5 things to know about Apple’s new iPad Pro

Logitech’s Create keyboard case for the iPad Pro.

This surprised the Apple folk but not the Verizon tech who expected this.

As things stand, the shipping estimates for both the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil is 4-5 weeks when you order from the Apple Online Store, while the iPad Pro itself ships out in just 5-7 days if you buy a 128GB model, or just 1 day when you order a 32GB model. The iPad Pro starts at $799, compared with $499 for the standard-size iPad Air 2 and $269 for the cheapest iPad, the 2-year-old iPad Mini 2.

What I’ve experienced in my work has been phenomenal. Even more than the key action, this made the iPad Pro typing experience much better for me-in this state it’s enough like a Mac that I actually had to stop myself from reaching for a trackpad that wasn’t there. My work sessions are shorter as a result. It provides a surprisingly stable surface for the tablet on your lap; it props the screen up; it uses the Smart Connector to get around pairing and charging; and it protects the front of the tablet when you’re not using it. The Create keyboard does all of this, too. The exterior material is ballistic nylon in your choice of black, red, or purple, with soft plastic button covers and a hard plastic C-shaped frame to grip the iPad Pro’s right side. AT&T also has a two-year contract for the iPad Pro for $979.99. There is none of the constant zooming I did on the smaller iPads, I can read everything out of the box. It’s fast and quality hardware, but the software to make it a PC replacement isn’t there. There’s room for four speakers, compared with two on other iPads.

One notable exception to supporting the iPad Pro is the Gmail app. It is apparently confused about the higher resolution of the new iPad and Gmail only displays one column, much like that on the iPhone. It’s a waste of screen real estate and hopefully Google will update this soon. Everything I do happens instantly, especially two window support. The iPad Pro responds instantly no matter the task.

Battery life is really good on the iPad Pro. It does have a kickstand so as to make it easier to be used. Like the K811, the keys aren’t exactly like an Apple keyboard’s; this time, they use a cool Futura or a Futura-like font, and are nearly slippery-smooth in texture. A ribbon of apps appears – most recently used apps on the left – and you keep tapping the TAB key to move one app at a time to the right. A physical keyboard from Apple costs $169 extra, and the Apple Pencil sells for $99.

“Traditional computing remains relevant and users that have limited mobility needs (ie. users who mostly use their notebook at home or desk-bound employees) may not need a detachable tablet and will continue to prefer traditional clamshell devices, even if thinner and lighter or with a convertible keyboard”. But for now such apps are more the exception than the rule.