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I think 12.9 is perfect for those who want to replace their macbook/computer. For somebody who has a macbook I think 11 inch would make the most sense as it is more complete in terms of size, usage on the sofa and taking away with you. I liked my 12.9 and smart keyboard but feel for general browsing then a trackpad built in is far better,

The new Brydge keyboard coming end of March has a track pad.
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It's so funny how different people are. I can't stand using a trackpad, and will probably never own a laptop (I know I could get a mouse, but I might as well just use a desktop). When I use my iMac, I am always trying to touch the screen to do things. ;-p

Even with my 27" iMac i mainly use a track pad, way better than a mouse imo. I have a mouse but rarely use it.
 
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As others have said, check into how the 11 does apps side by side versus the 12.9. The only thing I’ll add is that when I’m milling about the Apple store, picking up the 11 feels like handling electronic paper to me. It balances nicely and the weight is less than I’d expect. If it wasn’t for the fact that the 11 doesn’t show full webpages side by side, I’d probably lean towards that one.

One thing that definitely makes a 12.9 easier to deal with on a daily basis is my Scottevest. Even when I have my backpack I still keep it in the “laptop“ pocket.
 
Not a huge fan of regular laser mice, I've been a trackball user for years. Some of the ones I have for Windows are a bit wonky on macOS though. The OS thinks it's a keyboard. I am not sure if trackballs work at all with iPadOS.
 
I went from the 10.5 Pro to the 12.9 Pro and am really happy that I did - the larger screen is wonderful for everything I use it for. I don't find portability to be an issue at all, even when using the Logitech Slim Folio Pro case on it. But portability is completely subjective and other peoples experience are almost irrelevant.


I did the exact same. I don't regret it at all. Now that the 12.9 has a much smaller footprint, its size is no longer an issue for me.

Me too. Had 10.5, tried 11 and 12.9 but the 11 now has a different aspect ratio as well. Had first gen 12.9 so was convinced 12.9 would be too big, but the bezel shrink did trick to make it portable enough for me.
 
One major difference to consider between the 2 iPad pro sizes is that the 11" uses the compact version of apps whilst in split-screen mode, whereas the 12.9 uses the full iPad version.

https://developer.apple.com/design/...ines/ios/visual-design/adaptivity-and-layout/

Not sure if that's important to you, but it was a major factor for me in deciding on the 12.9".

I came from a 15" Macbook Pro & an iPad mini - You get used to the size of the 12.9 really quickly!

Thanks, Interesting! Related question: the 12. 9" gen 3 uses the desktop version of webpages by default, not the mobile version. Is the 11" the same?

Another consideration for OP:

I assume that as you are seeing it as a laptop replacement that you will be using it with a keyboard? I think that the 12.9 has an additional advantage over the 11 with keyboards attached to both.

With keyboard attached you will always use landscape mode of course, so when you get to see them in the flesh compare them in landscape mode. I use my 12.9 in landscape mode even when not using the ASK.

I'm sure lots of people will say they are very happy with a keyboard on an 11", which just shows what a personal decision this is. :oops:
 
The new Brydge keyboard coming end of March has a track pad.
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Even with my 27" iMac i mainly use a track pad, way better than a mouse imo. I have a mouse but rarely use it.
sure but that will still be another £200 plus on top of the iPad cost. So added cost which is why the MacBook works well for my needs for general keyboard access.
 
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I was able to make it out to Best Buy yesterday, and had a look at the two models. I've purchased the 12.9 now, after seeing the advantages in drawing area and multitasking, I knew the 12.9 would work better for me. I'm sure the 11" is an excellent tablet, but for what I will be doing with it I think I can deal with the added bulk. Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. I might post some more impressions as I use it more, haven't gotten a chance to open it up yet.
 
sure but that will still be another £200 plus on top of the iPad cost. So added cost which is why the MacBook works well for my needs for general keyboard access.

Eh, Think i would rather pay $300AUD for the that keyboard than $1700 for a base model Air just for a keyboard.
 
Eh, Think i would rather pay $300AUD for the that keyboard than $1700 for a base model Air just for a keyboard.

Crikey - I got a base model 2019 Retina Air on Costco's pre-Christmas crazy sale for USD800 (plus$80 tax, because US pricing is stupid about taxes).
 
I was able to make it out to Best Buy yesterday, and had a look at the two models. I've purchased the 12.9 now, after seeing the advantages in drawing area and multitasking, I knew the 12.9 would work better for me. I'm sure the 11" is an excellent tablet, but for what I will be doing with it I think I can deal with the added bulk. Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. I might post some more impressions as I use it more, haven't gotten a chance to open it up yet.
So, any more impressions of yours? :)
 
So, any more impressions of yours? :)
Good on reminding me. I had totally forgotten that I said I would give more impressions.

So far I am really enjoying this thing. The screen size is quite nice for what I am using it for, being only .4 inches smaller than a MBA or Pro, and that's a 4:3 display. Having that higher refresh rate is also great, when I go back to my iPhone I can really notice the difference. Speakers are pretty good for a tablet too, enough so that I don't really miss the headphone jack as much as I would've.

Typing on it is alright, I make much less typos than I do on the phone. I might buy a keyboard for it, not sure if it will be the Apple or another brand yet. I have been using some USB-C accessories that I purchased, mostly to import photographs from SD cards so far. I also tried using a mouse with it, and it works alright for what it is.

Multi-tasking has been better than I thought, while it won't be as good as what you can get on a laptop, it is enough for most of the apps I have on it. It's enough that I can watch my email and reference a sheet at the same time, or copy information from the web or another document to a new source. I'd say that about 75% of the time I'm just using one app though.

Overall I think it's a nice device, even if I am not yet taking full advantage of its capabilities. I do use it almost every day though, which is good because I was worried that it would end up sitting doing nothing most days. But whether it was actually excessive, I think I will have to wait and see what I use it for in the future. So far, what I have been doing could've been done on a lesser iPad, but I believe that the UI and screen/speaker quality justified a part of the price increase.
 
I think it takes a long time for a change like this to mature. First impressions are interesting but come back again in a year...!

I got my 12.9 a year ago to use alongside and perhaps replace my 12" MacBook. At first so much was frustrating on the iPad (compared to the MB) but now, while some things are definitely better on the MB I find myself usually picking up the iPad in preference. No eureka moment just a slow progression, although I will say that switching to DEVONthink on the Macs, DEVONthink to go on the iDevices, in combination with Files app was a significant step.

I have a 27" iMac as well and the 12"MB is really for away from base use. I am getting to the point where I am thinking about getting rid of the MB and relying on the iPad away from base.
 
One thing that definitely makes a 12.9 easier to deal with on a daily basis is my Scottevest. Even when I have my backpack I still keep it in the “laptop“ pocket.

A Scottevest! I'm very curious about this. Does it feel weighed down when you have it full of devices?
 
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