Keep in mind that with millions of users there is always going to be someone who has a problem with an update; and they will tweet about it. The responsible ones will make it clear that they are just reporting their problem. The less so will imply that the update is totaly broken; because if it didn't work for them then it's obviously a disaster for everyone.
So, when you see someting about an update problem, read around from several sources for a more complete picture. If you don't find anyting after a few days, it's safe to assume that any problems are minor if they do exist. After all, we know that the media is 'not' shy about super sizing any and ever Apple mole hill, let alone a legitimate problem.
That said, I haven not heard of any seriouls problems with the last couple of updates.
Here are some best practices that can reduce the risks of updating.
- Always make sure you have a good backup before updating; either on iCloud or on your computer through iTunes.
- Make sure your device has more than half a charge, and if possible is plugged into the charger.
- Restart or reset the device just before the update. This ensures that the iPad has the cleanest possible start for the update
- Do not interupt the update. The update can often seem like it is stalled. Be patient. Wait.
- When the update is over, restart your iPad again. Just because.
Right after a major update (like 10 to 11), it is not unusual for the iPad to be a bit sluggish. There are often file managment and indexing tasks happening in the background. Once the iPad catches up, performance should return to normal (or mostly so, depending on hardware and impact of the iOS changes). You shouldn't have to worry about this with a point update like this one.