Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad ipad pro m5 256GB storage enough

dumastudetto said:
8GB isn't enough in this new agentic era of advanced computing.
12GB gives you no room for growth or future-proofing.
16GB will be sufficient for years.

The same applies to storage. We need more and more of it, so give yourself the maximum amount of freedom in future to really protect your investment.

I also think iPad Pro M6 will stretch to 24GB RAM for the highest end models, but those are probably more than a year out from launch.
Click to expand...
Interesting reading your thoughts. My ipad is very old (Air 2 model) with 64GB storage. I recently found out that it does not even work on it now on Disney + as ipad software is incompatible. I have about 5-10GB left of storage on it still. I do find it frustrating a new model comes out every 12 months or so now with more RAM, GB etc. I think the 256GB Pro M5 would be more than sufficient for my basic usage requirements but something is telling me to splash out another £200 to get the 500GB for that added peace of mind and longevity reasons. I don't want to spend almost £2k on a 1TB version just for a minor bump in spec and nano texture display. At that price you might as well buy a Macbook pro!

All my photos are stored on the icloud to save storage on ipad etc.
 
maerz001 said:
How can u recommend 2TB for so used to 128GB ? Waste of money
Click to expand...
Massive overkill for me and as you rightly say a waste of money too! 256GB should be more enough for my needs but 500GB would be buying that added peace of mind for an additional £200. I guess the software will become obsolete first as opposed to the memory being completely used up.

13" m5 Pro will see gigantic in comparison to my 9.7" 2014 ipad air but with the gorgeous OLED screen it will be ideal for streaming films and scrolling through reading newspapers etc. I think I will get used to it. I have done to coming from an iphone X to 16 Pro Max. Love the bigger screen despite the extra weight and size.
 
sparksd said:
Yes, I have the MKB for the M5 13" Pro. I far prefer it over the Logi as it has a smaller footprint and I like how the iPad is raised and brought forward over the end of the keypad area (closer to the user). I also didn't care for the case covering the iPad when detached from the keyboard - I use a Pitaka back cover on my iPad that is more comfortable to use and is also compatible with a lightweight magnetic folio f I don't want to use the keyboard. I don't see any significant weight difference between them. The MKB is pricier but worth it to me.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your comments. I definitely need a case for the 13" M5. I do own have a brand new 'carry case' - like a one for a laptop but in a 13" variant.

That said this Ipad is replacing my 2014 Macbook Pro 15" (yes it has an Intel chip) so getting a keyboard I think will be really handy. Would you suggest I get the MKB and the Pitaka case too? The latter looks really nice and is £50 on Amazon. Half the price of Apple smart folio cases.

I noticed the MKB and Pitaka does not cover the 'sides' of the ipad - where the speaker holes are etc. Does this matter - as a little concerned the edges might be scratched?

Also - is it worth getting a screen protector case, such as ESR for £15 (Amazon)? These toys are so expensive just want it as well protected as possible!
 
maerz001 said:
You didn’t mention how much storage you are using now and how that increased overtime.
Without that its a hard guess. But as long as u don’t plan to store many videos it’s hard to fill up 256GB
Click to expand...
Approx 50-60GB used and still have 5-10GB free on my Ipad Air 2! Very little is saved on the ipad - just Apps as use it mainly for watching films - streaming and reading newspapers. I am sure in time this will change though

I use apple Icloud for all my photos.
 
yabeweb said:
Doing fine with 256 here, plenty of apps and media still with 59 gb left.

But it all depends on what you’ll be keeping in there, my big stuff are on external hd, so my Affinity projects are externally saved.

If you plan on keeping for long time it might be worth going 512 as it is not upgradable, for me the 256 was enough and I could delete some less used app if I needed more space.

Magic Keyboard is a must if you plan on typing a lot, I tried a double alternatives and while they work well, the me has a big edge in usability. Sure it is a lot more expensive, but it really makes a step up.
Click to expand...
I agree with your comments. 256GB will likely be plenty but 512GB would certainly give me more peace of mind for many years to come with extra storage if/when required.

Sounds like the Magic keyboard is worth the £350 investment for typing etc. This ipad will be replacing my 2014 Macbook Pro 15" so I think I will benefit from it.

Is it worth buying an additional Apple smart folio or something similar to use for when you take the ipad travelling (in a ruck sack/luggage etc)?
 
Ugene425 said:
Thanks for your comments. I definitely need a case for the 13" M5. I do own have a brand new 'carry case' - like a one for a laptop but in a 13" variant.

That said this Ipad is replacing my 2014 Macbook Pro 15" (yes it has an Intel chip) so getting a keyboard I think will be really handy. Would you suggest I get the MKB and the Pitaka case too? The latter looks really nice and is £50 on Amazon. Half the price of Apple smart folio cases.

I noticed the MKB and Pitaka does not cover the 'sides' of the ipad - where the speaker holes are etc. Does this matter - as a little concerned the edges might be scratched?

Also - is it worth getting a screen protector case, such as ESR for £15 (Amazon)? These toys are so expensive just want it as well protected as possible!
Click to expand...

It's a pricey combo but works for me. The Pitaka does not cover the one side as it is the side along the hinge of the keyboard - it has to remain clear for the keyboard case to be able to close. It covers the other three and scratches have never been an issue for me - I used the same combo with an earlier iPad. As for a screen protector, I used one on an earlier iPad but discarded it as it really added reflectivity to the display (I don't care for matte). This is my seventh iPad and never had an issue with scratches.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ugene425
dumastudetto said:
8GB isn't enough in this new agentic era of advanced computing.
12GB gives you no room for growth or future-proofing.
16GB will be sufficient for years.

The same applies to storage. We need more and more of it, so give yourself the maximum amount of freedom in future to really protect your investment.

I also think iPad Pro M6 will stretch to 24GB RAM for the highest end models, but those are probably more than a year out from launch.
Click to expand...
By the time “the new agentic era” is relevant on an iPad then I can buy the corresponding device I want, which will have new compelling features. No need to buy a 2TB model at twice the price for a device used for media consumption….
 
  • Like
Reactions: RogerKmilw, Devyn89, Christopher Kim and 1 other person
Thanks. Thats a costly expense as you say but seems to be worth it. I have never had a keyboard for an iPad before but my iPad is old and not even with the m chips. I’ve always just bought an Amazon folio case for £20 which I think has done the job.
 
That makes sense re screen protector. I’ve never had one for my iPad either. However I do always have them for my iPhone.
 
Ugene425 said:
I agree with your comments. 256GB will likely be plenty but 512GB would certainly give me more peace of mind for many years to come with extra storage if/when required.

Sounds like the Magic keyboard is worth the £350 investment for typing etc. This ipad will be replacing my 2014 Macbook Pro 15" so I think I will benefit from it.

Is it worth buying an additional Apple smart folio or something similar to use for when you take the ipad travelling (in a ruck sack/luggage etc)?
Click to expand...
Personally I only have the Magic Keyboard, and as said to me is worth ( still find the price outrageous don't get me wrong ) my dad has a Logitech detachable cover with keyboard and he loves that one....I wouldn't trade the 2 as the mk for me with 1 power plug leaves the ipad USB free for other stuff.

What I ended up when outside and without the need of a keyboard I bought a cheap silicone cover so I snap it in and go.

If I were to.buy 2 keyboards ..... Well I wouldn't, too much hassle for me to switch from one to another, at this point I would consider something like Logitech Wich is cheaper and may be replace it with another when the time comes....and if the time comes.

IPad replaced the computer for me, so spending a little more for the mk was a no-brainer, I try to pamper the keyboard as it is expensive and I leave it at home as said when I am confident I won't be typing much.
 
yabeweb said:
Personally I only have the Magic Keyboard, and as said to me is worth ( still find the price outrageous don't get me wrong ) my dad has a Logitech detachable cover with keyboard and he loves that one....I wouldn't trade the 2 as the mk for me with 1 power plug leaves the ipad USB free for other stuff.

What I ended up when outside and without the need of a keyboard I bought a cheap silicone cover so I snap it in and go.

If I were to.buy 2 keyboards ..... Well I wouldn't, too much hassle for me to switch from one to another, at this point I would consider something like Logitech Wich is cheaper and may be replace it with another when the time comes....and if the time comes.

IPad replaced the computer for me, so spending a little more for the mk was a no-brainer, I try to pamper the keyboard as it is expensive and I leave it at home as said when I am confident I won't be typing much.
Click to expand...
Your situation sounds very similar to mine, in that my new ipad will be replacing my 2014 Macbook Pro so will really need and want to use a keyboard going forward. I can get approx. £30 off the RRP as my wife works in education so that is better than nothing. I don't think I have been able to find the MKB Gen 2 on the refurbished Apple website as that shaves off about 10%.

Also like you said, when I travel, I think I will get a cheaper folio kind of case when I don't really need the keyboard which can be left at home. Do you have recommendations of these - off Amazon maybe? That is where I always bought mine from.

I get the MKB doesn't cover one side of the edge of the ipad to allow for the hinge to work. I just hope this edge won't be prone to scratches etc. I guess you have managed ok with it so should be fine.
 
Ugene425 said:
Your situation sounds very similar to mine, in that my new ipad will be replacing my 2014 Macbook Pro so will really need and want to use a keyboard going forward. I can get approx. £30 off the RRP as my wife works in education so that is better than nothing. I don't think I have been able to find the MKB Gen 2 on the refurbished Apple website as that shaves off about 10%.

Also like you said, when I travel, I think I will get a cheaper folio kind of case when I don't really need the keyboard which can be left at home. Do you have recommendations of these - off Amazon maybe? That is where I always bought mine from.

I get the MKB doesn't cover one side of the edge of the ipad to allow for the hinge to work. I just hope this edge won't be prone to scratches etc. I guess you have managed ok with it so should be fine.
Click to expand...
So far no scratches on the cell, I have been quite careful but I mean it's an expensive device so it's normal.

To be honest I bought a transparent case for cheap as I mostly use it in the mk.

The screen is not protected but when I travel it's in a dedicated compartment of the backpack so I felt I did not need to cover the screen and have a flap when using it in tablet mode.

Any discount is always welcome so congrats on getting 30£ off if you can.

I did get Apple are plus, while expensive if a damage occurs while traveling ( and at home why not ) is covered.

Not needed, but a nice to have for me as it takes some worries off.

Did the monthly so it is not that bad little by little.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ugene425
I have the M4 11" 256gb, and it's more than enough. I also don't even use half of that either.

Unless you absolutely need it (and you know if you do), getting the base model makes the most sense. You don't pay the still outrageous storage upgrade fees from Apple (can easily add 20 - 100% of the cost just on storage upgrades!). And you also get access to a lot of the discounts you can get only on the "base model" from 3rd parties. In the US, the base $999 11" iPP goes on sale for $799 (and even $749) after a little time.

On the MKB - I will echo many others comments here, and I got the white MKB when I bought my M4 iPP. While it's come in handy a few times when I wanted to take notes, etc., I rarely need it. As most of the time, my usage is "using it like a tablet". And so I basically just carry it around in the MKB all the time. But often take it off (and thus use it caseless) often. And so I'm 95% of the time using the MKB as "just a case", and for that purpose, it's really heavy and thick! If I could do it again, I probably wouldn't buy it. YMMV.
 
Depends very much what you do, but for me, i have had a 256GB ipad air for a few years, and just upgraded to an M5 Pro 256 GB base model.

I stuck with 256 GB because for me its plenty.

YMMV - ipads now support external storage for both video recording and via files so… unless you’re doing large files on it AND need to do that without something like a Samsung T7 or similar attached… or over the network to a NAS you can probably get away with 256.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Christopher Kim
throAU said:
Depends very much what you do, but for me, i have had a 256GB ipad air for a few years, and just upgraded to an M5 Pro 256 GB base model.

I stuck with 256 GB because for me its plenty.

YMMV - ipads now support external storage for both video recording and via files so… unless you’re doing large files on it AND need to do that without something like a Samsung T7 or similar attached… or over the network to a NAS you can probably get away with 256.
Click to expand...

Don't forget you're missing out on 16GB RAM by going with the lowest storage options. This is a huge performance drop.
 
throAU said:
Aware. Don't care.

Have never run into memory issues in the previous ipads with much less.
Click to expand...

You have, but you don't see it because iPadOS automatically manages it for you. But there is always an experience cost - be it reloading tabs, windows, apps, etc. 16GB RAM takes away those performance penalties.
 
throAU said:
Hence, i don't care. iPad for me is a mostly note taking and media consumption device. For serious work i have my m4 max macbook pro.

Even the base model with 12 GB has 50% more RAM than my prior M1 Air, and way more than the regular ipads.
Click to expand...

You probably don't need 16GB for note taking and media consumption. You don't need an iPad Pro for those tasks, either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back