Despite the fact that I previously said the pro iPad models were out of the running, I ended up purchasing the 11" iPad Pro, again. The last one I owned was stolen, along with the $300 Magic Keyboard encasing it. That was a tough blow. And I never really recovered from it. That iPad was also a cellular model.

Now, I've gone and done it again. I have purchased the 2022 11" iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard. I tried all of the other options including the following:

• iPad 10th gen with Magic Keyboard Folio
• iPad Air
• 12.9" iPad Pro

After all of that, I kept the Air for my wife. She seems to be enjoying it. I was leaning heavily toward the Air for myself. (I returned the iPad 10th gen.) Once the size issue was settled, it was between the Air and the Pro. After much deliberation, I went with the Pro with no guarantee that I made the right decision. Here is what passed for my thought process:

A game of centimeters

The difference in screen size between the Air and the Pro is almost imperceptible. The Air is one tenth of an inch smaller. But it is a tenth of an inch that I can see. My vision is atrocious. I can't read normal size print. I have all my fonts jacked up to an absurd degree. All that considered, you would not expect me to be able to see such a small difference. But I can immediately tell when I am looking at an Air rather than a Pro. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

The screen on the Air makes me mad because it feels like compromise for no real reason. Paying by the inch, that 10.9" display can't cost that much less than a full 11" display. I know there are differences in the displays other than size. But that just adds to the frustration. They could go with a compromised 11" panel. I would be fine with some differentiation. But this just feels punitive to me. When I look at the 11" Pro Display, I don't feel that nagging sense of compromise that I do with the Air. It's petty, but true. I don't want to feel nagging frustration every time I use my overpriced tablet.

To the future, and beyond...

You will actually notice the difference in screen size more than you notice the difference in performance. We know it is there. But it is hard to quantify it in real world usage.

That said, Apple has already given us one feature that was initially M1 only. What happens when the M2 only features roll out? I actually like Stage Manager even with a few bugs. I suspect if Apple ever gets around to making a version of Logic Pro or Final Cut for iPad, it will be hardware limited. I don't want to be on the wrong side of that limit.

There is also the performance of the display. I'm not really a booster of the 120Hz aspect of it because my vision is too poor to see the difference. But a lot of people feel very strongly about it. If you happen to be one of them, it is something to be considered as you are weighing your options.

Another minor difference that I noticed right away was the difference in screen brightness. It is a difference of 100 nits. It isn't a lot. But it is noticeable, especially since I tend to use a relatively high screen brightness. For people with low vision, brighter is usually better. If you are going to hang on to an iPad for a few years, you will not regret getting one that is future-proof.

Conclusion: Something like FOMO

I usually don't have a fear of missing out. But there is that nagging little voice in the back of my head when using the Air. That voice tells me that my experience is less than what it could be if I had just bumped it up to the Pro. That nagging voice is not entirely wrong. The hard drive is 128GB in the base model Pro, and half that in the Air. With the smaller iPad, I would be always looking over my shoulder. With the Pro, I never have to think about it. Peace of mind is worth something to me.

I don't want to feel like I am giving up something with the display. The differences might be hard to see. But when you have what you know is a lesser display, you play this unhealthy game with yourself where you squint and see if you can tell a difference. You do a task and wonder if it is just a little slower than the M2. It is silly and unworthy. I am the kind of freak that can't stand the idea of knowing that a marginally better experience was just a couple hundred dollars away. That's not nothing. But it is worse not to spend it and worry incessantly about what you are missing.

So here I am again, coming to you from an 11" iPad Pro, missing out on nothing except a bit of cash and the time it took to write this article. That's a price I am willing to pay.

David Johnson