This article is written partly to rationalize my desire for a new iPad when my old iPad from years ago still works. Also if I write things down, then I don’t have to think about it any more now, and can safely postpone it
Why?
Essentially the main question I have to ask myself once in a while is: what am I gonna bring on a trip? Since I like tech gadgets, my tech pouch is already heavy. I am worried for times when just my phone is not gonna work. Multi-tasking is definitely a pain on a phone screen. In recent years I have started to shoot pictures in Raw format on my camera, which takes a lot of memory compared to JPEG.
The easiest answer would be a laptop. I have tried Chromebook but the number of tabs I left open means I would need a powerful one rather than an entry level one and those are not cheap and most of the time not light. There are other laptop options, like 2022 M2 Macbook Air, Dell XPS 15, or Lenovo X1 Carbon 30th anniversary version. (Just so you know this is written in late 2022). These are not cheap. They would be useful, but I’m not passionate about it.
Another possibility came to me as I was looking at reviews of USB-C hubs. A newer iPad also solves my problems. The Apple commercial from a few years back came to me “your next computer doesn’t have to be a computer”. For me this is the first time this is relatively true with the newer iPad models.
I have an iPad. I use it to stream media mostly, and sometimes play games on it. At the time of the purchase I wanted to replace my drawing tablet with it so I got it with the Apple Pencil. I didn’t paint that much with it, partly because it’s just so awkward to charge the Apple Pencil. I enjoy using an iPad so getting a new one is definitely exciting.
Which iPad?
Apple has convoluted its iPad lines with four types of devices with different names and sizes. My personal ranking of current iPads up for purchase would be:
iPad Pro 12.9″ M2 > iPad Air M1 > iPad Pro 11″ M1 > iPad Pro 11″ M2 > iPad Mini > iPad
iPad Mini
To be fair I really wanted an extra screen at 7″ or 8″. In my mind that’s easiest to carry around. This size would work great as an extra screen, but not that nice to have as a main screen. That’s why the iPad mini is so low in this list. If I have more money to spare for another screen on top of the ones I already own and want to buy, I would get an iPad Mini in no time. (And possibly set it to the Japan region so I can buy games and Manga from Japan)
iPad
The 2022 version of iPad is so low in this list because I don’t like the first generation Apple Pencil. The 2nd generation Apple Pencil can stick to the side of the iPad, while the 1st gen Pencils need the user to put special thoughts into how to carry it. It is awkward to charge the 1st gen Pencil, and even more so with the latest iPad. If you have to buy someone a new iPad but you don’t really want to spend the money to get them an iPad, I guess this is for you. Even though in this case buying the iPad from 2021 would probably make both the giver and receiver happier.
iPad Pro and iPad Air
The rest of the list is just a slew of iPad Pro and iPad Air models. There are a few assumptions made here: M1 and M2 chip performance is not that noticeable from daily use, mostly USB-C accessories are not built with thunderbolt standard, and people don’t really rely on their iPad back camera to be good. Under these assumptions iPad Air M1 is just great because it’s cheaper. So if iPad Pro 11″ with M1 chip goes on sale and is cheaper than an iPad Air M1, then go for that. Honestly with my assumptions there aren’t that many differences between the three tablets that are all around 11″.
I only listed the latest iPad Pro 12.9″ at the top because this is a very personalized list. I visited the local Apple store and I have seen that screen and now I really wanted it. Now I am going to use an entire sub section to talk about why the new iPad Pro 12.9″ is great.
Why iPad Pro 12.9″ 2022 6th gen is great?
First of all, there is a pretty steep price increase when you compare the smaller iPad Pro with the larger one. In my mind this is because the competitor of the large iPad Pro is not the other iPad models, it’s the laptops.
It’s simple. If I already owned a slim and powerful laptop, I wouldn’t look at the iPad Pro 12.9″. I wouldn’t even look at new iPad models since I have a working iPad right now. So the question is why choose this iPad Pro over laptops?
iPad Pro vs Laptops
I’m just going to refer the 12.9″ M2 iPad Pro as the iPad Pro from now on.
First of all, the iPad Pro just has such a great display. The iPad Pro is the only one in iPad models that has a XDR display. The iPad Pro is actually the only device with both XDR display and M2 chip. This probably will change when Apple launches the new MacBook Pros in 2023 but for now the iPad Pro has the lead. The iPad Pro has a reference mode setting for the display that would be great for anyone that edit photos or videos.
Speaking of display, there is one thing that any tablet can easily achieve but hard for laptops to do: portrait mode. For example, this article would fit portrait mode display way better than landscape. This also makes iPad Pro a great secondary display option for your desktop set up.
Another easy win on the display side for iPad Pro is that it is a touch screen. Hard to find an Apple Pencil equivalent for laptops.
Secondly, I don’t like laptops’ keyboards. There are keyboards I don’t hate on some laptops. I used to type on my laptop a lot when I was a student but the work station set ups have ruined me. Now I really look for a good typing experience. Put aside how shallow the keys are, laptops don’t have a great architecture for a long work session. Laptop screens are too close to the keyboards: either your head is looking down straining your neck, or your hands have to go up straining your elbows. If I have to attach an extra keyboard to laptops to use them comfortably, I might as well use the keyboard with iPad Pro.
Laptops’s advantage
Laptops still have their advantage. The biggest there is the OS. iPadOS is only adding better support for multitasking now. And as one of my friends (who uses Apple products way more often than I do) there is no good shell on iPad.
So if you already own a laptop and you like it, just keep using it; but if you are in the market for a new laptop, consider the iPad Pro.
iPad Accessories
Now this long article has covered which iPad I want, it’s time to talk about what accessories I want with it. Obviously there is the Apple Pencil, and possibly a screen cover to save it from scratching.
On a side note, I won’t be looking at the paper like feel screen protectors. Apart from numerals notebooks and pens, I have another tech gadget for this.
USB-C Hub
To use an iPad like a laptop on the go requires a USB-C Hub. The one designed for iPad usually sticks to the side of the iPad. Some designs have combined a hub and a hub and a stand together. USB-C hubs designed for laptops usually look more like a dongle, and as far as I know those are the only ones with USB-C out and thunderbolt support right now. I would expect Anker and/or Setachi to come up with a USB-C hub with thunderbolt output for iPads soon.
Table Stand
Table stands are essential for using iPads around the house, especially as a secondary screen for work station setup. Personally I would prefer a table stand that supports floating, portrait mode and angle/height adjustment. If weight is not an issue, a magnetic stand that sticks to the back of iPad probably works the best. If the stand need to leave the house with the iPad, MOFT has nice designs that are lightweight.
Floor Stand / Clamps
I like the idea of having an iPad on wheels in the living room that could be dragged around when you walk to the kitchen. I am also very worried about the floor stand tripping and dropping an iPad face first to the floor from over a meter high. Most of the products I see on Amazon seem not able to handle larger tablets with more weights. I might end up not risking my iPad Pro on these.
Keyboard (and Mouse?)
The most straightforward choice would be an Apple smart keyboard. Especially if you really need to spend Apple coupons but not sure what to get. Another choice would be to get a Logitech product, could be with cover or without. Logitech also has bluetooth keyboard mouse combo.
A better typing experience would be to use a bluetooth mechanical keyboard. Keychron has a few choices, each with different key switches to choose from. NuPhy Air is another good option. The usual key switches options are red, blue or brown. I like the blue typing experience the most but it’s also pretty loud.
The most niche choice would be for someone who already got into the rabbit hole that is keyboards: Happy Hacking Keyboard (HHKB). Out of the maybe three brands of keyboards that use Topre key switches, HHKB is the one that makes most sense to bring with on travels.
Cover/Sleeve/Folio
If none of the accessories above end up acting as a cover for the iPad, I would buy one. Though with consideration of how heavy a Folio could be, or maybe other accessories already use magnetic at the back of iPad, a sleeve for iPad would be a better choice.
Pen Holder
There are complaints that the Apple Pencil is still easy to lose with the magnetic on the side. An option is to buy a pen holder that holds the Pencil in the charging position more securely.
When Am I Buying the iPad Pro?
The Black Friday sale on Apple’s website doesn’t seem to cover the new iPad Pro. The abysmal coupon on the iPad Air is not enough to tip me over. I’m slightly annoyed that Apple only gives giftcard instead of actual discounts so I’ll end up having to buy more Apple products. I’m writing all these down so I don’t have to think about it and I could wait for an actual sale on the iPad Pro.