iPad Pro Uses cases for an iPad Pro?

[thomyorke68]

So I am tempted to buy the new iPad Pro 11", but I was wondering what do people use an iPad for (not necessarily the Pro)?

My potential use cases are as follows:

- Write down notes/drawings - pretty useful when I am in the office and I am brainstorming ideas with co-workers (drawing design ideas, UI/UI component mockups, flowcharts, mind maps, etc).
- Streaming videos from YouTube, Netflix, etc or watching downloaded shows - Pretty useful when travelling (ex: long flights)
- Casual web browsing, reading Reddit, reading, etc on the go or when I am on the bed.
- Doing stuff that feels awkward on my iPhone
- Music production (not sure what's possible and what isn't, I think the music production apps are limited vs what they can do on a Mac, but I would love to connect my guitar or keyboard and use the iPad to record music without the need of my Mac)

I feel the Pro is sort of overkill and a normal iPad would suffice, but I also feel the Pro has much better hardware so will last longer, the screen is much better, user experience is better (FaceID, gestures, etc). I don't mind spending money on the Pro, but has anyone else chosen a Pro over a normal iPad? What are your experiences and thoughts?

 

[UbuntuFu]

I basically use it as a second screen and for traveling. I have the 2016 9.7 iPad Pro, I picked that up for 500 at BB during a good sale.

Second screen companion for Red Dead Redemption 2 on Xbox One X.
Watching my videos/shows while working on my laptop.

I don't have a keyboard or pen. I rather use my MBP. I use my iPad daily.

The 2018 iPad will be $250 at Target for Black Friday. 250 vs 799.

 

[Beards]

So I am tempted to buy the new iPad Pro 11", but I was wondering what do people use an iPad for (not necessarily the Pro)?

My potential use cases are as follows:

- Write down notes/drawings - pretty useful when I am in the office and I am brainstorming ideas with co-workers (drawing design ideas, UI/UI component mockups, flowcharts, mind maps, etc).
- Streaming videos from YouTube, Netflix, etc or watching downloaded shows - Pretty useful when travelling (ex: long flights)
- Casual web browsing, reading Reddit, reading, etc on the go or when I am on the bed.
- Doing stuff that feels awkward on my iPhone
- Music production (not sure what's possible and what isn't, I think the music production apps are limited vs what they can do on a Mac, but I would love to connect my guitar or keyboard and use the iPad to record music without the need of my Mac)

I feel the Pro is sort of overkill and a normal iPad would suffice, but I also feel the Pro has much better hardware so will last longer, the screen is much better, user experience is better (FaceID, gestures, etc). I don't mind spending money on the Pro, but has anyone else chosen a Pro over a normal iPad? What are your experiences and thoughts?

Your first case use you mention is ‘writing/drawing’.
Unless you plan on using an 2018 iPad an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil would be great.
You can’t use the pencil on any other standard ipad, only on the Pro and 2018 iPad.
Yes, you can use a capacitive stylus but an Apple Pencil is light years in usage for both writing and drawing.

Further, your usage of brainstorming ideas using various apps would be easier with ‘split-screen’ dragging and dropping between apps, again this is a Pro action.

 

[DNichter]

I’d start with the 2018 iPad and see if you like it. No reason to buy an $800 product without a need for it.

 

[kurosov]

For that one alone warrants an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.
You can’t use the pencil with a standard ipad, only on the Pro.

Don't spread misinformation. The 2018 non-pro iPad has pencil support. It even has the option to use the cheaper logitech crayon which is perfectly fine if writing is all you're doing.

 

[willentrekin]

So I am tempted to buy the new iPad Pro 11", but I was wondering what do people use an iPad for (not necessarily the Pro)?

My potential use cases are as follows:

- Write down notes/drawings - pretty useful when I am in the office and I am brainstorming ideas with co-workers (drawing design ideas, UI/UI component mockups, flowcharts, mind maps, etc).

Me too! So tempted.

I'm highlighting this use case because my other use cases match yours exactly, but this might be the one that decides it. Because the new Pencil works only with the new iPad Pros -- the Pro 10.5 and the base iPad support only the first generation pencil. So if you take enough notes to justify that as your highest priority, it might be worth the 11.

Otherwise the 10.5 might suit your purposes just fine. It seems like the screen is almost the same (and is the same PPI), and if the performance boost is measured in tens of seconds, it might not make that much difference, experience-wise.

I intend to wait until I can put my hands on both, and then decide.

 

[Treebark]

Games: Do you play any games? I've been surprised my wife's regular iPad purchased this year doesn't even play some of them as well as my 2015 pro does.

Longevity: Also, note that my pro, which I am replacing, is from 2015. It still hums along just fine (upgrading to have face ID universal on the devices I use, more power, nicer form factor, etc.). More powerful computers are not obsoleted as soon as less powerful computers, this carries over to iPads. If a 2018 regular iPad will last you X many years before feeling slow or not running an app you care about, then you can be pretty confident that the new 2018 iPad Pro would last a longer X + Y years. Nobody can tell you how long Y is though.

Storage: I guess I didn't check, but if you do a lot with music don't the pros come with bigger storage options? You may or may not need this I guess.

FaceID: One could call this a detriment as touchid is a bit faster, but if you have a newer iPhone it is nice to have the same user interface with how you unlock the device. Swipes can work the same no matter what I guess, although you'll be tempted to use touch on the iPad if you go non 2018 pro.

UI interface: Pro's generally feel faster in scrolling, opening apps, using split screen, etc. etc.. If you won't ever have another reference (pro that you use from a family member, or a newer iPhone) you may not notice as much. If you do though, I think you will.

In general, just like in computers, it depends on how you use it which is why you are asking. An office worker who does email and web all day doesn't need a fast, modern computer. A programmer, graphic artist, or CAD engineer does. As would a gamer, a prosumer photographer, etc. etc. so good luck with your decision.

 

[rui no onna]

Longevity: Also, note that my pro, which I am replacing, is from 2015. It still hums along just fine (upgrading to have face ID universal on the devices I use, more power, nicer form factor, etc.). More powerful computers are not obsoleted as soon as less powerful computers, this carries over to iPads. If a 2018 regular iPad will last you X many years before feeling slow or not running an app you care about, then you can be pretty confident that the new 2018 iPad Pro would last a longer X + Y years. Nobody can tell you how long Y is though.

In general, just like in computers, it depends on how you use it which is why you are asking. An office worker who does email and web all day doesn't need a fast, modern computer. A programmer, graphic artist, or CAD engineer does. As would a gamer, a prosumer photographer, etc. etc. so good luck with your decision.

True, but unless you place a value on the extra features or will benefit from the performance now, it may not make sense to buy the product that's 3x the price based solely on longevity. Say the regular iPad lasts 3 years, it's somehow unlikely that the Pro will last 9 years.

I do agree though, greatly depends on how one uses the device and what features they're willing to pay a premium to get.

 

[spiderman0616]

I have owned all generations of iPad Pro and have used them all with the Pencil and Apple brand keyboard cases. I have the 11” model with 2nd gen Pencil and Keyboard Folio coming my way on Wednesday. I use these devices as my main personal computers, but they’re so much more to me than that. Here are my top use cases:

Note taking in OneNote and Notability
Drawing/Sketching
Document creation
Podcasting/other audio recording
Music composition
Gaming
Streaming media
Photo editing
Tax returns in Turbo Tax
Reading books, news, etc
Web browsing

There’s more I’m sure I’m forgetting. Yes, you can do all these things on a standard iPad too, but it’s all about what feature set you want to do them with. Because I am such a power user of iOS, I want the fastest processor, best sound, best screen, best peripherals, etc. You need to decide what compromises you’re willing to make with a non-Pro model and go from there.

 

[darkarn]

I mainly use iPad Pro for gaming; it is currently the largest and strongest tablet on the market!