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iPad Pro Which iPad Pro and MPB combination to buy?

Z

zehcnassurfero

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 17, 2019
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Hello, I have some doubts and I don't know very well what to do, I am going to buy an ipad Pro and a Macbook Pro, but I don't know what sizes to choose on both devices. At first I thought about getting the 11 "iPad Pro and a 16" MBP.

But I had the 12.9 "iPad Pro and I don't know if it will be small now, although I imagine that in a week I will get used to it quickly.

I was also thinking about having the 11 "and the 13" MBP, to have two very portable computers and be able to easily take them anywhere.

I have to say that I am a university student and I always carry my iPad, and I would want to take the MBP sometimes to work there comfortably or anywhere with both devices, I usually use iPad for taking notes.

And I do not know if everything will become very heavy, although the big screen may also suit me better on the MacBook.
 
Generally speaking it’s really just the screen size question. How about you try these yourself as nobody here knows your preferences better than you. Use the two weeks return period to try these machines!

I would get the 16” and the 11” for portability and easy note taking.

Alternatively, get one device first and see how far that gets you, then plan to get the other one after you know your needs better.
 
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My vote would be for the 16" and the 11".

My reasoning would be you get the best of both worlds. Power and a big screen when on laptop or amazing portability and power with the iPad.

I think you need to decide how often you want to bring your MacBook along. If the answer to that is every time, it may make more sense to get the 13" if you don't need the power of the 16".
 
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Namara said:
For general university usage I would recommend the 2020 13" MBP and the 11" iPP. It might help to know what you're studying in case it's relevant to the MBP specs.
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I am studying mechanical engineering, i dont need at all higher specs, but the big screen on a MBP maybe its more comfortable than the 13” although in portability win the 13”
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AutomaticApple said:
Why not the MacBook Air?
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Because of heat issues, and its not a device that you can keep for some years
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ericwn said:
Generally speaking it’s really just the screen size question. How about you try these yourself as nobody here knows your preferences better than you. Use the two weeks return period to try these machines!

I would get the 16” and the 11” for portability and easy note taking.

Alternatively, get one device first and see how far that gets you, then plan to get the other one after you know your needs better.
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I know that I have to try all options on my usage, but at first i am very indecisive with sizes and i want to know which is the usage of other people.

Thanks for that, I think that 16” and 11” It’s the best option for me, but i am in doubt
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TonyPC said:
My vote would be for the 16" and the 11".

My reasoning would be you get the best of both worlds. Power and a big screen when on laptop or amazing portability and power with the iPad.

I think you need to decide how often you want to bring your MacBook along. If the answer to that is every time, it may make more sense to get the 13" if you don't need the power of the 16".
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Yeah, this is a good point, because of Covid-19, its really difficult to decide because I wont leave from my house to go to the university until October unless, so i cant make a decision.
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Namara said:
It also sounds like your budget is very flexible. If that's the case, I'd go for the 16" + 11" too. Let us know when you decide.
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A little bit, but my problem is for carrying with me the iPad and MBP, not for us weight, there isn’t any bag that can carry the 16” MBP or unless I didn’t find it. And I am trying the 13” MBP, and I experienced two issues: heat and battery
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AustinIllini said:
11 inch iPad Pro and 13 Inch MacBook Pro. Sub out 16 inch MacBook Pro depending on your needs. I love both those devices for completely different reasons
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Do you have the MBP 13”?
 
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I personally would not take 11 inch iPad and 13 inch MacBook Pro as I would feel that those two machines kind of coincide too much in terms of screen size, weight and portability. If you have 11 inch iPad Pro then most probably this would be go to portable machine and you would carry around your MacBook Pro in the cases where you really need MacOS. I would base the decision on how often do you think that you will carry found the MacBook Pro. If it is rarely I would opt for bigger screen as I assume you would use it as sort of desktop machine (compared to the iPad which is portable device). Yes, it is true that it will weigh more and you would want to carry it around every day.

On backpacks MacBook Pro is light weight enough to fit in every 15.6 inch backpack. I would not worry about this personally.
 
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ericwn said:
Maybe start with an iPad with magic keyboard and see how far you get with that setup, then decide on the Mac another day?
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Yes, I want to try for some days, and then I hope it help me to decide which one MacBook to purchase
 
For mechanical engineering, I would have to suggest the 13" MacBook Pro. While it does not come with a dedicated graphics card, the GPU should be able to handle any 3D scale designs and CAD. The App Store does have a few 3D apps that could work in conjunction for on the go.
 
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vgpepper said:
i have only used 15 inch macbook pro, but when my orders come in I will then be using 13 inch macbook pro and 12.9 inch ipad pro.
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Those sizes are so close for me, and its like I have to decide which one use, but with a 11“ and 13”, in some cases you want a bigger screen and its better idea i think.

How are you going to use those devices?
 
zehcnassurfero said:
Hello, I have some doubts and I don't know very well what to do, I am going to buy an ipad Pro and a Macbook Pro, but I don't know what sizes to choose on both devices. At first I thought about getting the 11 "iPad Pro and a 16" MBP.

But I had the 12.9 "iPad Pro and I don't know if it will be small now, although I imagine that in a week I will get used to it quickly.

I was also thinking about having the 11 "and the 13" MBP, to have two very portable computers and be able to easily take them anywhere.

I have to say that I am a university student and I always carry my iPad, and I would want to take the MBP sometimes to work there comfortably or anywhere with both devices, I usually use iPad for taking notes.

And I do not know if everything will become very heavy, although the big screen may also suit me better on the MacBook.
Click to expand...
Get the 12.9" ipad. You can do proper work on it, can review documents and PDF and drawings in large size. Large screen for an Ipad, but still super light and ultra portable in absolute size - can carry in your bag everyday without thinking about it

When an Ipad is not enough, that means you need to do even more serious work, in which case get the bigger ( 16" ) laptop. You have the Ipad, so the laptop wont be an everyday carry anyway.

As long as you have the money to afford them, these are the best solutions. Why compromise?
 
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zehcnassurfero said:
Those sizes are so close for me, and its like I have to decide which one use, but with a 11“ and 13”, in some cases you want a bigger screen and its better idea i think.

How are you going to use those devices?
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I plan on using the iPad Pro for digital art mostly and for storing a lot of my photos, for the laptop it will be for everyday use and for writing, occasional photo editing. I chose this combo for portability and everyday use. I find a larger laptop is getting tiresome but I also wanted to get the largest iPad so that when I don’t feel like using a laptop I still have a large screen.

if it’s in your budget though and you feel you need a bigger laptop screen then the 16 inch MacBook Pro is probably a good choice. Lots of people seem happy with the 11 inch iPad while others say it is too small. I recommend the 12.9 because it’s dimensions are similar to a regular piece of 8.5 by 11 printer paper and that seems like a pretty good size.
 
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I had a 12.9 Pro and recently got a
vgpepper said:
i have only used 15 inch macbook pro, but when my orders come in I will then be using 13 inch macbook pro and 12.9 inch ipad pro.
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I have a 12.9 iPP w/Smart Keyboard and now recently got a 13" MacBook Pro. Different devices for different tasks and I love them both. But throughout the day as I constantly switching back and forth between the two then I can't help but think... "Why aren't these two Apple things just one device".


That said, I don't regret having two 13" screens but if I could do it all over again I'd probably get an 11" iPad Pro to go with the 13" MBP. (Or one day, a 13" convertible ARM MacBook and an iPad mini Pro.)
 
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While I theoretically like the advice of the 16 and 11, having had the 17 inch MBP during law school, I can say I would have gone smaller if I had to do it again. It was just too big and heavy-- anything I could do to reduce the weight in my backpack would have been welcome. As you say, though-- this all depends on whether you are going back to a physical school!

(Also, all of the laptops are presumably much lighter in 2020 than they were in 2007 to 2010!)
 
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