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Looking at iPad pro, 11inch or 12 better choice?
- Thread starter EJ Fudd
- Start date
Andy Hewitt
Senior Member
For me, it was just the larger screen. I intend to eventually go with iPad only as a system. So I just wanted to go the largest possible. If I wanted more portability, I would probably have chosen a smaller model. As it is, I can bung it on a stand, stick a keyboard and mouse in front of it, and it feels like a laptop, but with the ability to just pick it up and go mobile.
We do have a last of 9.7" iPads here too, and that's actually not a bad device too, not as cramped in screen size as I'd expected. My wife ditched a 15" Windows laptop in favour of using the iPad, and really likes it.
graybalanced
Veteran Member
For simple web browsing or single apps, the 12.9” M1 is too large, heavy, and expensive.
I am considering a 12.9” because the extra size would be nice in Lightroom on iPad, and also because I like to use Split View for 2 apps or 2 Files desktop windows in side by side Split View. On my current old 10.5”, Split View makes both apps too small. I need to try it on a current 11” to see if that is enough.
12.9” is better if it’s going to be a laptop replacement since it is like a 13” laptop screen.
11” is better if you often hold it in one hand, because the 12.9” is both larger and a half pound heavier.
11” is better if you are going to use the on-screen keyboard a lot, especially typing with thumbs when holding the iPad with both your hands. Even on my 10.5” I have to stretch those thumbs while holding the whole iPad from the bottom where the keyboard is. Apple does provide a way to split the on-screen keyboard into two halves for easier two-handed reach.
As you see there is no clear cut choice, you have to think about what you are going to do with it most of the time.
I think the 12.9 and keyboard end up heavier than a MacBook Air.
I am considering a 12.9” because the extra size would be nice in Lightroom on iPad, and also because I like to use Split View for 2 apps or 2 Files desktop windows in side by side Split View. On my current old 10.5”, Split View makes both apps too small. I need to try it on a current 11” to see if that is enough.
12.9” is better if it’s going to be a laptop replacement since it is like a 13” laptop screen.
11” is better if you often hold it in one hand, because the 12.9” is both larger and a half pound heavier.
11” is better if you are going to use the on-screen keyboard a lot, especially typing with thumbs when holding the iPad with both your hands. Even on my 10.5” I have to stretch those thumbs while holding the whole iPad from the bottom where the keyboard is. Apple does provide a way to split the on-screen keyboard into two halves for easier two-handed reach.
As you see there is no clear cut choice, you have to think about what you are going to do with it most of the time.
I think the 12.9 and keyboard end up heavier than a MacBook Air.
Last edited:
LarryRC
Senior Member
I have and use both. For local or USA travel I carry the 12.9. For international travel I uase the smaller and lighter 11.
Tom_N
Forum Pro
The 12.9" iPad Pro has a much nicer screen, as far as "videophile" specifications go. It has a miniLED backlight that supposedly gives it a "1,000,000:1" contrast ratio, and, when it is displaying HDR content, "1000 nits full-screen brightness / 1600 nits of peak brightness." Like high-end TVs, the 12.9" iPad Pro can use selective back light dimming to increase the apparent contrast of the display as perceived by the eye for typical video scenes.
The downside is that the 12.9" iPad Pro costs more, and is a lot heavier (1.5 lbs vs. 1.0 lbs) than the 11" iPad Pro. I have an older iPad that weighs 1.5 pounds, and I find it too heavy to comfortably hold up (like a paperback or Kindle) for long.
The 11" iPad has a very nice screen: IPS, high-PPI, wide color gamut. It just doesn't have anywhere near the number of local dimming zones for HDR video playback.
The 12.9" iPad Pro has a larger-capacity battery (40.88 watts vs. 28.65 watts), but it needs that extra capacity to compensate for the power draw of the deluxe back light. You don't get a higher-capacity charger if you buy a 12.9" iPad Pro, so I assume that the 11" model will charge to 100% faster than the 12.9" one will when using the standard charger.
Otherwise they appear to be the same machine.
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