I’m about to throw my lot in with Dorico for ipad.
Now I’ve never owned an ipad from new for any major use (only used cast off ones for simple single tasks - like Vienna Instruments control and things like that)
But now that Dorico is available for ipad I’ve decided to go that route for when I’m not at home. It looks like a great idea.
The question is which one? And which type of Apple pencil?
I definitely won’t be using the ipad for anything else - and that includes much in the way of virutla instruments (maybe basic piano) but I will want to be compatible with the mac version - and be able to produce pdfs and print things out.
So can I get away with a 2020 8th gen ipad (with a home button) and Apple pencil 1st gen ?
Or is there any serious mileage in going for one of the substantially more expensive ipad Pros and the new pencil?
I’m not into wasting money on this - I really won’t be using ipad for anything else!!
I would just say that, unless one has very keen eyesight and very nimble fingers, screen real estate (screen size) matters. I do find that, in some situations particularly, the Apple Pencil is helpful making individual selections.
The iPad that Steinberg provided for me to work on during the development of Dorico for iPad is an iPad Air 4th generation, which works beautifully. We’ve just bought a regular iPad 8th generation for my daughter because it’s a requirement for her new school, but I’ve not yet had a chance to try Dorico out on it. However, I’m pretty sure it will run absolutely fine on that device, and an Apple Pencil 1st generation will likewise work fine, to the extent that Dorico currently supports the Pencil specifically.
As Derrek says, screen size is probably more of an issue. I find Dorico quite workable on the iPad Air, which has a similar size screen to the iPad 8th generation, though I think it is a little bigger. Obviously the iPad Pro provides a display that is more or less the same size as a MacBook Pro, and that does feel more capacious – but it’s also a bigger device to carry around.
I purchased an 8th generation iPad (without a pencil) several months before Dorico for iPad was released and it works flawlessly with Dorico, even with orchestral scores. However, like Derrek, I find that I would sometimes appreciate something smaller than my fingers (i.e. the 1st generation pencil) to make selections. However, the disadvantage of the 1st generation Apple pencil is that it wouldn’t be useable with the iPad pro if I eventually wanted to upgrade to the pro in order to get the larger screen.
Thanks Mike I think that probably answers it for me. I’ll try the cheaper alternative and see how I get on. And the 1st gen pencil.
I need reading glasses for everything these days! so I’ll just have to accept the small screen size - and maybe plug it up to a large screen when the opportunity arises.
I’m pleased to hear that it works well on the earlier ipad - I don’t have much interest in any of the other bells and whistles a fancy bigger Pro version would offer - I’ve got a couple of macbook pros and my big DAW mac pro for all that - and as this is for the portable solution the smaller one is more attractive as an option.
I’m delighted Dorico has become available in this format - and to hear that it seems to do the job well! A slight irony is that Apple have one new sale (from me) they would never have got if it weren’t for Dorico!! I wonder if they’ll get many more…
After your comments Daniel and making other comparisons I’ve ordered the ipad Air 4! And the pencil gen 2.
More money than I’d really budgeted but sounds like the best option on balance.
I have an older 9" pro with gen1 pencil and upgraded to a 12" pro with pencil 2 (because it doesn’t support the first gen pencil). I basically upgraded just for Dorico, but the new iPad is so better I’m using it for a lot more now. So I do think the larger screen, greater memory and speed worth it.
The 9" was just fine with Dorico but I felt cramped and tired after a bit using it. The larger iPad isn’t better because of the greater information I can get, it just feels less cramped and more relaxed. And having this much RAM makes a huge difference, apps never swap out.
Anyhow you decided on the air, but posting this for future reference