iPad Pro 12 or 9?

[cardinalryan]

12.9 and it's not even close. Just my opinion, but to me, the 12.9 is a marvel.

 

[apolloa]

So my iPad Mini 2 is feeling a little sluggish and with the iPhone 6S i own its starting to not really be a useful device. So Im debating with the iPad 9.7 Air 2 or Pro or indeed the Pro 12. Whilst price matters, for the sake of this argument lets ignore it.

I mostly use my iPad at home, browsing the web and playing the odd game. I watch Youtube and the various streaming apps but I won't be buying it to do any "pro" work. My heart is for the 12 simply because of the screen size whilst I would probably go for the Air 2 if I went for the smaller model - because I probably don't need all the whistles truth be told.

So I suppose my questions are:

1. Is the 12 a good device for just sitting on the couch browsing the web?
2. Shall I wait it out to see what happens in September?
3. Does anyone else just use the 12 like this and what's it like?

Thanks
Jim.

If you spend a LOT of time streaming video on your iPad and watching You Tube then buy a Pro model, because you will really really really appreciate the better speakers on them. People tend to forget about that and they make the Pro models awesome media consumption machines.

 

[jamesrick80]

For media consumption, I don't think you can get better than the larger pro....it's definitely good for that....and it's helps that split screen feels so much more useful....

 

[Coolpher]

Hm, in my opinion you should buy what you can afford and what brings you the most joy in actual use. If you have the chance to compare these devices side by side, do that, form an opinion, then buy. Of course, if you really only want to surf the web, most iPads will do, the Air 2 is a good example.

If you buy your iPad pro 12.9 through your carrier like Verizon you can pay it off monthly at $40 with the device payment plan over 24 months

 

[iAppl3Fan]

So my iPad Mini 2 is feeling a little sluggish and with the iPhone 6S i own its starting to not really be a useful device. So Im debating with the iPad 9.7 Air 2 or Pro or indeed the Pro 12. Whilst price matters, for the sake of this argument lets ignore it.

I mostly use my iPad at home, browsing the web and playing the odd game. I watch Youtube and the various streaming apps but I won't be buying it to do any "pro" work. My heart is for the 12 simply because of the screen size whilst I would probably go for the Air 2 if I went for the smaller model - because I probably don't need all the whistles truth be told.

So I suppose my questions are:

1. Is the 12 a good device for just sitting on the couch browsing the web?
2. Shall I wait it out to see what happens in September?
3. Does anyone else just use the 12 like this and what's it like?

Thanks
Jim.

1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Yes.

I own both iPad Pro sizes. Wonderful devices.

 

[DiamonDecoden]

I just got the 12.9 yesterday. I also struggled with the decision myself but I honestly love a bigger screen real-estate and I tried it in the store - it is so much easier to draw on with a bigger screen! The smaller screen just wouldn't do.

I was disappointed they didn't have rose gold version for the 12.9 and also the 9 have better screen, camera etc but my plan is to sell the 12.9 and get the updated version if they decide to release something in November but I wouldn't wait because I can use my 12.9 now.

 

[aces99]

I would go with the 9.7" pro. The 12.9" is to big to sit back on the couch with. The 9.7" pro is the way to go if you are gonna sit back on the couch or have in your lap or hold in your hand. Plus the pro has 4 speakers which is great for watching videos and stuff. It also has multitasking which is great. Just those two things make it worth the upgrade never mind the other stuff.

 

[alecgold]

I've used my fathers air 2 iPad for two months before the Pro 12.9 came out. I bought the 12.9 because I need to read all kind of law-text pdf-s. From ancient 1870 scans to current verdicts, advices etc. It was really good reading legal A4 sized documents. Much better then the air 2! But then the pro went on and did more and more tasks. These days my 2015 MacBook Pro 13" maxed out laptop only gets used for things at the office when I need the 27"screen like excel or complex writhing with multiple documents as a source. The laptop just sits at my desk and never travels.
If I do need something that my iPad can't do (I can't add backgrounds to PDF's yet, ocr 1,5 Gb documents) I use jump desktop to login to my MacBook, pick up the document out of the cloud and do that specific task.

To get back to the OP, imho the 12,9 might surprise you what it can do. What did you choose?

 

[Nolander07]

I use a 12.9 for just regular old consumption- websites, forums, occasionally videos and games. I sit on the couch, at the table, in bed, etc. It is great for all those things. I don't think I will ever have a smaller iPad again. The screen size is awesome. It is not huge or unwieldy. It weighs about 3 lbs with a case on it.

 

[DavidLynch]

I had the 12 and moved to the 9. The 12 is a fantastic device for media consumption, but so is the 9. In the end, the 12 was not convenient for bringing to meetings and taking notes on, something I use my iPad for constantly.

 

[thelead]

I had the 12 and moved to the 9. The 12 is a fantastic device for media consumption, but so is the 9. In the end, the 12 was not convenient for bringing to meetings and taking notes on, something I use my iPad for constantly.

I chose the 12 basically the same reason. I don't find either to be convenient for meetings... The mini is the best companion device due to size but with a 6s plus, it's hard to justify having the mini.

 

[DavidLynch]

I chose the 12 basically the same reason. I don't find either to be convenient for meetings... The mini is the best companion device due to size but with a 6s plus, it's hard to justify having the mini.

The mini is more convenient and if it had Pencil support it'd definitely win out for that purpose.

 

[seggy]

I can't use either for 'pro' uses, so I ended up switching up my 12's to 9.7's.

I'm much happier with being able to use the Pros as the usually compact iPad experience with the odd bit of inking, instead of a cumbersome crappy alternative to a Surface-type Windows device for a frankly laughably compromised stab at 'productivity'.

That said, if you're spending most of the time on the couch then a giant iPad may not be a bad way to go. I wouldn't read much into the lack of True Tone: The 12" Pro's screen is excellent.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

It sounds like you are not using the iPad for a productive need. You are simply consuming media. Unless you have a vision problem or need to share that media with others then 12 inch is larger than your needs.

Just since you have money to buy 12 inch does not mean that you need to spend the money. Do something unusual and SAVE IT. Put it towards retirement, or pay down debt if you have any. Save it for a rainy day or an eventual medical emergency.

There is no need to keep up with the Jones. SAVING MONEY is not a crime.

 

[Osty]

The mini is more convenient and if it had Pencil support it'd definitely win out for that purpose.

+1

I've always preferred A5 notebooks instead of A4 and the Mini is pretty close to that size. It's like having a digital Moleskine crossed with the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or Lecterns from KSR's Mars Trilogy

If the mini had pencil support, it would be a slam dunk.

 

[silverblack]

I previously got the 12.9" ipp thinking that it would be great to read and annotate PDFs. It was at the beginning. But after the novelty wore off, I went back to my 27" iMac for pdf reading. The ipp was left sitting on my desk. I hesitated in bringing it to meetings as it was cumbersome. I bring my iPad mini instead.

Not sure how I would feel about the 9.7" ...

 

[seggy]

I previously got the 12.9" ipp thinking that it would be great to read and annotate PDFs. It was at the beginning. But after the novelty wore off, I went back to my 27" iMac for pdf reading. The ipp was left sitting on my desk. I hesitated in bringing it to meetings as it was cumbersome. I bring my iPad mini instead.

Not sure how I would feel about the 9.7" ...

See my post. The 9.7 is significantly less cumbersome and much more what an iPad traditionally is - handy, go anywhere. Maybe because of it's expanse rather than absolute weight, the 12" Pro is surprisingly cumbersome.

Of course, whether you'd still use an iPad beyond the initial period is something only you can decide. The 9.7's are probably the iOS devices I use most, but the 'actually pro' tablets I use most are the Surface 3 and the Thinkpad 10.

 

[alecgold]

I previously got the 12.9" ipp thinking that it would be great to read and annotate PDFs. It was at the beginning. But after the novelty wore off, I went back to my 27" iMac for pdf reading. The ipp was left sitting on my desk. I hesitated in bringing it to meetings as it was cumbersome. I bring my iPad mini instead.

Not sure how I would feel about the 9.7" ...

Those comments, like yours, are so odd to me. In the old days (8-10 years ago) i would bring a nice leather A4 folder with me, fold it open and start to take notes. That was big, 2x A4 sized on the table.
Then came the laptop and I was able to type my notes, smaller, digital yet I never liked that the screen was between me and the other people.
Now I have a iPad Pro 12.9". It's about the same size as 1 A4, it's flat on the table, I can write naturally and everything is digital. It's just like carrying a bare A4 paper notepad. About the same weight, same size, a bit thinner.

So for me it's not cumbersome, it's more convenient then 10 years ago, it's more convenient then a laptop.
If anything, the 9.7" would be just to small to write a lot of notes, annotate PowerPoint handouts etc.
Where is the cumbersome part for (several) people?

(I'm not arguing it's or it isn't inconvenient/cumbersome for others, I'm just curious where the differences are)

 

[seggy]

For me, I guess it's that if I'm doing 'srs' things I'm held back by iOS (and many aspects of the hardware) more than the form factor, compared to even something like the Surface non-Pro 3 (which is IMO actually a lot more Pro than either iPad Pro is), let alone stuff like the Thinkpad X1 Tab, or even the Surface Book - Clipboard.

And when you look at it purely as an iPad, it is cumbersome.

 

[daniel1948]

I have a Mini, an Air, and the large size Pro. For media consumption, web browsing, and just plain typing, the big Pro is far and away the best. Watching video on the Pro is comfortable and enjoyable. Watching video on the Air, it's just a bit too small for a good movie feel. And watching video on the Mini, it's way too tiny. I can journal on the Mini, but the keyboard is just barely big enough. The Air is entirely okay for typing. But the Pro is easy to type on.

The Mini is now my Kindle machine and not much else. The Air is my travel computer because the Pro is too big for travel. The Air is also my games machine. Chess, checkers, solitaire, sudoku, etc. I'm typing this on the Pro at my dining room table as I have my morning decaf coffee. One-handed because of my broken arm. The Pro makes it fairly easy to type one handed with the off hand.

 

[burgman]

I can't use either for 'pro' uses, so I ended up switching up my 12's to 9.7's.

I'm much happier with being able to use the Pros as the usually compact iPad experience with the odd bit of inking, instead of a cumbersome crappy alternative to a Surface-type Windows device for a frankly laughably compromised stab at 'productivity'.

That said, if you're spending most of the time on the couch then a giant iPad may not be a bad way to go. I wouldn't read much into the lack of True Tone: The 12" Pro's screen is excellent.

after comparing the 12 and the 9.7 side by side watching the same movie trailer i disagree with your statement. The difference using True Tone is striking.