iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen) - Your Perfect Portable Powerhouse for Work & Play

⭐ Reason for Purchase

Note-taking and textbook PDFs were destroying my backpack's weight limit

📌 Purchase Motivation

Saw pre-med students annotating lecture slides effortlessly with Apple Pencil

⭐ Research or Comparison Before Buying

Debated the cheaper iPad Air, but 120Hz display mattered for fast handwriting

⭐ Place of Purchase & Why

Apple Education Store online—free AirPods deal and student discount sealed it

⭐ First Unboxing & Setup Reaction

First "pro" device I ever bought! Felt guilty spending loan money but so excited

⭐ Initial Impressions (Look & Feel)

That flat edge kept poking my palm when writing. Took weeks to adjust my grip

⭐ First Week Usage

Organic chemistry notes have never looked so pretty. Discovered my handwriting is still terrible

🚀 Daily Usage Experience

Split screen with textbook PDFs and GoodNotes is a lifesaver. Always at 15% battery by 8pm

⭐ Features Found Most Useful

Copy-pasting microscope images into lab reports. Multitasking during Zoom lectures

⭐ Any Difficulties Faced

No calculator app?! Had to sideload one. Wish it had Mac-style window snapping

⭐ Experience Compared to Previous Device

Upgraded from a hand-me-down iPad 6th gen—like switching from crayons to fine liners

⭐ Performance in Profession or Personal Life

TA noticed my color-coded notes—now I sell templates to freshmen. RIP my social life

⭐ Social or Lifestyle Impact

Library friends call me "iPad girl." Even my professor asks to borrow it for demos

⭐ Any Accessories Used or Needed

Paperlike screen protector (wears out fast), knock-off pencil from Amazon, and a cute denim sleeve

⭐ Overall Satisfaction & Personal Recommendation

9.5/10—if you're drowning in paper, this is academic salvation. Just budget for accessories

⭐ Reason for Purchase

Needed a portable yet powerful device for digital art and client presentations

📌 Purchase Motivation

The Apple Pencil support and large, color-accurate display sold me

⭐ Research or Comparison Before Buying

I compared it to the Surface Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab, but iPadOS had better art apps

⭐ Place of Purchase & Why

Apple Store downtown—wanted hands-on demo and instant trade-in for my old iPad

⭐ First Unboxing & Setup Reaction

That unboxing smell! Felt premium, but setup took forever with iCloud backups

⭐ Initial Impressions (Look & Feel)

Slimmer than expected—almost too light. The screen bezels felt huge in 2018 though

⭐ First Week Usage

Spent days tweaking Procreate settings. Battery drained fast during marathon drawing sessions

🚀 Daily Usage Experience

My morning starts with coffee and sketching on the couch. Gets warm near the Apple Pencil charging spot

⭐ Features Found Most Useful

ProMotion 120Hz display makes lines so smooth. USB-C means I can plug in my camera directly

⭐ Any Difficulties Faced

Files app is still clunky for transferring PSDs. Wish it had MacOS-level Photoshop

⭐ Experience Compared to Previous Device

Night and day vs. my 2015 iPad Air—like going from bicycle to sports car

⭐ Performance in Profession or Personal Life

Clients love live demos. I've booked 3 projects just from showing my process on this

⭐ Social or Lifestyle Impact

Now I'm "the iPad artist" at coffee shops. Even joined a local digital art meetup

⭐ Any Accessories Used or Needed

Apple Pencil 2 (game changer), Paperlike screen protector, and a knock-off folio case

⭐ Overall Satisfaction & Personal Recommendation

9/10—if you create art, it's worth every penny. Just get AppleCare+ (I cracked mine month 2)

⭐ Reason for Purchase

Needed a portable medical reference and telehealth device for assignments

📌 Purchase Motivation

Epic Haiku EHR app runs best on iPad. Hospitals provide ancient computers

⭐ Research or Comparison Before Buying

Almost got a Surface for full Windows but needed something sterile-friendly

⭐ Place of Purchase & Why

Apple website—custom engraved with my license number. Tax write-off!

⭐ First Unboxing & Setup Reaction

First "grown-up" purchase after nursing school. Felt professional seeing my ID engraved

⭐ Initial Impressions (Look & Feel)

Easy to wipe down between patients. Slim enough for scrub pockets

⭐ First Week Usage

Used it during a code blue—med dosing calculator saved precious seconds

🚀 Daily Usage Experience

Disinfected twice daily. Screen holds up to alcohol wipes better than my phone

⭐ Features Found Most Useful

Split-view with patient charts and drug references. Face ID works with masks somehow

⭐ Any Difficulties Faced

Almost dropped it in bodily fluids twice. Now it lives in a clear medical-grade case

⭐ Experience Compared to Previous Device

Replaced my sticky-note system. Now I look competent during rounds

⭐ Performance in Profession or Personal Life

Doctors actually listen to my input now. Travel assignments pay more because I'm tech-proficient

⭐ Social or Lifestyle Impact

Roommates borrow it for telehealth visits. Even my mom asks me to explain her lab results

⭐ Any Accessories Used or Needed

Medical sleeve, stylus for gloved use, and a lanyard for quick access

⭐ Overall Satisfaction & Personal Recommendation

10/10—not just a tablet, it's a lifeline. Worth every penny for healthcare workers

⭐ Reason for Purchase

Blueprints and on-site documentation were killing my back with paper rolls

📌 Purchase Motivation

Needed something durable that could survive job sites and replace my clipboard

⭐ Research or Comparison Before Buying

Almost got the rugged Galaxy Tab Active3, but apps like PlanGrid work better on iPad

⭐ Place of Purchase & Why

Best Buy—had an open-box deal and their Geek Squad protection seemed better for accidents

⭐ First Unboxing & Setup Reaction

Kinda nervous—never spent this much on a tablet. Felt like holding a piece of glass art

⭐ Initial Impressions (Look & Feel)

Too pretty for construction sites! Immediately bought an OtterBox Defender case

⭐ First Week Usage

Dropped it from a ladder (3 feet onto dirt). Case saved it but my heart stopped

🚀 Daily Usage Experience

Now I mark up PDF blueprints with Apple Pencil daily. Battery lasts through 10-hour shifts

⭐ Features Found Most Useful

LIDAR scanner for quick site measurements. Face ID works with my dirty gloves somehow

⭐ Any Difficulties Faced

Rain makes the screen go crazy. Had to buy a $20 waterproof sleeve for wet days

⭐ Experience Compared to Previous Device

Used to carry a laptop + clipboard + camera. Now just this and a hard hat

⭐ Performance in Profession or Personal Life

Subcontractors think I'm fancy. Boss loved when I animated a plumbing issue in Procreate

⭐ Social or Lifestyle Impact

Kids hijack it for Roblox. Wife uses it for recipes in our dusty kitchen—that microfiber cloth is always black

⭐ Any Accessories Used or Needed

OtterBox case, matte screen protector, and a clip-on shoulder strap for mobility

⭐ Overall Satisfaction & Personal Recommendation

8/10—wish it was more weatherproof. But it's changed how we build things

⭐ Reason for Purchase

Wanted to digitize decades of sheet music and compose without bulky equipment

📌 Purchase Motivation

GarageBand and StaffPad app made me feel like a tech-savvy musician again

⭐ Research or Comparison Before Buying

Almost got the 12.9" model but 11" fits on my piano's music stand better

⭐ Place of Purchase & Why

Amazon—found a renewed model for $450. Retirement budgets are tight

⭐ First Unboxing & Setup Reaction

Felt overwhelmed by the setup screens. Had to call my granddaughter for help

⭐ Initial Impressions (Look & Feel)

So thin I was afraid to bend it. Missed the home button immediately

⭐ First Week Usage

Spent hours figuring out how to import PDF scores. Bluetooth pedal for page turns was a revelation

🚀 Daily Usage Experience

Morning ritual: coffee, iPad on the piano, annotating choir arrangements. Battery lasts days

⭐ Features Found Most Useful

Apple Pencil for handwritten notations. Four-speaker audio is shockingly good for rehearsals

⭐ Any Difficulties Faced

Almost returned it—couldn't figure out Files app until I found a senior-friendly YouTube tutorial

⭐ Experience Compared to Previous Device

Replaced a 2008 Windows tablet that weighed 5lbs. This feels like sci-fi

⭐ Performance in Profession or Personal Life

Now I volunteer transcribing old jazz pieces for the library. Students think I'm cool

⭐ Social or Lifestyle Impact

Jam sessions got upgraded—I can pull up any chart instantly. Even my wife uses it for crossword puzzles

⭐ Any Accessories Used or Needed

Page-turning pedal, composer stand mount, and a grippy case for sweaty hands

⭐ Overall Satisfaction & Personal Recommendation

10/10—thought tech passed me by, but this brought back my creativity

⭐ Reason for Purchase

Wanted to replace heavy aviation charts and manuals during flight lessons

📌 Purchase Motivation

ForeFlight app requires iPad—no Android alternative for serious aviators

⭐ Research or Comparison Before Buying

Flight school insisted on this model—cellular version for GPS in remote areas

⭐ Place of Purchase & Why

Local Apple Store—needed help setting up aviation-specific features

⭐ First Unboxing & Setup Reaction

Felt like cockpit equipment. My hands shook setting up the $1,300 device

⭐ Initial Impressions (Look & Feel)

Too reflective in sunlight. Had to order a matte anti-glare protector immediately

⭐ First Week Usage

Nearly returned it—couldn't see the screen during midday flights until the protector arrived

🚀 Daily Usage Experience

Mounts perfectly in my Cessna. Battery lasts cross-country trips with GPS running

⭐ Features Found Most Useful

Split-screen with weather radar and charts. Apple Pencil for marking approach patterns

⭐ Any Difficulties Faced

Touchscreen is hard with winter gloves. Had to buy special capacitive gloves

⭐ Experience Compared to Previous Device

Used paper charts since the 80s. This calculates wind corrections in seconds

⭐ Performance in Profession or Personal Life

Students think I'm a tech wizard. FAA examiner was impressed with my digital flight plan

⭐ Social or Lifestyle Impact

Flying club made me their "iPad tutor." Even my mechanic uses it for manuals now

⭐ Any Accessories Used or Needed

Kneeboard mount, aviation gloves, and a shockproof case for turbulence

⭐ Overall Satisfaction & Personal Recommendation

9/10—revolutionized flying for me. Just wish it had built-in sunlight readability

⭐ Reason for Purchase

Needed a kitchen-friendly device for live cooking streams and editing on the go

📌 Purchase Motivation

Seen other chefs use it as a cutting board cam—wanted that overhead shot flexibility

⭐ Research or Comparison Before Buying

Considered the Mini for portability but needed the bigger screen for editing

⭐ Place of Purchase & Why

B&H Photo—their warranty covers "accidental flour spills." Already tested that

⭐ First Unboxing & Setup Reaction

Peeled the plastic so slowly—felt like unboxing a Michelin star

⭐ Initial Impressions (Look & Feel)

Slippery when greasy! First thing I bought was a kitchen-grade silicone sleeve

⭐ First Week Usage

Burnt through storage FAST with 4K recipe videos. Had to upgrade iCloud immediately

🚀 Daily Usage Experience

Propped above my stove with a gooseneck holder. Gets splattered but wipes clean

⭐ Features Found Most Useful

LumaFusion for quick edits between batches. True Tone display makes food colors accurate

⭐ Any Difficulties Faced

Almost cried when olive oil got in the speakers. Rice trick saved it but now they're muffled

⭐ Experience Compared to Previous Device

Used my iPhone 8 Plus—constantly wiping lens grease. This is a professional upgrade

⭐ Performance in Profession or Personal Life

Instagram engagement doubled with overhead shots. Publishers noticed—just got a cookbook deal

⭐ Social or Lifestyle Impact

Friends demand I bring it to potlucks for live recipe lookups. My kitchen looks like a studio now

⭐ Any Accessories Used or Needed

Overhead mount, grease-proof case, and a stylus that works with wet fingers

⭐ Overall Satisfaction & Personal Recommendation

8.5/10—not indestructible but the best kitchen tech I own. Just keep it away from deep fryers

Benchmark Scores

In 2024, the A12X Bionic in the iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen) scores about 70% of an M1 in multicore tests—impressive for a 2018 chip. Single-core performance is closer to the A14, so everyday tasks feel quick. I ran Blender benchmarks, and while render times lag behind M1, it’s still viable for light 3D w

Build Quality & Materials

The sleek, minimalist design hasn’t aged a day—it’s indistinguishable from newer Pros at a glance. The anodized aluminum resists fingerprints better than the glossy back on iPhones. The 5.9mm thickness still feels impossibly thin in 2024. #TimelessDesign #iPadProThin #FingerprintResistant

Display Quality

ProMotion at 120Hz remains this iPad’s killer feature. Side-by-side with a 60Hz iPad, the difference in Apple Pencil latency is stark—perfect for artists. The laminated display reduces parallax, making handwriting feel natural. #ArtistFavorite #PencilLatency #LaminatedScreen

Camera System & Performance

The cameras show their age—no Night mode, no LiDAR, and HDR is hit-or-miss. The front camera struggles in backlit conditions. Fine for scanning documents or casual FaceTime, but look elsewhere for photography. #NoLiDAR #BasicCameras #DocumentScanner

Software & User Experience

iPadOS runs well, but the 4GB RAM can cause Safari tab reloads with heavy apps. No Stage Manager means multitasking feels cramped compared to M1 iPads. Still, most apps like Procreate and LumaFusion run without hiccups. #RAMLimitations #NoStageManager #AppCompatibility

Battery Life & Charging

Real-world battery life is 9-11 hours—less if pushing the GPU. The included 18W charger is painfully slow; a 30W PD charger cuts 0-100% time from 3.5 to 2 hours. Battery health on used units varies widely—check CoconutBattery before buying. #BatteryDegradation #FastChargeNeeded #MixedUsage

Gaming & Graphics Performance

Gaming holds up well—COD Mobile runs at 60fps on high settings, and the quad speakers provide immersive audio. The GPU does throttle after extended sessions, causing occasional frame drops in demanding titles. #CODMobile #QuadSpeakers #ThermalThrottling

Connectivity & Ports

The USB-C port supports external SSDs (tested with Samsung T7 at 400MB/s), but lacks Thunderbolt’s 40Gbps speeds. HDMI output maxes at 4K30. Wi-Fi 5 is stable, but newer iPads with Wi-Fi 6 handle congested networks better. #USBCLimits #4KOutput #WiFi5Limitations

Durability & Protection

The screen is more scratch-prone than newer Pros with nano-texture glass. The aluminum chassis dents easily on corners if dropped—I’ve seen used units with warped frames. AppleCare+ is expired, so third-party repairs are your only option. #ScratchRisk #FrameDamage #NoAppleCare

Price & Value Proposition

At $350-$450 used, it’s the cheapest way to get ProMotion and Pencil 2 support. Better value than a new 10th-gen iPad for artists, but power users should save for an M1 model. #BudgetProMotion #Pencil2Support #UsedDeals

Benchmark Scores

The iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen) still holds up surprisingly well in benchmarks, scoring around 4500 in Geekbench 5's multi-core test. That’s thanks to the A12X Bionic chip—it’s no M1, but for everyday tasks and even some pro apps, it feels snappy. I ran Lightroom exports side by side with a modern iPad A

Build Quality & Materials

Apple nailed the build here—the aluminum unibody feels premium, and the 11" size strikes a perfect balance between portability and screen real estate. The flat edges make it easy to grip, though it’s slippery without a case. Compared to newer iPads, the weight (468g) is nearly identical, proving App

Display Quality

The 120Hz ProMotion display is where this iPad shines. Scrolling through documents or sketching in Procreate feels buttery smooth even today. Colors pop thanks to P3 wide color, though blacks aren’t as deep as OLED. Outdoor visibility is decent, but glare can be an issue—matte screen protectors help

Camera System & Performance

Don’t buy this for the cameras—the 12MP rear and 7MP front sensors are dated. They’re fine for document scans or Zoom calls, but low-light performance is mediocre. The lack of Center Stage is noticeable if you’re used to newer iPads. #iPadCameras #NoCenterStage #GoodEnoughForZoom

Software & User Experience

iPadOS runs smoothly, but you’ll miss Stage Manager and other newer features. The lack of a home button means gestures are your friend—they’re intuitive but take a day to master. App support is still great, though some pro apps like DaVinci Resolve push it to its limits. #iPadOS #GestureNavigation #

Battery Life & Charging

Battery life is solid (10+ hours of mixed use), but the 18W charger feels slow by today’s standards. It supports USB-C PD up to 30W, so investing in a faster charger helps. Standby drain is minimal—I left it unused for 3 days and it only lost 5%. #iPadBattery #SlowCharging #USBCPD

Gaming & Graphics Performance

The A12X’s GPU handles demanding games like Genshin Impact at medium settings smoothly. It does warm up after 20 minutes, but no throttling. Casual games run flawlessly, and the 120Hz display makes racing games feel responsive. #MobileGaming #A12XGPU #NoThrottling

Connectivity & Ports

The single USB-C port is versatile (supports external drives and 4K displays), but the lack of Thunderbolt hurts file transfers. Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 are reliable, though not cutting-edge. No 5G option—LTE models exist but aren’t worth it now. #USBC #NoThunderbolt #WiFi5

Durability & Protection

The aluminum back resists scratches, but the screen is prone to micro-abrasions without a protector. It’s not officially rated for water resistance, so keep it away from spills. The slim profile makes it feel fragile—a sturdy case is a must. #iPadDurability #ScreenProtectorNeeded #NoIPRating

Price & Value Proposition

Used prices ($300-$400) make this a steal for creatives or students. It outperforms newer base iPads, but lacks long-term software support (likely capped at iPadOS 18). Perfect if you want ProMotion on a budget. #BudgetPro #ValueiPad #UsedMarket