Advice on buying a used iPad Pro for sheet music

[OzzieandHarriet]

I posted this "want" on the "stupid thing you're lusting after" thread, but I've decided it's not that stupid, so: It would be nice to have a 12.9" iPad Pro for reading music (mostly piano music) because it would help me in various ways. (Easier to download pieces than to print them out, easier to turn pages, less paper to lug around, multiple options for marking up scores, etc.). I've been pondering buying one for months now, and I can't decide which way to go. Definitely don't need a new one, but is it better to buy a used one from Ebay, Apple (refurbished), Amazon (though I'd rather not), other?

What I've scoped out is that the refurbished model I want, which is from 2018, is about $100 more from Apple than from the other vendors because it has a new battery. But is it worth spending that much more just for that? I will also need to get an Apple pencil. First generation pencil is about $100 and second is about $130 - do I need to get the latest version, or will the older one do?

I will probably eventually get an Airturn foot pedal but will try going without it first to see if I really need one.

Anyone have experience with this?

I'd also be willing to be talked out of it ... but it does seem like it would be a useful tool overall.

[Stable]

My wife has one and loves it (she's a cellist). It has at least cut down on the volume of printing we do (although no where near enough to pay for itself). We splashed out and bought new as a business expense/treat, but there's no reason an older/refurb model wouldn't work. She recommends getting a foot pedal for page turns.

For a 2018 model a new battery might well be worth the extra $100, iPad batteries last longer than phone batteries (in my experience - probably because fewer charge cycles) but the battery can really impact use. Alternatively, you could consider saving the $100 and spending it on a new battery at a repair shop in the next few years.

[alsoknownasDean]

Would a standard $329 iPad be sufficient? Aside from the size obvs.

[deborah]

When I was investigating the differences between a pro and an ordinary iPad, the stuff I read said that the main difference was having a keyboard and a pen - both of which were much cheaper if you just bought them from non-apple sources.

[OzzieandHarriet]

Would a standard $329 iPad be sufficient? Aside from the size obvs.

I would need the largest size for this, so no, unfortunately.

[Luke Warm]

have you looked at gazelle? i got my iphone from there and i've had no issues.
https://buy.gazelle.com/collections/ipads

[jeninco]

Got mine from a private seller (I think via Craigslist) but I live in an area with a flagship state school, so the guy I got it from had just finished using it for his engineering degree and was unloading it before headed off to a high-paying job. 

My kid has one he uses for music .... and I think we may have just purchased it new from Apple as a school supply.

Both of them came with their pencils, and cases.

[JLee]

The pencils are model specific so you need to match the pencil generation with whichever model you get. The gen2 pencils are on sale at Amazon for $98 right now though.  They both work about the same way but the magnetic recharging of the gen2 is MUCH nicer than removing the little easy-to-lose cap from the back of the gen2 pencil and then plugging it into the Lightning port on the iPad.

The current iPad Pro is absurdly powerful - capable of video editing etc, so you may find other uses for it as well.

Alternatively, have you considered something with an e-ink display? The paperlike feel may provide a better experience for sheet music. e.g. https://onyxboox.com/boox_maxlumi2

[OzzieandHarriet]

My wife has one and loves it (she's a cellist). It has at least cut down on the volume of printing we do (although no where near enough to pay for itself). We splashed out and bought new as a business expense/treat, but there's no reason an older/refurb model wouldn't work. She recommends getting a foot pedal for page turns.

For a 2018 model a new battery might well be worth the extra $100, iPad batteries last longer than phone batteries (in my experience - probably because fewer charge cycles) but the battery can really impact use. Alternatively, you could consider saving the $100 and spending it on a new battery at a repair shop in the next few years.

I’m also a cellist! But I haven’t felt the need for a tablet for that (most cello music doesn’t have a lot of pages, and I’m not doing a lot of cello playing these days anyway).

[Dicey]

In the Spring and Summer, my city scatters a variety of pianos around town for anyone to play. I see lots of people using ipads. It sure seems a lot more convenient than lugging sheet music around. I'm not going to try to talk you out of it, but could it possibly be a business expense?

[Fish Sweet]

I recently purchased a refurbished iPad Pro + 1st gen Apple pencil via Amazon, which also wasn't my first choice but there happened to be a good deal that I nabbed. I feel like the OG battery is plenty workable already, even while I'm using it for fairly energy intensive purposes (in my case, illustration.) That said, between a protective case, the Apple pencil (which I did buy new, I would NOT get a used Apple Pencil nor would I get a knockoff version), and the iPad pro itself, PLUS taxes, I still spent something like $500 for the whole enchilada. So the benefit and convenience that the iPad brings to you should be worth about that much to you.

Things to consider about whether you ought to get an iPad:
- Would a cheaper tablet option work for your purposes? Or does the iPad serve exactly the need you're trying to fill? In my case, the illustration program I wanted was only on iOS devices, so I could only go with an Apple product.
- Is there another way in which spending several hundred dollars would buy you joy, convenience, or purpose in the same vein?

Things to consider about purchasing a used/refurbished iPad:
- Price, of course. The longer you wait, the cheaper the older generation models get. I think the first gen of 12" iPad Pros should serve you just fine for what you described, no need for additional bells and whistles. 1st Gen apple pencils have a tremendously stupid charging mechanism, but I think it should work for marking up music sheets fine in all other ways.
- Ebay vs. Amazon - mostly just make sure to check the seller's feedback, reviews, and what your options are for returning the device if you get a lemon. I have purchased refurbished electronics from both sites over the years and never had a problem (knock on wood.)
- Get a protective case that will hold both your iPad and has a slot for the pencil. They are sooo easy to separate, misplace, roll into little crevices or off countertops otherwise.

[JLee]

I recently purchased a refurbished iPad Pro + 1st gen Apple pencil via Amazon, which also wasn't my first choice but there happened to be a good deal that I nabbed. I feel like the OG battery is plenty workable already, even while I'm using it for fairly energy intensive purposes (in my case, illustration.) That said, between a protective case, the Apple pencil (which I did buy new, I would NOT get a used Apple Pencil nor would I get a knockoff version), and the iPad pro itself, PLUS taxes, I still spent something like $500 for the whole enchilada. So the benefit and convenience that the iPad brings to you should be worth about that much to you.

Things to consider about whether you ought to get an iPad:
- Would a cheaper tablet option work for your purposes? Or does the iPad serve exactly the need you're trying to fill? In my case, the illustration program I wanted was only on iOS devices, so I could only go with an Apple product.
- Is there another way in which spending several hundred dollars would buy you joy, convenience, or purpose in the same vein?

Things to consider about purchasing a used/refurbished iPad:
- Price, of course. The longer you wait, the cheaper the older generation models get. I think the first gen of 12" iPad Pros should serve you just fine for what you described, no need for additional bells and whistles. 1st Gen apple pencils have a tremendously stupid charging mechanism, but I think it should work for marking up music sheets fine in all other ways.
- Ebay vs. Amazon - mostly just make sure to check the seller's feedback, reviews, and what your options are for returning the device if you get a lemon. I have purchased refurbished electronics from both sites over the years and never had a problem (knock on wood.)
- Get a protective case that will hold both your iPad and has a slot for the pencil. They are sooo easy to separate, misplace, roll into little crevices or off countertops otherwise.

The 2nd gen pencil is much better in that regard - it magnetically attaches to the side of the iPad (also has inductive charging so no little tail cap to lose). It's also less round so it's not quite so roll-happy.  +1 to buying it new, they usually pop up on sale occasionally for $79/$99 (first / second gen).

[FIRE 20/20]

I've bought used phones from Swappa and had great experiences.  They have good protections for buyers, although I've never had to use those protections. 

[OzzieandHarriet]

Anyone have an opinion about getting a cheap compatible stylus (~$10) vs the $130 Apple Pencil?

[myrrh]

I don't have an opinion on the stylus, since I've never used one. But I'm curious what app you use to mark your pdfs. Adobe requires an expensive subscription to write on pdfs, but I just downloaded an app called flexil that appears to be free and does the same thing. Is there another better one out there?

[OzzieandHarriet]

I haven’t gotten one yet, but there are apps specifically for music scores that allow you to use a stylus. A popular one is Forscore ($20), but there are some free ones too.

And yes, I did buy a refurbished iPad! About half the price of a new one. It looks pristine and seems to work fine. It came today so I’m still playing around with getting it set up.

[HalfDollar]

And yes, I did buy a refurbished iPad! About half the price of a new one. It looks pristine and seems to work fine. It came today so I’m still playing around with getting it set up.

Did you get the Pro 2nd Gen? Pro 1st Gen?

[OzzieandHarriet]

And yes, I did buy a refurbished iPad! About half the price of a new one. It looks pristine and seems to work fine. It came today so I’m still playing around with getting it set up.

Did you get the Pro 2nd Gen? Pro 1st Gen?

3rd Gen. It seems to be in perfect condition.