9.7 Smart Keyboard VS. 12.9 Smart Keyboard?

I think the feel will be much the same, it's the same technology. The only difference really is the spacing of the keys, I'd imagine there's less space between the keys on the 9.7".

That's one, small part, of why I chose the 12.9", I always found keyboards on my iPad Air to be just a little too cramped for my liking.

 

I am extremely curious about this myself. I have an iPP 12.9" with a Smart Keyboard and use it daily. I love the keyboard but I am worried that the 9.7" version will be too cramped. We will see, it's on order!

If I end up being able to use the 9.7" Smart Keyboard as well as the larger version I think its a slam dunk.

I wish it had the extra ram of the larger version, but I doubt I notice it with what I use the iPad for - mostly taking notes, surfing the web, and checking e-mail.

 

As a female with small hands I am sure I will be just fine.

 

Yes it is less portable. Where do you want to take it? I wouldn't want to air travel with it just like I don't air travel with a notebook computer. If traveling in a car, it's fine. You won't want to take it out quite as much as a smaller iPad. You really do have to consider your uses and place of use when deciding on a size.

The 9.7 is great in many situations, and the 12.9 is great in others. I think it's unfair to say this statement is true for all, but for me, the 9.7 feels like an accessory, my digital book, mobile internet, mobile video viewing, etc. The 12.9 feels like a computer, much less portable, but the experience is also more computer like due to the size of everything. Great for reading at home, videos at home, browsing at home, etc. As well as the office, etc. I've used mine in a parked car quite a bit too.

 

I have a 2009 MBP that is still working pretty well considering it's age, but it is very slow to boot. Being a trucker, I just am unable to send it anywhere to have it upgraded, AND, I use it for absolutely nothing pro except for watching movies on.
So, I am about to replace it with the iPP, not for the pro part, but for the screen size. I should be able to use for for pages, movie watching, and surfing the net like my current MBP.
Now thinking about the portability, I'm kind of wonder to myself if the perfect setup would be the iPhone 6 (I'm using the 6 plus) as a phone and quick emails and such, the iPad mini for game playing and reading, and the iPP for my business.
These are just thoughts that are rumbling through my head. But, I am looking forward to having the iPP for replacing my MBP.

 

Yes, I am returning my 12.9 today and I ordered the 9.7. It is a great piece of technology, but just not practical. Unless you plan on having it primarily in a desk setting, stay with the 9.7. I was going to keep the 12.9 until my pro came next week, but actually prefer using my Air 2 over the 12.9 pro due to the size.

 

http://anandtech.com/show/10173/hands-on-with-the-apple-97-inch-ipad-pro

 

Well, people are different! Initially, I thought I'd use the iPP 12.9 at a desk with my Bluetooth keyboard, but I'm finding I use it more often on the bed/sofa, and my keyboard just sits on the desk gathering dust. The great thing about the iPP for me is I can just start working when the mood hits me, without having to go through the "setup" of walking to the desk, pulling out my keyboard, setting up my iPad, etc.

 

Oh yea, that was just my opinion. I tried the 12.9 and I just felt it was very large, awkward, and heavy for sofa/bed use, which is my main uses.

 

I don't understand how something 1.5 pounds is "heavy." We have an original iPad that our 2 1/2 yo daughter uses for movies that weighs 1.5 pounds.

 

The portability of the 12.9 is directly linked to whether you view it as a "Pro" machine or not.

If you're someone who has transitioned to viewing the iPad as their portable computer then it's "portable" in that it's lighter than a 13" MacBook Air.

But if you're someone who views their iPad as a complimentary device to an actual computer then you probably carry the iPad around in a little purse/manbag so carrying a 13" screen is awkward.

For me, I'm in that second camp. I have this side bag that I carry and in it was an iPad Air that i sometimes used but mostly ignored. It was convenient. But when I sold the Air for the Pro then not only did I have to buy a bigger bag, I definitely knew when I had it with me because it weighed a ton. And on top of that, using it in public felt ridiculous. Not only being self conscious about the weird glances, but the screen being so buff that EVERYONE can see what I'm working on.

In the end I got an iPad Mini for my daily routine and the iPad Pro gets used only at home. Hopefully I'll find someone on eBay to buy it but it's been relisted 4 times and no bites.



If I could do it all over again then I'd definitely go for a 9.7" Pro and Smart Keyboard. The convenience of having a physical keyboard is great.

 

I might get a 12.9" Pro when the weight comes down. It just seems kinda unwieldy to hold at a proper angle during normal use around the house. With the size it just kinda has more of a lever effect that makes it not as comfortable.

As for keyboards, I haven't had problems with any iPad keyboards I've tested except the ones for the Mini. My wife is pretty average sized for a woman and uses the Mini 2 with a Clamcase Keyboard and she really likes that. It's slightly cramped for her but she likes the smaller size overall. If they ever come out with an iPad Pro 9.7" with more RAM then I might get a third party case keyboard or something. From what I've read the Apple keyboards are inferior compared to other brands.

 

sounds like the old netbook keyboards - not good. I couldn't get on with them and kept making mistakes. Although perhaps in combo with the ios autocorrect (which is still active with a physical keyboard attached), it might be enough to cover any mistakes I make.

 

I was all set to get the large Pro but then I thought very hard about how I use my Air 2 and decided against it. I carry my Air 2 around the house from room to room while I fold the laundry, work in the kitchen, sit on the couch, rest in bed. I pull it quickly at work to check emails etc.... The pen really appeals to me as well as the speakers, but it wasn't worth losing the portability of the 9.7 size so I decided to wait and glad I did.

 

It's kind of funny, but I've noticed it feels more significant going from light to heavy rather than the other way around.

When I upgraded from an iPad 3 to an iPad Air I thought the weight difference was hardly noticeable. My wife now uses the iPad 3 and I've grown used to the Air. When I use her 3 it now seems super heavy since I'm no longer used to it. I often think "how did I put up with this for so long?"

On topic I've ordered a Pro 9.7 with the Smart Keyboard. As long as it isn't crazy cramped I should do fine. I also had issues with some EEE netbooks, but it had more to do with how they shifted some keys around than the actual size. IIR I would hit enter by accident a lot as they put it where the ctrl key is on normal keyboards.

 

I have an Air 2 and the Microsoft Mobile Keyboard, regarded as one of the best typing experiences on a tablet, as well as the 12.9 Pro with Apple's keyboard. Regardless of what some have said about the Apple keyboard being a bit clicky and audible, the extra width makes all the difference. The MS keyboard is compact. I know Apple are good but they can't create space where it doesn't exist.

I can get by on the Air 2 whilst the 12.9 Pro just feels like typing on any other 13-inch laptop I've used over the years.

I'm sure you'd get used to it so maybe try them out first but also consider the screen differences. If you're doing a lot of writing/editing as the split screen experience is way better on the 12.9 - in landscape it almost fits two Air 2 screens in portrait.

 

The Apple keyboard is the flattest you can get for an iPad, but compared to the Surface Pro 4 keyboard, its disappointing,

Microsoft put a keyboard, backlit no less, a trackpad and a fingerprint sensor in a keyboard as flat as a standard iPad non-keyboard smart cover.

Come on Apple, are you admitting MS has better engineers than you?

 

One day, I can see iPad Pro 12.9" being my computer and the iPad mini being my 'iPad' for mobile computing on the road...

 

BNIU, I agree with you. I have been lusting for the iPad mini for quite a while now. But, alas so many things have come up in the last couple of years I have put it off, because I don't need one. Right now, my 6plus is doing ok for quick game play and the apps I use on the road.

 

I disagree with this. My ipad pro is most likely on my lap and never rests on a desk unless I'm at school. It's actually pretty comfortable to hold even with just the smart case back cover attached. I also have a multimedia multiposition case for when I have it in the bedroom for movie and tv show watching.

 

The 12" MacBook has a full size keyboard. That laptop is essentially the minimum width for a full size layout. The 9.7" iPad is about an inch and a half shorter than the MacBook, so the keys on the Smart Cover are quite a bit smaller. That said I did try it in the store and it actually felt pretty decent. For me the main issue was the modifier keys and things like delete and tab, which are all super tiny because the layout goes right up to the edge. The full size 12.9" cover is quite awesome, and pretty much like typing on a laptop (I just hate the dedicated keyboard selector in the bottom left, would have been 1000x more useful as an Fn button - enabling an actual delete function, and possibly things like media keys...)

 

I would love to get the Zagg slim book cover, but hesitate because of the weight of it. It's definitely a nice keyboard case. I would love to get the Apple keyboard, but not a necessity as of yet, but it's not on Sale anywhere. I tried using in the Apple store and like it, but can't justify the price they're asking. So waiting for a sale or something on Ebay.

 

why the 12.9 is unwieldy has more to do with the size more-so than the weight. The 12.9 is very well balanced and feel quite good in the hands.

But man. Size does make you feel like you need to two hand it.