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Apple takes iPad Pro from curiosity to 'yes I want one' with 9.7-inch version

Apple's latest iPad Pro is likely to be a better choice for most prosumers looking for a laptop replacement. Will corporate buyers bite?
Written by Larry Dignan, Contributor

Apple's launch of the iPad Pro was designed to court enterprises and get workers to swap their laptops in for a 12.9-inch tablet. The problem: Few folks want to lug around a screen that large.

Enter the iPad Pro 9.7-inch device that saves the day for Apple's latest effort to boost sales of its iconic tablet.

A look at Apple's iPad Pro 9.7-inch device highlights the void it fills in the lineup.

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More importantly, the smaller iPad Pro will make lugging the device around easier. The funny anecdotal moment came when the smaller iPad Pro rolled out and I'm hit with instant messages noting that "I want one." No one did that for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Sure, a few folks bought the massive iPad Pro, but enterprises weren't sure whether it's a laptop replacement without any of the mobility benefits. The smaller iPad Pro makes it a more reasonable choice for a worker in the field.

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As for the tech specs of the iPad Pro, Apple kept with its theme of the day. Simply put, that theme was smaller with the latest tech specs can be a good thing. The iPhone SE will find a market for sure and fills a void in the lower end of the market. The iPad Pro 9.7-inch does something similar with a starting price of $599.

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It's still unclear whether enterprises will buy an iPad Pro to replace a laptop, but the pricing could mean that companies simply see Apple's latest as something to fold in with its existing tablet buying programs. More importantly, there are plenty of prosumers that will trade up to the iPad Pro 9.7-inch now. And those tech buyers will bring their iPad Pro to work.

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