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First iPad Mini Reviews: "Shockingly Nice to Hold", Non-Retina Display, Pricier than Rivals
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It's a shame it didn't come with a retina screen, but that would have been a double leap - they just came out with the retina screen in the full sized iPad, so though I was hoping it'd make its way into the smaller mini screen, I didn't seriously expect it.
That said, next generation, I expect a leap in screen resolution, whether full retina or not, they effing better upgrade the screen quality and when they do (next autumn) I'll sell my gen 1 mini and happily upgrade to a gen 2!
Yeah. Me either.
That said, I spat out the same line when the original iPad was released too .Ended up by one of those and by 4th gen iPad is on the way. My guess is that I will probably end up with one of these mini iPads one of these days, but it won't be until they put a retina screen in one.
My friend saw the Xoom and thought it was an iPad-killer. Then he decided that it wasn't and simultaneously decided that tablets were useless. He then bought a Sony tablet, and he's never used it.
After all the failed "iPad-killers", I've given up on them for now. I'll try to try out a 7" cheap tablet, but it's already a non-deal if it can't sync with my PC.
After all the failed "iPad-killers", I've given up on them for now. I'll try to try out a 7" cheap tablet, but it's already a non-deal if it can't sync with my PC.
But not quad density to simplify the software to pixel doubling.Amazon managed it. Google managed over 300ppi with stunning displays on their Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.
Apple could have done it if they wanted to
"Biased" Reviews?
Of course reviews are biased! They are opinions! With a review (just like a column), you make an assertion and then use the article as evidence to support their assertion. I blame our educational system that so poorly teaches reading comprehension and how to read different types of works that people don't know the difference between a news article (unbiased) and a review/opinion piece/column (inherently biased because that's the point).
Now about the posters who belittle the iPad mini and other products. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course. However, I think it is a little childish to write comments on an Apple blog disparaging Apple products. Just saying.
Of course reviews are biased! They are opinions! With a review (just like a column), you make an assertion and then use the article as evidence to support their assertion. I blame our educational system that so poorly teaches reading comprehension and how to read different types of works that people don't know the difference between a news article (unbiased) and a review/opinion piece/column (inherently biased because that's the point).
Now about the posters who belittle the iPad mini and other products. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course. However, I think it is a little childish to write comments on an Apple blog disparaging Apple products. Just saying.
But the Ipad 4 is now out - you have an obsolete tablet.
The blogosphere is full of fans drooling over everything Apple - of course we expected loving reviews.
Do we believe them? Not so much....
You haven't tried Imaps, then....
what's imaps? oh is that on the touch?
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size. portability. lightweight. retina ipad is 499, $170 is a big difference
HAHA this is hilarious. The anti-Apple zealots in the discussions on all of these sites are FUMING that the iPad mini has received positive reviews from pretty much every review.
They've actually seen and used one. I haven't. Have you? If you haven't, your claims that they're biased are laughable. If you have, by all means please enlighten us with your unbiased review.
Yes, Apple could have made the iPad mini screen a retina display. However, iOS is not resolution-independent, so developers would have to modify their apps to fit an iPad mini retina display. That means a delay in having optimized apps. By contrast, the iPad mini will have ten of thousands of apps optimized for its screen on DAY ONE of the mini's release.
Yes, the Google Nexus 7 and other Android tablets might have higher PPI, but how many apps do they REALLY have? It seems to me most of the apps for those tablets are really phone apps. Flipboard is an example.
Yes, the Google Nexus 7 and other Android tablets might have higher PPI, but how many apps do they REALLY have? It seems to me most of the apps for those tablets are really phone apps. Flipboard is an example.
Yeah, except they didn't, really. Managing to sell a product at or below its cost isn't really a feat of business or engineering mastery. If they had managed to cover all costs and turn a profit and deliver that same hardware for the same price, that would be something else entirely.
Sure, and Google could sell the Nexus 7 for $7 if they wanted to. It's not really about that.Apple could have done it if they wanted to
These are big companies with different business models and product profiles, making complex decisions. I don't think either will be unsuccessful.
Seems like they did. Everything about the iPad mini is an improvement on the iPad 2, which still scores well inside the pack. You're getting an equal or better product in every way for $329 for something that a year and a half ago cost $499. There's plenty that's appealing about that.
A retina display actually can be a huge disadvantage from an engineering and cost standpoint, since it spirals quickly into a major headache. A retina display, beyond the major expense of the panel itself, needs a much more powerful backlight and a beefier GPU, needing a bigger battery, which is bigger and heavier. No doubt it'd be a huge plus to have in the mini, but what you'd have to give up in return really makes for a less appealing product.
The only realistic option would be to match the Nexus resolution, which then makes the iPad mini a very different product and dings application compatibility. There's really little sense in doing that for what amounts to a fairly negligible difference overall. 50ppi is noticeable but hardly tragic, especially since the iPad's display is better in every other way.
Amazon managed it. Google managed over 300ppi with stunning displays on their Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.
Apple could have done it if they wanted to
except that they build their products differently then Apple....sort of
Very nice-looking tablet, but frankly, I would only buy if I was a granma. It's very good for browsing and facebooking, but that's almost all it can offer.
Please, Apple, bring us iDevices that allow me creating content instead of only allowing content consuming.
Please, Apple, bring us iDevices that allow me creating content instead of only allowing content consuming.
Right and when they reviewed the Nexus 7 and soon the Nexus 10, and the MS Surface, which many of them gave pretty high praises too. I guess they were bias then too.
You people need to crawl back under your rocks!
Maybe you'll have no regrets if it gets updated this spring because you'll be ordering the new retina mini.
I'm curious what would happen if 3/4 of iPad sales in the next 6-12 months were of the mini? Would Apple discontinue the larger iPad, maybe after the iPad 5 and maybe begin work on a larger than 9.7" iPad, between 11 and 13"? Would there be room for an iPad that's only 1.8" larger, even if they reduce the weight? There seems to be a consensus based on the reviews that the mini is more usable than the regular iPad and doesn't feel like a compromise.
Seems like a decent product. But simply just overpriced. Even more now that you can get a 32GB Nexus 7 for $249. I know some people prefer iOS, but damn paying $80 more and for half the storage. The only thing you gain is a rear camera.
To each his own I suppose.
Ok...
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Why are you comparing the Nexus 7 to the iPad mini? The iPad mini is $80 more, but you know what? It also has a way larger screen, is thinner, lighter, and has better battery life. Android's tablet app ecosystem is nonexistent. Furthermore, those software buttons in landscape mode are an incredibly stupid decision. You have barely any vertical screen space. If you really think the Nexus 7 is a better tablet penny for penny then you deserve to own a Nexus 7.
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And you used one for how long before you wrote this? That's what I thought. Oh, a band plays music, but trolls should be banned.
I could understand your point but for those of us that work in the medical field, it's not very convenient to carry around a macbook pro, although some doctors do bring one with them. I'm able to access our hospital EMR via citrix on my iPad. While I never thought I would actually use my iPad this much for work, it's a lot easier to bring my iPad and pull up all the info I need instead of having to wait for a computer to open up, while it's not very common that I have to do this, it is annoying enough the few times that it does happen. Anyways, just my 2 cents.
As for trading my macbook pro retina in for an iMac....maybe someday, just really like the retina screen and quality soo far. And it's nice to be able to carry my laptop over to the living room and work on charts if I don't want to sit at my desk and do them.
As for trading my macbook pro retina in for an iMac....maybe someday, just really like the retina screen and quality soo far. And it's nice to be able to carry my laptop over to the living room and work on charts if I don't want to sit at my desk and do them.
Nah what's funnier is all the people that crapped all over other products for not having retina and for not using the latest and greatest CPU and for not having xx amount of memory; you used to read comments like "I will never buy anything without retina", "unless it has an A6 its not powerful enough", "you need at least 1 GB of ram" (I am paraphrasing of course) and now suddenly posting comments like, "you do not need retina in a 7 inch tablet", "1xx PPI is enough", "the mini CPU is enough, the CPU in the iPad 4 is overkill", etc etc etc.