iPad Pro Do you ever get used to the weight of the 12.9" iPad Pro?

BrettDS said:
So it's a long backstory, but I've had an iPad Air 2 for a while now and I love it. I recently lost my PC and after the keynote the other day I started thinking about trying the iPad Pro as a PC replacement. I figured that if I was going to attempt to replace my PC with an iPad then a bigger screen would be better, so I ran out and bought a 12.9" iPad Pro and the keyboard cover.

I used it for about a week and a half and I love the screen size and the keyboard is great. It turns out that lack of keyboard was one big reason that I kept going back to the PC. Writing a long post like this using the on screen keyboard was a bit of a pain. Obviously an iPad can't do everything a PC can, but it can probably do well over 90% of what I use a PC for. I also love the quad speakers on the iPad Pro. It sounds significantly better than the Air 2.

But the weight just killed me. Trying to use it in bed and holding it over my head for a while, or holding it up with one hand as I typed with the other got tiring much too quickly. So much so that I decided to go back to my Air 2 last night. I had an old Bluetooth keyboard that I paired with the Air 2 and I figured that I'd use that combination for a few days before I returned the Pro.

Now I'm loving the weight of the Air 2... It's so much more comfortable to use. And the keyboard is great. If I decide to keep this combination I may get a better keyboard, but adding a keyboard to my iPad is something I should have done a long time ago. However, I really miss the screen size and the speakers of the Pro. So part of me is wondering if I give it more time if I'd get used to the weight or is it a compromise that I'd have to live with to get the big screen? I know I can upgrade to a 9.7" Pro to get the better speakers, but it's not worth the money to upgrade from the Air 2 just for the speakers.
Click to expand...

Weight... Yes... Size and awkwardness of portability, not really. Sometimes I would balance my iPad on my leg to use. But it's a little too big and I always feel like it was going to slide off of my leg. Forget walking around and using it one handed. It's even a little too big to rest on your forearm. Don't get me wrong. I love the large screen and it's great for watching videos. But it could have used a redesign from the iPhone 5 era design cues that has been on all the iPads the last 3 years. They could have shrunken the bezels a bit to retain the screen size or dropped the screen size by maybe 1/2 an inch for portability sake.
 
I take mine everywhere with the Smart Keyboard. No problems. I don't use an iPad in bed so that wan't an issue. I do use it all the time without the keyboard on my lap when I watch TV. I find it just fine. Love that big screen
 
BrettDS said:
Thanks for all the input. I'm still having trouble with this decision. I used my old Air 2 with the bluetooth keyboard for a few days and I love the weight, but I really missed the screen size and speakers of the big pro. I actually had wiped the pro and boxed it up again with the intent of returning it, but I decided to give it another try, so I pulled it out of the box again and restored it. I've been using both devices on and off for the past two days and that seems like a good solution, but I really can't justify owning two iPads, so I need to pick one or the other.

Perhaps I just overthink things. When the iPhone 6 came out, I preordered a 6, then two weeks later I found a 6+ and bought that and used it for about a week before deciding it was too heavy and awkward and returned it. I missed the big screen of the 6+, but I used my 6 for another two months and then bought another 6+ and decided that the big screen was worth dealing with the weight and I sold the 6. I still wish that the phone was smaller and lighter at times, but I really haven't looked back from there. I bought a 6S+ with no hesitation. Maybe I just need to give the pro a bit more of a chance.
Click to expand...
The 9.7 pro has the same speakers as the 12.9 pro
 
I think you should give the iPad Pro 9.7" a chance. The screen is the best I've ever seen in any portable device and that alone was worth the upgrade from iPad Air 2.
 
Leo90 said:
I think you should give the iPad Pro 9.7" a chance. The screen is the best I've ever seen in any portable device and that alone was worth the upgrade from iPad Air 2.
Click to expand...

That might be true, but you never want to go back to a 9.7" display once you have worked with the 12.9" iPP for some days......
 
AlexJoda said:
That might be true, but you never want to go back to a 9.7" display once you have worked with the 12.9" iPP for some days......
Click to expand...


Sure, I can understand that. With a difference of 3.2" I think Imwould prioritise screen quality.
 
I am actually thinking about picking up an iPad Air 2 when it goes on sale in the next few weeks/months as a second screen / in-bed media viewer / browser. I have a big iPad Pro that essentially serves as my main home computer (I use Windows/Microsoft for work and barely use my Macbook Pro).
 
I don't find it heavy. I've had every iPad and while the air 2 is much lighter, I can't justify losing all of that screen real estate after experiencing the 12.9 pro. I pick up the 9.7 and it just feels like an iPad mini.

Does the 12.9 feel lighter over time? Maybe, or maybe I've just gotten used to it. When I first got it, it felt like a cafeteria tray, but now, it feels rather normal. I have a UAG case on mine which adds at least another half pound and I still hold it one handed from time to time. It's not light, but I'll gladly take the weight when it comes with 3 more inches of screen real estate.
 
Azl said:
I was really impressed how lightweight it is, actually.
(coming from ipad2)
Click to expand...

Hmm. I have an old ipad 2 that I was actually gonna trade in to best buy for $100. Maybe I should use it for a while first, then use the 12.9;)
 
Got used to the weight really quickly, don't even notice it now. It does make smaller iPads feel like children's toys now, kinda like the iPhone 5 does after using the 6s plus for a while. I could never go back to a wee screen again.
 
Got an air 2 for portability and everyday use. The big pro is either on the
keyboard stand or propped up on my tummy when lying on the bed watching
a movie. No problem.
 
sracer said:
IMO it is the bulk (larger size) not the weight that requires some adjustments to getting used to.
Click to expand...
But I enjoy this big screen so much...
I would never go back to 9.7

Actually you just need to adjust how you hold it.
Then it's perfect. :)

(hint: let it rest on your non dominant forearm - between elbow and hand)
 
Azl said:
But I enjoy this big screen so much...
I would never go back to 9.7

Actually you just need to adjust how you hold it.
Then it's perfect. :)

(hint: let it rest on your non dominant forearm - between elbow and hand)
Click to expand...
Oh I agree. I'm enjoying the big Pro very much. I was trying to clarify where the adjustment issue falls.
 
I agree with others-- it's not the weight-- it feels about the same as my iPad 3. What's difficult is that it's hard to hold in landscape mode and reach all the keys now. It's bizarre that the split keyboard was removed (and using the zooming trick doesn't make the keyboard look good)-- it'd really be helpful with the 12.9.
 
I have two cellular smaller iPads, I don't use the 12.9 in all the same ways as them, so no adjusting to do. I love the 12.9, perfect for my purposes, but still love the others for portability and their other strengths.
 
Totally depends on the case.

I have a UAG case - it's bulky, and awkward.

But the Smart Cover/back case/keyboard - those are thin and pretty easy to carry.

Give it a few days of just using the 12.9.

I have an air 2 as well, and going back to it is out of the question.

It's also a matter of learning to hold it, I think.

But my wife has a 12.9 too, and when I asked if she wanted the smaller pro, she refused saying she doesn't want to go back to the smaller iPad.
 
It weighs basically the same as the first iPad did and I took that thing literally everywhere. The size took a bit to get used to, like a few days. Now I could not imagine using anything smaller. I read with it happily and use it as a laptop all the time. Sure it is a little heavier and larger, but isn't that the point? It allows a more full featured experience imho and I couldn't be happier.
 
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