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iPad Pro Would the Pro be worth it just for textbooks and media consumption?

JerTheGeek

JerTheGeek

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 15, 2014
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Hello all.
I have an iPad Air 2, got it after Christmas 2015. I really enjoy it and use it a lot everyday for textbooks for homeschool, web browsing, email, YouTube, watching NHL, playing occasional games, etc.
I hadn't planned on upgrading my iPad Air 2 anytime soon, but I still am pondering the iPad Pro. Would it be worth spending the extra money for a pro just for my uses?
 
Is the display of the Air 2 too small for you? Because the higher specs of the Pro won't really enhance such simple tasks, so you will be paying a lot of money just for more screen real estate.
 
joeblow7777 said:
Is the display of the Air 2 too small for you? Because the higher specs of the Pro won't really enhance such simple tasks, so you will be paying a lot of money just for more screen real estate.
Click to expand...
Not too small, just thinking the larger screen would be nice for all the stuff I do. I guess it's not really worth the money tho
 
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JerTheGeek said:
Not too small, just thinking the larger screen would be nice for all the stuff I do. I guess it's not really worth the money tho
Click to expand...

For me, I'm finding the iPad Pro worth it, because I do a lot more writing on it than I ever did on the iPad Air. The Air was too small to do a lot of writing, but the Pro is so comfortable for writing, it's now my preferred writing device.
 
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If you have the Air 2 I wouldn't bother upgrading to the Pro, not just for reading purposes.
I would really like to get back into reading when I pick up whatever this updated iPad will be.
 
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Commy1 said:
If you have the Air 2 I wouldn't bother upgrading to the Pro, not just for reading purposes.
I would really like to get back into reading when I pick up whatever this updated iPad will be.
Click to expand...
Well it would also be for watching NHL and web browsing in addition to some occasional games and other entertainment stuff.
 
JerTheGeek said:
Well it would also be for watching NHL and web browsing in addition to some occasional games and other entertainment stuff.
Click to expand...

GameCenter live now supports picture in picture on iOS so having the extra space of the Pro would be advantageous if you want to have the video playing while working on other tasks. Seems like there is no "value" for your needs, it's merely a preference if you want the bigger tablet or not.
 
It is always the big screen coupled with the Pencil that makes the iPP valuable. Once you try the Pencil for any note-taking or annotation, you will see that it's well worth it.
 
BenTrovato said:
GameCenter live now supports picture in picture on iOS so having the extra space of the Pro would be advantageous if you want to have the video playing while working on other tasks. Seems like there is no "value" for your needs, it's merely a preference if you want the bigger tablet or not.
Click to expand...
Yes i LOVE that the NHL app now supports multitasking, it is awesome. I use the feature often. Go Bolts and Go Hawks!!!!
 
Yes worth it IMHO, I use mine for consuming media more then I ever did with my air 2. I have an iPad mini 4 which I use to play a game on a nd stream Spotify. My iPad pro gets uses for Netflix, Amazon prime and I player as well as my sports apps.
 
Worth is such a relative term. Will getting the Pro prevent you from putting food on your table? No, not worth it. Is the cost of a Pro a rounding error on your monthly paycheck? Then yes, absolutely worth it.

It depends.
 
I was thinking today that I should start saving for an iPad Pro.....but then I realized that it's a lot of money and I don't think I would like the larger size of the 12.9 inch screen when carrying it around and holding it for everyday use. Sure it would be nice when watching NHL, but that is only one of the many things I do on my iPad. The main thing I do on my Air 2 is my homeschool textbooks, and holding the pro all day for school would definitely not be comfortable. So while it would be nice for a few things I do with my iPad, overall it just isn't practical for me, plus the price is a lot for an iPad.
I'll stick to the 9.7". It fits my usage best and is the perfect balance of portability and an immersive screen.
 
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i would say no. your tablet does all those things better. IPP is huge for consumption imo. i love mine for sketching. but it sucks for everything else.
 
JerTheGeek said:
I was thinking today that I should start saving for an iPad Pro.....but then I realized that it's a lot of money and I don't think I would like the larger size of the 12.9 inch screen when carrying it around and holding it for everyday use. Sure it would be nice when watching NHL, but that is only one of the many things I do on my iPad. The main thing I do on my Air 2 is my homeschool textbooks, and holding the pro all day for school would definitely not be comfortable. So while it would be nice for a few things I do with my iPad, overall it just isn't practical for me, plus the price is a lot for an iPad.
I'll stick to the 9.7". It fits my usage best and is the perfect balance of portability and an immersive screen.
Click to expand...

It was worth it for me when I bought it, but as it turns out I also happen to use it much, much more than anticipated. Together with pen and keyboard it works brilliantly for me. OTOH, I didn't have an iPad to start with and an iPad Air 2 is still a really good device that will get you through most, certainly combined with a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.
So I think it's a wise decision to stick with the Air 2 and save the money!
 
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JerTheGeek said:
I'll stick to the 9.7". It fits my usage best and is the perfect balance of portability and an immersive screen.
Click to expand...
Make the decision that's right for you, but boy do I think that textbooks look a lot better on the iPP. Most of the textbooks I use when I'm taking classes are scans of books rather than actual ebooks, and the bigger screen makes reading without zooming/panning possible. I also write assignments on it, and being able to split-screen between Word and my textbook is nice (though you're back to zooming and scanning at that point).
 
ZombiePete said:
Make the decision that's right for you, but boy do I think that textbooks look a lot better on the iPP. Most of the textbooks I use when I'm taking classes are scans of books rather than actual ebooks, and the bigger screen makes reading without zooming/panning possible. I also write assignments on it, and being able to split-screen between Word and my textbook is nice (though you're back to zooming and scanning at that point).
Click to expand...
I definitely get that, but I think the size of it would be a difficult adjustment since I often am holding it while studying or working.
 
The 4 speaker design is a whole different story. First - Stereo (2 speakers on one site doesn't qualify for that term in my book). Also, it's alot louder if you want to. I mainly watch Videos on the iPad like Netflix/Prime etc and the audio difference is huge.

Also Screensize for video is king obviously.
 
ZombiePete said:
Make the decision that's right for you, but boy do I think that textbooks look a lot better on the iPP. Most of the textbooks I use when I'm taking classes are scans of books rather than actual ebooks, and the bigger screen makes reading without zooming/panning possible. I also write assignments on it, and being able to split-screen between Word and my textbook is nice (though you're back to zooming and scanning at that point).
Click to expand...
I do recognize that! Especially badly scanned old books that are out of print with multiple columns are reasonably comfortable to read on the iPP, but where really a pain in the proverbial place to read on the Air.

JerTheGeek said:
I definitely get that, but I think the size of it would be a difficult adjustment since I often am holding it while studying or working.
Click to expand...
YMMV but for me size hasn't been any problem. I'm often reading with it on a desk, or hanging in a big chair. Either way it isn't heavy. Walking around with it (which I don't do often) I hold it on my under arm with one hand and swipe/write with the other. No problem either.

Packing the iPP in a bag is different. It's about twice the size of an iPad Air but also about half the weight of an MacBook Pro. So I want to pack it small and light, but my backpack is for a whole day on the road and a bit big and heavy for the iPad Pro, yet a portfolio always needs a hand. I don't have the perfect solution for that yet. A really light backpack or shoulder bag might be a solution for that.
 
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Well, I gotta admit I'm second guessing myself. Picked one up in BB the other day and was surprised how light it felt. I just am not sure if it really is gonna be worth it for me. I guess I'll start saving and decide in a few months if it's worth it to go for it.
 
The larger screen is nice. It took me a minute to adjust to the larger size. It's not as portable, to me. I don't carry it around, as i do my iPad 3, it stays home. You can always get it and try it out for a few days and decide how you like it. Good luck with your decision.
 
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Text books and A4 documents are a big factor in my usage. I was fed up of constantly scrolling and pinching in and out on my Air 2. If you deal with a lot of books and documents, it's very, very beneficial in my experience. That and all my books now weigh 713g in total rather than many kilograms.

I can get along with Office takes fine but I also use the Pro as next to my laptop when referencing books and documents. It's also excellent as a second screen for my laptop with Duet.
 
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