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JoJo Zzang

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 14, 2011
65
0
To those who own one... Thoughts? Is it worth it? I know I'll catch some flak... But, I'm heavily debating
 

AJsAWiz

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2007
3,262
347
Ohio
Do Your Thing

To those who own one... Thoughts? Is it worth it? I know I'll catch some flak... But, I'm heavily debating

Go to the Apple Store or any store that carries them. I just suggested the Apple Store because they are far more knowledgeable. Read unbiased reviews if you can find them. Look at one yourself to see if it meets your needs. All people, including me, can tell you is what their preference is. Most likely, they selected an iPad model, or one of those other tablets, that suits their particular needs and fits their budget. It's a personal decision (unless someone is buying it for you). Just because the iPad Mini works for me doesn't mean it's the perfect choice for others ;)
 
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MrXiro

macrumors 68040
Nov 2, 2007
3,850
599
Los Angeles
What about newer games? Also... Is it true the typeface on books and comics is hard to read?

It's no harder to read than your computer monitor. At 163ppi, my iPad Mini has a higher ppi than my monitor and I have no problems reading on the iPad. Is it like looking at a sheet of paper? No, but I didn't think my iPad 3's retina display was either.

The only thing that's bothered me about the iPad Mini's screen is that my iPhone games no longer look crisp like they did on the iPad 3's retina display (retina setting). It's understandable but otherwise I have no issues with the screen.

The color gamut is a little less vibrant, but it's not something you'd notice unless you were side by side with a iPad Retina or an iPhone 5.

I read an issue of the Walking Dead on the Mini and it was perfectly readable. No worse than it was on my iPad 1 or 2. Reading CBR files on my iPad 3 was never a great pleasure due to lack retina readers. I finally found one, Sidebooks and while it looks great on the iPad 3, reading on the Mini didn't bother me at all.
 

Highboy90

macrumors member
Nov 5, 2012
37
0
NY
I use a PC primarly and a laptop sometimes. Also have a Samsung Galaxy II cell phone with data plan (tethering also).

With that said, I decided to get the Mini because of it's physical size to use went watching T.V. which is when I like to browse or "Google" from time to time. For this, it works fine. Saving a few bucks compared to the iPad 4 didn't hurt though yes, there are tradeoffs.

For ME, this is working fine. Always liked Apple quality. The Mini has been no different. Good luck with whatever you decide to go with.
 

WilliamLondon

macrumors 68000
Dec 8, 2006
1,699
13
I'm going to keep saying this over and over, I love my mini. I owned previously a gen 1 iPad, but I love this thing so much more. The screen isn't awful, and surprised the hell out of me because I bought it mainly to read PDFs for the programme I'm studying (journal articles, scanned chapters and articles, books - all in PDF) and it is so much better than I expected. Not saying the resolution couldn't use some improvement, but that's for gen 2, this is gen 1 and it's a wonderful device, I can't put it down.

Oh, the games on this size device are awesome! They look great, and it's easier to hold with both hands and play games that have controls on both sides of the screen. It's even more fun playing games on than my full sized iPad was (and that was great!).

I suggest to give it a whirl in some store for yourself.
 

bagelmaker

macrumors member
Oct 29, 2012
73
0
I'm quite pleased with mine. If I had never heard of retina display I would have thought this screen was perfect. The performance is fast for web browsing and games look great. I honestly haven't read any books yet, but I did download a bunch and they look good to me. My only concern with the books is that they are backlight (which of course is the fact for all the multi-tasking tablets,)

Lastly, I am so impressed with how awesome the apps are. Things like Flipboard which I never used on my iPod Touch are beautiful, easy to use, and addictive. I don't doubt that a new better one will come out in a year. For now, I am very glad I get to be entertained by this one.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,419
43,308
I'm very happy with my mini, no regrets and while no device is perfect this satisfies all of my needs. I love it :)
 

antimax

macrumors newbie
Apr 16, 2012
7
0
Yeah, I love it... This is my first ipad and I'm glad I have one this size and not any bigger... It's great! After trying it out twice in the store I just decided to go for it and I have no regrets.

Also, after feeling how heavy and hot the new ipad with retina is, I'm glad my mini doesn't have retina! This thing is so light and thin, and generates no heat.
 

txladi29

macrumors newbie
Nov 9, 2012
2
0
Love love love my mini. My son has the iPad 2. I like the mini so much more, due to the more portable size. It's lighter, apps work great, it's fast, and did I mention the how great the size is? Drops right into my purse.

The only negative is the lack of GPS. But then again the iPads with wifi only are all like that, so I can deal with it. If you are using a public wifi hotspot, maps can be used. The app would not work with my hotspot at home. Go figure.

I've been waiting on this release for years! So pleased!!!
 

OdT22

macrumors 6502
Oct 28, 2012
286
404
We're very happy with the two we bought. No complaints. (His & hers)

In fact she just picked up a third for our son this afternoon, for this coming Christmas. (His laptop died a few weeks ago)

No regrets
 

Ladybug

macrumors 68000
Apr 13, 2006
1,874
1,013
Coming from an ipad 3 I have to say that I love mine. Retina was never a must have for me. The mini is so light and easy to hold for extended periods. It's every bit as fast as my ipad 3 and the wifi was improved to boot. You really have nothing to lose but time if you get one since you can return it if it doesn't meet your expectations...otherwise check them out in the store. And it fits in my purse. :)
 

j0n24

macrumors newbie
Jul 5, 2007
26
1
I had an iPad 1 and then an IPad 2 - now I feel my mini is the best iPad yet! I've been using the mini since launch day and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. The form factor is perfect for surfing the web, gaming or reading books. The battery life is fantastic also!
 
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