Why i love Split Screen on the 11” iPad Pro

[Greenmeenie]

One of the common reasons i hear people say they chose the 12.9” over the 11” is because of split screen & multi-tasking. Don’t get me wrong, the 12.9” screen is beautiful. As an artist, it was tempting. But in the end, I chose the 11” iPad Pro because I travel a lot. My favorite travel sketchbook is an A5 size, and the 11” is roughly the same size. I also prefer the 11” for other reasons. Even tho it is my laptop replacement, I still like my ipad to feel like a tablet. I like being able to type easily on it with my thumbs in portrait as well as landscape. I think if I was at my desk most of the time, i may have gone with the 12.9”, but I am very mobile.

Anyway, back to the point of this thread. The split screen. Attached to this post are some pics of the 11” & 12.9” side by side. I have the apple stocks app open on one side and notes on the other with a little doodle. What i like about the 11” is that even tho it doesn’t show as much info in the stock app in some views...the type is actually bigger and more readable in both the half view & 3/4 view. The video is also bigger because of it. I like that. If i want to see the stocks, all i have to do is expand the size of the window or hit the arrow in the upper left corner. Easy peasy.

I tried split screen with many different apps, and most of the time, i prefered the 11” for this reason. I know it’s not the full ipad versions in some views, but that didnt bother me as much as i thought. I also felt many apps on the 12.9” didn’t utilize the screen as well as the 11”. There tended to be a lot of wasted white space on the 12.9” on some apps, while the 11” even tho it was smaller, seemed to utilize and fill out the space so there wasn’t as much white surrounding the content.

Just figured i’d add this observation about split screen to the forum as i see it is a big reason why many are thinking of choosing the 12.9” over the 11”. Hope y’all find it interesting.

 

[TheRealAlex]

Fiiiiiiight........grabs popcorn. I’m staying out of this one.



(Pics as irrefutable proof, my dude this will cause people to return their 12.9” slabs)

 

[Enclavean]

11” Master Race

 

[augustya]

I have the apple stocks app open on one side and notes on the other with a little doodle. What i like about the 11” is that even tho it doesn’t show as much info in the stock app in some views...the type is actually bigger and more readable in both the half view & 3/4 view. The video is also bigger because of it. I like that. If i want to see the stocks, all i have to do is expand the size of the window or hit the arrow in the upper left corner. Easy peasy.

Sorry did not clearly understand what you are saying ? But from whatever Little I understood you are saying that the Video in 50/50 in this attached picture View attachment 809367 looks bigger on the 11" iPad Pro ?

But if you put this picture in question

View attachment 809366

then the Video looks equal on both the device on the 11" and the 12.9" iPP !!

 

[Greenmeenie]

Fiiiiiiight........grabs popcorn. I’m staying out of this one.



(Pics as irrefutable proof, my dude this will cause people to return their 12.9” slabs)

Ohhh myyyy God!! What have I done?! Lol. Actually wasn’t my intention to start a fight or for people to return their 12.9”. Lol. Just making an observation. And perhaps pushing back a little about the split screen issue. I don’t think it’s automatically better on the 12.9”. Again, don’t get me wrong, the 12.9” screen is beautiful. And there were times I preferred it. But I also found many many times where despite the smaller screen size of the 11” I felt the content looked much better in split screen. Not always. But much more often than than I expected after reading a lot of posts here about how the 12.9” was better for split screen. Much of this is also personal preference. But some of the shots I took above are pretty striking.

 

[augustya]

Ohhh myyyy God!! What have I done?! Lol. Actually wasn’t my intention to start a fight or for people to return their 12.9”. Lol. Just making an observation. And perhaps pushing back a little about the split screen issue. I don’t think it’s automatically better on the 12.9”. Again, don’t get me wrong, the 12.9” screen is beautiful. And there were times I preferred it. But I also found many many times where despite the smaller screen size of the 11” I felt the content looked much better in split screen. Not always. But much more often than than I expected after reading a lot of posts here about how the 12.9” was better for split screen. Much of this is also personal preference. But some of the shots I took above are pretty striking.

I am sure this is gonna create a lot of Backlash ! An entire 12.9" Lobby is just waiting to errupt and explode !! Watch Out Ya !!

 

[Greenmeenie]

Sorry did not clearly understand what you are saying ? But from whatever Little I understood you are saying that the Video in 50/50 in this attached picture View attachment 809367 looks bigger on the 11" iPad Pro ?

But if you put this picture in question

View attachment 809366

then the Video looks equal on both the device on the 11" and the 12.9" iPP !!

Yes...in that view you are correct. But the type on the 11” is actually bigger. And in the other views the video on the 11” is bigger. I am not knocking the 12.9”. I opened dozens of apps side by side, and there were times I did prefer the 12.9”. BUT, there were many many more times, I actually preferred the 11” for the reasons I mentioned. Again, I am not trying to say you shouldn’t chose the 12.9” at all. Just that I was kinda shocked after hearing over and over that if you use split screen, get the 12.9”....that I actually preferred the 11” in split screen most of the time.

For me, as an artist, the tougher choice was in drawing surface size. I sat in the Apple store for hours drawing on both before deciding. In the end, as beautiful as the larger screen of the 12.9” was...the 11” just worked for me in more areas as well as being a great digital sketchbook.

You can’t go wrong with either.

 

[augustya]

So what size of Paper would be the 11" iPad Pro ad what Size would be the 12.9" iPad Pro like for e.g. A4 or A5 ?

 

[Greenmeenie]

So what size of Paper would be the 11" iPad Pro ad what Size would be the 12.9" iPad Pro like for e.g. A4 or A5 ?

The 12.9” is close to A4 size sketchbook. Probably the most popular size sketchbook. While the 11” is closer to an A5 sketchbook which is the size sketchbook I usually travel with. Again, totally a personal preference. I was definitely tempted by the extra drawing space on the 12.9” for sure. It wasn’t an easy decision. In the end, the more portable 11” won out for me. Plus my drawing style is kinda small doodles and cartoons, so the 11” was perfect for that. If I was at my desk most of the time, I may have chosen the 12.9”.

But I guess the point of this thread was the surprise I experienced with split screen. I really preferred the 11” most of the time in that regard, and I wasn’t prepared for that revelation.

 

[augustya]

isn't A5 bigger than A4 so how is the 11" be bigger in that Analogy compared to the 12.9" ?

 

[Greenmeenie]

isn't A5 bigger than A4 so how is the 11" be bigger in that Analogy compared to the 12.9" ?

In paper sizes, the bigger the number, the smaller the paper. A4 is actually bigger than A5. Sounds weird I know.

 

[aevan]

View attachment 809365 View attachment 809366 View attachment 809367 One of the common reasons i hear people say they chose the 12.9” over the 11” is because of split screen & multi-tasking. Don’t get me wrong, the 12.9” screen is beautiful. As an artist, it was tempting. But in the end, I chose the 11” iPad Pro because I travel a lot. My favorite travel sketchbook is an A5 size, and the 11” is roughly the same size. I also prefer the 11” for other reasons. Even tho it is my laptop replacement, I still like my ipad to feel like a tablet. I like being able to type easily on it with my thumbs in portrait as well as landscape. I think if I was at my desk most of the time, i may have gone with the 12.9”, but I am very mobile.

Anyway, back to the point of this thread. The split screen. Attached to this post are some pics of the 11” & 12.9” side by side. I have the apple stocks app open on one side and notes on the other with a little doodle. What i like about the 11” is that even tho it doesn’t show as much info in the stock app in some views...the type is actually bigger and more readable in both the half view & 3/4 view. The video is also bigger because of it. I like that. If i want to see the stocks, all i have to do is expand the size of the window or hit the arrow in the upper left corner. Easy peasy.

I tried split screen with many different apps, and most of the time, i prefered the 11” for this reason. I know it’s not the full ipad versions in some views, but that didnt bother me as much as i thought. I also felt many apps on the 12.9” didn’t utilize the screen as well as the 11”. There tended to be a lot of wasted white space on the 12.9” on some apps, while the 11” even tho it was smaller, seemed to utilize and fill out the space so there wasn’t as much white surrounding the content.

Just figured i’d add this observation about split screen to the forum as i see it is a big reason why many are thinking of choosing the 12.9” over the 11”. Hope y’all find it interesting.

Interesting observation, thanks for this. I was also considering the 11” a bit, but for illustration, I still prefer the 12.9”.

I can’t justify buying two iPads, but I really wish I had both.

 

[Greenmeenie]

Interesting observation, thanks for this. I was also considering the 11” a bit, but for illustration, I still prefer the 12.9”.

I can’t justify buying two iPads, but I really wish I had both.

Dude. Tell me about it. As an artist myself, it was a really tough decision. Mainly for the larger drawing surface of the 12.9”. I was in the Apple store for hours over several days drawing on both. Had to use the notes app since they didn’t load Procreate or any other art programs on them. Again, because I am very mobile and my drawing style tends to be doodles & cartoons...I ultimately chose the 11”. But the 12.9” was very tempting. Hey, if money wasn’t an issue, I would have the 12.9” sitting on my desk at home, and the 11” for travel. But I just can’t. Lol. Not at this current point in time anyway.

 

[ericwn]

isn't A5 bigger than A4 so how is the 11" be bigger in that Analogy compared to the 12.9" ?

If there were only a place where you could look these easy questions up yourself that would be magic.

 

[augustya]

If there were only a place where you could look these easy questions up yourself that would be magic.

Oh Yeah ! Thanks for reminding !! Thank You !!

 

[clarencek]

In landscape both models perform the same which is why I opted for the 11 inch.
However flip to portrait and you’ll see the 12 inch still uses the full version of the apps while the 11 inch uses the mobile version.
I’m not sure how many people use their iPads in portrait mode but in that scenario the 12 inch is much better.

In landscape they function so similar I opted for the 11 inch due to the portability.

 

[ericwn]

Oh Yeah ! Thanks for reminding !! Thank You !!

No problem, seemed that you needed the reminder urgently.

If you feel a search engine is too complicated you may also check out Siri if you feel adventurous.

 

[augustya]

No problem, seemed that you needed the reminder urgently.

If you feel a search engine is too complicated you may also check out Siri if you feel adventurous.

You from Holy Cross or Some Samaritan Group offering free advice in Life to people or something ??

 

[upandown]

View attachment 809365 View attachment 809366 View attachment 809367 One of the common reasons i hear people say they chose the 12.9” over the 11” is because of split screen & multi-tasking. Don’t get me wrong, the 12.9” screen is beautiful. As an artist, it was tempting. But in the end, I chose the 11” iPad Pro because I travel a lot. My favorite travel sketchbook is an A5 size, and the 11” is roughly the same size. I also prefer the 11” for other reasons. Even tho it is my laptop replacement, I still like my ipad to feel like a tablet. I like being able to type easily on it with my thumbs in portrait as well as landscape. I think if I was at my desk most of the time, i may have gone with the 12.9”, but I am very mobile.

Anyway, back to the point of this thread. The split screen. Attached to this post are some pics of the 11” & 12.9” side by side. I have the apple stocks app open on one side and notes on the other with a little doodle. What i like about the 11” is that even tho it doesn’t show as much info in the stock app in some views...the type is actually bigger and more readable in both the half view & 3/4 view. The video is also bigger because of it. I like that. If i want to see the stocks, all i have to do is expand the size of the window or hit the arrow in the upper left corner. Easy peasy.

I tried split screen with many different apps, and most of the time, i prefered the 11” for this reason. I know it’s not the full ipad versions in some views, but that didnt bother me as much as i thought. I also felt many apps on the 12.9” didn’t utilize the screen as well as the 11”. There tended to be a lot of wasted white space on the 12.9” on some apps, while the 11” even tho it was smaller, seemed to utilize and fill out the space so there wasn’t as much white surrounding the content.

Just figured i’d add this observation about split screen to the forum as i see it is a big reason why many are thinking of choosing the 12.9” over the 11”. Hope y’all find it interesting.

Well done!

 

[ericwn]

You from Holy Cross or Some Samaritan Group offering free advice in Life to people or something ??

Yup. But only in special cases that struggle with the basics.

 

[aevan]

Dude. Tell me about it. As an artist myself, it was a really tough decision. Mainly for the larger drawing surface of the 12.9”. I was in the Apple store for hours over several days drawing on both. Had to use the notes app since they didn’t load Procreate or any other art programs on them. Again, because I am very mobile and my drawing style tends to be doodles & cartoons...I ultimately chose the 11”. But the 12.9” was very tempting. Hey, if money wasn’t an issue, I would have the 12.9” sitting on my desk at home, and the 11” for travel. But I just can’t. Lol. Not at this current point in time anyway.

True. And you’re right, it really depends on your workflow and the way you draw. There are artists who don’t want anything smaller than 24”, there are those who like drawing on phones

For me, actually, the reason I chose 12.9” is not the drawing area itself, it’s the fact that I almost always have some reference or inspirational stuff to the side (love Notability for reference, it’s like an iOS version of Pureref) and that’s why I wanted more space. If I was just sketching without anything else, perhaps I would’ve went for 11” too. And even that one seems perfectly fine for two apps, as you’ve shown.

 

[Pseudo-Fed]

I don't know if it would have an impact on those apps, but is dynamic text sizing set to the same for both devices? Does increasing it on the 12.9 allow bigger font sizing while still showing more content overall than the 11?

 

[augustya]

Yup.

So why not stick to your full time Job there being an advisor there. Macrumors would be better off with that !!

 

[MisterSavage]

Very nice comparison. Is the illustration an Apple genius approaching you while you were making the comparison?

 

[Greenmeenie]

I don't know if it would have an impact on those apps, but is dynamic text sizing set to the same for both devices? Does increasing it on the 12.9 allow bigger font sizing while still showing more content overall than the 11?

I never touched font size, but you’re right, this is possible. Even with that possibility, I still preferred how many of the apps in spit view looked on the 11” for the way they were configured. Like when the stock app was at its smallest, the video was wider & larger on the 11”. I think this is due to the 11”s wider aspect ratio effect on the columns. And when in half view, even tho the 12.9” showed a lot more info, the video was much much bigger on the 11”.

Again, my preference varied from app to app and split view size to split view size. As I am sure it will for others. I just thought it was interesting to show how some of the differences in split screen didn’t always favor the 12.9”.
[doublepost=1544286300][/doublepost]

Very nice comparison. Is the illustration an Apple genius approaching you while you were making the comparison?

Lol. Maybe. Could have been a subconscious doodle. I live right next to the upper west side Apple store here in NYC...and over a three week period I was literally at the Apple store comparing the iPad pros side by side every day sometimes multiple times a day. After awhile the Apple staff stopped approaching me. Lol. I think they were like...oh it’s that dude again. Don’t bother asking if he needs help. He’s just gonna say no.