I'm looking for a productivity platform that is a bit more portable than my laptop. Been looking at the iPad Pro 11" with an Apple Pencil. Is there a better platform?
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Talk me out of an iPad Pro.
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Last: 2 yr ago by evan_aggie
Can't talk you out of it - I've used a third gen iPad Pro as my "laptop" since 2019 and haven't looked back. I love the smaller form factor for travel compared to the 15" MacBook Pro it replaced. No issues using Office products and working documents between Windows and the iPad. My only issue is the battery doesn't hold a charge as long as it used to, but that is to be expected as long as I've had it and how much I use it.
ETA: get the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard - both are phenomenal. The keyboard is superb even for writing long papers, like I did for graduate coursework (it's an Apple Keyboard, so what do you expect?)
2ETA: I have a 12.9" model...I think it's worth it to go to the larger screen if you're using it as a laptop. You won't be upset with the extra real estate.
ETA: get the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard - both are phenomenal. The keyboard is superb even for writing long papers, like I did for graduate coursework (it's an Apple Keyboard, so what do you expect?)
2ETA: I have a 12.9" model...I think it's worth it to go to the larger screen if you're using it as a laptop. You won't be upset with the extra real estate.
Love my iPad, but it's not a laptop replacement.
I second all your comments. Only issues I've had were due to limitations with the ipad version of excel. Building pivot tables was not supported a couple of years ago. I haven't tried since then. Note that all versions of Office software for ipad are different than the laptop versions, so adaptation will be required on your part.
All that said, I absolutely love mine. I have the 5th generation iPad Pro 12.9", which was the first model with Apple silicon. I've been using it since 2021 and still enjoy it immensely. The screen quality is fantastic. As is the Magic Keyboard. I struggled with the deciding between the smaller version and the 12.9", but am very pleased I went with the larger form.
All that said, I absolutely love mine. I have the 5th generation iPad Pro 12.9", which was the first model with Apple silicon. I've been using it since 2021 and still enjoy it immensely. The screen quality is fantastic. As is the Magic Keyboard. I struggled with the deciding between the smaller version and the 12.9", but am very pleased I went with the larger form.
trueaggie2782 said:
I'm looking for a productivity platform that is a bit more portable than my laptop. Been looking at the iPad Pro 11" with an Apple Pencil. Is there a better platform?
What is your current laptop?
Not sure if it makes a difference to you, but rumors are saying there will be a new version of the iPad Pro this year, possibly with an OLED screen. May make sense to wait on that, either to buy it or see if it depresses the prices of the current gen version.
evan_aggie said:trueaggie2782 said:
I'm looking for a productivity platform that is a bit more portable than my laptop. Been looking at the iPad Pro 11" with an Apple Pencil. Is there a better platform?
What is your current laptop?
It's a work laptop. HP Zbook with a Core I7. It'll be the workhorse for CAD/CAM and other graphics intensive applications. The iPad will be used to handle scheduling, note taking, etc. when I'm at meetings. I currently carry the laptop with me and it's just a huge pain.
I use my ipad pro for this plus I like it on planes when working on flights.trueaggie2782 said:evan_aggie said:trueaggie2782 said:
I'm looking for a productivity platform that is a bit more portable than my laptop. Been looking at the iPad Pro 11" with an Apple Pencil. Is there a better platform?
What is your current laptop?
It's a work laptop. HP Zbook with a Core I7. It'll be the workhorse for CAD/CAM and other graphics intensive applications. The iPad will be used to handle scheduling, note taking, etc. when I'm at meetings. I currently carry the laptop with me and it's just a huge pain.
In an attempt to talk you out of the ipad pro, I will say that if you're just taking meeting notes, you can buy a lot of note pads for what an ipad costs. That money can then be spent on NIL funds for a winning team.
trueaggie2782 said:evan_aggie said:trueaggie2782 said:
I'm looking for a productivity platform that is a bit more portable than my laptop. Been looking at the iPad Pro 11" with an Apple Pencil. Is there a better platform?
What is your current laptop?
It's a work laptop. HP Zbook with a Core I7. It'll be the workhorse for CAD/CAM and other graphics intensive applications. The iPad will be used to handle scheduling, note taking, etc. when I'm at meetings. I currently carry the laptop with me and it's just a huge pain.
I'd just get a MacBook Air tbh. The 13.6" or 15".
Hagen95 said:
In an attempt to talk you out of the ipad pro, I will say that if you're just taking meeting notes, you can buy a lot of note pads for what an ipad costs. That money can then be spent on NIL funds for a winning team.
Hahaha. I think I'll waste my money on electronics instead. At least I know the iPad will stay with me after I pay for it.
2 years ago i broke my ipad air and got an ipad pro plus a pencil.
Mainly I use it for surfing and fun and the battery goes dead a lot faster than the air. If I had to make this decision again, I would have skipped the pro.
I already have both a personal laptop and a work laptop, so no reason for me to work on the ipad.
Mainly I use it for surfing and fun and the battery goes dead a lot faster than the air. If I had to make this decision again, I would have skipped the pro.
I already have both a personal laptop and a work laptop, so no reason for me to work on the ipad.
Quote:
You can use Apple Pencil (USB-C) with these iPad models: iPad (10th generation) iPad mini (6th generation) iPad Air (4th generation and later)
Have had and used an iPad pro with the magic keyboard for a couple years as my "personal" machine. It's really really good and does 95% of what I need for a personal device (mainly surfing).
Would second that its not a laptop replacement; trying to edit documents in Excel/PPTX is brutal, does ok with Microsoft word. It will of course take notes fine.
Would second that its not a laptop replacement; trying to edit documents in Excel/PPTX is brutal, does ok with Microsoft word. It will of course take notes fine.
That's why I'm suggesting to OP it's really better to just get an Air. You can't write on the screen and it's a tiny bit heavier but as as much as you'd think.
My wife has a 13" Air and 13" MBP both M1. They are quite similar but one was work on the other personal. It's the perfect size for travel and being able to quickly do anything you needed.
I see the Pro only good for those who absolutely need to draw on the screen. If you are into visual arts or need to draw diagrams then it makes sense.
My wife has a 13" Air and 13" MBP both M1. They are quite similar but one was work on the other personal. It's the perfect size for travel and being able to quickly do anything you needed.
I see the Pro only good for those who absolutely need to draw on the screen. If you are into visual arts or need to draw diagrams then it makes sense.
Claude! said:
Not sure if it makes a difference to you, but rumors are saying there will be a new version of the iPad Pro this year, possibly with an OLED screen. May make sense to wait on that, either to buy it or see if it depresses the prices of the current gen version.
The current iPad pros have contrast ratios of 1,000,000 :1
Not sure how much they can improve upon that
Notability (application) changed how I viewed and use the iPad. I take copious notes in meetings and ended up with a lot of moleskine sized notebooks that just turned out to be frustrating to search through over months and years. The fact that I can use an Apple Pencil and write notes (in my handwriting as bad as it may be) and still do keyword searches made me retire the paper versions. I still am amazed at how efficient it is parsing native handwriting (not converted to text). If OneNote ever gets this feature it might end up as the perfect app.evan_aggie said:
That's why I'm suggesting to OP it's really better to just get an Air. You can't write on the screen and it's a tiny bit heavier but as as much as you'd think.
My wife has a 13" Air and 13" MBP both M1. They are quite similar but one was work on the other personal. It's the perfect size for travel and being able to quickly do anything you needed.
I see the Pro only good for those who absolutely need to draw on the screen. If you are into visual arts or need to draw diagrams then it makes sense.
trueaggie2782 said:evan_aggie said:trueaggie2782 said:
I'm looking for a productivity platform that is a bit more portable than my laptop. Been looking at the iPad Pro 11" with an Apple Pencil. Is there a better platform?
What is your current laptop?
It's a work laptop. HP Zbook with a Core I7. It'll be the workhorse for CAD/CAM and other graphics intensive applications. The iPad will be used to handle scheduling, note taking, etc. when I'm at meetings. I currently carry the laptop with me and it's just a huge pain.
If note taking is all you're planning on, go with the iPad Air. My iPad Pro crapped out about 3 months ago, and honestly the new generation iPad Air, which uses the same Pencil, performs just as well, if not better for my needs. If you're not going to be doing calculation intensive tasks, there's really no benefit to the Pro over the Air. I've been very happy with mine (though I can't use it for work anymore due to security reasons).
I will say I bought a surface a year or two ago and highly regret it. Wish I would've either went full laptop or Ipad.
I use an iPad mini 6 for taking notes, using primarily Goodnotes. Same thing for me in that it replaced my moleskine notebooks. Picked the mini as it's about the same size as the small notebooks I was used to and easy to carry around. Love being able to search for notes based on date or key word. Makes it much easier to find what I need when searching. Used a knock off paperlike screen protector and it's great for taking notes.
Only occasionally I wish I had a larger one for easier drawing when I want a diagram of something, but usually can just pinch/zoom and make it work well enough and the ability to hold in one hand and write is nice. I do wish it had faceID for unlocking. I'm so used to it on my phone, it seems like a pain to always have to use the touchID power button for unlocking. That's about the only thing I'd want to change about it.
Only occasionally I wish I had a larger one for easier drawing when I want a diagram of something, but usually can just pinch/zoom and make it work well enough and the ability to hold in one hand and write is nice. I do wish it had faceID for unlocking. I'm so used to it on my phone, it seems like a pain to always have to use the touchID power button for unlocking. That's about the only thing I'd want to change about it.
They are very expensive and you really don't need to be spending that kind of money right now. There is a difference between wants and needs. This is exactly the kind of foolish spending that you will regret. Do not do it. Aren't there more practical things you can be spending your money on?
bam02 said:
They are very expensive and you really don't need to be spending that kind of money right now. There is a difference between wants and needs. This is exactly the kind of foolish spending that you will regret. Do not do it. Aren't there more practical things you can be spending your money on?
???
To the credit of bam02, this is the exactly what I asked for.tamuags08 said:bam02 said:
They are very expensive and you really don't need to be spending that kind of money right now. There is a difference between wants and needs. This is exactly the kind of foolish spending that you will regret. Do not do it. Aren't there more practical things you can be spending your money on?
???
In my opinion as an IT professional, the "Pro" moniker designates a handful of features that are superior to the non-Pro variants in only a handful of scenarios.
I would skip the Pro, opting instead for a "balls to the wall" standard iPad or iPad Air. Add in the pencil & keyboard (don't get the iPad-specific keyboard; pick up a used Apple Magic Keyboard for half the price on a secondary market of your choosing). Get a nice case to carry it around in and you're g2g.
I would skip the Pro, opting instead for a "balls to the wall" standard iPad or iPad Air. Add in the pencil & keyboard (don't get the iPad-specific keyboard; pick up a used Apple Magic Keyboard for half the price on a secondary market of your choosing). Get a nice case to carry it around in and you're g2g.
My only contribution is that if you are going to need/use it for spreadsheet type work then an ipad is useless.trueaggie2782 said:evan_aggie said:trueaggie2782 said:
I'm looking for a productivity platform that is a bit more portable than my laptop. Been looking at the iPad Pro 11" with an Apple Pencil. Is there a better platform?
What is your current laptop?
It's a work laptop. HP Zbook with a Core I7. It'll be the workhorse for CAD/CAM and other graphics intensive applications. The iPad will be used to handle scheduling, note taking, etc. when I'm at meetings. I currently carry the laptop with me and it's just a huge pain.
New Apple user here... was Android for years as I knew if I went Apple, they'd have me by the balls. Switched as my kids were victims of technological racism (left out of group chats, etc).
Anyway, have a new iPad (9th gen) that seems solid so far. Was free (with a data plan) after we switched cell carriers. My wife (who used Apple for work) actually encouraged me to get it as the syncing of data is great. And she does not like me buying new tech.
Has been solid so far. The screen is far better on the Pro.
I plan to buy an Apple Pencil as my Samsung Galaxy S7+ Tab has been my new notebook for all the same aforementioned moleskin notebook reasons. My Samsung is likely to remain my primary for media consumption given the OLED screen.
I say get the iPad, and get the bigger screen. I want the Pro for the bigger screen, but couldn't pass up free/new.
Guessing you will use it a ton.
Anyway, have a new iPad (9th gen) that seems solid so far. Was free (with a data plan) after we switched cell carriers. My wife (who used Apple for work) actually encouraged me to get it as the syncing of data is great. And she does not like me buying new tech.
Has been solid so far. The screen is far better on the Pro.
I plan to buy an Apple Pencil as my Samsung Galaxy S7+ Tab has been my new notebook for all the same aforementioned moleskin notebook reasons. My Samsung is likely to remain my primary for media consumption given the OLED screen.
I say get the iPad, and get the bigger screen. I want the Pro for the bigger screen, but couldn't pass up free/new.
Guessing you will use it a ton.
New one coming out in March/April, so I would wait if you can.
Allegedly the Pro is getting a crazy screen upgrade and a price jump to go with it(like MacBook Pro price range)That said, it sounds like Air is getting a 13" screen and probably an m2 to fill the void in that kinda sorta laptop replacement range
For personal, I use Jump remote to my old laptop for Excel/PPTX, etc. It works great.tamuags08 said:
Have had and used an iPad pro with the magic keyboard for a couple years as my "personal" machine. It's really really good and does 95% of what I need for a personal device (mainly surfing).
Would second that its not a laptop replacement; trying to edit documents in Excel/PPTX is brutal, does ok with Microsoft word. It will of course take notes fine.
Unfortunately, my work laptop is locked down and I can't remote in. If I could, it could be a full replacement option.
I love it for everything else. Well, Teams is also weird sometimes with "Presentation" instead of screen share. It's hit or miss on actually sharing.
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