Thoughts on the iPad Pro

and Learning from Mistakes

I’m not one who is afraid to admit it when I have made a mistake.

Last Autumn, I had a big idea. I was ‘influenced’ by some very clever marketing. I believed that the 12.9" iPad Pro would negate the need for me to have both a laptop (in my case a MacBook Pro 13" Retina) and an iPad (Air 2).

I think iOS is superb. It makes the consumption and creation of content incredibly easy. As a “product” person, I look for the ease of use, the “customer effort score” as we call it. iOS is easy. It is not really an effort to use.

So, when a bigger iPad appeared on the scene, one that had the extra grunt, the horsepower, the accessories (I’m looking at you Smart Keyboard) and what I considered to be the ease of portability over a laptop — then I was sold on the concept.

At home, I have a policy (well, a requirement from Mrs T) that when a “new shiny” appears, another has to leave. That’s sensible of course, and the devices that left were the MacBook Pro and the iPad Air 2. Well, why wouldn’t they? The iPad Pro was going to replace them. So, all in, I was actually net up on the package.

The iPad Pro and My Daily Routine

I spend a lot of time in meetings. A lot. And they’re quite often away from head office, so I’m either hopping on a Heathrow campus shuttle bus, or on a train to town etc. Now, this is where the iPad in my mind would have won out, but, the size of the 12.9" iPad Pro was just that bit too big. When I am in meetings in populated areas other than a meeting room (so the “walk and talk” for example which is a preference of mine) the size of the device which after the initial wow of meeting attendees — was soon lost when unfolding the Smart Keyboard particularly with the ungainly handling of the device proving an annoyance. Also, the size of the screen actually worried me in the context of wide angle viewing by others, particularly if looking at something sensitive on screen.

It’s also that bit too big to be held comfortably in the hand for an extended period of time. All the more so in the evenings and when I go to bed — a time when I actually enjoy reading through the news of the day using either the Apple News app (which I think doesn’t get the positive credit it deserves at times) or Flipboard. It got to the point where I actually got an iPad mini 4 to use for the evenings and non-work time as a mitigation to the ergonomic challenges of the iPad Pro 12.9"

What Happened Next?

On Thursday, I received the new iPad Pro ….9.7". Now, this is what the iPad is about. It’s the right size to provide:

• Portability
• Privacy
• Comfortable Holding

And with the (near) same horsepower of the bigger sibling, it’s a great machine. This time around I have passed on the Smart Keyboard. I do have the Apple Pencil from my time with the bigger device and I think it’s a great accessory — I use it for marking up documents, diagrams etc.

The new iPad Pro also has some improvements over the larger model. For one, the camera is a significant step up. I don’t generally take photos with an iPad other than snapping shots of presentations on screen etc. but it’s good to know there’s a capability jump to parity with the iPhone 6. There are also enhancements to the screen display with reduced reflection, the True Tone automatic adjustments (very clever and a nice touch) and a much improved colour gamut.

Oh, and I bought a refurbished MacBook Pro 13.3" retina with force touch. The very same device I sold to pay for the iPad Pro 12.9. This was a great deal on the Apple website and is basically a new device at a discount!

I’ll post up a review of the iPad Pro 9.7" in the coming weeks as I make the most of this new device and how it fits with my workflow. But, I am hopeful and more confident in my first impressions that I have done the right thing and learned my lesson!