IPad Pro 9.7 buy or wait?

[Kaysclie]

Currently I have an iPad Air 2 64gb. Places are offering pro 9.7 128 go for $500. The pro looks pretty good! And I do like the price. Has anyone made this update? I am trying to decide if I should grab this on sale or wait and update later??

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kaysclie

Currently I have an iPad Air 2 64gb. Places are offering pro 9.7 128 go for $500. The pro looks pretty good! And I do like the price. Has anyone made this update? I am trying to decide if I should grab this on sale or wait and update later??

This is the older version of the Pro, presumably, not the new 10.5" Pro?

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is the older version of the Pro, presumably, not the new 10.5" Pro?

Correct. The 9.7" is last year's model, only running an A9x rather than the much faster A10x and with only 2GB of RAM vs 4GB. Still, $500 is a pretty good deal considering a 128GB iPad (2017) is only $50 less and lacks many of the Pro's features, while the equivocal 10.5" model starts at $749 (albeit with twice as much memory, as 128GB is no longer an option for the pros).

[HarryT]

It's a very good deal indeed, I agree!

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Kaysclie

Currently I have an iPad Air 2 64gb. Places are offering pro 9.7 128 go for $500. The pro looks pretty good! And I do like the price. Has anyone made this update? I am trying to decide if I should grab this on sale or wait and update later??

If I was considering this I'd ask myself if the Air 2 does everything I need or if there is something an upgrade to the Pro will allow me to do or do better (such as Pencil support) that's important to me. Without knowing how the iPad is used it's pretty hard to give any kind of other answer. $500 is a very nice price.

[Kaysclie]

What drew me to the pro 9.7 ...faster processor than air2(albeit not as fast as newest pro, much better camera, more colors in screen, new attachment for keyboard, 4 speakers rather than 2, and of course the reduced price.
Has anyone made this update? What do you all think...is this enough of an update or should I wait?? I do not draw...so will not buy $100 stylus/pen.
Should I grab it at this $500 sale price or stick with Air 2.

[JSWolf]

Stick with the Air 2. It sounds (to me) that you don't do enough that the Pro would be an advantage.

Apple upgrades in stages. It takes two or three revisions to finally make the current version a true upgrade.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by Kaysclie

What drew me to the pro 9.7 ...faster processor than air2(albeit not as fast as newest pro, much better camera, more colors in screen, new attachment for keyboard, 4 speakers rather than 2, and of course the reduced price.
Has anyone made this update? What do you all think...is this enough of an update or should I wait?? I do not draw...so will not buy $100 stylus/pen.
Should I grab it at this $500 sale price or stick with Air 2.

If the keyboard is a factor then I would suggest getting your hands on it first if it all possible. Obviously the one caveat of a keyboard case for device the small is that the keyboard itself is small. For some people it's OK, but I know others find it cramped.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

If the keyboard is a factor then I would suggest getting your hands on it first if it all possible. Obviously the one caveat of a keyboard case for device the small is that the keyboard itself is small. For some people it's OK, but I know others find it cramped.

I have an iPad with a keyboard case and I find it easier to use than the onscreen keyboard. I don't find it too small.

[HarryT]

I bought a keyboard case and hated it. The problem is that when you fold the case back to use the iPad one-handed (e.g. when reading), then obviously the keyboard is on the outside, where your hand goes to hold it, and I found that to be really uncomfortable. Not to mention that the keyboard case is much heavier than a normal cover.

I use a keyboard only rarely with my iPad, so I returned the keyboard case and instead bought the Apple "Smart Cover" (very lightweight) and an external Bluetooth keyboard. The two together were only a few pounds more expensive than the keyboard case.

The BT keyboard is USB chargeable and works really well.

[JSWolf]

I got the wording incorrect. What I have is a keyboard cover.

[tomsem]

Keyboard cases force you to work in Landscape orientation. I prefer keyboard to be physically separate for more flexibility. If I did a lot of air travel, I'd probably get one however.

[Kaysclie]

I have pretty much convinced myself that the ipod pro 9.7 will have its advantages. But I would like to hear from others who have the pro 9.7....If anyone has already upgraded from an Ipad Air 2 to the Ipad Pro 9.7 I would appreciate hearing your comments.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Keyboard cases force you to work in Landscape orientation. I prefer keyboard to be physically separate for more flexibility. If I did a lot of air travel, I'd probably get one however.

With the keyboard cover I showed above, you can use it in both landscape and portrait.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

With the keyboard cover I showed above, you can use it in both landscape and portrait.

You still have the problem, though, that it's attached to the iPad, adding bulk and weight even when the keyboard isn't in use (which, for me, is most of the time). I can see its use for someone like a university student who's using the iPad to take notes, day in, day out, but for someone who only makes occasional use of a keyboard, I think a Bluetooth keyboard is more convenient.