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I’m still a bit skeptical about the new iPad.   When I say that, I simply mean, Apple is making it sound like it’s this amazing product.  I’m very skeptical of almost everything in this regard.  I need hard proof that the product has been improved.  In this case, the product doesn’t necessarily need improving since the price dropped.  But Apple does need to be able to provide a decent alternative to their other iPads, in order for this to be worth it.  Because, let’s be honest, buying an iPad isn’t a cheap venture.  They’re really great devices, which, obviously have limitations since they are tablets.  All of that said, I want to take some time to explore what the new iPad has to offer.

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1) Cheaper

To start, it’s a little bit cheaper than the old one.  In my opinion, it’s not cheap enough.  I just mean, that if you’re going to provide a “cheaper” alternative, Apple should consider dropping the price a little bit more than they are.  There is a “school” price that is different than what the rest of us would pay, but that still isn’t low enough.  The new iPad starts at $329 for 32 GB with wifi.  I will say this it is considerably cheaper than the iPad Pro, which will cost you $599.

But I guess that’s my problem right there – why does the Pro cost so much?  I mean, I get it from a technological perspective, but it just seems a bit ridiculous for someone who might only be using it to lightly surf the internet.  For example – my parents.  My mom checks her emails, Google’s a bit and she Skypes with my nephews.  She’s not a hard-core, power user.  She would never drop $599 on an iPad Pro, and I kind of agree with her on that one.

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2) Apple Pencil

In the past, you could only use the Apple Pencil with the pricier iPad Pro.  This isn’t exactly a way to promote this feature.  Which is why the addition of the Apple Pencil to this model is great.  But it’s a bit pricey.  (I complain about price a lot, I know)  It will cost you an extra $99.  Depending on what you’re doing, I do wonder if it’s worth it.  If you’re constantly sketching or handwriting for some reason comes easier to you, then yeah – this is the way to go.

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3) More Powerful

This is where I get excited.  Apple has included a more powerful processor inside the iPad.  I get excited because it’s a step up from last year’s iPad.  To put this into perspective, you’re getting the same processing chip that’s in the iPhone 7, versus the iPhone 6.  That’s a big difference, right?  What this means is that iOS 11 will run a heck of a lot smoother.  You’ll be able to play better games and apps than before.  As I said, this is why I get excited.  Even though I complained that it’s not that much cheaper, you are actually benefitting from the processing power.

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4) iWork App Upgrades

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote all bring in increased support for the Pencil.  Whether you’re annotating documents and presentations or adding in your own drawings or scribbles, Apple Pencil is the way to do it, and really, it needed an upgrade, to begin with. You can also now create books within Pages for both iOS and Mac, using the new tools to put together interactive digital books that can be shared and viewed within the app.

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5) Alternative Pencil

I’ve complained about cost a lot in this post, but I’m not done.  The Apple Pencil is a bit overpriced, in my opinion, but you can get a cheaper option known as the Crayon from Logitech.  According to Logitech, the shorter Crayon “leverages technology found in Apple Pencil to deliver sub-pixel precision, low latency, and support for tilt in a design that’s perfect for students.” In other words, it should be just as capable as the full-sized Pencil when it comes to sketching, doodling, and annotating documents. It offers 8-hour battery life, which steps down a bit from the 12 hours of the Pencil.

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