The iPad Professional 12.9 has remodeled how I work

I’ve at all times been a fan of the iPad, and within the final 4 years, I used a number of iterations of the iPad Air extensively. My use case facilities round studying, taking notes, and streaming movies sometimes, and the iPad Air M1 manages to do these items extremely effectively.

Initially of final yr, I wished a transportable gadget that will enable me to be productive on the go, and whereas the ten.9-inch panel on the iPad Air was first rate sufficient, I wanted one thing bigger, so I switched to the 12.9-inch iPad Professional. On the outset, I did not assume there could be quite a lot of distinction between the 2 aside from the bigger display; each fashions have highly effective {hardware}, an identical design, and the identical software program.

However I used to be fallacious. The iPad Professional 12.9 is noticeably higher than the iPad Air; the mini-LED panel will get brighter and has significantly better distinction, and HDR content material seems wonderful on the gadget. Whereas I did not take note of this on the time, the quad audio system on the iPad Professional sound significantly better.

The largest distinction is the display refresh, with the iPad Professional getting ProMotion tech that enables it to go as much as 120Hz. The iPad Air is restricted to 60Hz, and it’s instantly evident when utilizing each units subsequent to one another. And due to the bigger dimension, there is a larger battery that lasts noticeably longer.

The principle cause for utilizing the iPad Professional is for productiveness, and it has been terrific in that regard. For many of the final decade, I adopted the identical schedule: rise up at 6am, end the day’s writing duties, after which get began with my day. That is not the case now; my spouse and I had a child final yr, and I write at any time when I discover the time — my ten-month-old dictates my schedule.

So I needed to study to do one thing I am not excellent at: flexibility. I could not simply lock myself away in my house workplace and write for hours on finish, so I wanted one thing moveable. I’ve quite a lot of Home windows machines, however I wished one thing that had a touchscreen and a modular design with loads of equipment, and that led me to the iPad Professional.  

Within the final 10 months, a full 40% of my writing was finished on the iPad Professional, and I did not assume I’d use the gadget anyplace as a lot. The display is the best dimension — it is nearly the identical dimension as most 13-inch notebooks — and because it has Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, I used to be ready so as to add a docking station and join my mechanical keyboard with none problem.

However an enormous a part of why I used the iPad Professional to the extent I did was the Magic Keyboard; the $349 keyboard accent prices greater than most mechanical keyboards, however it’s terrific. It attaches securely, has good adjustability, and the keyboard itself is first rate; the scissor keys have 1mm journey and are backlit, they usually’ve held up effectively after almost a yr of use. The trackpad additionally is useful, and it is simply simpler to make use of.

Mainly, the iPad Professional 12.9 is ideally suited to my use case. Whereas iPadOS does not have anyplace near the productiveness options which might be accessible in macOS, that hasn’t been a difficulty — multitasking is not one thing I am on the lookout for in a transportable machine. For the duties I do every day — writing, enhancing images, and studying — the iPad Professional is a stellar choice. The greatest Android tablets have related {hardware}, however most of those choices are restricted to Samsung, and whereas I tolerate One UI on telephones, I haven’t got any intention of utilizing it on a bigger gadget. 

There have been weeks once I used the iPad Professional completely, and the one difficulty in doing so was the convoluted file entry inside iPadOS; aside from that, it proved to be a dependable powerhouse. The Magic Keyboard specifically unlocks the total potential of the iPad Professional, however the one quibble with it’s that the material design does not fairly match as much as its premium asking worth. Fortunately, it seems like that is going to vary with the 2024 iteration of the iPad Professional.

Whereas it is a secondary consideration, the iPad Professional is nice for artistic use circumstances. There isn’t any analog to Procreate on Android or Home windows, and the drawing utility is unbelievable. I dabble in music manufacturing, and iPadOS has an intensive assortment of synths and drum machines, and the bigger display positively makes a distinction on this regard — as does the power to attach equipment.