iPad Pro Opinions on giving iPad Pro as gift

[skaertus]

My father's birthday is within a little less than two weeks. I am thinking of giving him a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but I would like some advice first.

He currently has a 2016 9.7-inch iPad Pro which he uses basically to surf the web and play casual games, nothing else.

He is also very interested in photography as a hobby. He takes pictures every weekend and takes time editing them. For editing, he uses a 13.3-inch HP Spectre x360 equipped with a 7th generation Intel Core i5 which seems to satisfy his current needs. He does not use the iPad Pro for editing photos.

He tried to use a 15-inch MacBook Pro before, and he did not like it. He did not like macOS and he was not interested in using it any further. He ended up giving the MacBook Pro to my sister and continued to use Windows instead.

I am thinking of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro for a few reasons. First, he already uses an iPad and he likes it. Second, the iPad Pro has a much larger screen than the one he is used to, and a better one as well (MiniLED, ProMotion). Third, the iPad Pro has a really fast processor. Fourth, the iPad Pro seems a very capable machine for anyone who takes interest in photography.

I do not think another iPad model would be suitable. The current 9.7-inch iPad Pro he has is perfectly suitable for anything he does with a tablet. Replacing it with an 11-inch model, or an iPad Air, for instance, would make little difference, as it would again be used to browse the web. I would only give him the tablet if I could assure a different experience using it and I suppose a larger screen might be a trigger for that.

Now, I am seriously in doubt if he would use it to edit photos or if it would only be a glorified tablet for basic tasks (especially since he did not like using macOS). I wonder how capable the iPad Pro really is in editing photos and how some of its software (Affinity, Pixelmator) compares to using Photoshop for Windows. Also, I would like to know how is the experience using a mouse/keyboard combo with the newest iPad Pro.

 

[rui no onna]

Just a thought, neither of my parents want the 12.9-inch iPad. They think it's too bulky and heavy.

 

[mikzn]

I got a 12.9 inch iPad Pro for my mom and she absolutely loves it, mostly because of the big screen

I thought a smaller version would’ve been better but she was not enthused when I suggested a smaller iPad, She already had a 9.7 and really fell in love with my 12.9 pro when she watched a Netflix movie on it ?

So I bought her the 12.9 and she loves it - I also bought a stand for the iPad which she also loves.

 

[Isengardtom]

Well 1st of all that’s a really nice gift consideration.

A 12.9 inch iPad Pro is definitely another kind of device than the 9.7-11” range of iPads. Less portable and heavier for sure but arguably more capable for things like photo editing, at least. I’m no expert in Photo editing. I have recently started using Adobe Lightroom on my iPad Pro and started learning a bit. It’s definitely a nice app to use and an Apple Pencil is great with it.

As for mouse and keyboard, I have the magic keyboard and love that experience. Typing with any Bluetooth keyboard works fine. A mouse works ok too but I definitely feel iPadOS is much better with a trackpad. I love the one on the magic keyboard (and I hate trackpads on laptops and with desktops)

The question will be if your father is willing to change his editing workflows from the PC to the iPad. If he isn’t, a new 11” iPad Pro will also be a nice upgrade from his 9.7“ model.

 

[skaertus]

Well 1st of all that’s a really nice gift consideration.

A 12.9 inch iPad Pro is definitely another kind of device than the 9.7-11” range of iPads. Less portable and heavier for sure but arguably more capable for things like photo editing, at least. I’m no expert in Photo editing. I have recently started using Adobe Lightroom on my iPad Pro and started learning a bit. It’s definitely a nice app to use and an Apple Pencil is great with it.

As for mouse and keyboard, I have the magic keyboard and love that experience. Typing with any Bluetooth keyboard works fine. A mouse works ok too but I definitely feel iPadOS is much better with a trackpad. I love the one on the magic keyboard (and I hate trackpads on laptops and with desktops)

The question will be if your father is willing to change his editing workflows from the PC to the iPad. If he isn’t, a new 11” iPad Pro will also be a nice upgrade from his 9.7“ model.

Thanks. That is really the question, and this is why I asked how the workflow looks and feels like. I will not ask him before getting the iPad, as he would tell me not to spend all this money on a gift. So it would be a surprise.

As for the mouse and keyboard, that is the option I am thinking of. He simply does not use trackpads. I would buy a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and a separate stand, in addition to a case.

 

[skaertus]

I got a 12.9 inch iPad Pro for my mom and she absolutely loves it, mostly because of the big screen

I thought a smaller version would’ve been better but she was not enthused when I suggested a smaller iPad, She already had a 9.7 and really fell in love with my 12.9 pro when she watched a Netflix movie on it ?

So I bought her the 12.9 and she loves it - I also bought a stand for the iPad which she also loves.

That is nice.

I suppose the MiniLED screen on the 12.9-inch does make a difference.

 

[skaertus]

Just a thought, neither of my parents want the 12.9-inch iPad. They think it's too bulky and heavy.

In fact it is. But I am not sure whether a 10.9 or 11-inch iPad would be a significant upgrade over what he has now. It surely has a better processor, but my father does not use the power of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and would not notice the difference. I would buy the 12.9-inch Pro as an incentive for him to use the faster processor for photo editing, something he would hardly do on a smaller tablet.

 

[mikzn]

That is nice.

I suppose the MiniLED screen on the 12.9-inch does make a difference.

It was more the size of the screen than the quality and also the sound is very good for watching movies etc.

I am guessing that will also be nice for your fathers photography hobby and for showing those pictures with others on a "nice big screen" ?

 

[Crow_Servo]

I wouldn’t surprise someone with such a personal device. You never know what he’ll want. I talked to my dad about the different iPads and we arrived together at the right one for him. That way, it’s his decision too. Just my two cents.

 

[LFC2020]

Buy it from apple, if he likes it good, if not he’s got 14 days to return it for a smaller iPad ?

 

[Crow_Servo]

Buy it from apple, if he likes it good, if not he’s got 14 days to return it for a smaller iPad ?

Good advice. That way you can surprise him, but have a backup plan.

 

[rui no onna]

In fact it is. But I am not sure whether a 10.9 or 11-inch iPad would be a significant upgrade over what he has now. It surely has a better processor, but my father does not use the power of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and would not notice the difference. I would buy the 12.9-inch Pro as an incentive for him to use the faster processor for photo editing, something he would hardly do on a smaller tablet.

My mom has an iPad Pro 9.7 and even for tasks such as web browsing it's starting to show its age (mostly due to the 2GB RAM).

Mind, if his Windows workflow is already so ingrained that he wouldn't make the switch to Mac, it seems doubtful he'll switch to the iPad unless he ends up liking the Pencil or something.

 

[skaertus]

Buy it from apple, if he likes it good, if not he’s got 14 days to return it for a smaller iPad ?

I am not going to do that. I live in Brazil, not in the U.S. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $3,000 at Apple here. I have to buy it somewhere else.

 

[Crow_Servo]

I am not going to do that. I live in Brazil, not in the U.S. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $3,000 at Apple here. I have to buy it somewhere else.

That just makes a surprise gift even more of a risk. I wouldn’t advise it, unless he’s so polite that he’ll just pretend to like it for your sake and you won’t have to return it.

 

[LibbyLA]

In fact it is. But I am not sure whether a 10.9 or 11-inch iPad would be a significant upgrade over what he has now. It surely has a better processor, but my father does not use the power of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and would not notice the difference. I would buy the 12.9-inch Pro as an incentive for him to use the faster processor for photo editing, something he would hardly do on a smaller tablet.

I started with the 9.7 iPP then got a 10.5 iPP then an 11 iPP. Although in some ways, each step up didn’t seem that much bigger (physical size), it was amazing how much bigger the screen seemed each time.

 

[darngooddesign]

Another option is to get a lightly used 2018 or 2020 13" iPP; big screen, more than enough power, and less expensive than a new iPP.

 

[skaertus]

Another option is to get a lightly used 2018 or 2020 13" iPP; big screen, more than enough power, and less expensive than a new iPP.

Not really an option. A 12.9-inch iPad Pro is so expensive and so rare here in Brazil that it is very difficult to find a used model for sale.

 

[rui no onna]

I am not going to do that. I live in Brazil, not in the U.S. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $3,000 at Apple here. I have to buy it somewhere else.

Do stores there have a return policy? I certainly wouldn't buy a $3K gift that has a non-negligible chance that the receiver wouldn't like it. Seems way too risky.

 

[ian87w]

I would test things first by asking your dad to edit his photos on the current iPad. I mean that's your goal, right? If he's not going to do that, why bother with another iPad? So I guess try teaching him how to put his photos and edit them on the iPad first, and see if he can acclimate to that new workflow on the existing iPad. If he likes it, then the upgrade path is much more obvious and smoother. But don't be surprised if your dad is just not interested in doing that and sticking with his muscle memory on Windows.

I bought my dad an Android tablet hoping he can use it to do whatsapp voice/video call with family members (some lives internationally). Even after teaching him how to do it, he still use his Nokia dumbphone to call, and rather pay expensive money for regular PSTN international calls than using whatsapp voice call. The tablet is only used to watch youtube instead. In the end, you cannot force what you think it's better to your parent.

 

[Soccerrick10]

I agree with ian87w - I use the iPad for all my photo editing. But, I only shoot in black and white (Leica Monochrom). So, the new 12.9” iPad is fantastic for that purpose.

It may be the greatest gift for your dad. But, will he be comfortable with the new workflow? Will he really take the iPad instead of his laptop. With him having an iPad already, it seems unrealistic he would make that transition.

As admirable of a gift this would be and speaks to you as a son, only he can decide if he would embrace and truly use this wonderful gift from you.

 

[sean02]

Id suggest asking him because all the customization you could get out of it idk I’m saying that because my brother got an iPad for his birthday but we didn’t surprise him

 

[BigBlur]

I agree with the last few posts. It sounds like an awesome gift, but for that amount of money I would try to find out why he doesn't edit photos on his current iPad...not even a little bit. There's probably a reason. Is it because it's too small? Too slow? Does he not like it for the same reasons he didn’t like using a Mac? Does he prefer using the tools he's familiar with on Windows? Or perhaps he's just not interested. I think if he was slightly interested or curious about it, he would have at least tried it out or inquired about it.

I don't think any of us can give you a yes or no answer. If he doesn't end up using it to edit photos, will you be comfortable knowing that you spent a ton of money for the iPad, accessories, and potentially photo editing apps/subscriptions just for him to continue surfing the web on a bigger screen when his current one seems to be more than adequate for his needs? (This is assuming you aren't able to return it of course.)

Now having said all this, I feel like him not liking to use a Mac is probably your answer that he won't like doing it on the iPad either. Sure, pairing a mouse with an iPad is nice, but it doesn't change the workflow or make things that much easier...you are still limited to how the OS or app operates. It won't magically make it feel like Windows or a Mac, especially if he's used to multitasking and floating windows. Also, keep in mind that when using a mouse on the iPad, the cursor is just a circle or dot the size of a fingertip. It's not an arrow that gives you greater accuracy and precision like on a PC or Mac. You'd probably be better off with the Apple Pencil, but then again, is he willing to change his ways to edit his photos by touch and interacting with the screen using a pencil?

Perhaps try getting him set up to edit photos on his current iPad and see how it goes. Then maybe you'll have a better idea if this would be a good gift for Christmas or his next birthday.

 

[Htsi]

11” IPad Pro would be better. Get him to a store to try out both sizes. No return policy means you can’t buy both sizes for a surprise in this case