iPad Is it a good idea to get the Ipad 9.7"?

[remisbestgirl]

I am new to Ipads! I am a graduate student and need to read a lot of papers. My main motivation thus for getting an ipad is to use it for reading pdfs and using the pencil to annotate these (plus taking down some notes). I don't have a very big budget and don't really intend to use the Ipad for entertainment, thus thought the 9.7 would be perfect.

However MacRumours says it's currently a bad idea to buy one as it's the end of it's cycle (but there have been no rumours about whether a new version will be out). Should I buy one now or wait?

Also from yall's experience, should I get the 32gb and use cloud or get the 128 gb?

If you have any experiences about using the pencil with it too, please let me know!
Thanks 😀

 

[ACG12]

Get the mini 5. It’s cheaper than the 128gb model 9.7” and is a far better device.

I bought a 9.7” back in November and returned it because of the display and only 2gb of RAM.

 

[remisbestgirl]

Get the mini 5. It’s cheaper than the 128gb model 9.7” and is a far better device.

I am concerned that the screen is too small for comfortable writing. The 9.7 seemed like it would be a good size for reading pdfs comfortably and writing.

 

[ACG12]

I am concerned that the screen is too small for comfortable writing. The 9.7 seemed like it would be a good size for reading pdfs comfortably and writing.

If you can find one on clearance, I would recommend a 10.5” Pro. It will be a far better experience than the 9.7” as it has 4gb of RAM.

 

[Shirasaki]

2GB of RAM can easily hold back your entire reading experience. More stutters and more app crashes. Unless there is a crazy deal that you can get one for a low low price (sub $220), stay away from it.
iPad Air 3 looks great, but 3GB of RAM may still be a bit short.
Go for iPad Pro 10.5" (last year model). A9X may no longer be that powerful compared with A12X, but it can still hold on for one year or two. Apple sells refurbished model at a moderate discount.

 

[Richard8655]

IMO, the latest generation regular 9.7 has the most value for the money with plenty of power for quite a while. Save the money that would have been spent on the 10.5 and use it to upgrade to a future generation of the regular version.

 

[MRISX]

Go and see by yourself, just because the laminated display I would go to the 10.5 (or Mini if fits you). But you need to see with your own eyes if is worth the extra cash. Resource-wise, I think is OK for the price.

If you go with 10.5, on the contrary of the other opinions I would go with the air. Probably not by good reasons for a lot of folks here, but I think the Pro 10.5 have a higher risk of white spots and the advantages it offers, for my use case, are not worth it.

 

[AutomaticApple]

I am new to Ipads! I am a graduate student and need to read a lot of papers. My main motivation thus for getting an ipad is to use it for reading pdfs and using the pencil to annotate these (plus taking down some notes). I don't have a very big budget and don't really intend to use the Ipad for entertainment, thus thought the 9.7 would be perfect.

However MacRumours says it's currently a bad idea to buy one as it's the end of it's cycle (but there have been no rumours about whether a new version will be out). Should I buy one now or wait?

Also from yall's experience, should I get the 32gb and use cloud or get the 128 gb?

If you have any experiences about using the pencil with it too, please let me know!
Thanks 😀

You should probably just go to an Apple Store and see for yourself.

 

[MistrSynistr]

I've never had an app crash or issues on my 2018 9.7 iPad. Not sure where all this is coming from. Fantastic device.

 

[Mainsail]

If your storage needs are more than 32GB but less than 128 GB, I would recommend that you buy the iPad Air 3. The 128 GB iPad 9.7 is $429. The 64 GB iPad Air 3 is $499. If 64 GB is sufficient for the OP’s needs, the Air is a much better value:

• Laminated displayed
• A12 Bionic chip
• 3GB RAM
• 10.5 display
• Smart connector for Keyboard compatibility

 

[AJB1971]

There have been rumours of a new budget iPad with a 10.2” screen for some time now.

The 6th generation model was targeted at the education market so I would expect its replacement to be launched in time for the new school year. It might be worth waiting until then.

I’m sure the current model will be sufficient for your needs and they have been heavily discounted if you’re prepared to shop around. If you manage to get a good deal, you could always upgrade later and I don’t think you would lose that much money.

 

[rui no onna]

If your storage needs are more than 32GB but less than 128 GB, I would recommend that you buy the iPad Air 3. The 128 GB iPad 9.7 is $429. The 64 GB iPad Air 3 is $499. If 64 GB is sufficient for the OP’s needs, the Air is a much better value:

• Laminated displayed
• A12 Bionic chip
• 3GB RAM
• 10.5 display
• Smart connector for Keyboard compatibility

One thing to take into account though is discounts. I frequently see the 2018 iPad 9.7 on sale for $249/329 for 32/128GB respectively.

I do think the Air 3 is a pretty nice, reasonably priced upgrade to the entry-level iPad.

 

[rhinosrcool]

Get the 2018 iPad 32 GB. It's a great tablet. The non-laminated display is fine. Also, the 1st gen pencil works great. The 2 GB ram is not really limiting. I have very few app crashes.

Last year, after a year of owning the 10.5, I sold it. Yeah, it was a great tablet but unnecessary for you and your needs.

At many places, there are deals. $250 from Amazon for the 32 GB. At swappa, they are even cheaper.

 

[Mainsail]

One thing to take into account though is discounts. I frequently see the 2018 iPad 9.7 on sale for $249/329 for 32/128GB respectively.

I do think the Air 3 is a pretty nice, reasonably priced upgrade to the entry-level iPad.

Good point. We won't see significant discounts on the Air for a few more months. In the long run, I think the Air is going to be the sweet spot in the iPad line-up.

 

[sracer]

2GB of RAM can easily hold back your entire reading experience. More stutters and more app crashes. Unless there is a crazy deal that you can get one for a low low price (sub $220), stay away from it.
iPad Air 3 looks great, but 3GB of RAM may still be a bit short.
Go for iPad Pro 10.5" (last year model). A9X may no longer be that powerful compared with A12X, but it can still hold on for one year or two. Apple sells refurbished model at a moderate discount.

Sorry, but that is not quite right.

I'm reading large documents on my 2018 iPad (100-200MB in size) and there is no stuttering and no app crashes. If anyone is experiencing those things on the 2018 iPad with smaller documents then it is more likely an issue with the particular app being used to read.

 

[ssledoux]

If you're on a budget, the 6th generation iPad is a great device for the price! You can't beat an iPad, with the pencil support you're needing, for $250, and the size will be better for you for writing/note-taking, etc., than a mini.

I had zero issues with mine, and 3 of my grandkids have the 2018 and run those things like crazy with no problems!

 

[ChicagoSlim]

I am an academic (professor) and I have been very pleased (on balance) with the 9.7. I tried out the pro and saw no need to pay the extra for the tiny difference in screen. People obsess over some things to justify spending on the 'top of the line'. But in terms of reading pdfs, annotating them with the pencil, this is exactly what I got the 9.7 for and it is working well (file system not withstanding. But that is another issue). I would recommend the 128gb, as 'the cloud' is unreliable at times, and it is nice just having your stuff in your hands. Another recommendation: Notability is a killer app for writing up notes, inserting figures from papers you are reading and integrating everything. No need for pro. Also the mini is not big enough for reading papers and notating, and the 12 is too much. 9.7 is the sweet spot and is my constant companion to seminars, meetings, flights etc.

 

[rui no onna]

Good point. We won't see significant discounts on the Air for a few more months. In the long run, I think the Air is going to be the sweet spot in the iPad line-up.

Among iPad enthusiasts, sure.

However, there are plenty of folks who already consider even the entry level iPad to be a premium device (as compared to Amazon Fire tablets at giveaway pricing).

 

[Shirasaki]

Sorry, but that is not quite right.

I'm reading large documents on my 2018 iPad (100-200MB in size) and there is no stuttering and no app crashes. If anyone is experiencing those things on the 2018 iPad with smaller documents then it is more likely an issue with the particular app being used to read.

This is mainly my experience of using iPhone 6s Plus and a few weeks using 2018 iPad. I often notice random freezes and stutter across the system regardless of what I am doing, including reading PDF. In some rare cases even reading apple book, I sometimes tend to do a hard reset because touch is unresponsive. I think maybe I have a bad unit.

 

[K1221n]

You can find the 2018 ipad 6 128 gig for $329 at best buy about twice a month, at that price its a great deal. I have the 2017 9.7 5th gen and it still handles almost everything with no problems, but looking to upgrade to the air 3 just for the pencil support want to try doing a little art work.

There have been rumours of a new budget iPad with a 10.2” screen for some time now.

The 6th generation model was targeted at the education market so I would expect its replacement to be launched in time for the new school year. It might be worth waiting until then.

I’m sure the current model will be sufficient for your needs and they have been heavily discounted if you’re prepared to shop around. If you manage to get a good deal, you could always upgrade later and I don’t think you would lose that much money.

 

[tps3443]

I am new to Ipads! I am a graduate student and need to read a lot of papers. My main motivation thus for getting an ipad is to use it for reading pdfs and using the pencil to annotate these (plus taking down some notes). I don't have a very big budget and don't really intend to use the Ipad for entertainment, thus thought the 9.7 would be perfect.

However MacRumours says it's currently a bad idea to buy one as it's the end of it's cycle (but there have been no rumours about whether a new version will be out). Should I buy one now or wait?

Also from yall's experience, should I get the 32gb and use cloud or get the 128 gb?

If you have any experiences about using the pencil with it too, please let me know!
Thanks 😀

The iPad 6th gen 2018 is excellent. I bought my 6 Y/O son one. And I paid the full price plus tax for it. It is always fast! And it never slows down. He plays some very demanding games on it. And he pushes that thing to the limits. Every time I use it, I wonder why I bought the Pro iPad lol.

 

[ssledoux]

You can find the 2018 ipad 6 128 gig for $329 at best buy about twice a month, at that price its a great deal. I have the 2017 9.7 5th gen and it still handles almost everything with no problems, but looking to upgrade to the air 3 just for the pencil support want to try doing a little art work.

The 2018 has pencil support also, and it's just such a darn good price right now. I just picked one up for $250 for one of my granddaughters because she was the last of the older grandkids that didn't have pencil support. Now if her darn Logitech crayon would ever arrive!
[doublepost=1558705669][/doublepost]

The iPad 6th gen 2018 is excellent. I bought my 6 Y/O son one. And I paid the full price plus tax for it. It is always fast! And it never slows down. He plays some very demanding games on it. And he pushes that thing to the limits. Every time I use it, I wonder why I bought the Pro iPad lol.

I was using the 6th gen between pros (my 2nd gen 12.9 and my new 11"). Honestly, I almost didn't buy the pro again because I could do everything I needed with the 2018 and then some. I ultimately picked up another pro because my iPad was really my only computing device and I figured it would be nice to have one that was the "best," but if I'd have known I was gonna wind up with another iMac, I'd have stuck with that 2018 pad.

One really nice thing I can say for the pro, and of course it's a gorgeous device with some great features, is that I love being able to have the option for the Apple keyboards - it makes it so much easier to take when I'm meeting a client and still have access to a full keyboard! I JUST bought one off the marketplace here, and I'm so glad I did!

 

[tps3443]

Anyone would be surprised by the 2018 iPad 6th gens performance. The 2GB of ram shows no slow downs. My recommendation is to buy one.

 

[Shirasaki]

Anyone would be surprised by the 2018 iPad 6th gens performance. The 2GB of ram shows no slow downs. My recommendation is to buy one.

My experience is the opposite. A total of 5 random freezes in the first 3 days of using the device followed by two sudden restarts destroy my faith on this 2018 iPad. So I jump the ship and get iPad Pro, which has been fine so far.

 

[tps3443]

My experience is the opposite. A total of 5 random freezes in the first 3 days of using the device followed by two sudden restarts destroy my faith on this 2018 iPad. So I jump the ship and get iPad Pro, which has been fine so far.

What are you doing on it?

My 6th gen is used for multimedia by my son mostly. But, he’s very demanding on it. Always watching 1080P video, or playing Ark survival evolved which is the most demanding mobile game on iOS around. It has never frozen, and it has never crashed.

If I had a problem with it, I would have easily just sold it for $225 really fast and bought a iPad Pro 2nd gen at Walmart for $299 new with that sale from brick seek.

Seriously, I’m very impressed.