If y'all can stand one more 12.9 vs 9.7 thread...

[ssledoux]

I haven't been here in a while, but I always turn to this forum when making decisions because of the wealth of knowledge, information and, frankly, opinions.

I currently have an iMac, Air 2, and of course iPhone (6S+). I'm going to iPad Pro thinking it may be possible for me to eliminate my iMac in the near future. It mainly just sits, and it was a bit too pricey for a dust collector. I use it occasionally now, mainly because of printing stuff and being too lazy to do air printing, but that's a minor adjustment. The only other thing will be photo (and video) storage and making photo books, but I'm really trying to minimalize and wonder what the point is in having thousands of photos sitting on a computer. I need to upload them and make books/prints regularly and not just let them pile up.

Anyway, I do like portability although when I take my iPad anywhere it's usually to meet someone to do Disney planning, so it's not like I'm just throwing it in my purse every time I go somewhere.

I have a few games I play regularly on my pad and when I do that, as well as just for surfing, Facebook, etc., it's propped in my lap.

Otherwise, I am typing and have a Bluetooth keyboard and am using it at the kitchen table.

I ordered a 128 gb 12.9" with LTE, but after reading the threads, I'm questioning my decision. If you were getting a pro in this situation, which would you get?

 

[UltimateSyn]

You already have a really portable tablet and a huge phone. You made the right choice with the 12.9", it will be more comfortable to do the majority of your workflow on, especially when you use Split-Screen.

 

[TheRealAlex]

I haven't been here in a while, but I always turn to this forum when making decisions because of the wealth of knowledge, information and, frankly, opinions.

I currently have an iMac, Air 2, and of course iPhone (6S+). I'm going to iPad Pro thinking it may be possible for me to eliminate my iMac in the near future. It mainly just sits, and it was a bit too pricey for a dust collector. I use it occasionally now, mainly because of printing stuff and being too lazy to do air printing, but that's a minor adjustment. The only other thing will be photo (and video) storage and making photo books, but I'm really trying to minimalize and wonder what the point is in having thousands of photos sitting on a computer. I need to upload them and make books/prints regularly and not just let them pile up.

Anyway, I do like portability although when I take my iPad anywhere it's usually to meet someone to do Disney planning, so it's not like I'm just throwing it in my purse every time I go somewhere.

I have a few games I play regularly on my pad and when I do that, as well as just for surfing, Facebook, etc., it's propped in my lap.

Otherwise, I am typing and have a Bluetooth keyboard and am using it at the kitchen table.

I ordered a 128 gb 12.9" with LTE, but after reading the threads, I'm questioning my decision. If you were getting a pro in this situation, which would you get?

You need a 9.7 inch Pro Why ?

Its more Portable and fun and the 12.9 is probably just as big as you iMac Air 2. I toss my 9.7 Pro in the smallest of back packs and it disappears can't do that with a 12.9. Take the Savings by getting a 128GB 9.7 Pro and buy the accessories.

"Anyway, I do like portability although when I take my iPad anywhere it's usually to meet someone to do Disney planning, so it's not like I'm just throwing it in my purse every time I go somewhere."

So by your own admission you want the 9.7 Pro.

"I have a few games I play regularly on my pad and when I do that, as well as just for surfing, Facebook, etc., it's propped in my lap."

Thats not gonna be fun with a 12.9 arms will get tired in minutes. Close your iMac Air 2 and pretend its a 12.9 Pro the size and weight is close iMac is heavier but by 0.55 lbs

Just being polite I think you regret buying the 12.9 Pro maybe I am wrong and you want to hear why its better. Its not not for the reasons you subconsciously stated.

Peace.

 

[jeremiah256]

If the iMac is more computer than you need, are you selling it to offset the iPad Pro or could you just diwngrade to a Mac Mini? Not saying you couldn't do without a traditional computer, but if you are doing a lot of printing, you may want to keep something around.

 

[ssledoux]

I should mention that I will be parting with the Air 2 when I get the pro set up. Idk if that makes a difference in anyone's suggestions. Basically I'll have an iPad Pro and an iPhone 6s+ (Though I will keep my iMac if I can't handle everything I want on my pro).

Also I realize for some that would be unheard of, but I just don't use it for much more than storage at this point, and I think that's a bit idiotic.
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If the iMac is more computer than you need, are you selling it to offset the iPad Pro or could you just diwngrade to a Mac Mini? Not saying you couldn't do without a traditional computer, but if you are doing a lot of printing, you may want to keep something around.

Well I won't be selling it right away. I'm gonna see how the pro works for me over the next few months. I don't really do a lot of printing. I type up Disney itineraries for people once or twice a month and print out our budgets monthly as well. I'd definitely have to see how all that would play out with the pro.

 

[Marshall73]

I had an Air 2 and went to the 12.9 Pro 128LTE with the Pencil. I love it, the bigger screen is great with more space. I don't have girly arms so never suffer from fatigue with using it all day, it fits in my bag alongside my Macbook Pro but I also have a smaller bag which I take it in if I'm travelling light. Its super fast and gives me the same battery life as the Air 2. I gave my Air 2 to my wife and I just cannot use it anymore, its just too small to use for side by side apps etc its amazing how you can justify the smaller screen until you have a bigger model and see how much of a gimped experience you were getting on the smaller model.

 

[ssledoux]

Well I had gone and looked at them the other day but I didn't really get to spend much time so I'm headed out to the Apple Store right now. I'm definitely going to spend some time in there messing with the 12.9 to see what I really think if the size. I know what the 9.7 is like size wise, and it's nice for sure, but I think for more home use I may want the bigger pad.

 

[TypeMRT]

You can probably shift to iPad Pro full-time if you're willing to use Photos.app or Lightroom for photo editing and iMovie for video editing on the iPad. Word processing is good on the iPad using Pages or Word because everything can be converted to PDF for printing. I keep my iMac primarily for photo editing on Aperture because I can make photo books and don't have to pay to sync 30,000+ photos to iCloud. Setting up your own cloud storage using a NAS at home is a good way to store your media, make it accessible to multiple devices (iPhone, iPad, AppleTV using Plex), and have a decent backup in a device that's much less expensive than an iMac or even Mac mini. A dual-bay Synology with two 4TB drives is a good place to start.

 

[nightlong]

So many threads with people saying the 12.9 is too big or the 9.7 too small. I have both sizes and their different strengths suit my different needs, work and play.

So i am fortunate, I don't have to choose one form factor. If you do, you will probably face some limitations, so prioritise ...

If I could only have one it would be 9.7 with LTE because my highest priority is portability with internet. Phones, even the biggest, and mini iPads are too small for me to do any work on. And, I do work on iPads.

The 12.9 is fabulous and is what I use most now at home. It is not too big because I don't need it to do what a 9.7 does best. And my Air2 and ipad4 are not too small, they are perfect size for their tasks.

 

[ssledoux]

Well I went to AT&T instead of Apple since AT&T is considerably closer. I definitely think the 12.9 would be uncomfortable for me to try and hold in one hand for any extended period of time. That being said, I don't really do that very often - it's mostly propped in my lap.

There are definitely pros and cons to each one for me, so I'm not really any better off with my decision than I was earlier. Grrrr.

 

[David58117]

Well I went to AT&T instead of Apple since AT&T is considerably closer. I definitely think the 12.9 would be uncomfortable for me to try and hold in one hand for any extended period of time. That being said, I don't really do that very often - it's mostly propped in my lap.

There are definitely pros and cons to each one for me, so I'm not really any better off with my decision than I was earlier. Grrrr.

My wife and I have the 12.9, after coming from Air 2s (and a SP3, in my case).

I think it boils down to - for some people, once they get used to the new screen, there's no going back. Getting desktop versions of websites by default, is pretty great. PDFs are amazing, and additional features like picture in picture/split screen actually make sense with the size, and isn't cramped like on the smaller screens.

I can't imagine taking notes with the smaller iPad, since I pretty much make use of the full screen. The smart keyboard is also much better (due to the size), and the onscreen keyboard is better too (you get a full additional row, and typing in landscape mode is essentially like typing on a laptop keyboard, size wise).

Split screen in landscape mode is amazing, and if you load numerous large PDFs - having 4GB RAM is nicer than 2. Same for lots of tabs in Safari..there's actually a video of someone comparing safari website loads between 2GB/4GB RAM..basically more can be opened on the 4GB without having to refresh. It makes a difference..

The 12.9 has all of those as plusses, and the only real negative, is - it's a bit awkward until you learn how to use it.

I don't hold it like I did the Air2, and tend to use landscape mode more than I did on the air 2. I don't use it in bed laying down so much (I use my iPhone 6+ for that, mostly), and eventually you get used to carrying it (I just toss it in my bag with my Macbook, it's not an issue in my opinion).

The Air 2/smaller pro look like Minis now, and having checked out split screen note taking on it in the Apple Store - no thanks!

Initially, my wife took my 12.9, and when the smaller pros came out, I offered to get her one (and reclaim my pro..). She said no, that she loves the bigger screen...so I bought another 12.9..

 

[SuperKerem]

Well I went to AT&T instead of Apple since AT&T is considerably closer. I definitely think the 12.9 would be uncomfortable for me to try and hold in one hand for any extended period of time. That being said, I don't really do that very often - it's mostly propped in my lap.

There are definitely pros and cons to each one for me, so I'm not really any better off with my decision than I was earlier. Grrrr.

Get the 12.9'. I've got one and love it.
You get used to it quick!

Sell the Air 2 though, while it's still worth something.
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You need a 9.7 inch Pro Why ?

Its more Portable and fun and the 12.9 is probably just as big as you iMac Air 2. I toss my 9.7 Pro in the smallest of back packs and it disappears can't do that with a 12.9. Take the Savings by getting a 128GB 9.7 Pro and buy the accessories.

"Anyway, I do like portability although when I take my iPad anywhere it's usually to meet someone to do Disney planning, so it's not like I'm just throwing it in my purse every time I go somewhere."

So by your own admission you want the 9.7 Pro.

"I have a few games I play regularly on my pad and when I do that, as well as just for surfing, Facebook, etc., it's propped in my lap."

Thats not gonna be fun with a 12.9 arms will get tired in minutes. Close your iMac Air 2 and pretend its a 12.9 Pro the size and weight is close iMac is heavier but by 0.55 lbs

Just being polite I think you regret buying the 12.9 Pro maybe I am wrong and you want to hear why its better. Its not not for the reasons you subconsciously stated.

Peace.

Please stop defending the crippled 9.7' iPad just because you've got one.

 

[ssledoux]

Ok so what will my games look like? The ones that aren't gonna be optimized for the large screen? You know, critical ones like Hay Day and Farmville. ;-p

I actually have one of each ordered, but still time to cancel the smaller.

 

[SuperKerem]

Ok so what will my games look like? The ones that aren't gonna be optimized for the large screen? You know, critical ones like Hay Day and Farmville. ;-p

I actually have one of each ordered, but still time to cancel the smaller.

Un-optimised apps look fine, but the optimised apps really make the 12.9' screen shine with so much more screen real estate.

The 9.7' screens always felt a little cramped for me, not something that I would use for productivity. But the 12.9' changes that.

P.S. Why would you get the 9.7' Pro if you have an Air 2? Unless you really need the pencil/always take iPad photos, you will find zero difference between the two.

 

[ssledoux]

I definitely want the pencil option. I still do a lot of writing and know I will use that feature a ton.

I guess I just started getting a little scared of the "portability" factor with the larger one. I was also thinking the apps would look fuzzy and that's not gonna be appealing.

Not really worried about the camera, but the true tone sounds like it would be a nice feature.

 

[SuperKerem]

I definitely want the pencil option. I still do a lot of writing and know I will use that feature a ton.

I guess I just started getting a little scared of the "portability" factor with the larger one. I was also thinking the apps would look fuzzy and that's not gonna be appealing.

Not really worried about the camera, but the true tone sounds like it would be a nice feature.

What you should do is sell the Air 2 and use some of that money to cover the price difference for the 12.9' Pro.

I find the big screen much more immersive and freeing. It's still pretty portable, and very thin. You'd be carrying both the 9.7' and 12.9' in a bag anyway, so the 12.9' won't be any harder to carry.

Especially for drawing - there is a reason the 12.9' came out along with the pencil.

 

[RedOrchestra]

Please stop defending the crippled 9.7' iPad just because you've got one.

These are the kind of uninformed reviews that always show up on MR.

The 9.7" iPP is the hottest new iteration of iPad on the market, to date - don't pass it by, by purchasing outdated technology.

 

[SuperKerem]

These are the kind of uninformed junk reviews that always show up on MR.

The 9.7" iPP is the hottest new iteration of iPad on the market, to date - don't pass it by, by purchasing outdated technology.

Well, we weren't expecting it to be WORSE than the Air 2...
The improvement is so marginal, and the price difference is a joke.

Outdated means nothing when the Air 2 is only 15% less powerful than the new 'Pro' device. Newer doesn't necessarily mean better.

Don't be an iSheep.

 

[RedOrchestra]

Don't be an iSheep.

Hardly iSheep ... I upgraded from an iPad 3. Wouldn't waste my time or money buying a year-and-a-half old Air 2 with a chip that developers are no longer developing for.

 

[SuperKerem]

Hardly iSheep ... I upgraded from an iPad 3. Wouldn't waste my time or money buying a year-and-a-half old Air 2 with a chip that developers are no longer developing for.

Typical iSheep mentality.

This iPad does everything I want it to, is more powerful than I need, and costs $200 less. But I'll buy the new one which looks identical and is only 15% more powerful.

Chip that developers aren't developing for? Are you sure you know what you're talking about?

 

[ssledoux]

You can probably shift to iPad Pro full-time if you're willing to use Photos.app or Lightroom for photo editing and iMovie for video editing on the iPad. Word processing is good on the iPad using Pages or Word because everything can be converted to PDF for printing. I keep my iMac primarily for photo editing on Aperture because I can make photo books and don't have to pay to sync 30,000+ photos to iCloud. Setting up your own cloud storage using a NAS at home is a good way to store your media, make it accessible to multiple devices (iPhone, iPad, AppleTV using Plex), and have a decent backup in a device that's much less expensive than an iMac or even Mac mini. A dual-bay Synology with two 4TB drives is a good place to start.

Basically all I need to do with photos is get them uploaded so I can make books or prints from Shutterfly. Even if I can't do every thing I want with the pad, if everything is updated to Shutterfly, I can make final adjustments from one of my daughters' computers.

I'm a little unsure of how I can manage to do anything with videos though. What do you do if you ever want a hard copy?

 

[SuperKerem]

Basically all I need to do with photos is get them uploaded so I can make books or prints from Shutterfly. Even if I can't do every thing I want with the pad, if everything is updated to Shutterfly, I can make final adjustments from one of my daughters' computers.

I'm a little unsure of how I can manage to do anything with videos though. What do you do if you ever want a hard copy?

You should be able to export videos into your photo library.

 

[ssledoux]

But what if I have only mobile devices? I guess what I'm saying is if I only have an iPad pro, and no longer have my iMac, what are my options with video outside of the cloud?

 

[SuperKerem]

But what if I have only mobile devices? I guess what I'm saying is if I only have an iPad pro, and no longer have my iMac, what are my options with video outside of the cloud?

You can export the video into your photo library which is stored locally on the iPad.

 

[ssledoux]

You can export the video into your photo library which is stored locally on the iPad.

Yes, I get that, but are there options to upload them somewhere to, say, have them put on a DVD or USB? I'm so out of the loop with technology, but want to get myself up to speed. I need to take the ridiculous amounts of stuff stored on my iMac and do something with it. Videos and photos are useless if they're in a place where they aren't being viewed.

I am thinking for long-term like watching home movies and that sort of thing. What are my options, if any, if I only have mobile devices and the cloud?