So, after writing my prior article, I kept thinking about it and I decided to go ahead and order the new 2024 M4 iPad 13.
So why did I decide to order it? It mainly came down to two reasons. The first was the lighter, thinner design and the second reason is they gave me $510 for my iPad M1 12.9.
I decided on the base 13 inch model and financed it for a year at around $65 a month for 12 months. While this is still money, it’s not so much that it will change much in my budget.
Separately, I went ahead and ordered the Apple Pencil Pro. I just put that on my AmEx that I pay off monthly and bought a cheap folio style case from Amazon ($24). Unlike a lot of iPad users, I just don’t use an external keyboard very often. I prefer using it “ in hand” which is why the lighter weight is such a big deal. When I do want to use a keyboard, I use it at a table because the ergonomics aren’t that great for lap use, though the Logitech keyboard case is better than the Magic Keyboard in that area, if you ask me.
For now, I will use it with a Bluetooth mechanical keyboard and my Logitech Ergo mouse or share the mouse and keyboard with my Mac Mini when using it in my office. I always preferred this to the keyboards in iPad cases anyway. If I do feel like I want a keyboard case down the road, I can always add one. However, I will probably wait for the price on the Logitech Keyboard case to drop first ( it’s currently listed for around $260 on Apple's website). It served me well on my 12.9 iPad. I like having a cover when using it in tablet mode, so that is one of a few reasons I prefer it to Apple’s keyboard. Also, I really liked the "kickstand" on the cover, so will keep an eye out for a third party option if Logitech's pricing doesn't come down.
There are other benefits… obviously, the gorgeous "tandem" OLED panel. Some say this stole the show. I am sorry, if this was attached to another brick, I would not have upgraded. That being said, our eyes are often more impressed by things they see in a commercial rather than what they may feel. They also have a new matte version, but I chose not to go that route. It is supposed to limit contrast and brightness and is only available on the 1 and 2 terabyte models. The M4 holds promise like no other chip, as well. It’s billed as their AI chip, which hopefully means we will see some cool stuff introduced with the next version of iPadOS. The Apple Pencil Pro has some really cool new features, so looking forward to trying them out.
So why did I go with the base version? First off, I am not even using 100GB of space on my old iPad since I have 2 terabytes of iCloud space. Secondly, the upgrade in SSD to 1 terabyte is $600. That’s too much of a premium to pay when I can plug an SSD into the USB-C slot, if necessary. I have already planned to use it with a dock and multiple drives for backup when I drop photos from my camera’s SD card. The 1TB model was really the only other option I considered because it gets a few extra spec bumps (more RAM would be one reason to go this route), but I can live with a slightly slower iPad under heavy loads. I think others may weigh the cost/benefit and choose the 1TB version, so it comes down to your use case. For me, this is just an iPad I use for editing and managing photos, browsing the web, watching video, reading magazines, listening to music, etc. Nothing is all that difficult, outside of managing photos and if it takes a couple extra seconds to load, I can live with it.
I am really looking forward to trying it out. I can’t really see where it can go wrong when, on paper, it appears to be the perfect iPad for my needs. I think this should be able to be used for all my needs without it feeling like a brick when I use it in tablet mode. I am really curious to see how it feels in the hand.
So why did I decide to order it? It mainly came down to two reasons. The first was the lighter, thinner design and the second reason is they gave me $510 for my iPad M1 12.9.
I decided on the base 13 inch model and financed it for a year at around $65 a month for 12 months. While this is still money, it’s not so much that it will change much in my budget.
Separately, I went ahead and ordered the Apple Pencil Pro. I just put that on my AmEx that I pay off monthly and bought a cheap folio style case from Amazon ($24). Unlike a lot of iPad users, I just don’t use an external keyboard very often. I prefer using it “ in hand” which is why the lighter weight is such a big deal. When I do want to use a keyboard, I use it at a table because the ergonomics aren’t that great for lap use, though the Logitech keyboard case is better than the Magic Keyboard in that area, if you ask me.
For now, I will use it with a Bluetooth mechanical keyboard and my Logitech Ergo mouse or share the mouse and keyboard with my Mac Mini when using it in my office. I always preferred this to the keyboards in iPad cases anyway. If I do feel like I want a keyboard case down the road, I can always add one. However, I will probably wait for the price on the Logitech Keyboard case to drop first ( it’s currently listed for around $260 on Apple's website). It served me well on my 12.9 iPad. I like having a cover when using it in tablet mode, so that is one of a few reasons I prefer it to Apple’s keyboard. Also, I really liked the "kickstand" on the cover, so will keep an eye out for a third party option if Logitech's pricing doesn't come down.
There are other benefits… obviously, the gorgeous "tandem" OLED panel. Some say this stole the show. I am sorry, if this was attached to another brick, I would not have upgraded. That being said, our eyes are often more impressed by things they see in a commercial rather than what they may feel. They also have a new matte version, but I chose not to go that route. It is supposed to limit contrast and brightness and is only available on the 1 and 2 terabyte models. The M4 holds promise like no other chip, as well. It’s billed as their AI chip, which hopefully means we will see some cool stuff introduced with the next version of iPadOS. The Apple Pencil Pro has some really cool new features, so looking forward to trying them out.
So why did I go with the base version? First off, I am not even using 100GB of space on my old iPad since I have 2 terabytes of iCloud space. Secondly, the upgrade in SSD to 1 terabyte is $600. That’s too much of a premium to pay when I can plug an SSD into the USB-C slot, if necessary. I have already planned to use it with a dock and multiple drives for backup when I drop photos from my camera’s SD card. The 1TB model was really the only other option I considered because it gets a few extra spec bumps (more RAM would be one reason to go this route), but I can live with a slightly slower iPad under heavy loads. I think others may weigh the cost/benefit and choose the 1TB version, so it comes down to your use case. For me, this is just an iPad I use for editing and managing photos, browsing the web, watching video, reading magazines, listening to music, etc. Nothing is all that difficult, outside of managing photos and if it takes a couple extra seconds to load, I can live with it.
I am really looking forward to trying it out. I can’t really see where it can go wrong when, on paper, it appears to be the perfect iPad for my needs. I think this should be able to be used for all my needs without it feeling like a brick when I use it in tablet mode. I am really curious to see how it feels in the hand.
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