Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

minttone

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 23, 2012
3
0
Hi guys,
newbie here. macrumors seems to be a very nice community so i'll be grateful if you guys can offer me some advice.

I'm buying a iPad for my mum and these are what she would like to do with it:

1. E-Mails.
2. E-Books

and that's about it. She does not need to play games nor watch/stream videos. I've been looking at the refurbished iPad 3, and it seems to be a steal at $379. However, the mini seems to be a much more portable device and easier to hold. That being said, I doubt she would use her iPad much beyond the house.

Oh and she has trouble reading so maybe a bigger screen would allow her to view larger text and in an economical way?

looking forward to your inputs

EDIT: I've decided to go with the iPad, appreciate your inputs!
 
Last edited:

holycowe

macrumors member
Sep 28, 2010
51
5
Don't get the mini if she has trouble reading small text. Get the iPad 2 or 3 is just perfect.
But just a reminder, never go cheap on mom ;)
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,598
7,768
If you can take your mom to an Apple store and have her handle both devices, that would be best. It's a very personal thing, how somebody reacts to the weight and screen size. For some, the mini screen would feel too small, and they'd think the additional weight of the full size iPad is a good trade-off for the extra screen space. Other people would feel that the regular iPad is too heavy and prefer the lighter mini, even if they get less screen space. Only your mom can tell what is right for her.

If you can't take your mom to Apple, perhaps you could buy both from a place with a good return policy, have her try both, and return the one she decides not to keep.
 

minttone

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 23, 2012
3
0
Don't get the mini if she has trouble reading small text. Get the iPad 2 or 3 is just perfect.
But just a reminder, never go cheap on mom ;)

hmm so you wouldn't recommend me to buy the refurbished one? I'm planning to get Applecare though

----------

If you can take your mom to an Apple store and have her handle both devices, that would be best. It's a very personal thing, how somebody reacts to the weight and screen size. For some, the mini screen would feel too small, and they'd think the additional weight of the full size iPad is a good trade-off for the extra screen space. Other people would feel that the regular iPad is too heavy and prefer the lighter mini, even if they get less screen space. Only your mom can tell what is right for her.

If you can't take your mom to Apple, perhaps you could buy both from a place with a good return policy, have her try both, and return the one she decides not to keep.

oh i forgotten that she had tried the full sized iPad before and she loved it! thanks!
 

BlazednSleepy

macrumors 6502a
Apr 15, 2012
701
254
I think the iPad mini will be perfect for her. It's portable, extremely light and the screen is perfectly fine for everything she needs to do. My dad mentioned to me how surprised he was at the mini's screen quality. He thought it looked great. I'm getting my dad a mini for christmas with apple care.
 

KeepCalmPeople

macrumors 65816
Sep 5, 2012
1,457
659
Los Angeles, California
I just bought an iPad 2 in a black Friday sale for my mother-in-law - she looked at the iPad mini (for one of her granddaughters) and decided it was too small to be able to read as she has glaucoma. Can't argue with that. She has no issue with the weight.
 

minttone

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 23, 2012
3
0
I just bought an iPad 2 in a black Friday sale for my mother-in-law - she looked at the iPad mini (for one of her granddaughters) and decided it was too small to be able to read as she has glaucoma. Can't argue with that. She has no issue with the weight.

alright thanks!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.