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iPad Pro 12.9 AND new 13" MBP - overkill?

bronksy

bronksy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 5, 2006
735
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London
I just got my touch bar MacBook Pro - and it's very similar in size and weight to the 12.9 IPP.
I love and always have loved my iPads - but I can't help thinking that the IPP and smart keyboard is a bit pointless now I've got the MacBook Pro - which (no matter what people say) I think is lovely.

I'm a pro photographer and have been using the IPP for Lightroom Mobile sync a lot (can't do that on the MacBook) and obviously the cellular connection is great for watching stuff on the go.. but I could tether to my MBP.

Before I got the MacBook I had the older 13" retina and there was more of a size difference. I'm just thinking perhaps I sell the IPP and wait for the next gen IPP and get the 9.7 inch version.

Has anyone else found themselves in this situation?
 
bronksy said:
I just got my touch bar MacBook Pro - and it's very similar in size and weight to the 12.9 IPP.
I love and always have loved my iPads - but I can't help thinking that the IPP and smart keyboard is a bit pointless now I've got the MacBook Pro - which (no matter what people say) I think is lovely.

I'm a pro photographer and have been using the IPP for Lightroom Mobile sync a lot (can't do that on the MacBook) and obviously the cellular connection is great for watching stuff on the go.. but I could tether to my MBP.

Before I got the MacBook I had the older 13" retina and there was more of a size difference. I'm just thinking perhaps I sell the IPP and wait for the next gen IPP and get the 9.7 inch version.

Has anyone else found themselves in this situation?
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Yes, extreme overkill. The iPad Pro 12.9" is meant to be a Surface competitor. As a large business grade tablet, it has high end specs, the Apple Pen, etc. The MBP Touch Bar is a new gimmicky concept that is keeping Apple behind with the Surface. I bought a Mac because I wanted a high end laptop experience in 2015. However, it's time they put a touch screen as the main screen in Mac. A lot of purchases I would've not made. I hope you enjoy your new items, but the Air 2 and MacBook Pro 2015/2016 models would've sufficed.

I had a Surface Pro 4 along with my MBP 2015 and I thought I wasted tons of $ on it to get a Touchscreen PC experience with biometrics. Now, I am looking just to get a basic iPad and move on with it. Don't want to bother with an iPad Pro at all.
 
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nfl46 said:
Too much, imo.
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Still torn because the iPad is something I can work on for my photo editing and it's syncing back- and it's slightly easier for travelling with and I use it daily as a screen for internet streaming TV stuff.
 
nviz22 said:
Yes, extreme overkill. The iPad Pro 12.9" is meant to be a Surface competitor. As a large business grade tablet, it has high end specs, the Apple Pen, etc. The MBP Touch Bar is a new gimmicky concept that is keeping Apple behind with the Surface. I bought a Mac because I wanted a high end laptop experience in 2015. However, it's time they put a touch screen as the main screen in Mac. A lot of purchases I would've not made. I hope you enjoy your new items, but the Air 2 and MacBook Pro 2015/2016 models would've sufficed.

I had a Surface Pro 4 along with my MBP 2015 and I thought I wasted tons of $ on it to get a Touchscreen PC experience with biometrics. Now, I am looking just to get a basic iPad and move on with it. Don't want to bother with an iPad Pro at all.
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I had the iPad Pro from launch. It's only now I have the new tMBP that I realise how similar in size and weight. I do however use the iPad for pro work. If anything I'm just annoyed there's not more of a workflow for pro photographers other than Lightroom via the camera roll but RAW handling has certainly been a major deal.
 
Its overkill if you don't use them both equally, yeah.

But for me anyway? There are things an ipad can do that a macbook can't. I can easily go the entire day just off the battery without worrying about background processes or closing apps...i can write on it and make notes with the pencil. The App Store on the ipad is far far larger on the ipad than the mac and the apps i use on the ipad give ME a better overall experience than i have on a macbook. I'm also more comfortable sitting in bed or just lounging around the house (or wherever) with my ipad than a macbook. I like that i can just take off the keyboard cover and boom. Nothing but a sheet of glass.

I like the integration with iCloud and "iCloud backup" better on the ipad as well. Its weird. I was exclusively MacBook Pro for awhile and then awhile ago i got an air 2, got used to it and then realized i virtually never used my macbook anymore so i sold it. Have been using the 12.9 pro since launch and have gotten so used to it and the interface that when i go back to a regular laptop, i really don't like it. With the new macbook, i kept trying to instinctively touch the screen. I get irritated at the weight and that it doesn't feel as portable. I miss certain ipad apps too.

So it really just depends. You're lucky in that you get to have both and use them at the same time. You can figure out which you want more. For me? Ipad unless there is something i absolutely cannot do on it. Even then, i just remote into a desktop so it feels like i have OS X on my iPad anyway
 
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Ghost31 said:
Its overkill if you don't use them both equally, yeah.

But for me anyway? There are things an ipad can do that a macbook can't. I can easily go the entire day just off the battery without worrying about background processes or closing apps...i can write on it and make notes with the pencil. The App Store on the ipad is far far larger on the ipad than the mac and the apps i use on the ipad give ME a better overall experience than i have on a macbook. I'm also more comfortable sitting in bed or just lounging around the house (or wherever) with my ipad than a macbook. I like that i can just take off the keyboard cover and boom. Nothing but a sheet of glass.

I like the integration with iCloud and "iCloud backup" better on the ipad as well. Its weird. I was exclusively MacBook Pro for awhile and then awhile ago i got an air 2, got used to it and then realized i virtually never used my macbook anymore so i sold it. Have been using the 12.9 pro since launch and have gotten so used to it and the interface that when i go back to a regular laptop, i really don't like it. With the new macbook, i kept trying to instinctively touch the screen. I get irritated at the weight and that it doesn't feel as portable. I miss certain ipad apps too.

So it really just depends. You're lucky in that you get to have both and use them at the same time. You can figure out which you want more. For me? Ipad unless there is something i absolutely cannot do on it. Even then, i just remote into a desktop so it feels like i have OS X on my iPad anyway
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Oh I use both. I was just surprised at the lightness of the new MacBook Pro.
I use the iPad every day. I also take it on shoots and it can show a live stream of images via a wifi dongle from my camera. I can also edit images on them and they sync back to my desktop.

The MacBook is really for those times I need to edit on-site and have to ingest images - and need the power, a calibrated screen and so on. Most of the time I enjoy the iPad as a TV screen in my office and on the sofa etc.
 
For me they are different tools and while there is some overlap they have many unique tasks so it isn't overkill for me. Only you know if the differences are important enough for you.
 
sracer said:
Clearly overkill... but if you can afford it and enjoy then that's that.
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IPP bought way before the MacBook was announced. Need a laptop for some of my work. Sold my old MBP and bought a new one.

Didn't really spend time comparing the size/weight of the new tMBP but can't believe how small and light it is, even compared to my 'old' rMBP.
 
I don't think it is overkill if you use both for specific reasons. I used to own a 13" MBP and the 12.9" iPad Pro and always found myself using both significantly. I'm in medical school and take a lot of notes using my iPad and then use my MBP for more intensive studying.

However, I did recently sell the 13" MBP and bought a 15" MBP. I prefer this combo because of the screen size differences and I really wanted a larger computer to work on when I am not taking notes on the iPad with the apple pencil.

So, if you can find uses for both that can't really be met just by using one... Keep both! :)
 
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Heya all,
I was wondering if I could get your opinion?
I'm wondering whether to buy the 12.9 or 9.7 iPad Pro?
I currently am using a 13 MacBook Pro. I don't really do much other than Facebook, online stuff and the odd photo editing. I was given money for Christmas and have found a refurb for a good price. what would you advise? would you wait until a new one is announced? or would you go for it?
I just don't want to get one now to have a new one come out next month (which is what happened with my MBP)
 
addouk said:
Heya all,
I was wondering if I could get your opinion?
I'm wondering whether to buy the 12.9 or 9.7 iPad Pro?
I currently am using a 13 MacBook Pro. I don't really do much other than Facebook, online stuff and the odd photo editing. I was given money for Christmas and have found a refurb for a good price. what would you advise? would you wait until a new one is announced? or would you go for it?
I just don't want to get one now to have a new one come out next month (which is what happened with my MBP)
Click to expand...

Well if you're looking at refurbished it doesn't really matter if a new model comes out. Unless you want to wait a few months after the new model comes out.

I've had the 12.9 and now have the 9.7 iPad Pro . If you're planning to do some work on your iPad then get the 12.9 but if it's for media consumption I'd stick with the 9.7. It's more portable and easier to handle than the 12.9.
 
Kjung7 said:
Well if you're looking at refurbished it doesn't really matter if a new model comes out. Unless you want to wait a few months after the new model comes out.

I've had the 12.9 and now have the 9.7 iPad Pro . If you're planning to do some work on your iPad then get the 12.9 but if it's for media consumption I'd stick with the 9.7. It's more portable and easier to handle than the 12.9.
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Thanks so much!! I won't be really taking it out anywhere so will prob go for the 12.9. I would probably buy a band new one as it came out, but know that my Christmas money will probably also get wasted before a new one comes out lol. With you having both, which one do you find better?
 
addouk said:
Thanks so much!! I won't be really taking it out anywhere so will prob go for the 12.9. I would probably buy a band new one as it came out, but know that my Christmas money will probably also get wasted before a new one comes out lol. With you having both, which one do you find better?
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I actually sold my 12.9 to get the 9.7. I found that after the initial joy of purchasing it worse off I didn't really take it out too much cause it was too big to carry. I find the combination of 12" MacBook and 9.7 iPad perfect. I just placed an order for the new 13" MacBook Pro since the 12" was too Cary me over until Apple released an updated version of the MBP. I find the 9.7 is easier to use overall mainly because the size of the 12.9 screen was too big to use. I know some people really like the size of the screen and don't mind the size/heft, so it depends from person to person.

Try the 12.9 and if you find that it's too big then exchange it out for the 9.7.
 
Ghost31 said:
Its overkill if you don't use them both equally, yeah.
Click to expand...
I don't think you even have to use them equally. I use my iPad 80-90% of the time but for the other 5% usage where I use my laptop, I need the laptop - no substitutions. They've got a ton of overlap, sure. However, there's still some things you can do on the MBP that you can't on the iPad and vice versa and in those situations, you'll be glad to have both.

Now overkill is when you buy multiples of each model. :p
 
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bronksy said:
True. I've had an iPad of one form or another since the dawn of the iPad 1. I just think they are so similar in size that it's like having 2 devices that are similar.
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Instead of downsizing the iPad, why not supersize the computer? I'd go with a 15' MBP. Currently I have a 9.7 Air 2 and a 15' 2015 MBP, going to buy the new 12.9 pro in march, planning to use it mainly as a consumption device, since I've noticed I prefer to watch netflix on the bigger screen of my computer, and then reserving the even bigger screen of my computer for when I actually need to get work done.
 
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Overkill for some. Not overkill at all for others. Depends on the person. So there is no wrong answer. For awhile, I was in the overkill camp. Both my iMac & macbook died a little over 6 years ago, so I bought the first generation iPad with the unlimited AT&T datat plan(I'm still grandfathered in it). Right away, I enjoyed the iPad more for media consumption. But as an artist, at first I missed my iMac. But gradually I not only used my iPad for surfing the web, I began to use it creatively. Pretty soon I didn't even miss my macs. I've been happy. Even more so now with the iPad Pro & Apple pencil. Just an amazing digital sketchbook. I love it. I'm a travel blogging artist & photog, and the iPad pro is so portable. I can draw on it. I can blog on it. I can edit my photos and even 4k video on it. It truly is great.

However. I am beginning to shoot a lot of 4k video, 360 video and drone videos. Now although I can edit and watch 4k video on my iPad pro...there are some things I cannot do. There are some video editing things I need final cut, Adobe premiere & after effects for.

I'm gonna wait for the iPad pro updates in March. Would love to pass my current iPad pro onto my bro and nab one of the new ones if there are significant upgrades. But I am also thinking of getting a MacBook Pro or IMac to do heavy video editing on as well.

So I guess I am in the "Not Overkill" camp now. I will always need & want an iPad pro. It's just so much a huge part of my media consumption & creation toolbox now. Couldn't live without it.

But until they can run OSX, I think I may need a MacBook Pro or IMac for my future heavy 4k video editing needs. Torn between getting the 13" MacBook Pro with an external monitor or a 5k IMac.

I could definitely justify the need for both the iPad pro & a Mac for my current & future needs.
 
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