size when I’m reading in bed.
At work a number of people had the old 12.9" iPads. They were very big and unwieldy, but for what we were doing, the large screen was a necessity and we had to deal with it. The newer 12.9" models are perfect. The screen is big enough for what we need to do and it is not bulky and oversized. Reducing the bezels and eliminating the home button saved so much space!
You probably don’t even need to do that. I use my 12.9 for work when travelling, and have the Office suite of apps on it. You can download them for free from the app store, and then just login with you O365 credentials.
They are fairly good, not as fully featured as the Windows desktop versions. But certainly very capable.
We could do it that way previously, but it has been tightened down now. The apps only work with our personal accounts now and we must use the inTune profile to connect our work account (which has an Office 365 subscription). There are few things that concern me about the profile though. They activate a 2 minute timer on the screen, force frequent passcode resets and can see our apps. I wonder also if our app usage is visible. I understand that the access is so they can wipe the work content from our devices if we leave the company or if we lose a device, so I get it, but it still feels a bit controlling and like I’m being spied on. I’d love to use my iPad for Outlook and Teams, etc though, so not sure if I’ll go with it or now keep my iPad for personal usage only.
I always think that as well. I know the 12.9 is much smaller than the first 2 (I had both of those), but I also know those rarely, if ever, left my desk.
I do think the 11” is the best of both worlds. I could own both, but I know that would be ridiculous for my needs, and I like having one, more versatile device.
Totally.
The newer form factor 12.9 is actually useable in hand, whereas the first one with Touch ID wasn’t. I like to use my iPads with an Apple Pencil to take notes when I am walking around a site. You have to hold them a little like a clipboard, cradled in your arm. This works well now with either an 11 or 12.9, although it’s more convenient with the 11.