The iPad Thread - Welcome the iPad Pro - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > The iPad Thread - Welcome the iPad Pro

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

BuckT.Trend posted:

What styluses (styli?) are you all using with your iPads? Instead of taking pen-and-paper notes at work, I'm looking to transition to taking them electronically so that I can index and search more easily. I suppose I could get a keyboard for my Air and type up notes in meetings, but since I often need to draw diagrams, sketch floor plans, etc. I think a good stylus/handwriting note app is a better investment.

I saw the Amazon Basics stylus in the OP, but since I'm impatient and don't want to wait/pay for shipping, I went down to the big-box store and got an Adonit Jot Pro. I chose it because it was the most "pen-like" and had the finest point. The rubber-tipped models I tried out felt like I was writing with jumbo preschool crayons.

While I like the Jot Pro in the couple of hours I've been playing with it, I'm a little worried about the plastic disc falling off at an inopportune time, scratching my screen.

Any suggestions?

The Jot Script is even more pen like! From some reviews I've read the barrel seems pretty fat (cause the AAA battery) and unlike the Jot Pro (and other battery powered styluses) it needs to be powered to work, vs just adding functionality. And this one isn't pressure sensitive but I'm not sure you care for that going by your usage.

...but I still wouldn't get it. From reviews it seems a bit sketchy, but I don't know how much has to do with the stylus hardware vs the software. Like to me it seems like the issues have to do with palm rejection but it doesn't seem like the reviews tested that theory out. If that is the problem I'd just do the old ghetto trick of wearing a glove or getting something like this thing. I just bought a glove and cut out the thumb, index and middle fingers.

Assuming the basic technology works I'm mainly waiting for Adobe's version (less fat, pressure sensitive) or presumably whatever other regular Adonit one they come out with themselves.

# ¿ Nov 18, 2013 07:33

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# ¿ May 13, 2024 05:52

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Cranbe posted:

I'm looking at getting either the Air or Retina Mini. Playing around with them in the store today, I like the Retina Mini more in terms of weight (and price), but I'm wondering if the extra size will be worth it if I plan to do much handwriting/note-taking. Can anybody who does a fair amount of handwriting on their iPad / Mini weigh in on whether the extra screen size is necessary? Maybe it's something that can be mitigated with a good stylus?

All styluses have issues, but the the apps themselves mitigate that to an extent. Most have a zoomed in mode and if you're using that I don't think the screen size matters as much. Another issue is palm rejection, I've never had good luck with it myself, but the iPad mini might be easier to avoid touching with your palm just cause there's less screen there (I just use a glove with some fingers cut out and don't need to think about accidental touches).

If you plan to type on it as well though, the big iPad will be worlds better for touch typing. Granted you can just pick up whatever Bluetooth keyboard instead.

# ¿ Nov 26, 2013 04:51

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Obscurity posted:

Is there any reason to have a smart cover AND a bluetooth keyboard case? I'm getting an iPad Mini for my g/f for christmas, and I want to get the bluetooth keyboard case for her so it can function as a mini laptop..but I'm wondering if there is any reason to get a smart cover too or if the keyboard case is sufficient?

Only reason I can think of is if the keyboard case isn't sufficient and she doesn't want to use it all the time, like cause the size/weight addition and/or it's hard to use cause they're tiny rear end keyboards.

# ¿ Nov 28, 2013 06:53

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Crossposting from the iPhone thread cause it's relevant enough here too:
OWC has Apple Lightning cables for $9.90 (...I'd be concerned about "bulk packaged" but OWC is trustworthy as far as Apple stuff, I'll find out in a day or two):
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apple/MD818ZMA/

And if anyone wants Bluetooth headphones and/or a portable BT audio adapter, Best Buy has this Sony one on sale for $35 (well black, orange, and turquoise at least, while white and pink are still $50). It's reviewed pretty well on Amazon, and in PCMag's review. Can't start calls/Siri with it though, but apparently you can answer at least.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2013 12:12

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Feenix posted:

Clearly I don't know everything about everything in the world but it will be a huge shock to me if this soft, flexible, hollow sounding top is actual glass.

It's glass. Aluminosilicate/Gorilla or whatever glass, but still a type of glass. This is from the iPad 2 but essentially the same stuff (except probably thinner in the Air):
http://youtu.be/r4vvQq7BpiE

Compared to the iPhones the main difference construction wise is that the glass is still a separate part in the iPads, while it's laminated/glued to the screen in iPhone.

# ¿ Dec 18, 2013 02:26

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

If that thing has a clear sheet for covering the adhesive side (and works without actually applying it to the screen), you might be able to get away with a loose case with wraparound edges to hold the cover in place. Or go really ghetto with a little masking tape or something to hold it in place.

# ¿ Dec 18, 2013 09:19

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Seems like there's iPad cases everywhere. The usual electronics stores should have a decent selection, maybe office supply stores, and otherwise regular ones like Target (and Walmart?) that sell iPads should have some cases too. Cellular places have cases too although I'm not sure how wide their iPad accessory sections are. And I guess Apple Stores too for checking them out at least.

# ¿ Dec 19, 2013 20:49

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

I have nPlayer and can confirm it has a bunch of sub settings, but similarly have nothing to test with. Supports playing random formats and has a bunch of options to mess with if you're into that, I was fine with most of the defaults but liked being able to tweak some particular features.

It doesn't have a web browser though. It has "direct streaming URL" so as a clunky workaround you should be able to browse your files in Safari, copy a link, watch in nPlayer. Maybe ask the devs to include a browser or "HTTP directory" option or something. Alternatively you could stream over FTP or SMB instead.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2014 12:24

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Someone mentioned this one before, also cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/rooCASE-Apple-iPad-Air-Case/dp/B00E44B18I/

# ¿ Jan 11, 2014 06:45

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Red Robin Hood posted:

Thanks! I'm just trying to figure out how major companies like IGN capture video. They must have some expensive video capture hardware, yeah?

HDMI capture box is the only other obvious way I can think of.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2014 11:47

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Contingency Plan posted:

Does the power demand of iOS 7 together with the latest generation of iPads outstrip the ability of USB ports to keep them charged? I'm asking because I bought an iPad Mini with Retina Display and I get the 'not charging' message when I plug it into my desktop's USB ports. It plays nice with wall outlets and my desktop charges my iPhone 5 without a problem.

This was the case with all the iPads I thought...or maybe starting with 3rd gen? I forget. Haven't kept an eye on the mini retina when hooked up, but with previous ones at least they'd (slowly) charge when the screen was off.

And depending on your computer there might be a patch to enable higher power output from your USB ports. The normal spec is 500mA while there's a higher power 1A charging spec which the iPads use (and up to 2A with the larger iPad power bricks).

# ¿ Feb 8, 2014 03:56

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

kitten smoothie posted:

Nope. The printer sharing in the Airport Express isn't AirPrint compatible. You'd need a different printer.

Or a computer on the network to run some AirPrint service.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2014 04:53

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Nihiliste posted:

At this point, Apple is kind of notorious though for crippling older hardware - intentionally or not - with new versions of iOS. Heck, since installing iOS 6 on my fourth-gen Touch, the iPod's become slower and slower to the point that I NEED the company to upgrade the Touch line this year.

Note that 7.1 supposedly improves performance across the line, iOS 7 has got some issues even on the newest hardware. Hopefully it'll come out soon.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2014 03:07

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Or you could try an alternate browser like iCab, although you lose a bit of performance (due to some technical/security reasons).

# ¿ Mar 20, 2014 19:18

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Alternatively you could use some portable wifi storage thingy. I assumed there had to be some SD solution, first two things I found on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower%C2%AE-FileHub-Wireless-3000mAh-Battery/dp/B00AQUMZRA
http://www.amazon.com/EasyAcc%C2%AE-Wireless-External-Portable-Smartphone/dp/B00CSFCYFY

# ¿ Apr 9, 2014 21:05

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

KodiakRS posted:

What's the easiest way to get movies and/or TV shows onto an iPad so that you can watch them later without streaming? My commute involves flying across the country every week in the back of airplanes that have lovely or nonexistent wifi. The iTunes store seems the most convenient but a single season of say, Archer, costs the same as 4 months of streaming netflix.

Edit: Just to clarify, I'm looking for legit methods. Not

Maybe buy the DVDs/BDs and rip them yourself? Actually stuff might have download vouchers, like some movies I've gotten have ways to redeem the iTunes version. Not sure if that's common or not with TV shows though.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2014 07:10

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

rio posted:

Well, I ordered an Adonit jot pro, so if anyone is interested I could give impressions. I have tried a few different styli on NotateMe (a music notation app) and it is just too imprecise having large tips.

Looked at the Jot Script? Course the app needs to support it for better accuracy iirc, but I don't know how well (or not) it works without that.

# ¿ May 8, 2014 04:04

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Frankenfinger posted:

The jot suffers from an engineering flaw. Fix it by folding a piece of tinfoil 4 times over give or take, removing the plastic tip base from the ball joint, sticking the tinfoil between the ball and socket, then pressing them together. Then tear away excess foil. This is essentially filling the space between them with conductive metal. Makes it pretty much flawless afterwards.

P.S. The tinfoil will eventually work its way out of the space between so you'll need to redo this every few months.

Forgot about that. This trick basically fills in the gap between the ball joint and disc, it's not always there but can develop over time, like it might be fine when new but start skipping at times later on. Another method is a tiny dab of conductive paste of some sort. Toothpaste can work (although I imagine it varies), some thermal pastes, along with stuff specifically for electrical conduction.

# ¿ May 8, 2014 15:21

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

nPlayer has been great for me v :shobon:

almost posted:

Even so, I'd appreciate if anyone has any recommendations for an iPad Air case with no front cover (or a removable front cover).

Maybe some rear shell plus the Smart Cover?

# ¿ May 22, 2014 07:38

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

tuyop posted:

The power button on my mini retina has gotten... Squishy. It started this morning and it's just not clicking in a satisfying way anymore. Did I get it dirty or something? How would I fix it?

It's less than a year old so get it fixed/replaced at an Apple Store if you have one nearby. Or call and swap it through mail.

# ¿ Jun 8, 2014 01:20

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Choadmaster posted:

The new "size classes" features in the developer tools keep getting called out as a hint that there are new sizes of iPhone coming... Which is undoubtedly true, but IMO it was probably primarily designed for running arbitrarily-sized apps on a multitasking iPad. I only wonder if they're going to restrict multitasking to apps that are (re)built using size classes or if they have some other solution for older apps. I wouldn't mind the former, really. App developers would be pretty quick to jump on that if forced to.

They're for some of the extensions too, which conveniently gave them something concrete to talk about. I'm assuming it'll require support just cause it seems like something that could break stuff horribly (like letting a user open a fixed screen iPad game in the 1/3rd space), and they've been hard asses about explicitly supporting UI changes in the past.

I'll be happy if I can just get Notes and Safari side by side so I don't have to worry about Safari refreshing a post compose tab and dumping what I wrote if I open one tab too many for its memory constraints (Safari actually crashed the first time I tried posting this :argh:

). Or a video app next to anything else, would've been nice for some E3 streams and following the forum threads. Or actually useful stuff :v:

like reference material next to a writing app, really could've used that while in school.

# ¿ Jun 13, 2014 06:07

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Adonit and Adobe's new styluses are finally out (or at least officially on sale):
http://www.adonit.net/jot/touch/
http://www.adobe.com/products/ink-and-slide.html

$120 for Adonit's stylus or $200 for Adobe's w/ruler thingy. I expected as much but still kinda :stonk:

# ¿ Jun 21, 2014 21:17

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

The Dave posted:

What about that pencil stylus? All the media I see for it looks pretty impressive, just haven't actually read the articles about it yet.

(Fake edit: drat I wrote a lot about this crap)
It's another fat stylus except it has a sensor to assist in palm rejection and a fat rear end tip that acts as an eraser. It's also getting some pseudo pressure sensitivity in software by way of the fat head (figures it out by surface contact area) when iOS 8 comes out.

The new Adonit/Adobe ones seem to be getting favorable reviews, albeit with the usual caveats. Without a hovering cursor (like on Wacoms when you hover above the surface) you still can't be sure where the contact point is going to be, and the iPad screen being below the surface (rather than bonded to the glass and projecting closer like on iPhones) causes another little visual disconnect. Their software implementation has some options to try to compensate for that, kind of a predetermined offset depending on how you hold the pen and taking into account a usual viewpoint. Like the other "smart" pens it has palm rejection, but that always seems slightly iffy in practice. Oh there's also the ruler thingy, apparently you can fake it with a bolt and capacitive foam, or just use your fingers since they have a plain ol touch interface for the virtual ruler too.

iOS 8 could potentially make things a lot better with this API, if the screen hardware is sensitive enough to recognize smaller contact points (and if the OS doesn't filter those out completely at a lower level). All this fancy crap people are coming up with might not even be needed.

Anyways uh, I use Notability cause it has a zoomed view that makes writing doable enough. It also has audio recording and can show note playback while playing the audio, although I haven't tested this out much yet, no clue if it records all writing and erasing actions or just enough writing for the end result. I used to use Note Taker HD for a long time, it worked fine functionally in terms of writing and features for the most part, but I was pretty much using it in spite of the UI. For the core writing elements it was fine (and I prefer the way it does some things actually), but the other features felt kind of unwieldy in how they were implemented interface wise. I haven't tried it in a while though so maybe there's some decent improvement now.

tl;dr on styluses: ehhh, I'd wait on fancy styluses to see what can be done with iOS 8's API without fancy hardware. Otherwise I'd suggest using some software that compensates for the current state of things.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2014 18:58

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Don Tacorleone posted:

For me, it's my favorite device for Reeder

I was thinking something similar earlier, I use Mr. Reader nowadays but whatever the case, I pretty much only read my RSS feeds on the iPad and occasionally iPhone. I used to have Reeder for the Mac and use ReadKit now, but I pretty much never read on there. I think for most instances of just reading stuff I vastly prefer doing it on the iPad.

If the whole split screen thing actually comes out that'll make it much more useful too, at least if you've ever been annoyed about the complete lack of it.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2014 11:17

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Facepalm Ranger posted:

Go on...

At WWDC they announced 20 GB for $0.99/month and 200 GB for $3.99/month, and tiers up to 1TB but those two are the only ones they've mentioned so far with pricing.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2014 09:10

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Styluses are still kinda all over the place I think. As far as cheap fat nib ones the capacitive fiber/mesh ones are decent, they're like a smoother version of the old rubber dome types. There's a lot of fancier/expensive ones now, but I'll wait a while to see if iOS 8 changes anything cause there's a new API that exposes touch size to developers. I'm not sure what'll be possible but I'm hoping it'll allow for smaller tip dumb styluses to work (rather than needing the expensive battery powered Bluetooth ones that are out now).

In any case for stylus use the software is a big part of the experience, like many have a zoomed in mode that compensates for fat tips and makes them more usable for handwriting.

# ¿ Jul 9, 2014 02:43

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Wacom just announced some of their own thin tip styluses, $60 and $80:
http://gizmodo.com/wacom-bamboo-fineline-a-bluetooth-stylus-with-a-point-1629726621

# ¿ Sep 4, 2014 12:58

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Martytoof posted:

I'm not married to OneNote, it just happened to sync everything across all my platforms. I like the idea of a bluetooth stylus with pressure sensitivity so I honestly don't know which will win out. If I can wait for another app which lets me sync notes to my Mac laptop/desktop to support the Wacom stylus then I'll actually be happier with that I think since I can use it for sketching and artsy fartsy things too.

I'll probably wait it out either way, but thanks for the recommendation

On the plus side that link said the Wacom works in any app (presumably if it has battery power in the first place), while the app support gives palm rejection and the pressure sensitivity...granted you want those things but there's workarounds for the former and I'm not sure how big a deal the latter is for you. I'd like it for drawing but I guess I feel indifferent about it for notes, barring making fancy drawings in notes. I've dealt with questionable styluses from the start so even just the thin tip would be nice for me :v:

Wacom is a big enough name that I wouldn't be surprised if it got support in OneNote at some point, or I guess you could try bitching at both companies' support and social channels to try to make it happen quicker.

I'll probably go with the Wacom just cause the price, although I'm assuming it'll work as well as the Adonit, hopefully better.

japtor fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Sep 5, 2014

# ¿ Sep 5, 2014 01:48

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

One thing I'm wondering about is the parallax effect (as has been dubbed by some sites at least) where there's a disconnect between where the tip is touching vs where it's recognized on screen. Hopefully the new iPads have laminated glass like the iPhones to help reduce this, but until then Adonit has been getting around it with a little offset in their API. Not sure if Wacom has something similar, but I'm more curious how they compare with non aware apps if you have any in your workflow.

And other than price difference I think the size might be a factor for me, I remember some reviews saying the Adonit one felt a bit chunky. The Wacom is only like 1mm less but that might be a noticeable difference in hand cause I'm used to thinner pens/pencils to begin with, just noticed even the nib is thinner too. They also charge with a standard micro USB port on the stylus vs the little extra doodads you need with the Adonit and Adobe ones.

fordan posted:

You mean the Microsoft that has released Office for the iPad but not for Metro? The software side cares about getting their software out a lot more than supporting MS hardware sales.

They haven't released one for Metro yet? :psyduck:

I forgot about the lack of touch Office on Windows and that the Mac/iOS team was separate, I guess I'm just used to the latter being way behind.

# ¿ Sep 5, 2014 05:50

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

GoodApollo posted:

So I've read in a few places that installing iOS8 will lock my Mac out of iCloud until the next OS upgrade hits. Is this really a thing? I'm a grad student and I keep all of my research, teaching materials, etc on iCloud so this is a huge pain if true.

If you enable iCloud Drive it'll lock out pre Yosemite machines. Setting it up is part of the initial setup and warns you about that, you can just decline.

(If you read/heard about something else then I don't know :iiam:

)

# ¿ Sep 14, 2014 09:53

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

retpocileh posted:

So reading all the comments here is making me think I might wait to actually update to ios 8. That said, in the process of trying to clear up space for the update, I deleted all my apps, and it looks like I only have about 3 gigs worth of stuff left, yet usage is saying I'm using 9 gigs. I tried restarting and it still says the same thing. Any ideas? Screenshot: http://imgur.com/1NO8pdr

Did the update itself maybe download and is the mystery space? Otherwise if you can, hook it up to a computer and check it out with one of those cleaner apps to see if there's some random cache or something.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2014 01:56

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

TinTower posted:

Yeah, the iPod line needs an update too. The Shuffle would probably be fine as-is, but the Nano needs a UI refresh and the Touch needs a 128GB model to replace the now-discontinued Classic. Apple TV additionally needs an upgrade to stay competitive against devices like the Chromecast.

I would imagine the Mac refreshes to be in early 2015; there's almost no point in releasing new iMacs or even the Mac Mini with Broadwell expected by the end of the year.

Well there's the ~~iPod~~ Apple Watch coming :v:

(...with some undisclosed amount of on board memory). I've been wanting a more "connected" iPod nano, like wifi sync (and direct iTunes Store/Radio access) and BT for audio, but I don't know if they'll bother updating it like that at this point.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2014 11:17

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Sounds like you already got it, but yeah it rocks and I can confirm it'll work for uploading stuff. The part I'm not sure about is the camera connection kit cause I don't have one, like I have no clue if you can upload straight from the card reader or if you have to download stuff to the iPad first.

# ¿ Oct 9, 2014 06:45

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

GATOS Y VATOS posted:

Demand for giant phones, which are useless to me for things like Procreate, which I will be buying an Air2 with. I upgraded my Mom's iPad2 to a Mini because she has arthritis and the mini is better suited for her reading/etc whereas a 6+ would be too big to upgrade from her 5. More choices are better as long as it's within a tight range, really (no one wants Apple to return the shittastic 1990's though).

Bullshit you know you want the iPad Performa 5430 mini and iPad Performa 6290 Air.

# ¿ Oct 15, 2014 22:55

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Auron posted:

Was it actually confirmed it has 2GB of ram? I don't see anything showing that.

Some part leaks showed it, otherwise officially Apple has never mentioned RAM. Someone at the hands on might've installed Geekbench or something by now though.

# ¿ Oct 16, 2014 20:42

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Note that you only get an extra year with AppleCare on iPad, so if you plan to hold on to it for a long time you'll need something else for coverage later on, but hell if I know how other stuff compares.

# ¿ Oct 18, 2014 05:56

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

shodanjr_gr posted:

Has anyone noticed issues with the multitask gestures in ios 8? They seem to be somewhat intermittent on my retina mini and I can't tell if it's a software thing or if my digitizer is going a bit bad...

It's just buggy. I'm getting a good number of springboard crashes like iOS 7 early on, and sometimes the gestures don't work at all. I saw a post elsewhere figuring out some pattern that caused it for him, something with the orientation switch and keyboard I think, but I haven't tested it out myself. When it's happened to me I think they started working at some point again when I just went to the home screen with the button.

# ¿ Oct 19, 2014 23:02

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Astro7x posted:

iOS 8.1 did not fix a drat thing about Safari running like poo poo on my iPad Mini 1. It's borderline unusable, thank god Chrome still works.

Anything particular bugginess about it or just slow? I don't use mine regularly anymore (have a retina model) but was just messing with it now.

Of course it locked up while typing that the first time but I've seen that on the retina one too. Guess that's another 8.1 thing not fixed!

# ¿ Oct 21, 2014 08:43

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Jack's Flow posted:

I gave my old iPod Touch (2010) to a friend who needed something to check e-mails with on the road, and I want to replace said iPod with an iPad. I'm looking at the iPad Air and the Mini 2. I would mainly use it to read magazines and newspapers online (which was kinda painful on the iPod), browse the web, listen to music, and watch some NBA on the couch. I'm not much of a gamer. I'm leaning towards the Mini 2 with 32gb. Any reason why I should go for the Air instead?

Bigger screen pretty much (slightly better color but not that big a deal). In terms of usability the size makes it easier to touch type on, kinda like a regular keyboard vs a shrunken netbook keyboard. Resolution wise they're the same and show the same content, so again it's just a matter of size. Check them out in store if possible to see if the text size for reading stuff is ok on the iPad mini vs the Air for you.

# ¿ Oct 22, 2014 19:11

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# ¿ May 13, 2024 05:52

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

hypersleep posted:

Anyone on iOS 8 noticing issues playing videos on the web? Weird buffering issues, glitchy playback, etc?

It even happens in the YouTube app. It'll start to play an HD video, but then stop and display the "buffering" animation, then begin playing after a while, then do it again, over and over until it refuses to play at all. I just tested this with the new Avengers trailer, which is only 2 minutes long, and it stops every 10 drat seconds to buffer.

iPad 4, iOS 8.1, latest YouTube app.

Stuff seems to be slower to start playing but generally ok once it gets going here. I'm thinking whatever funkiness with loading videos might just be a result of continued wifi bugginess. It's better than 8.0.x but it's still oddly slow at connecting to stuff for me.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2014 02:24

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > The iPad Thread - Welcome the iPad Pro

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