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

iPad mini I went through 3 tablets before finally settling on the mini

K

kyomagi

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 16, 2010
61
0
At first i had no interest in the mini, i *heard* the screen was crap and it was being knocked down left and right. But i could not shake the feeling i should check it out. But before i did, i went through 3 other tablets:

I had the Nexus 7. Did not like it too much, screen was small and speakers were crap. Play store had decent games but overall, it could not live up to my IP5

3 weeks later i went and got the Nook HD+ 8.9. Too bulky, i thought it was slightly bigger than my old ipad 2! Also i did not like the lag and interface

I then exchanged that for the kindle fire HD 3 days later. Better, crisp screen, but hard to root, locked bootloader, ads at the lock screen and just overall ok. But again, it was huge! There was a 1" boarder around the screen that really bugged me. But it got the job done, played my anime MKV's and my 720p movie mkv's with no issue. But again, i just had a little itch i could not scratch.

One day in BestBuy i decided to finally try the mini, and holy crap, i fell in love! Ended up calling 5 best buys and exchanging the kindle fire HD for a ipad mini 2 days ago and it was a great choice. Pre loaded some 720p anime mkv's and they run smooth and crisp.

Anyone wanting a small tablet should seriously look at the mini.
 
A

AppleRobert

macrumors 603
Nov 12, 2012
5,726
1,132
I don't think folks are going to give up on ios just for a better display. I have tinkered with the tablets you tried and the mini has advantages and disadvantages but the form factor is the only game in town for iOS.
 
L

LaunchpadBS

macrumors 6502a
Nov 11, 2008
653
5
iLondon/iDurban
OP you sound like me a month ago, except I haven't yet bought the mini, will do in 3 weeks though. I've used my friends one a few times and it's awesome, giving my iPad 3 to my dad then will buy the mini.

What size did you get? Cause I have the 64GB iPad 3 now and it's only just enough, I put tv series on to watch and have loads of books. But it seems the made for Retina HD games take the most space.

But I'm sure I could cut back on content and just get one of these...http://www.kingston.com/en/usb/wireless#wid
 
K

kyomagi

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 16, 2010
61
0
LaunchpadBS said:
OP you sound like me a month ago, except I haven't yet bought the mini, will do in 3 weeks though. I've used my friends one a few times and it's awesome, giving my iPad 3 to my dad then will buy the mini.

What size did you get? Cause I have the 64GB iPad 3 now and it's only just enough, I put tv series on to watch and have loads of books. But it seems the made for Retina HD games take the most space.

But I'm sure I could cut back on content and just get one of these...http://www.kingston.com/en/usb/wireless#wid
Click to expand...

I looked at that, you could get http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD822ZM/A/lightning-to-sd-card-camera-reader?fnode=3a

and a 32gb SD card too. I wonder if they are discontinuing the 32gb one and thats why its so cheap.
 
C

Che Castro

macrumors 603
May 21, 2009
5,878
676
LaunchpadBS said:
OP you sound like me a month ago, except I haven't yet bought the mini, will do in 3 weeks though. I've used my friends one a few times and it's awesome, giving my iPad 3 to my dad then will buy the mini.

What size did you get? Cause I have the 64GB iPad 3 now and it's only just enough, I put tv series on to watch and have loads of books. But it seems the made for Retina HD games take the most space.

But I'm sure I could cut back on content and just get one of these...http://www.kingston.com/en/usb/wireless#wid
Click to expand...

Why 3 weeks ?
 
R

raccoonboy

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2012
918
5
It seems like you mainly use it for watching Anime in 720P. I thought it would look better on Nexus or Kindle since both sport a hight resolution screeen.

though if you are a gamer then, Ipad mini seems like a solid choice.
 
M

marc11

macrumors 68000
Mar 30, 2011
1,618
4
NY USA
While I am happy you found the right choice, I am struggling to understand how the Nexus 7 did not live up to your iPhone 5, yet the mini with a much lower resolution screen and slower processor does live up to your iPhone 5.

Can you explain that? Is it just the fact that it is running iOS that makes you comfortable, because if video is your main use, I would have to think the Nexus and the Kindle blow the mini away in that area.
 
B

buddda

macrumors newbie
Feb 1, 2011
26
0
Please tell me which app you use for 720 MKV playback! I've tried quite a few and all of my anime stutters! :(
 
L

lianlua

macrumors 6502
Jun 13, 2008
370
3
marc11 said:
While I am happy you found the right choice, I am struggling to understand how the Nexus 7 did not live up to your iPhone 5, yet the mini with a much lower resolution screen and slower processor does live up to your iPhone 5.
Click to expand...
What's to understand? The post very plainly states that the N7's screen is too small, the game selection in the Play Store didn't measure up, and he didn't like the speakers.

Nobody but you said anything about the resolution or the processor or that it was on par with the iPhone 5 in either department, though the iPad mini does actually have more pixels.
if video is your main use, I would have to think the Nexus and the Kindle blow the mini away in that area.
Click to expand...
Not if screen size is what's most important to you. Depending on the bitrate of the video you're watching, there's often virtually no difference between the resolutions of the two devices, and particularly with animated films, the poor color of the N7 is a weakness compared to the Kindle Fire and iPads.
 
M

marc11

macrumors 68000
Mar 30, 2011
1,618
4
NY USA
lianlua said:
What's to understand? The post very plainly states that the N7's screen is too small, the game selection in the Play Store didn't measure up, and he didn't like the speakers.

Nobody but you said anything about the resolution or the processor or that it was on par with the iPhone 5 in either department, though the iPad mini does actually have more pixels.

Not if screen size is what's most important to you. Depending on the bitrate of the video you're watching, there's often virtually no difference between the resolutions of the two devices, and particularly with animated films, the poor color of the N7 is a weakness compared to the Kindle Fire and iPads.
Click to expand...

Hmmm I think I was asking the OP for his opinion...I understood the screen was smaller and the speakers were crap to him, but he said it did not live up to the smaller screened, crappier single speaker of an iPhone 5, so I wanted HIS input...clearly you cannot know what he was thinking and his point of comparison to the iPhone 5, could you? You also do not know the bit rate of the video the OP watched, do you? No you don't. So you decided to make this some sort of a slam fest against the N7 when all I wanted to know was what his comparison points and main use of his mini over the Kindle and N7 were that he found the mini better than both and better than the iPhone 5.

He also never said the game selection was better compared to the App store, he said it did not live up to the IP5, so I would like him to clarify, was it games or something else.

Lol some of you fanboys need to relax, you sniff a hint of an anti Apple product post and you jump off the cliff in defense...easy, sometimes it is just an honest question for clarification.
 
Last edited:
L

lianlua

macrumors 6502
Jun 13, 2008
370
3
marc11 said:
Hmmm I think I was asking the OP for his opinion...I understood the screen was smaller and the speakers were crap to him, but he said it did not live up to the smaller screened, crappier single speaker of an iPhone 5, so I wanted HIS input
Click to expand...
Then you could have asked for elaboration instead of making an accusatory post.
So you decided to make this some sort of a slam fest against the N7
Click to expand...
You're imagining things. Not one derogatory statement was made about the Nexus.
Lol some of you fanboys need to relax, you sniff a hint of an anti Apple product post
Click to expand...
I own exactly two Apple devices. My tablet is a Kindle. Who said anything about "anti Apple" anything? Or defending anything? When you start talking about fanboys, you're already out to pasture.
sometimes it is just an honest question for clarification.
Click to expand...
Not when you start talking about aspects that are irrelevant to the original post. No one said anything about processors or resolution.
 
L

LaunchpadBS

macrumors 6502a
Nov 11, 2008
653
5
iLondon/iDurban
kyomagi said:
I looked at that, you could get http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD822ZM/A/lightning-to-sd-card-camera-reader?fnode=3a

and a 32gb SD card too. I wonder if they are discontinuing the 32gb one and thats why its so cheap.
Click to expand...

You can't pull movies off that one, that's pretty much what I want the extra space for. It's just for getting pictures off an SD card.

----------
Che Castro said:
Why 3 weeks ?
Click to expand...

International flight, going to pick one up at duty free and save myself VAT :)
 
C

CandyNJ66

macrumors regular
Feb 11, 2009
249
10
USA
marc11 said:
Hmmm I think I was asking the OP for his/her opinion...I understood the screen was smaller and the speakers were crap to him or her, but she/he said it did not live up to the smaller screened, crappier single speaker of an iPhone 5, so I wanted HER/HIS input...clearly you cannot know what she/he was thinking and her/his point of comparison to the iPhone 5, could you? You also do not know the bit rate of the video the OP watched, do you? No you don't. So you decided to make this some sort of a slam fest against the N7 when all I wanted to know was what her/his comparison points and main use of her/his mini over the Kindle and N7 were that she/he found the mini better than both and better than the iPhone 5.

She/He also never said the game selection was better compared to the App store, he said it did not live up to the IP5, so I would like her/him to clarify, was it games or something else.

Lol some of you Fanpeople need to relax, you sniff a hint of an anti Apple product post and you jump off the cliff in defense...easy, sometimes it is just an honest question for clarification.
Click to expand...

FIXED :) :rolleyes:
 
K

kyomagi

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 16, 2010
61
0
marc11 said:
While I am happy you found the right choice, I am struggling to understand how the Nexus 7 did not live up to your iPhone 5, yet the mini with a much lower resolution screen and slower processor does live up to your iPhone 5.

Can you explain that? Is it just the fact that it is running iOS that makes you comfortable, because if video is your main use, I would have to think the Nexus and the Kindle blow the mini away in that area.
Click to expand...

I was comparing the N7 and google store to my IP5 and App store. When i had the nexus, all i would do is watch a bit of anime/movies and read, but that was all. No games on the N7 really compelled me to keep it. Not to mention i now have all my fav apps on a larger screen screen. On top of that, i dont notice a difference while watching anything on my mini compared to the N7. Everything looks great still.

buddda said:
Please tell me which app you use for 720 MKV playback! I've tried quite a few and all of my anime stutters! :(
Click to expand...

I will have to look when i get home. I only ever use 720p MKV, never tried 1080.

Also, Candy... I am a happily married..man

lol
 
Last edited:
aerok

aerok

macrumors 65816
Oct 29, 2011
1,491
139
Some people prefer the N7 and some will prefer the iPad Mini. As long as you tried both before, your choice is well warranted.
 
W

walmartmartyr

macrumors 6502
Jan 3, 2012
328
3
I had the nexus 7, found it too widescreenish, had ipad 2, 3 and 4 (for a day) and now a mini. If I didn't read all the CONS of the mini on here I would have been blown away by it. But instead, I just lookded for all the said downfalls, and I saw them. Almost returned it for the ipad 4, but decided to keep it.

Glad I did, got $50 off due to local sale, so when the ipad retina comes out, i'll hopefully be able to sell for minimal loss.
 
E

EMAN19

macrumors 6502
Sep 19, 2012
275
0
New York, NY
It was an absolute no-brainer for me in terms of which tablet I was going to end up with. Kindle Fire HD and and Nook HD is a joke of a tablet. They are painfully laggy and come with a less-than-spectacular OS. No contest here. PASS.

And the N7 is OK. It's still somewhat laggy inspite of being pure Android, the screen is way too small, clunky build and the apps are just mobile versions on a bigger screen... (Yelp app on N7 vs. Yelp app vs iPad mini is a perfect example... no thanks. PASS.

iPad mini is the clear winner.
 
E

ercsliberty

macrumors 6502
May 15, 2011
365
11
had the mini, returned it, got the nexus 7, actually 2 of them, netflix and HBO GO and lagging on both, returning them, back to the mini. screen quality is les than the N7 but the mini is MUCH smoother when playing videos. jusat my 2 cents
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom