2021 Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi‑Fi, 128GB) – Silver

Best tablet computer.
This is honestly my favorite way to use a computer. HDR 4K content is great, and it gets pretty loud so my wife and I can watch something together. I watch a lot of lecture/educational content often while taking notes. The large extremely high definition screen makes reading text in a video easy, or easy to share the screen with my note taking app.It’s not perfect though let me go over some things that could improve.The bezels are so small holding it can be awkward.The mini keyboard makes typing while holding easier, but I wish the mini keyboard had a bit more like a number row.The blooming can be annoying, but it’s basically only noticeable during load screens.The camera probably should be positioned for landscape video calls not portrait.I wish I could play nes and snes games on it. It has more than enough power to run emulators, but without jail breaking there is no side loading.This thing is expensive, but if you think you want to use a tablet. This is the one.Side note about me: I use a one plus 6 Android phone and my computer is Linux/windows so I’m not an apple fan boy. I do think the iPad is by far the best tablet computer. I did have a MacBook Pro and it broke and I learned why repairability is important. Don’t buy something you can’t afford to replace it. So get AppleCare+.

Waited to upgrade for several years – worth it!
I’ve owned a lot of iPads – minis and regular iPads for the kids. I had an iPad Pro second generation I originally bought to watch movies when I travel for work and to take notes. My wife took it over when she became obsessed with Procreate (a drawing application). Over time the battery got worse and worse and the performance dropped. At one point she couldnt update the application anymore.We bought the iPad Pro 5th generation as a pre release. Like all things Apple, you’re definitely paying a premium but for someone who is serious about their art of craft – worth it.Pros:+ the processing power is a BEAST. It’s effortless and smooth. The M1 makes a huge difference.+ the camera is amazing and the depth sensor opens worlds of possibilities for immersive, but you’ll likely rarely use it+ it’s an Apple so the resell value is great. This reduces the cost of ownership because when you upgrade in a few years you can still sell for a good amount.Neutral (compared to the Gen2):- the Mini LED feels a bit hyped. The screen in side by side comparisons wasn’t noticeably better in my opinion. If you’re not a professional who relies on nuanced color calibration, etc. you may not notice a difference. I am a photographer and don’t think most people will notice a difference.- the form factor remains largely unchanged. With a case it’s still a heavy machine relatively speaking.Negatives- price. I got the 256GB plus a case and a pencil. It’s a big chunk on money for most people. Most people should stick with an Air or regular iPad. Throw in the keyboard and some dongles and taxes and you’ve cleared two thousand pretty easily.- the form factor is slightly thicker than Gen4 so while I got a case which fit, the Apple Pencil didn’t charge. So if you need pencil charging, get a Gen5 case.- Apple really needs to just commit to one port type. This is lightning (USB C) which is great, but most apple products are still lightning. More of an annoyance, but make up your mind Apple!- it’s almost a PC replacement but not quite there for most people. Certain user types may be able yo replace their PC or Mac but I still see it as a secondary device.

Amazingly BIG
This is pretty much like having a 13″ laptop. I am a pianist, and I was looking for something larger than the old 9″ iPad I already had to download sheet music for piano. There are several free apps that allow you to transfer your hard-copy pages by tacking a photo and transferring them to the iPad.It is nice and bright and clear and almost as large as an 8.5″ x 11″ music sheet. I opted for the 512 GB size then I discovered transferring the sheet music requires very little file space. So now I take the iPad with me when I travel instead of a laptop. It is powerful enough to do what a laptop will do for my needs.And it sure beats carrying around a briefcase full of piano music. Actually, I can pretty much store everything I play here with plenty of room to spare so I have all my sheet music with me anywhere I go. If you play an instrument, you really should consider transferring the written copies to an iPad or other tablet.