iPad Apple Releases new IPad Air and iPad Mini with Apple Pencil Support

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There's a considerable difference in size between an iPad Pro and the Mini. Do you not use your iPad Pro for any purpose that the larger screen would be beneficial for, such as watching video or reading PDFs? I certainly wouldn't get rid of my 10.5" iPad Pro - I find it the perfect compromise between size and portability for such tasks.

No not really. I rarely read PDFs, and even on a larger screen than my 9.7" Pro I would still hate reading PDFs. The larger the screen the better for PDFs, but not so for reading eBooks. The smaller screen of the mini is my favorite for that.

I mostly use my iPads for these tasks:

• Reading eBooks
• Watching short videos, usually not very lengthy ones
• Surfing the internet
• Watching TV, though not very often
• Email
• Text messaging
• Calendar
• As a field reference and add-on tool for my astrophotography hobby

All of those tasks are quite acceptable on the smaller 7.9" screen. If I watch video or TV the iPad will be really close (less than an arms length away) so size of screen is not and issue. The smaller size is definitely best in my case when reading eBooks and when carrying it out into the field for astrophotography. It is a bit better to have a larger screen for web surfing, but that really isn't a big deal. I rarely do much office type of work on my iPads. For one thing I'm retired. I do view spreadsheets a lot, but creating/editing spreadsheets on an iPad is frustrating and a waste of time. If I need to create/edit a spreadsheet or a written document I prefer using my MacBook Pro. When I bought my Pro, I thought I would use it for a lot of artwork, but that never happened.

So the very short answer is there are very few reasons for me to use a larger 10.2" luggable iPad over using a smaller mini, and none of those reasons are deal breakers. As I mentioned, I always put my iPad in an Otterbox Defender case to protect it and to add thickness. I'm in my sixties and have quite a bit of arthritis in my hands, so adding thickness helps to hold the iPad. Unfortunately the case adds a lot of weight, but I would rather have more weight and excellent protection from drops than not be able to comfortably hold the iPad.

[OtinG]

BTW, Apple just announced they are also updating the iMac lineup as well as the iMac Pro. Not sure if that warrants another thread, but feel free to start one if you think it does.

Seems rather interesting that Apple is making the iPad and iMac update notices via the internet rather than during their scheduled event next Monday where they will announce the supposed new streaming service. I guess they want that event to be focused exclusively on Apple TV and streaming. I'm not holding my breath for anything of interest to come out during that event as Apple has never gotten my attention with their music, eBook, or TV services in the past. But who knows, maybe they will surprise us rather than just plopping out some boring, over priced service updates.

Originally Posted by OtinG

No not really. I rarely read PDFs, and even on a larger screen than my 9.7" Pro I would still hate reading PDFs. The larger the screen the better for PDFs, but not so for reading eBooks. The smaller screen of the mini is my favorite for that.

I mostly use my iPads for these tasks:

• Reading eBooks
• Watching short videos, usually not very lengthy ones
• Surfing the internet
• Watching TV, though not very often
• Email
• Text messaging
• Calendar
• As a field reference and add-on tool for my astrophotography hobby

All of those tasks are quite acceptable on the smaller 7.9" screen. If I watch video or TV the iPad will be really close (less than an arms length away) so size of screen is not and issue. The smaller size is definitely best in my case when reading eBooks and when carrying it out into the field for astrophotography. It is a bit better to have a larger screen for web surfing, but that really isn't a big deal. I rarely do much office type of work on my iPads. For one thing I'm retired. I do view spreadsheets a lot, but creating/editing spreadsheets on an iPad is frustrating and a waste of time. If I need to create/edit a spreadsheet or a written document I prefer using my MacBook Pro. When I bought my Pro, I thought I would use it for a lot of artwork, but that never happened.

So the very short answer is there are very few reasons for me to use a larger 10.2" luggable iPad over using a smaller mini, and none of those reasons are deal breakers. As I mentioned, I always put my iPad in an Otterbox Defender case to protect it and to add thickness. I'm in my sixties and have quite a bit of arthritis in my hands, so adding thickness helps to hold the iPad. Unfortunately the case adds a lot of weight, but I would rather have more weight and excellent protection from drops than not be able to comfortably hold the iPad.

That is a good write-up and states better than I have to this point, why I still prefer a smaller form factor tablet-type device. Though I'm not retired, my uses are quite similar. When I need to do "real work" I always flip to a Win10 PC workstation or at least my Surface Pro laptop. I would use those options also for PDF's, which I probably can count on one hand the number of times in a year I need to edit PDF's. So for me, buying a larger tablet wouldn't feel necessary, this is why I gravitate to those in the 7" to 8" range. I thought I was going to have to buy a larger tablet as there were no current 8" tablets until the new Mini came along.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by OtinG

BTW, Apple just announced they are also updating the iMac lineup as well as the iMac Pro. Not sure if that warrants another thread, but feel free to start one if you think it does.

Seems rather interesting that Apple is making the iPad and iMac update notices via the internet rather than during their scheduled event next Monday where they will announce the supposed new streaming service. I guess they want that event to be focused exclusively on Apple TV and streaming. I'm not holding my breath for anything of interest to come out during that event as Apple has never gotten my attention with their music, eBook, or TV services in the past. But who knows, maybe they will surprise us rather than just plopping out some boring, over priced service updates.

They have done it in the past, though usually it's after the event rather than before the event. You are likely right about them wanting to focus on video.

I've been a fan of Apple TV for a while. It's especially good now that most of the streaming video providers are on the platform, including Prime Video. I'm really not sure if what they announce on Monday will be of interest to me or not. I get the impression that it's going to be their new stream video service.

Frankly, with everyone and their brother trying to produce their own content, it's hard to know what's out there and what's good. I dropped Netflix when they stopped carrying movies and TV shows that I was interested in, and started focusing on producing their own content, none of which I found interesting in the slightest. I just want a one stop place where I can watch whatever movie or TV show. I don't want to pay for 5 different services and go 5 different places. If Apple puts out a new service that I have to pay for and that only has a limited video library, it's pretty unlikely I'm going to buy it.

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I dropped Netflix when they stopped carrying movies and TV shows that I was interested in, and started focusing on their producing their own content, none of which I found interesting in the slightest.

OT from the thread, but we just recently dropped them as well, for similar reasons. We found that with our included Amazon Prime membership, Youtube TV, and Vudu (where we buy most of our streaming movies), plus a couple of add-on things like PBS, we have already way too many content options and can get just about everything that exists (except for Netflix's politically correct in-house BS content, which I could care less about).

I have a Q for veteran iDevice users in this thread, which will influence my Mini buying decision.

I'm not hearing a lot of love for Apple Pencil Gen 1, it looks expensive and not awesome, and also I'm not really a "creative" so I don't do a ton of drawing/sketching. I would only use a stylus for basic things like note-taking in certain contexts.

If I get the Mini, would I be able to do just as well with a reasonable quality 3rd party stylus device, vs getting the Pencil Gen 1?

[HarryT]

A simple capacitive stylus is fine for tasks like marking up text (lines, circles, etc) but it’s really not accurate enough for handwriting with. If you want to do that you really do need the AP.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

They have done it in the past, though usually it's after the event rather than before the event. You are likely right about them wanting to focus on video.

I've been a fan of Apple TV for a while. It's especially good now that most of the streaming video providers are on the platform, including Prime Video. I'm really not sure if what they announce on Monday will be of interest to me or not. I get the impression that it's going to be their new stream video service.

Frankly, with everyone and their brother trying to produce their own content, it's hard to know what's out there and what's good. I dropped Netflix when they stopped carrying movies and TV shows that I was interested in, and started focusing on their producing their own content, none of which I found interesting in the slightest.

Not to get too far off topic, but since I'm the OP I guess I can get a bit off here , most of the major players in streaming are offering a few of their own original shows, but none to date have enough original programming to make me want to choose their service over the others. I'm more interested in live TV of existing channels rather than original programming that was designed for people half my age! We will probably know a lot more in a week as to what Apple will pull out of its hollow core, but I'm not too optimistic. I have a 3rd gen ATV and it is so lacking in good programming that it collects dust on a shelf. I never have been tempted thus far into upgrading to the 4th gen or 4K models, even though you can add apps to them, because they still don't have much to offer. I already have two Fire TVs and two Rokus and they offer much more at less than half the cost. So who knows, maybe Apple will at last get my attention in the ATV category next week, but even if they do it will take them a long time to phase in enough programming to compete against Fire TV and Roku. The newest ATVs have the best hardware, but that alone doesn't justify buying one.

BTW, Netflix confirmed that it has turned down Apple's offer to show original Netflix programming through the new Apple streaming service. I suspect that will be the norm from other companies since Apple wants to take a huge percentage of their profits.

And now back to regular programming...errrrr, I mean thread topic...

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by maximus83

I have a Q for veteran iDevice users in this thread, which will influence my Mini buying decision.

I'm not hearing a lot of love for Apple Pencil Gen 1, it looks expensive and not awesome, and also I'm not really a "creative" so I don't do a ton of drawing/sketching. I would only use a stylus for basic things like note-taking in certain contexts.

If I get the Mini, would I be able to do just as well with a reasonable quality 3rd party stylus device, vs getting the Pencil Gen 1?

The AP1 gets the job done, but they did make some wanted upgrades to it for the AP2. The upgrades I like were allowing it to charge wirelessly rather than the awkward mating of it to the iPad's lightning port. That old setup was risky and you had to be careful not to bump into the AP1 while it was plugged in else you might damage it and the lightning port on the iPad. The other improvement was to allow it to be magnetically slung/hung/attached to the iPad side. That would not have interested me though as I always use a heavy duty case which probably would interfere with both of those improvements.

As far as how well the AP1 actually performs, I have to say it works very well. The old capacitive styli had a broad tip of about 1/4" in diameter, and that along with lack of firmware support made precision placing of lines extremely difficult and tricky. The AP1 is like using a finely sharpened pencil with a small point, so it is easy to get accurate placement. I have used mine to draw freehand as well as to create architectural/engineering type of drawings with precise lines and dimensions. IMO, the AP1 is well worth the $100 if it is something you will use a lot or need. With my arthritis getting worse, I don't use it much anymore, but I wished that I could.

[OtinG]

Just FYI, I started a discussion thread for Apple's "It's Show Time" media event which is taking place on 25 March 2019.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by maximus83

That is a good write-up and states better than I have to this point, why I still prefer a smaller form factor tablet-type device. Though I'm not retired, my uses are quite similar. When I need to do "real work" I always flip to a Win10 PC workstation or at least my Surface Pro laptop. I would use those options also for PDF's, which I probably can count on one hand the number of times in a year I need to edit PDF's. So for me, buying a larger tablet wouldn't feel necessary, this is why I gravitate to those in the 7" to 8" range. I thought I was going to have to buy a larger tablet as there were no current 8" tablets until the new Mini came along.

I bought the iPad mini 2 a few years before I bought the iPad Pro 9.7" model. Now two or three years after the fact, I find I really don't need nor care for the iPad Pro 9.7" as much as I thought I would. I was drawn to it by the larger screen as well as the Apple Pencil feature. But I find the mini is more my size and quite frankly the only reason I use the Pro most of the time is because my mini 2 is too old (5.5 years old) to operate efficiently with the latest iOS and app versions. The mini 2 has become too sluggish for most of the tasks I perform. If the mini 2 ran as fast as the Pro, I would be using it way more than the Pro. So my decision that I can go back to a smaller screen, smaller and lighter weight mini is based on quite a bit of experience using both a mini and a Pro. Plus the new mini 5 has the Apple Pencil support. But the lack of quality sound is still a big question. Maybe Apple has improved the sound enough since the mini 2, but I suspect not.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by HarryT

A simple capacitive stylus is fine for tasks like marking up text (lines, circles, etc) but it’s really not accurate enough for handwriting with. If you want to do that you really do need the AP.

Agreed. I've used capacitive stylus on various tablets but I find they suck for handwriting. The Apple Pencil (even gen 1) truly is a much better experience. Granted, I still prefer pen and paper.

Originally Posted by HarryT

A simple capacitive stylus is fine for tasks like marking up text (lines, circles, etc) but it’s really not accurate enough for handwriting with. If you want to do that you really do need the AP.

Huh, ok. So, one of my "killer" applications that I absolutely rely on, like you do with GoodReader for PDF's, is Microsoft Onenote. A lot of my digital life is in that app, I send content to it from everywhere. It has pretty darn good handwriting recognition and OCR in photos, and I use that a lot. I've no idea how well Onenote is optimized for iOS though, I would assume pretty good as MSFT are trying to make all their productivity apps competitive and cross-platform. I assume to get the excellent handwriting recognition in OneNote, I'd need AP1 then, vs any 3rd party option. If somebody knows otherwise, please speak up. That is a hella lot of coin to pay for a stylus pen. :-)

[OtinG]

I should think that trying to write readable text with a capacitive stylus would be difficult. If you write in cursive, then as they say in the NE USA, "Forget about it!" Those styli are just too inaccurate unless you write very large letters. In my experience, even when I wrote in print form via a capacitive stylus the letters looked rather sloppy and inconsistent. I never tried OCR with any of those attempts though, but I suspect it would have been a major fail. The AP1 might work for OCR, but I've never attempted that either. I do know that my handwriting with the AP is acceptable but it is better with pencil and paper which I still prefer due to having been using same for about six decades. There is something about trying to write on a slipper surface like a LCD screen, especially when that screen is elevated 1/4" or higher above the surface of the desk, that makes writing more difficult for me. It is difficult to overcome six decades of muscle memory from writing on paper laid flat on a desk.

Have you ever considered trying voice dictation? I can never get it to work well, but some people say it is really effective for them. Apple has Siri and can do voice dictation via various apps.

Originally Posted by OtinG

Have you ever considered trying voice dictation? I can never get it to work well, but some people say it is really effective for them. Apple has Siri and can do voice dictation via various apps.

I have used it, both Google Assistant and MSFT Cortana in some contexts. However for taking notes in some large meeting and lecture situations, I need the handwriting capability.