Large iPad great for combining reading, writing and taking notes by hand. Can substitute for a laptop in many situations but cost and large size makes it a niche tool.
iPads are the platform where most of the innovation in apps is happening at the moment. The large iPad pro is the best way to combine reading in large format with general productivity. It is great for reading and writing drafts with the optional keyboard or taking notes by hand. But it is very heavy and even more expensive, so you must really need the size of the screen to make it worthwhile.
The availability of reading and note taking apps makes iPads in general the platform to beat.
The 13inches give you extra space for reading A4 pages like academic articles at full size and also give you most space if you like to take notes by hand.
The power of the machine is such that you can run multiple apps side by side and if an app exists for a task like video editing, it will be as powerful as on the computer.
Price is a real problem. The only real reason to get this iPad for reading or writing is the screen size, but it is bundled with many more Pro features than is needed for most people. So the price is out of reach. It makes little sense to get it without the pencil and some keyboard case which puts the basic price well over £1200 – more double a solid laptop.
Weight is another issue. Tablets are a great laptop companion but unless you want to replace your laptop with this iPad, you are doubling the weight. With the keyboard, it is as heavy as many if not most laptops with this screen size.
Flexibility of iPads is a selling point when compared to ereaders but they are not as flexible as a PC. Particularly in the academic environment, where so much custom is required. You can do a lot of writing done on an iPad but managing a full thesis would be a big chore. Any data management or analysis is going to be very limited if possible at all, as well.
Screen glare is just as bad on the iPad Pro as any other tablet, phone or laptop. This makes it slightly less usable in sun light and could be a real problem for people who want to reduce screen exposure to protect their eyes.
Battery life is generally good on iPads but for extensive reading with frequent note taking, it is much less than on an eReader
If you would like to get some hands on time with the reMarkable or any of our other devices or tools, please book a visit to the Reading and Writing Innovation Lab.
| About | iPad Pro 13in: Tablet |
|---|---|
| Cost | £1,000+ |
| Pros | • Large screen |
| • Very powerful (including video editing) | |
| • Support many apps | |
| • Can be used for reading and writing | |
| • Supports other media | |
| Cons | • Very expensive |
| • Heavy and bulky | |
| • Screen glare | |
| • Battery life (compared to eInk devices) |