Monday, September 14, 2020

iPad Pro 11 (2020) Review

A new and improved iPad Pro came out in March of 2020. I recently acquired one and being a non-mac person, I thought I would give it a review from that perspective. My girlfriend and I got our iPad Pro 11 in an online sweepstakes. The 11 indicates the screen size. Apple also makes a 12.9 screen. The base price is $799 and prices go up depending on screen size and the amount of ram. All use the same Apple 64 bit A12Z Bionic chip. Click here if you want to see the other specs.

My first impression before turning it on is that it is a solid piece of hardware. You need two hands to hold it as the surface is so slick that I was afraid it would slip out of my hands. A protective case should solve that problem. It weighs just over 1 pound. But, after holding it for a while, you'd swear it weights more. This is a device you would use while it is laying on a surface or in a case that has a built in stand. Having limited experience with an Apple device I was surprised to see that it came with only a quick start guide and not a hefty operators manual like you get with some devices. I figured Apple would want lots of personal information during setup. But, I was able to get through the setup procedure without creating an Apple ID or giving my location. Unfortunately, if you want to download apps or use location based apps, you need to complete that part of the setup process.

The interface is fast and responsive. Apple prides itself at being user friendly, to the point where some actions are not very intuitive, until you watch a tutorial. After you learn the proper hand gesture, it is easy to remember. For the first few hours I found myself looking for the back button and struggling to figure out how to stop an app from running in the background. Something as simple as putting in an underscore from the keyboard required an internet search. I eventually learned how to get around, and after making a few adjustments to the settings, things were getting better. The bigger screen, compared to a cell phone, makes reading news articles and playing games a much better experience. 128GB is more space than on my cell phone, so we can install and explore more apps. Battery life is rated at 10 hours with a full charge. It is nice to look at the battery meter and see it still at 90 percent after an hour of use. I would recommend one if you have the money and are looking for a well designed, versatile tablet. 

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