When they say big, they mean big. The iPad Pro I’m writing this on is a 12.9-inch heavyweight that gets my hands hurting if I hold it up in them for long. No, I can't curl up with it to read a book - not without causing everyone around to die laughing. And I certainly can't slip it into any of my handbags. Yeah, I tried.

On the other hand, if you have an artistic bent of mind and can sketch and paint your way out of anything, this iPad Pro has all the space for creativity to be unleashed. The brilliant screen is irresistible. The quickest scribble can tend to look jaw-droppingly pretty on it, and however fast I scribble, this guy seems to pick it up without a pause or lag.

This Apple Pencil is the must-have accessory if you plan on getting creative. It charges by being awkwardly plugged into the iPad's Lightning charging port and once quickly juiced up, works with the fluidity of melting butter. Yes, it sticks out very oddly when it’s plugged in.

An optional and pretty expensive Apple Smart keyboard-plus-case sets up the tablet for work. The keyboard is surprisingly nice and easy to use—I can type pretty fast on this--and it's very stable when docked with the iPad. It isn’t Bluetooth. A nearly-invisible ‘Smart Connector’ does power and data.

Does it replace my notebook? Not quite, not any more than my regular iPad Air does, and not just by being way bigger. Like many women, I carry an iPad around instead of a notebook, but my iPad Air handles that job well, thank you, and the iPad Mini would too for you if you were okay with that size and had a good keyboard. For more serious writing or other work at home, I get back to my laptop. Oh yes, and this iPad Pro would drive me nuts trying to use it on an airplane tray. Or in the back seat  in Bangalore traffic.

And hey. This entire iPad Pro package I’m using here will cost you Rs 91,900 for the 128GB iPad Pro, with WiFi and cellular connectivity (including Rs 14,900 for the keyboard, and Rs 8,600 for the Pencil).

It's either that or the diamond bracelet.

(The author is a corporate consultant who likes her gadgets almost more than her shoes)
 

Tags : Apple iPad Pro