If there was an Apple device that has been with me throughout the years and is constantly used, besides the iPhone, I would definitely have to say it was the iPad. My MacBook Pro hasn’t been used a portion of the time in my previous work and only recently in my last job did I stop using the company issued laptop for a lighter MacBook 12″ setup instead.

Looking back, I had the original iPad which still sits at home. Sadly I can’t seem to get it to start properly so I am assuming that the battery is dead but I am keeping it for nostalgic reasons. That led me to purchase the 3rd generation iPad, followed by the iPad Mini, the iPad Mini 2 and then the iPad Air. This went on to the iPad Pro 12.9″ which was way too heavy for my liking. This then swapped to the new iPad 9.7″ which was great but didn’t suit my needs which I ended up trading up for the iPad Pro 10.5″. Yes, that is a lot of iPads and most of them I have sold them on Lowyat and received quite high prices for it so there were minimal losses overall. That is correct, Apple products hold their value extremely high, ask any equipment leasing company and you will understand why.

The new iPad Pro 10.5″ is meant to be a multitasking beast, only if you have it with iOS 11 which is still isn’t released yet by the way. For you to try that out, you can definitely download the beta version which I am staying away from due to multiple bugs as well as company software which wouldn’t work with the new operating system. So why multitasking? Here, check out some of Apple’s new advertizements for the iPad Pro here, here, here, here, and here.

Pair it up with the Apple Smart Keyboard (ASK) (at the time of writing there aren’t any other keyboards except the Logitech Slim Combo. Except that it wasn’t slim or light, it made the iPad Pro completely bulky. Still, I am now typing this review using my iPad Pro 10.5″ with the Apple Smart Keyboard which I think is the perfect pairing because it keeps the combo light and agile. What Apple is missing is a back cover which pairs with the ASK which they do have for the 12.9″ iPad Pro. I wonder why they didn’t proceed with making an accessory for the iPad Pro 10.5″. Other users on Reddit decided to order 3rd party cases from Amazon but I decided to get a skin from Dbrand instead. I will update this post with it once it arrives.

The key question for every iPad buyer is to choose, WIFI only or WIFI + CELLULAR. I went with the latter and now I have a Maxis SIM card in it which makes it ultra portable and extremely connected.

Here are some of the pointers which I think would be useful for the everyday executive.

Pros

• Love the portability of the iPad Pro 10.5″ without any case and only having the Apple Smart Keyboard attached
• Love the battery life on the iPad, if I use it only lightly, it can last for days but because it is so useful, I use quite a fair bit of battery throughout the day
• Love the weight of the iPad Pro 10.5″. Do note that it is lighter than the new 2017 iPad 9.7″
• Love the screen and the 120Hz refresh, everything moves smoothly and if you use the app DUET to pair the iPad as a second monitor, the mouse moves smoothly on this iPad (all my other previous iPads show a distinct lag)
• Great camera on this iPad, uses the same camera as the iPhone 7 so taking photos and documents means that it is of a higher resolution. Where this comes in really handy is when you start scanning documents and upload them. For example, I scan all my receipts and tax receipts using the iPad and upload it to Evernote.
• Able to markup documents using the Apple Pencil (yes, Samsung users have been able to do this since the Note 2 was launched!). Can’t believe that it finally happened for Apple.
• Overall performance of the iPad is great, games, movies and applications load fast and quick to switch around.

Cons

• Price-wise this iPad isn’t cheap thanks to our depreciating RM
• I really can’t think of any other bad side to it. Perhaps I have grown so accustomed to using it that it has been all beneficial for me

Who is it for?

• Fanboys who are embedded into the Apple EcoSystem
• Fanboys who love Apple products
• People who only use their laptop for web surfing and checking emails, the iPad Pro is a great replacement
• People who want to use it as a media device when traveling
• People who want to supplement their daily office routine with an iPad Pro (e.g. Using DUET to make the iPad Pro as a second monitor while you are on the go)

Conclusion

To me, the iPad will always be a great companion for someone who is used to having an iPad in their workstyle or lifestyle. I have seen photographers who shoot and edit straight on the iPad Pro because Lightroom was written specifically for iOS which makes it extremely fast on the iPad Pro. I have also seen people who don’t use a tablet at work or at home not need one as well. It isn’t something for everyone, much like how the iPhone was marketed to be. Still only this quarter in 2017 did Apple see an increase in iPad sales after 3 declining quarters. I think one of the mistakes which I am glad Apple did was to make the iPad last so long.