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Get the 12.9 now or wait for the next gen of iPP?

Wait or snatch?

  • Wait til' they release the iPP2

    Votes: 15 36.6%

  • Just get one first thing Saturday, goddammit.

    Votes: 26 63.4%
  • Total voters
    41
  • Poll closed .
D

drewjonn

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2016
139
30
I've got the latest 13" rMBP and still can't find it fancy enough to travel with. (check out my username again)

The gold or space gray rMB looks fascinating, but I think it's a better idea to go for the OSX/iOS combination rather than OSX/OSX. Yup, I'm buying as a secondary device. The extraordinarily big screen is a game changer for me, guess the 9.7" doesn't worth that much more compared to the Air. (They're 200 bucks apart)

I'd mainly use it for leisure time, entertainments such as video streaming, emails, and basically what you do on your tablets. It will spend more time on my bed than on the desk, good use for the 12.9?

Also, getting a keyboard for me is a must, can't see anything more than an extra-sized tablet without the keyboard or pencil. I will do a lot of word processing using Word as well. Seems like it's going to be money worth-spent. I honestly don't care about the camera at all, whether having capabilities of an old Nokia or the EOS 7D. Arguably very inconvenient to take pictures on a gadget as big as a notebook. and that doesn't look cool or fancy at all :p

An axe to grind, it was released nearly half a year ago, and if Apple decides to release the 2nd generation in half a year or so, then I call it a waste for me, spending on something so expensive to find an upgraded version coming out before you even get the best out of your gadget, just not right, in my opinion. If they're going to release it in less than a year, then it might not be the best idea for me to go for, if more than a year, I might just snatch one out of the store this weekend. Anybody has an idea when? Looking at what I want currently, wait for the iPP 2 or just get it this weekend?​
 
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We really don't know at this point. Apple could release a new 12.9 inch model in September, but that would be only 10 months after it was released. What's more likely is that they'll wait until March next year, and update the whole iPad Pro line at the same time.
 
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I'm not that impressed with the Smart Keyboard as a serious productivity device. I do use mine more than I thought I would after I initially tried it but I have an old third party ZaggKeys keyboard that I bought for my Air that I use when I have a serious writing assignment to tackle. The Smart Keyboard is mainly good for having a physical keyboard for short assignments and projects without having to drag along the extra bulk of a more robust keyboard. I do use it exclusively over a Smart Cover now. Suffice to say, I use a 9.7'' as to me I don't know why I'd want the larger. I would just take my MacBook at that point. But to each their own.

Now yes I do think that tablet + MacBook is a good combo (I mainly use my desktop now but w/e if I didn't have the desktop, my MacBook would be my main computer). There are many apps and things available on iOS that are not on OS X so for me each OS has a lot of different software I want to use.

I leave mine to charge on my nightstand at night, so on the bed is a good place for it. I enter night shift and do some reading before bed usually. It really does make a big difference and I might like my night shifted Pro more than my Kindle. I use it for alarms and things as well. I have the SIM card in mine so I get all my text messages, phone calls, etc. passed through to my iPad. I work at night so sometimes my daytime counterpart has to call me if something comes up. This is nice without having to go pull my phone off its dock by my computer.

Regardless of the size you go for, what I am saying is that iPads are great devices and very handy to have even if your Mac is already portable. The larger size of the 9.7 and 12.9'' Pro makes doing a lot of things that would be awkward on an iPhone (long word processing, etc.) much more convenient.

Now to buy IPP now or wait that we can't answer. I would expect a 12.9 IPP refresh between the end of the year and next March but that is going only based on their past behavior and not anything specific that I've heard or read. If you need the device now it will be worth the money. For some time now iPads have been powerful enough vs the type of software available for them that even a device that is several years old will run things flawlessly. In day to day activities I rarely notice a difference between my brand new state of the art 9.7 Pro and the 1st gen Air I upgraded from.
 
Personally I would never get a second notebook/laptop. I think I'd just try to fool myself trying to justify a rMB which at the end of the day, I don't need (and hate the keyboard).
Get an iPad Pro when you want it or when you need it. If that is tomorrow, get one then. People tend to keep their iPads a long time, so it's not so much a case of when you buy them anymore. If and when a new iPad Pro comes along, nobody knows anyway.
Of course you can always buy used and save a bit of money in the first place, so a later update won't be so hard on the finances.
 
kindaHipster said:
It will spend more time on my bed than on the desk, good use for the 12.9?
Click to expand...

On bed/sofa is how I use my 12.9 iPP all the time. Since everyone is different, I can't say it'll definitely work for you, but it sure works for me.

As for whether you should get it now, first, it's not like the current model stops working when a new model comes out. And if you wait, and no new model comes out in the Fall, then you'd be waiting until the spring before a new model comes out. Also, iPads have never been released in September, it's always been late October to November. We don't know for sure that Apple will stick to this pattern, but if they do, you'll have around 4-5 months of having the most recent model.
 
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Unless you get a big discount, I'd wait. The 12.9 iPP is supposed to be the best iPad in Apple's lineup, and imo they botched it by letting a smaller version have a better screen and camera.
 
ACG12 said:
Unless you get a big discount, I'd wait. The 12.9 iPP is supposed to be the best iPad in Apple's lineup, and imo they botched it by letting a smaller version have a better screen and camera.
Click to expand...
You neglected the fact that the 12.9 has 4GB RAM vs. the 2GB in the 9.7. Claiming that Apple "botched it" with the 12.9 iPP is a bit melodramatic.

Drama aside, iPads DO seem to be regularly discounted so I agree in waiting for a sale.
 
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sracer said:
You neglected the fact that the 12.9 has 4GB RAM vs. the 2GB in the 9.7. Claiming that Apple "botched it" with the 12.9 iPP is a bit melodramatic.

Drama aside, iPads DO seem to be regularly discounted so I agree in waiting for a sale.
Click to expand...

I don't see the 2gb of RAM being a botch on the 9.7 iPP. It's more than enough in my Air 2 and 9.7 iPP. The 12.9 display needed more than 2gb so it makes sense it has more.
 
It's really hard to say since Apple has obviously deviated from their typical yearly update cycle. The 12.9 IPP might be updated in November as you suggest or Apple may decide to put all iPads on a year and a half upgrade cycle--since that was the wait between the 9.7 iPad Air 2 and 9.7 IPP.

However, since it sounds like more of a luxury device for you then maybe you can wait. If you get it now and a new one comes out in November that will ruin all your fanciness. :p
 
A true hipster would buy a banged up original iPad 1, spray paint parts of the back in some pastel and use it.. :D
 
ACG12 said:
I don't see the 2gb of RAM being a botch on the 9.7 iPP. It's more than enough in my Air 2 and 9.7 iPP.
Click to expand...
Well then you are being selective about the facts to support your opinion that Apple botched it with the 12.9 iPP. In the same way that you dismiss the 4GB RAM in the 12.9, one could dismiss the higher res camera and TrueTone of the 9.7 as being unnecessary for their purposes. See how that works? ;)

ACG12 said:
12.9 display needed more than 2gb so it makes sense it has more.
Click to expand...
The 12.9 has 5.6 million pixels to push, the 9.7 has 3.1 million. So even if the 12.9 needed more RAM, it didn't need twice as much and so proportionally, the 12.9 still has more headroom than the 9.7. A fact which you ignore.
 
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sracer said:
So even if the 12.9 needed more RAM, it didn't need twice as much and so proportionally, the 12.9 still has more headroom than the 9.7. A fact which you ignore.
Click to expand...

Yup. I have an Air2 and a 12.9 iPP. The 12.9 can keep a lot more tabs open in Safari before reloading.
 
Go for it and get the rose gold along with some stickers like Myke Hurley. If budget is the issue, grab a refurb for $650 and use it so you won't take much of a depreciation hit whenever the next update comes out and you decide to upgrade. Otherwise, most places have a 14-30 day return policy to try it out.
 
Get the 12.9" ipad. I have had mine for 2 months and no regrets. The display is spectacular enough and I have no use for a over the top protuding camera. Ill take my 4gb of ram be happy
 
Just bought the 12.9, primarily for drawing...which won't be too affected by any updates I guess.

Still, what new features are you waiting on in a future update?
 
sracer said:
Well then you are being selective about the facts to support your opinion that Apple botched it with the 12.9 iPP. In the same way that you dismiss the 4GB RAM in the 12.9, one could dismiss the higher res camera and TrueTone of the 9.7 as being unnecessary for their purposes. See how that works? ;)

The 12.9 has 5.6 million pixels to push, the 9.7 has 3.1 million. So even if the 12.9 needed more RAM, it didn't need twice as much and so proportionally, the 12.9 still has more headroom than the 9.7. A fact which you ignore.
Click to expand...

It was botched from the get go. Your flagship iPad should've had the exact same cameras and screen as it's smaller version or you should've waited until March to release them both with equivalent specs.

So how much RAM did the 12.9 need if it didnt need 4gb, but 2gb isn't enough? Apple still supports a 9.7" iPad with 512mb of RAM. I think i'll be fine with 2gb ;)
 
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Wait. The display on the smaller Pro is arguably much better. If the next 12.9 gets True Tone and the better panel it will be a fundamental improvement.
 
While I agree it's unlikely that Apple will introduce any new iPads at WWDC, it's so close now, we might as well wait. There will be new software features announced, and some new desirable features might be confined to only the newest models. All this could influence people's decisions on whether to get iPads now or later, and which models to get.
 
Night Spring said:
On bed/sofa is how I use my 12.9 iPP all the time. Since everyone is different, I can't say it'll definitely work for you, but it sure works for me.

As for whether you should get it now, first, it's not like the current model stops working when a new model comes out. And if you wait, and no new model comes out in the Fall, then you'd be waiting until the spring before a new model comes out. Also, iPads have never been released in September, it's always been late October to November. We don't know for sure that Apple will stick to this pattern, but if they do, you'll have around 4-5 months of having the most recent model.
Click to expand...
Curious how do you use it in bed or on couch ? Especially what case / keyboard you use ?
[doublepost=1465002582][/doublepost]
sracer said:
You neglected the fact that the 12.9 has 4GB RAM vs. the 2GB in the 9.7. Claiming that Apple "botched it" with the 12.9 iPP is a bit melodramatic.

Drama aside, iPads DO seem to be regularly discounted so I agree in waiting for a sale.
Click to expand...
I think his point is about the camera on 12.9" iPad. And yes it is mediocre at the best.
 
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