Apple iPad Pro (2nd Generation) (2017)

Makes my life so much easier – I use an iPad Pro every day, and mainly for work tasks (teaching, making presentations, and having important documents/emails in front of me at meetings). It's much lighter and easier to carry than a laptop. I have an attachable keyboard with it (the one Apple sells), which I think adds a lot of use-value to the iPad. I haven't even gotten to… Read more

the pencil yet! It's great! No more writing something on paper, taking a photo, and then emailing or uploading. You can do that all digitally, and it's much easier to erase, change colours, make perfect shapes (boxes, circles, etc.). I use the 12.9" because it's best for work stuff, but a smaller one is suitable for non-work purposes I would say. The built-in speakers are the best tablet speakers I've yet to hear. If you watch movies on this (without headphones), the sound is surprisingly good! I don't use the camera on the device, so I don't have much to say about that. Battery life is very very good. The pencil needs charging more often though, and that is easy to do (just stick it into the lightning port on the ipad).

Performance versus Application (Musicians) – A relatively good tablet should provide scope to develop a selective use. In buying this device I was looking at adapting its use to record and playback musical instrument content. I spent some time prior to purchase on reputable audio and muso websites and joined some forums in reviewing my needs versus what I could possibly expect from a… Read more

range of mobile devices for purpose.

Having used this Ipad Pro for just on 1 year there are some limiting factors that become more apparent due to the complexity and confusion created by poorly designed and limited engineering of apps. In order to see what these apps do, it is very limiting and mismanaged by Apple to allow advertisers such blatant disregard for quality and customers to observe real time usage of expected result.

Why doesn't Apple police or have a terminal process to discard junk Apps or sellers who don't comply to a some sort of customer care policy.

On a good note Ipad Pro can work well as a recording device as long as you have a good pick up to define the tone and it is worthwhile buying a good platform for arrangement that serves channel selection and allows you to block certain signals using an equalizer and/or a loop sequencer to help edit out unwanted noise.

When using real audio pick-ups the Ipad Pro records quite cleanly in a studio. But I still have my issues with the battery life on this device. You get different battery leak from devices plugged into through Ipad Pro because they either absorb power from the device for function or they conserve power because they are powered by another source sufficiently not to absorb power. These devices do not have their own power, nor can they. There is also limitation in how you connect through the Ipad Pro which beckons an external array to port the right content via a pedal switch or a sequencer switch set. Ipad is restrictive if you think it can be a studio mixer. It might be that you need to build studio resources that tool very specific purpose rather than using Apple as a substitute for what a studio can create.

I think the reason that connectivity is a higher demand for live systems, the Ipad Pro and Apple in general has not addressed this necessity of how we integrate tools and it is probably why Ipads sell so slowly.

That said, Ipad Pro is worth having for pre-audio and backing content and maybe playing with synth processes as a DJ type pad. It can live up to a concert performance for audio backing but it must also be put on charge power for efficiency due to the battery demand of devices linked. Like, you cannot record a performance and use the device for backing at the same time. It is just not possible because of the plugin arrangement being different. Even using a pre Amp head is annoying for multiple apps. You are better off using a system app that has multiple internal processes but that comes at a cost of audio editing quality. You'd be better off getting a Boss Looper and using it to set audio loop sequences in pre-performance editing for actual time-stamp sequence performance and just use the Ipad Pro to record the outcome of those processes, by which can then be rerun through a platform to edit before publishing. Still messy but a little easier to digest complexity. I used to record with my Ipad Pro but I don't anymore. I use a professional recording platform from my Studio Laptop which allows more inputs. The Ipad Pro got turned into a Synthesizer Sequencer which is in part a real time looper but is also a backing mixer that can be changed using pedal switch. But in order to understand the Ipad Pro's usefulness for audio processes you have to set out a plan of how it will integrate your action of its tools and get rid of all the other crap onboard. Other content slaves battery life for its live connection. Turn it off, block its access or delete it.

I've just stuck to one description of use the Ipad Pro is capable. There are stacks of others but as a muso's tablet its mobility must serve all the, or at least a good portion of what you want from such device. If that doesn't meet your expectations in some way you haven't done the right type of pre buyer homework that comprises of looking at what you do and what this device actually has been tested and can actually do (not said or conveyed- go watch Youtube Videos of real content that uses this device). There are plenty of sales pitches and likes but that tells you nothing about the value of what has been engineering within to perform at your expected measure. There is nothing here siding to a specific tool because Ipads general, allows you to create your own set of tools to some degree and that is why it is a popular platform.

As a musical support it is good to an extent not of joy but purpose. Do you need other stuff? Yes. You need a good pick up and /or mic and a few pedals including a good looper and amp head that allows mixing and probably a good editing suite won't go unnoticed even if it is on another device or PC.

In terms of portability there are no Apple apps that give you exactly the right platform for all of this because a studio has different stages of processing of pre and live to voice over, looping and backing and connectivity between actual live instruments requires in some cases more than one input. Drums require a minimum of 3. The Ipad can record this through a amp head input but it won't sound the same as 3 separate inputs. The devices you choose for you needs determine the quality of outcome. you have to recognise the Ipad Pro is designed for portability only. It does not replace the studio nor can it.

Note there are 1000's of music and audio technical support apps but probably only 5 to 10 that are really professionally good and the problem I have with the Apple Store is most of these really good apps are hidden away from mainstream context because the store system is bogus and full of garbage apps that should never have been listed but still, are there to confuse and sell flawed thinking for profiteers which leaves one thinking is the Ipad Pro the right tools to be learning through? Are there cleaner processes by which give better outcomes by uncluttered thinking? Apple environment of platform use can become over cluttered and not by choice.

In order for Apple to become better at being useful to all our real needs, it needs to cut all the rubbish out of its franchise and get back to giving us the image of its origins in real worth. I find that having an Ipad Pro is good but it comes with a burden it expects the user to unravel and accept. It should be the other way around to nurture new users into understand the potential they can get from such device. This is not aimed at previous users because all of you have succumb to the devalued enterprise agreement of years gone to create such unnecessary mess. It is any wonder why Apple seeks so much approval through hyped followers and media bloom.

As a semi new user of Apple devices but a veteran of technology, I choose to limit my use of this device by deleting all the useless apps its OS signifies as important. They are only important if they serve the purpose of the user and in trying to intimidate control of user information I chose to be anonymous regardless of the theft agreement statement. The less footprint I have in sharing app content to any Apple Enterprise agreement the less rubbish that is sent to my inbox. This explains why the PC reigns supreme in the business sector based on experience of collected data you have no control unless you refuse to comply to such overhanded authoritarianism.

iPad Pro 2 12.9-inch is better than a laptop – I had always used laptop computers for any personal mobile computing. It was important for me to have a good screen size, neither too small or too large. The problem with laptops is their weight. Travelling with them was cumbersome and risky. Since purchasing my own lightweight and powerful iPad Pro 2 12.9-inch I have never needed to use my laptop… Read more

again. With the addition of Smart Keyboard and since the IOS 13 free updates my iPad can now support an external hard drive and other USB connectable devices. I use my iPad to write, process and manage RAW photography as well and run all my favourite apps and to watch many of my favourite movies and documentaries. The surround high quality speakers of which there are 4 provide an excellent sound. I have no criticism whatsoever for this product

Can't live without it – I've had the tablet for almost 2 years now and had been using it everyday. The 12.9 large screen is unlike any other tablet. Screen quality is excellent and the quad speakers offers a punch. Battery life is still excellent for 10 hours and it is still supported by the latest iPad OS. Very happy with my purchase. Show details

Great artists tool! – Great artistic functionalities for professional or amateur artists. I love the crystal clear visual on photos I now use on my Pro in painting portraits. The results are surprising as the details are so clear. Saves me time & money. No more printing photos of clients for paintings, Pro has it all sown up for me. It also came with the Apple Pencil. Couldn’t work without it now. Show details

Perfect tool for students – I use this tablet every day for University. Great size, and with apple pencil integration it has replaced all my notebooks. The ability to highlight textbooks is a bonus! I have downloaded the Beta of iPadOS which has meant this laptop is now my primary device for study, apt to replace my laptop.

Great tablet – I've been using my Ipad for five years and I'll never be without one. It has amazing apps, reliable and cheap extra storage on iCloud. Our local Apple service centre is prompt and efficient. Only thing I don't like is that it sometimes go static and then I have to reboot it. Also when my battery played up after five years, my whole device was replaced for US$99, thus got a new Ipad for a very little money. Show details