Why the iPad Pro is Perfect for Students
By: Robert C.
Tags: Tech, Apple, Productivity, Design, Technology

Why the iPad Pro is Perfect for Students

Here’s why the iPad is the perfect back to school machine!

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With classes shifting to online, having a reliable machine where you can do all your work effectively is more important than ever for students. While a lot of people are looking at laptops, I think tablets can be a very viable option.

One thing that keeps me coming back to the iPad Pro is the experience of using it. iPads today are incredibly powerful devices. They’re light, fanless, and have amazing battery life.

The sizes of these devices also adds to its efficiency — being able to throw the tablet into any bag and carry it around with you, without worrying about the size of it.

In my experience over the past two semesters, you can do everything you would normally do with a laptop or desktop on the iPad. They’re also a lot more reliable than you’re average MacBook Pro today.

Photo by Daniel Romero on Unsplash

You might have noticed how aesthetically pleasing these iPads are to the eye. It has a sleek design that only adds to the experience of carrying one around or using it as a tool for your work station at home.

Older Versions Work Just As Good

If you currently own an older version or are interested in getting more bang for your buck and not buying the latest versions, the 10.5 inch iPad Pro from 2018 is known to give you the same experience. The only major difference is the size of the bezels and the difference between the 1st generation Apple Pencil and the 2nd generation one.

Using one of the older tablets, or the current budget iPad will require you to charge the Pencil using the port on the bottom of the iPad instead of the ability to attach the Pencil to the side and charge it that way. In most cases, this is not a big issue but if you don’t wanna waste those 5 minutes, the newer versions might be worth looking into.

The performance difference between the 2018 version and the 2020 version is unnoticeable to most people. Although the 2020 version might score higher on geekbench, using the machine for day to day activities won’t have you notice anything.

Nowadays you can get the 2018 iPad Pro for around $700 which is a pretty good deal for a machine that fast.

Actually Getting Stuff Done

You can do anything you need to do for most schools on the iPad. For writing documents, you have Microsoft Word, Google Docs which are both available as apps.

via GoodNote’s website

When it comes to sitting in class and taking notes, there are some fantastic apps you should check out. Personally, I love using GoodNotes 5, it’s an app that allows you to write, store, and organize your notes really well inside little virtual notebooks — inside folders. You can type notes, add images, and do anything you could on a laptop.

Keeping track of what you have to do for homework, projects are very important to me. Here are a few apps you can use for that: Trello (for keeping track of homework), Todoist (for keeping track of more “task type” stuff). The app Things is also great, though it comes with a hefty price of $19.99. However, there are plenty of task management software that you can use to keep track of your schoolwork.

If you need to do “Photoshop” work, you can download the Photoshop app, same with Lightroom, Affinity Photo, and a plethora of similar applications.

Accessories

Photo by Daniel Romero on Unsplash

The Magic Keyboard is a fantastic keyboard made for the iPad Pro, it works like wonders and so far there seems to be an around 100% satisfaction rate for people who have gotten it. The only downside to this accessory is its price. It’s currently going for $299 (US) for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $349 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

It is worth noting that using the trackpad that comes with this keyboard unlocks a whole new level of productivity. It allows for all of Macs trackpad gestures which can greatly improve a students productivity when using some apps.