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Student of Life

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2020
680
732
Trust me on this, go with the 12.9. Reading cases on that iPad Pro of that size is beneficial for your eyes and sanity. You will be annotating cases etc, primarily your note taking will be done via the keyboard of with your Magic Keyboard or MacBook in class. Handwritten notes will put you at a disadvantage time wise, remember your exams and finals will be done using exam4 which to date is not allowed on an iPad. Last thing you want to do is write out a final by hand on a bluebook skipping lines and hoping the professor can read your writing.
Long story short, make sure you have a MacBook (air/pro) primarily and the iPad (air/Pro) secondarily also the pencil is very helpful. Quimbee will help you your 1L year but dont become too reliant on it.
 
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thecautioners

macrumors 6502a
Dec 5, 2022
533
1,233
I love my 12.9. I had an Air 5 but really wanted the bigger screen. I don’t use a keyboard but I’m not a student so I’m not taking notes, I just do basic internet/social media/reddit and actually enjoy the on screen keyboard in landscape. Like I did with the iPhone, now that I’ve gone big I won’t go back!
 
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M2MaxMan

macrumors member
Sep 26, 2023
37
34
I have the M2 12.9 iPad Pro and really enjoy using this pad, but if you really want to find out deciding between the 11 and 12.9, you need to visit an Apple or retailer store in person and decide on your personal preference which one is satisfactory to your personal needs after examining the pads.
 
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vine-boating

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 10, 2017
1,770
460
I have the M2 12.9 iPad Pro and really enjoy using this pad, but if you really want to find out deciding between the 11 and 12.9, you need to visit an Apple or retailer store in person and decide on your personal preference which one is satisfactory to your personal needs after examining the pads.
Yep that's what I plan to do this weekend
I know people have different preferences so it is better if I go and see them live and decide which iPad I want to buy..
 
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dmccombs

macrumors 6502a
May 13, 2013
567
1,524
Yep that's what I plan to do this weekend
I know people have different preferences so it is better if I go and see them live and decide which iPad I want to buy..
I suggest that when you check out the ipads in person, that you put a case on it that is simiilar to what you'd use with it. You need to handle both ipads with the expected case to really get a feel.

I have owned both the 11" and 12.9" ipad over the years, and I still go back and forth. The 11" (with case) is super convenient for travel, coffee shops, travel, etc. The 12.9 (with case) can be a bit hard to hold in bed, and be a bit heavy at times, but the screen is amazing.

When I use the 12.9" ipad, I run the lightest case or keyboard case I can (like the Apple Smart Keyboard instead of the Apple Magic Keyboard). This helps negate the weight issue a bit.
 

vine-boating

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 10, 2017
1,770
460
I suggest that when you check out the ipads in person, that you put a case on it that is simiilar to what you'd use with it. You need to handle both ipads with the expected case to really get a feel.

I have owned both the 11" and 12.9" ipad over the years, and I still go back and forth. The 11" (with case) is super convenient for travel, coffee shops, travel, etc. The 12.9 (with case) can be a bit hard to hold in bed, and be a bit heavy at times, but the screen is amazing.

When I use the 12.9" ipad, I run the lightest case or keyboard case I can (like the Apple Smart Keyboard instead of the Apple Magic Keyboard). This helps negate the weight issue a bit.
Thanks for this
I need to get a keyboard as I want to type notes occasionally as a student and debating how to to around this. I have heard the Magic Keyboard is the best option if you want quality but I have also head Logitech do a keyboard that also acts as a case and is much cheaper.
 
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MisterSavage

macrumors 601
Nov 10, 2018
4,639
5,487
It's good you're going to try them out in person. May I direct you to this epic thread with over 2000 votes and a split down the middle:

 

vine-boating

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 10, 2017
1,770
460
Is it true there may be new iPads in March? If that's the case I might as well wait instead of purchasing an iPad now...
 
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MisterSavage

macrumors 601
Nov 10, 2018
4,639
5,487
Is it true there may be new iPads in March? If that's the case I might as well wait instead of purchasing an iPad now...
We won't know until it happens but my wallet is ready. Seems likely this year since we didn't get ones last year.
 

vine-boating

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 10, 2017
1,770
460
March or April, pretty much guaranteed at this point
I don't know if I can wait any longer tbh.
I need it now for my studies but I don't want to spend all that money only for a new model to come out in a few months...
 

Coolpher

macrumors 6502
May 8, 2008
297
117
Seattle,WA
I honestly don’t know why people are talking about MacBook Air or Pro when you specifically said you want either the 11 inch or the 12.9 inch
Do you do a lot of typing on your iPad?
when I switched from the MacBook Pro line to the iPad Pro line, whenever I needed to type, I almost always use the Magic Keyboard. It feels very natural like the apple Magic Keyboard for per say the Mac mini.
 
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prospervic

macrumors 65816
Aug 2, 2007
1,041
1,193
NYC
I honestly don’t know why people are talking about MacBook Air or Pro when you specifically said you want either the 11 inch or the 12.9 inch
For real! It's so annoying when these people sneak over from the MacBook forums to proselytize to us "iPad heathens". They should just stay put in their own "church."
 
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Rafterman

Contributor
Apr 23, 2010
6,912
8,229
I love my 12.9. I had an Air 5 but really wanted the bigger screen. I don’t use a keyboard but I’m not a student so I’m not taking notes, I just do basic internet/social media/reddit and actually enjoy the on screen keyboard in landscape. Like I did with the iPhone, now that I’ve gone big I won’t go back!

I'm not a big keyboard user for iPad either, but I got one because it makes a great charging dock. No need to plug it into the USB to charge it, just dock it. It makes a nice stand too.
 

iPadified

macrumors 68000
Apr 25, 2017
1,876
2,071
Hi all

I am looking to buy an iPad to aid me with my Law studies and can't decide if I should get the 11 inch iPad Pro or the 12.9?

I am going to be using the iPad primarily for writing notes, reading and annotating documents and occasionally watching movies/media stuff.

The weight of the iPad isn't a huge deal to me as my course is online so the iPad will be mainly used at home of I occasionally go to the library. Do you think the bigger screen will be better to get or is it more comfortable using the 11 inch iPad Pro?
My story (and it is not about me), I was homeschooling by kids earlier and we were very paper free so to speak and invested in iPads. Started with Air and went on to 2017 iPP. The two oldest did what dad said: take the 12.9 because you need the screen real estate for studies especially in split screen. The younger opted for a 11-inch like her mum and had trouble. Curiously, by wife started studying and all of a sudden the 11 inch she bought earlier was not enough anymore (text got too small) so she bought a 12.9 to get more real estate for reading articles and taking notes. In the end my youngest daughter saved enough money to buy a M1 12.9 which she has not regretted. However, she takes her 11 inch (with pencil) to class instead of the 12.9. To exams, she the takes the 12.9.

My conclusion from above: For study, the 12.9 seems like a good allrounder because you basically always have a desk at hand but at Uni I see mostly 11 inch and only a few 12.9 inch (I am an uni professor and meet 300 students/year).

No one can help you, I am afraid, but we can share experiences.
 
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