As the new “default” iPad Pro screen size, the 10.5” model is the one that most users are going to gravitate toward. I may be a hard-core fan of the 12.9” model, but I can understand why. It’s cheaper, smaller, lighter, and packs just as much punch as it’s larger sibling.
There is no shortage of stands made for various models of the iPad, Pro models now included. However, finding ones of good quality for an iPad Pro that can help you get real work accomplished is a different story entirely. Into this vacuum stepped the DraftTable. This was the first stand designed with the original iPad Pro in mind, and it is built for real work. It has unique features, such as wide-angle adjustment and spring-loaded hinges. Also, while it is primarily designed with the iPad Pros in mind, it will actually work with other iPad models, as well.
I’ve mentioned it before, but I do about 99% of my work on this site using my 12.9” iPad Pro, a Bluetooth keyboard, and the iOS WordPress app. I have been doing this since I resumed writing here back in February, and it’s been a really good experience so far. The WordPress app is a simple, WYSIWYG affair, but it had most of the major features of the web interface and got most of the job done before the most recent update that came out on Monday.
However, there were a few features lacking in previous versions of the app that kept me going back to the web interface to finish each article. The previous versions of WordPress did not have a “Read More” button or a selector to choose between font sizes. Every article here has a Read More break, with only the intro section of the text seen on the Home Page, and any article with section headings requires the font size selector. Now, these could both be added by switching over to “Code Mode” in the app, but I prefer to stick to the editor for everything that I can.
The web interface has always had these features, but it doesn’t work well at all as a writing tool for entire articles if you are using a Bluetooth keyboard. If you use the arrow keys to try and navigate within the text, the screen automatically scrolls down underneath the text editor box. That gets REALLY old when you are trying to write and need to move around the page, and its why I started using the app for all my text work. I have just been using the web interface to add the Read More break, font sizes if necessary, and embed videos when needed before posting.
However, after the most recent update that was released on Monday, the WordPress app for iOS now has all of the main features of the web interface, including the Read More and font size features that I’ve been waiting for.
I also found that the Quote function is now easier to use with the app, and Underline and Strikethrough are now included now, as well. Also, all of these features, which are technically still in Beta for now, are all available on the iPhone version of the app, as well. That makes getting ideas down and editing while on the go much easier.
I can remember a time several years ago when the iOS WordPress app was a buggy mess that was hardly worth the free download. Hats off to Automatic for taking the time to make this app what it can be. After this update, it finally feels like a complete tool for bloggers in combination with the iPad Pro and a keyboard. Now I can post entire articles with no need to work anywhere else but the app. It certainly makes foe a neater workflow.
Are there any other bloggers or writers out there who also use the WordPress app? If so, I would love to hear what you think about their iOS app. Let me know in the Comments, on Flipboard, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter @iPadInsightBlog.
Back in April, I wrote about a Kickstarter that I came across that I thought had real potential. Jan Sapper of Sapper Productions was proposing a screen protector for the iPad Pro that gives the screen more of a paper-like feel to make writing and drawing more comfortable with the Apple Pencil. I was immediately interested, and evidently I wasn’t the only one, because his Kickstarter campaign had already blown its initial funding goal away by the time I found it.
I finally broke down and loaded the iOS 11 first beta on my new 12.9″ iPad Pro this weekend. Unfortunately, with this being the first version of the beta, doing so has pretty much rendered this device useless other than for testing the new OS. Several apps are crashing, and there are plenty of rough edges, just as you would expect for a beta release at this juncture. However, one thing I have noticed is that Multitasking is actually pretty polished, even in this initial release. Multitasking has triggered a few crashes, but it is stable for the most part, and the scrolling, gestures, and motions are all fluid and work well.
Considering that there are few keyboard cases out there right now for the new 10.5″ iPad Pro, this new crowdfunded keyboard case that I came across today looks all the more interesting. The Touchtype Pro doesn’t come with its own built-in keyboard, but rather works with Apple’s Bluetooth-enabled Magic Keyboard. However, while there have been other, more simple products that paired an Apple Bluetooth keyboard with a stand and/or case for an iPad, this one has some features that set it apart.
After the testing I’ve done with both of the new iPad Pros this week, I am unchanged in my personal opinion- the 12.9 is still the one for me. I absolutely love the big screen and it’s the main reason that I came back to the iPad after moving on for a while after the release of the iPhone 6 Plus. There is more room for multitasking and the Split Views are full iPad portrait views, rather than iPhone versions of the apps. It’s also a perfect match for my 13″ Lenovo Yoga when I’m out in the field and use Duet to make my iPad a secondary monitor. It still checks all of the boxes for me, and will hit even more when iOS 11 arrives.
Life has been mostly lemons around my house the last two days, but I’m going to make a little lemonade right here and FINALLY turn my attention to the new iPad Pros. I got the 10.5″ model yesterday, and I just got my hands on the new 12.9″, which arrived late this afternoon and is currently restoring with my apps and data. I’ll defer my remarks on the 12.9″ until I’ve actually had some time with it tomorrow, but I’ve had enough with the 10.5 to at least form some early opinions:
For riff-raff like myself, the process of reviewing the new iPad Pro models will begin tomorrow. However, today was the day for the lucky few in the tech media who got an early look at Apple’s latest goodies. I’m not jealous at all.
That aside, there are several insightful and thoughtful reviews that range from glowing to conservatively positive that hit the web today. The only complaints mentioned were price and practicality, and those are legitimate concerns considering the recent sales struggles of the iPad line. However, as for the hardware itself, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Most are also very upbeat about the iPad’s future thanks to the changes coming in iOS 11.
Here are some of my favorite of the early reviews:
It’s a Good Day to be an iPad User!
The iPad has been at a crossroads for a couple of years now. Since the original iPad Pro didn’t move the sales needle, it has felt a little like Apple has been marking time while they came up with a Plan B on how to jumpstart things. Part one came with the release of the rolled back, but less expensive iPad this Spring. While it was a solid device that fit a need in Apple’s tablet lineup, it was hard to tell too much based on such a modest start down a different path.
The rumors of a new 10.5″ iPad Pro have been with us for over six months now, but as we get closer to a probable release at WWDC, the device is finally coming into clearer focus thanks to case leaks and the device mockups that are now leaking from reputable sources. Unfortunately, according to well-known leaker Shai Mizrachi concept artist Benjamin Geskin, the device matches early reports to a degree, but doesn’t go as far as the long-rumored bezel-less design we all think the iPhone 8 will have.