So I want the 9.7" iPad Pro, but I'm having trouble justifying it ? or any tablet

[Derek Kessler]

I have too many devices in my life. I do most of my work on a 15" MBP hooked up to a 29" monitor, and occasionally on a 13" HP Spectre x360 (great hardware and Windows 10... sometimes I like to hate myself and the decisions I make, okay?). When it's not that, I'm using an iPhone 6s and whatever Android phone is in vogue at the time (currently the Galaxy S7).

In addition to all that, I have two tablets: a Nexus 9 (2013) and a Verizon iPad Mini 2 (2013). And the truth is... I never use them. The iPad's only use is as a long-battery-life mobile hotspot and in my car for GPS. I occasionally play a few games on the Nexus 9.

But I want the iPad Pro 9.7-inch. It's powerful, it's thin, it's lightweight, it has super-cool Pencil support, and it has all these other things the rational side of my brain keeps screaming "No! You won't use that! Don't waste your money!"

Anybody else in the same boat?

 

[Just_Me_D]

Dude, you're suffering from the "I want that" syndrome. You already know you don't need it, and unless you make it your sole work device, you already know it's going sit for extended periods of time when the newness excitement fades. Having said that, if money's not a problem, go for it...(laughing).

 

[OZsMac]

My name is Steve, and I'm a technoholic.

Yes I said it, yes I'm in the same boat, mind you I've carved out a few specific use cases for my iPad (currently the original iPad Air) however mainly around content consumption (Feedly/RSS/News/Magazines/Video when travelling) and taking meeting notes (no more paper for me), none of these use cases require any of the "Pro" feature sets....perhaps the pen, but that's a very limited use case.

I have a MacBook Pro (work), MacBook Air (personal), Surface Pro 3 (thought it was a good idea, I regret that decision), iPhones, Andriods, more headphones than is reasonable........and a love of technology that is wallet crushing.

And you know what, I do love it all (with the exception of the Surface Pro 3 that has been handed to another family member).

 

[WeAreAllUnique]

Yeah, the OP may need to condense his tech a little. I had to do the same thing before. I found myself with a lot of devices that were redundant. Now I just have my iPhone and my iPad. And have been happy with just those two devices.

 

[vianar]

Same boat. Cost not an issue but I am worried about first gen errors. I know this technically is not first gen but the camera bump looks like a design flaw that will be gone by the next iteration. If I take notes, draw diagrams or images I need it to be flat; how flat can it be with that bump? Maybe it is barely noticeable but I am sure it will bother me and my be a deal breaker.

 

[StraightlineBoy]

I'm not that concerned by the camera bump - having had an iPhone 6 for 18 months and rarely noticed it, then it should be even less noticeable on an iPad which has a bigger surface area, therefore the slope between the back of the iPad and a tabletop will be flatter so it should rock even less. The bump is the price we have to pay for a decent camera in the iPad, because making it flush could only be done with a camera with poorer optics.

 

[ifox1987]

I am pretty much in the same boat. When I've had tablets in the past, I barely used them. Yet for whatever reason, I really WANT the new iPad Pro 9.7". However, this fall I may have more use for it as I'll be travelling a bunch so it could come in handy on planes for me. Hmmmm

 

[sprocket2107]

I'm having the same issue. I currently have the original iPad mini so I'm definitely due for an upgrade. It's between the Air 2 and Pro 9.7. For $100 less I can get 64GB vs 32GB for 600. My biggest concern is longevity. I'm unsure if the Air 2 will last me for 3-4 years. My mini is on its last leg and it's really, really showing its age. I barely even use it anymore because even the most simple tasks take forever. Anyone have any input on the Air 2 vs Pro 9.7?

 

[JNM]

I'm having the same issue. I currently have the original iPad mini so I'm definitely due for an upgrade. It's between the Air 2 and Pro 9.7. For $100 less I can get 64GB vs 32GB for 600. My biggest concern is longevity. I'm unsure if the Air 2 will last me for 3-4 years. My mini is on its last leg and it's really, really showing its age. I barely even use it anymore because even the most simple tasks take forever. Anyone have any input on the Air 2 vs Pro 9.7?

Obviously, the Air 2 and the Pro 9.7 are very similar. The Pro is basically just an upgraded Air 2. It is faster, the display is nicer (and yes, it is noticeable), True Tone really works better than I expected, the speakers are far better, it looks a little bit nicer, and the Smart Connector is likely going to be a pretty big deal too as soon as more useful accessories come along using it.

Let's be honest though, there is not much that the Pro can do that the Air 2 cannot. Pencil? Are you really an artist? Smart Keyboard? Do you really type that much and is Bluetooth suddenly that bad?

The Pro 9.7 is my main computer. My MacBook kind of just sits on whatever table I last left it. The iMac goes unused and dusty. I use an Air 2 provided work only. Not the laptop they handed me. Be honest with yourself about your use and you'll be able to determine the best device to suit you. It may just be that the iPads don't fit you.

 

[Honey Beagle]

Well I did the same thing. After I paid for my 128 gb iPad pro I thought why did I not just keep my money. Well. I still have my iPad pro.

 

[Just_Me_D]

So I want the 9.7" iPad Pro, but I'm having trouble justifying it ? or any ta...

...

Let's be honest though, there is not much that the Pro can do that the Air 2 cannot. Pencil? Are you really an artist?

For me, the Pencil is just a stylus simply because I'm not an artist.

Smart Keyboard? Do you really type that much and is Bluetooth suddenly that bad?

....

YES! The Apple Smart Keyboard, at least for me, makes all the difference. Since it is my MacBook replacement, I type on it every single day, and it is a blessing to be able to prop of the iPad Pro and type traditionally on the Apple Smart Keyboard instead of lying the iPad on a flat surface and typing on the virtual keyboard. As for Bluetooth (I'm assuming you're referring to Bluetooth keyboards), never having to charge the Apple Smart Keyboard knocks the BT keyboards down a notch in my opinion.

 

[Algus]

I did buy a Dell Chromebook 13 this year. Almost every feature except the touch screen. Cost me like $900. It is absolutely useless as I have a full fleet of Apple devices that I do all of my work on. The Chromebook 13 is just such a pleasure to use though! It really is a great device. If you like tech and you can afford to splurge there is nothing wrong with having extra devices. Believe me, you will be happy to have an extra device or a backup if your primary machine fails.

As far as my fancy chromebook goes, I don't use it nearly as much or as often as my Macbook but it still gets use at least once a week, even if I'm just goofing off on it or grabbing it while my Macbook charges for a bit.

 

[paul87russell]

i'm an architect and i'm having trouble justifying the ipad pro, but i really really want the pencil function and think that it can help in my work. if they launch a new one this fall and the function and specs are compelling maybe i'll get a new one.

 

[Evilguppy]

Wow I'm not nearly as bad as I thought, lolol. I am currently only using my iPhone 6 Plus, which I plan to upgrade to the 7 this month, and I have my new iPad baby pro which has replaced my old MBA.
I got the pen because I've always loved doodling on screen, lol, and now that I'm up to my eyeballs in house remodeling, I find myself sketching ideas in Notes, adding photos of whatever I need to my sketches, I can plan hikes, draw my itinerary on screen, it's really fun.
So yeah, I'm no help: get it!!!

 

[TechFirth]

I absolutely adore my iPad Pro 9.7.

I've had iPads before, but the Pro is the only one that has curbed my Macbook Pro usage (I still use it occasionally), the device is just so thin and light and where I used to take my laptop if I was away for a couple of days, I just don't bother any more, it's that good.

I've actually been very tempted to sell my MBP, buy a Mac Mini which I leave at home, and use something like LogMeIn or one of the other plethora of clients available to use the Mac Mini when I need a little OSX action. Food for thought...why have I not done that yet? Hmmm.

 

[Evilguppy]

Yeah, I guess it depends on what people actually do with their devices but I do not feel limited in the slightest using my baby pro as my main computer.

 

[JBGem]

I totally understand where you're coming from. I get like that too. I currently have the LG Stylo phone, that I bought a few months back, but as soon as I saw the Stylo 2 I was like, "I want that". And the thing is after looking at the specs and comparing them with the specs for my phone I came to the conclusion that my phone was the better of the two (at least for the things I use it for). But yeah, just remember... you can never have too many back up devices .

 

[roystreet]

Hey Derek...Did you ever get it? I got it & it was a very good decision. I have an iPhone 6s+, iPad Pro 9.7, & a Surface Pro 3. The iPad has offset the usage of my Surface quite a bit. I hardly use it now. Every once in while I need some more computing power, so I fire up the Surface. Honestly, a lot of things I needed to do in MS Office Word or OneNote I can do on this lightweight, last battery life, & incredibly touch capable device. iOS is definitely a much better touch interface. I'm looking forward to what the future will hold for the Pro series.

 

[Friendzone]

I like they way you worded your question "or any tablet" because it struck a chord with me as well. I'm a diehard desktop user when it comes to computers. They're easy and affordable to upgrade, easy and affordable to fix, and last for years. I've been using the same desktop with only 2 $20 fans needing to be replaced since 2009. Same HDD, Video card, keyboard, same old monitor even lol. And this thing has even sucked in a years worth of renovation drywall and saw dust!!! My laptops? Not even close. The closest I got was a $2500 2011 Macbook Pro that crapped out beyond repair at 3.5 years. All of my desktops since 1995 lasted as long as this one. None of my laptops lasted more than 2 years except the Macbook which as I mentioned above only made it a little longer and cost a ton.

The reason I liked your "any tablet" justification question is because after the last and final laptop I'll ever buy, I will only buy tablets for portable use from now on. BUT... I will not buy a $1000+ tablet, ever, for the same reason I won't buy laptops anymore. They're not built to last. Now before you accuse me of being cheap, I admit with certain things I am. But those things also happen to be things that I know manufacturers do not build for long life. In my experience, manufacturers views their smartphones, laptops and tablets as "disposable" and fully expect that I'm going to as well and keep lining their pockets every 2-3 years for their products.

Well I'm not. So I won't buy an iPad Pro. In fact I just bought the 2014 iPad Air 2 128GB for $600 which I feel is reasonable for a tablet I don't expect to keep more than a couple of years (and I love this thing, it was released in 2014 and still blows away any Android tablet released this year!). Like I said, I am definitely cheap when it comes to things I don't expect to last, but that's not because I'm forced to. I'm not afraid to drop $15-20k for 2 weeks on vacation memories that will last a lifetime at exotic resorts/locales, or tens of thousands on a reno for a house in a sweet location, but I refuse to spend big on gizmos, vehicles, and many other items that I don't feel give me a good return. Having said that, I'm an old fart now, you young 'uns still have that invincible feeling about your future so spend away!