Back in 2012 I purchased an iPad and was quickly impressed with how lightweight, portable and easy to use it was. I could browse the web, read email, keep up on social media, and along with a Logitech keyboard it made typing fast. Then in 2016 I upgraded to the iPad Air and continued to use the tablet for both business and personal uses. Last night I upgraded to the iPad Pro 12.9″ tablet after researching it for awhile online.
Out of Box Experience (OOBE)
The Apple way is to use the minimum amount of words to describe anything, so sure to form the box had only the iPad Pro wrapped in plastic, USB-C cable, USB-C charger, a small leaflet showing 5 features of the iPad Pro. Turning on the power for the first time I was prompted to bring another Apple device nearby, so I turned on my iPad Air, then all of the WiFi settings, Docs and Apps were magically transferred over to the new iPad Pro, so easy. I had the same wonderful experience when buying our 2nd Apple TV, because Apple has totally automated the new install process, something that Microsoft and Android could certainly learn much from.
Display Size
Setting up both the iPad Air and iPad Pro 12.9″ models side by side, you can see how much larger it is than a 9.7″ display.
New Features
The first feature that I wanted to try out was the Split View on the iPad Pro, allowing me to have two apps open at one time.
Documentation
Oddly enough, the iPad Pro doesn’t come pre-installed with any User Guide, so I had to literally do a Google search to find it on the Apple site, then I had to load a new app called Apple Books in order to read it.
There are a whopping 728 pages in the iPad User Guide, so expect to spend some time figuring out all of the features.
Keyboard
I’m used to typing on a MacBook Pro keyboard and the Logitech keyboard for the iPad Air, both are quite easy to type with. The Apple keyboard is a bit stiffer, requiring more force to type, especially the Space Bar key for some reason. I certainly miss the backlighted keys from the Logitech keyboard, so there’s certainly room for improvement on the Apple keyboard, plus when you click the Caps Lock button there is no visual indication.
Apple has done a great job with the keyboard features, giving it two viewing angles and a sturdy fit by using magnets. The Keyboard gets its power from the iPad Pro, so no separate charging, and improvement over using a Logitech keyboard.
Cables
My MacBook Pro and Samsung Galaxy S8+ both use the newer USB-C cable for power, so I was ready for the iPad Pro using the same connector. For the first time in iPad history, this cable can be connected to an external storage device like a thumb drive. I don’t have any immediate plans for this, but external storage could be a good thing.
Battery Life
My old iPad Air seemed to lose about 10% battery charge overnight, while the new iPad Pro was at 96% last night, then exactly 96% again this morning, so no overnight loss, I’m happy again. I can probably find a use for my old iPad Air, or maybe I’ll gift it to my wife.
Summary
If you like to work with a very lightweight, portable tablet with a huge 12.9″ display, then consider the Apple iPad Pro. Now that I bought one, Apple should introduce a shinier, new model in March, maybe with 3 cameras, just to make me feel a twinge of buyer’s remorse.