iPad Pro

Are they any good?

Yes

probably depends what you want it for

My Mrs got one, she thinks its brilliant for watching Iplayer and youtube, and impressing kids.

Well worth the well nigh 800 quid, plus 80 more for the pencil which has never been used.

I use mine as a tea tray, so I got the 12.9 as it was more useable than the 9.7

Mrs has one to do some artwork on – it’s pretty handy for her and the pen works really well. Personally, I can’t stand anything Apple

Personally, I can’t stand anything Apple

With you there, but bloody hell it’s light and seems pretty bloody quick. Let’s see what sort of speed we’ll get from the sim card. I just don’t agree with all the Apple linked stuff.

Yup it’s great.

Get a refurbed one

Yes it’s good. I have the original, larger model with a Logitech keyboard case. The keyboard feels better than the softer apple version and the pencil is great too. I use mine every day for work. Use MS Office and Penultimate the most. Very versatile and covers 90% of my computing needs.

Very versatile and covers 90% of my computing needs.

For the cost though wouldn’t you be able to buy a laptop that covers 100% of them?

Genuinely interested. I looked at a Pro but then decided ultimately there were things when I’d still need a full blown laptop so bought one of those instead and a cheap tablet for the convenient Web browsing etc.

That’s my issue with it-just to damned expensive-particularly once you’ve added in the pen and keyboard…

I’ve just bought a 9.7 pro with the Logitech backlit keyboard and the pencil. As an upgrade from an Air it is significantly better.

As you’d expect it’s much quicker but comparing the screen to the air or air 2, there’s a very noticeable difference.

Go refurb if you want to save a few bob. I think they start at 480 and would only expect the next gen to be even more expensive due to currency adjustments and a bit of piss taking (like the iPhone)

The value of the pencil is a bit questionable as a non artist but it is useful for work taking notes in Evernote and drawing diagrams.

It gets used for work in the morning/evening and on the train.

I wouldn’t get the big one because I’d find it unwieldy and I have other options if I need a larger screen etc

The screen on the larger version is pretty fabulous. It’s pricey but if you have a reason for liking the large screen it’s a delight to use.

For the cost though wouldn’t you be able to buy a laptop that covers 100% of them?

You are absolutely right. However, far fewer laptops then were compatible with stylus devices when I bought it a year ago and allowed taking handwritten notes. I also use it a lot to draft processes and diagrams and it’s a lot quicker for me than using a paper and pen and not being able to quickly send by email or using a productivity app and taking longer to play with my ideas.

Also, it’s just very nice to use. Certainly more than my MacBook or works Windows machine – which is just a shitty low-spec, slow I-5 HP laptop. Probably the nicest device I have ever used.

For the cost though wouldn’t you be able to buy a laptop that covers 100% of them?

For me it has replaced the slow and cumbersome laptop which needed logging onto clients’ wifi (not professional).
The keyboard is very nice and the pencil sounds like it’s worth a look.

Had one a year next week, it’s superb used for work and pleasure. The pen is brilliant too for taking notes in meetings.

Don’t get the sim card version just buy a mifi box for around £25 use that instead.

Don’t get the sim card version just buy a mifi box for around £25 use that instead.

Why not?
Sim card is in the post.

For the cost though wouldn’t you be able to buy a laptop that covers 100% of them?

£800. Laptop yes, Mac Book Pro no.

Once I got my personal iPad I stopped using my work supplied laptop, too big to carry around on business trips and it was a mini style one. I have even found myself using my iPad at my desk as it’s so much easier to mark up PDF’s using the touch screen. The Windows desktop sits unused for hours on end (aside from STW 😳 )

Personally I think the Pro is a bit large and expensive but I could be persuaded.

One of the primary reasons I bought it was the ability to log into my work Outlook, SharePoint and Lync and authenticate automatically as a mobile device rather than the clunky, 3-stage log in as a corporate PC using a VPN. Kind of mimicking direct access.

I use mine for Lightroom editing when out and about. Excellent.

Yes.

It’s replaced my notebook (made out of paper), pen/pencil, and most of my demand for a laptop at work.

Then in the evenings it’s great for watching things and using the internet.

My old iPad has become the family iPad and does things like music etc. So this iPad Pro is my ‘work’ machine. It is a little heavy, but it is big. It mostly sits on my desk where I use it as a digital sketchpad / Slack / email terminal, which is 90% what I seem to need for work these days. It’s brilliant.

… if you get one and intend using a Pencil, I recommend you get a matt screen protector for it – it just goes you a nicer surface to scribble on (as well as reducing glare from overhead office lighting).

Dorset_Knob, big or small?

I use a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Best of both worlds

Had one since Feb – now no longer need to take laptop when I’m working on the road.
‘Note taking is easy, everything just runs fast.

So is there a consensus? Big or small? Must say I’m tempted.

Big

My nice and portable (smaller footprint than a 12.9) £100 laptop also has 3g

Don’t get the sim card version just buy a mifi box for around £25 use that instead.

Yes this is what we did. One mobile wifi device connects to 2 ipads and my wifes (French) phone plus my Mac Mini. The cost of the device was much less than the extra for the ipad sim model. Plus we upgraded from 3g to 4g can’t do that with an ipad.

I got the 9.7 version as it has a better camera and is obviously lighter. The Adobe Apps are a pleasure to use on the Pro, as indeed is the facility to draw an object on the iPad and send it instantly to Adobe CC versions.

EDIT – Sometimes I wish for the extra screen size of the larger version, but the portability makes up for this. Here are a couple of sketches I’ve done…

Metro 6R4 – https://www.instagram.com/p/BNIPibRDjIR/

Lancia Delta S4 – https://www.instagram.com/p/BLWrPgtDmZ-/

Peugeot 205 Mi6 – https://www.instagram.com/p/BOKsiAwB3nG/ (WIP)

This is one of Mrs STR’s first efforts on hers – obviously not finished (ears etc). It’s a good tool for an artist…

15321427_1145842682118483_1276501681_o by davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

Low res as a screenshot sent via messenger

My nice and portable (smaller footprint than a 12.9) £100 laptop also has 3g

Squinting all round then? 😆

Point being captainsasquatch?

It’s that the dog doesn’t appear to have its leg. It was having a dream about a lovely bone, but it turns out it was eating its own leg.
I appreciate that the photo isn’t finished, but it appealed to my sense of humour, no bad intentions towards Mrs artist, just a bit of humour.
Happy for the mods to remove it.
If you’ve got to explain it. 😛

I got you captain, taken in the spirit it was meant… 😀

I have a small pro – it’s fantastic. It’ll do a lot of things better than a laptop – it’s way smaller & lighter with better battery life for a start and markup using then pencil is brilliant. Reading, watching TV etc. There are also a handful of things it can’t do quite as well as a proper laptop (for me: photoshop and proper file management). So don’t expect it to completely replace a laptop IME. My old ipad was a 3rd gen (retina) one. That is slow and made everything a chore. Whereas the pro zips along nicely.

I think the keyboard case is way too expensive. I’ve got a compact £9 Bluetooth keyboard that I leave at work for when I need it (rarely). Works perfectly. Ditto the £12 magnetic case cover / stand instead of the expensive apple one.

The pencil is a strange one. It’s a fantastic tool, but one that most of us will never really use. It works really well and the drawing apps are fantastic. But I don’t do a lot of drawing and the rest of the time it’s not much use. I might sell when I finally admit I’m not an artist.

Mrs North bought me the large one (+ SIM) fir my 40th birthday earlier this year.

I asked her to take it back – it doesn’t suit my current lifestyle: too big for watching TV in the hotel room when Im away, another thing to carry when travelling and I’m not yet ready to switch it for my work laptop. At home either use an iPad mini (hers, which Ive now had to return!), my iPhone or our iMac.

Great if you can identify the right uses, but otherwise too big and too indulgent for me.

Unsurprisingly, once she’d sorted the return/refund I didn’t receive a replacement gift….

How is it too big to watch TV in the hotel room?

Ungrateful sod 😉

Why not?
Sim card is in the post.

Mifi works out cheaper and other devices can use it, you still need a sim card.

Mifi works out cheaper and other devices can use it, you still need a sim card.

Not my bills. I don’t need other devices to work off it an I have the crappy iphone for tethering. The two in one laptop can stay at home and the Ipad go on the road. I should really get it out of the box and have a play with it.