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chrisrosemusic1

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 31, 2012
696
21
Northamptonshire, England
I've had the 3rd Gen retina iPad since launch but the girlfriend has now taken ownership.

I've been waiting for a smaller size for a while but in terms of spec and screen it falls short of my expectations.

If you have both, how are you finding the adaption to the smaller, lower resolution screen and slower A5? Is it still functional in terms of some of the newer games (e.g. GTA Vice City)? And is it speedy enough for day to day use?

And probably most importantly, do you use it more than the retina iPad?
 

NutsNGum

macrumors 68030
Jul 30, 2010
2,856
367
Glasgow, Scotland
I have literally this situation.

Girlfriend has comandeered the ipad 3, but to be honest, I barely use it anymore, the loss of the retina display really isn't as big an issue after a few days.

Vice City works fine, pretty smooth.

Lastly, I use the mini every day. It's the best piece of technology that I've bought for a long, long time.
 

chrisrosemusic1

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 31, 2012
696
21
Northamptonshire, England
I have literally this situation.

Girlfriend has comandeered the ipad 3, but to be honest, I barely use it anymore, the loss of the retina display really isn't as big an issue after a few days.

Vice City works fine, pretty smooth.

Lastly, I use the mini every day. It's the best piece of technology that I've bought for a long, long time.

Yes well you can sympathise with me then.

As for the 'getting it back' - lol, never gonna happen!

I think I will take the plunge this week then, suppose there is always the 14 day return if it is a total loss. I'm used to the low resolution on my MBP so I guess the Mini isn't going to be a drop for me :)

----------

There is an easy solution to getting that iPad back.

:) If only lol
 

flavr

macrumors 6502
Nov 9, 2011
363
40
Both my girlfriend and I had two iPad 4s for Christmas, we both took them back for two iPad minis...I would never trade back, I enjoy the mini much more, its been flawless and screen looks great...
 

CalWizrd

Suspended
Jun 21, 2011
385
1,637
NYC/Raleigh, NC
I have an iPad 3 and a mini.

I have found no difficulty at all going from the retina display to the smaaler non-retina. No issues as far as the display or processor speed.

The mini is the "always with me" device. The '3' sits in a keyboard dock at my desk at home, and I use it primarily for any tasks involving significant typing. Additionaly, if I'm sitting at my desk, I use it for reading (love the page synchronization of iBooks).
 

Al'sDad

macrumors member
Dec 7, 2012
44
18
I also have the iPad 3 and an iPad Mini. I love the mini, and can't even see the difference in screen resolution when I use it.
 

Awakener

macrumors 6502
Mar 28, 2011
345
0
I've had the 3rd Gen retina iPad since launch but the girlfriend has now taken ownership.

I've been waiting for a smaller size for a while but in terms of spec and screen it falls short of my expectations.

If you have both, how are you finding the adaption to the smaller, lower resolution screen and slower A5? Is it still functional in terms of some of the newer games (e.g. GTA Vice City)? And is it speedy enough for day to day use?

And probably most importantly, do you use it more than the retina iPad?

Mini is very convenient for size but that's it. My opinion screen is fuzzy, pixelated and internet is frustrating (page loading slow, freezes, reloading).
 

jeans94621

macrumors regular
Jul 10, 2010
159
0
Mini is very convenient for size but that's it. My opinion screen is fuzzy, pixelated and internet is frustrating (page loading slow, freezes, reloading).

What iPad mini are you using. I have non of those problems with mine. My page loads are fast with my Comcast Internet I have had no freezes and with seven tabs open I have no reload.
 

Awakener

macrumors 6502
Mar 28, 2011
345
0
What iPad mini are you using. I have non of those problems with mine. My page loads are fast with my Comcast Internet I have had no freezes and with seven tabs open I have no reload.

What iPad Mini are you using? Do a search because there are many reports of it all over the forums. Compare iPad Mini to iPad 4, but don't fall for just telling yourself what you want to believe.
 

ScottNWDW

macrumors 65816
Jul 10, 2008
1,231
315
Orlando, Florida
I have the iPad 3 and a mini as well and since getting the mini in November I rarely ever use the iPad 3. I always felt that the big commotion that was about the retina display was ridiculous. I have not had any issues with the display at all. The mini, being so small and light, is always with me and I use it everyday.
 

Rhyalus

macrumors 6502
Mar 4, 2011
420
35
I have the Ipad4 (my ipad) and a couple of minis for the kids.

I find the performance of the mini surprisingly good.

However, the screen is so frigging small, there is no way I could use that thing regularly. I read newspapers, periodicals, review documents, type emails, etc... and the 4 is the right size for me.

Everyone tries to compare these two units but that is a bad mistake. It is all about how YOU will use it.

R
 

odonnelly99

macrumors regular
Jan 9, 2013
174
256
Austin, TX
There is an easy solution to getting that iPad back.

Exactly : ) What's more important, the iPad, or the girl? This is a question that men have been asking since the beginning of time.

----------

I have the iPad 3 and a mini as well and since getting the mini in November I rarely ever use the iPad 3. I always felt that the big commotion that was about the retina display was ridiculous. I have not had any issues with the display at all. The mini, being so small and light, is always with me and I use it everyday.

Agreed. the Mini still has a very nice screen.
 

ecks618

macrumors 6502
Jun 1, 2006
397
0
NYC
Personally even if the mini and the ipad 4 were the same price I couldn't be convinced to get the ipad 4. I was dead set again the mini and used my ipad 4 since early Dec but after trying it for a day I returned it and got the mini and will never turn back.

The screen gets a bad rap, its perfectly fine. I watch HD movies on it and play Vice city without any issues. I read the NYTimes on it regularly without a problem.

Go for the mini and return it if you don't like it. If your using it at home, the iPad 4 is the way to go, but if you do any traveling or commuting the mini can't be beat.
 

Amplelink

macrumors 6502a
Oct 8, 2012
933
392
Personally even if the mini and the ipad 4 were the same price I couldn't be convinced to get the ipad 4. I was dead set again the mini and used my ipad 4 since early Dec but after trying it for a day I returned it and got the mini and will never turn back.

The screen gets a bad rap, its perfectly fine. I watch HD movies on it and play Vice city without any issues. I read the NYTimes on it regularly without a problem.

Go for the mini and return it if you don't like it. If your using it at home, the iPad 4 is the way to go, but if you do any traveling or commuting the mini can't be beat.

I'm in the same boat. Portability wins for me. The mini's screen is fine. Not retina, but good enough for all tablet activities. Fonts are a teensy bit too small, but I can live. This thing is a sure fire winner (as if it weren't already) once it gets retina.
 

maxosx

macrumors 68020
Dec 13, 2012
2,385
1
Southern California
I find the iPad mini every bit as nice as I expected. Comparing it to my iPad 4 is irrelevant. What I do favor over the mini is my new Nexus 7.

Being in the same general size category, comparing it to the mini is appropriate. Between it's higher resolution display and the incredibly feature filled Android 4.2.x, I'm using it far more than anticipated.

Now being my constant companion, its exceeded all my expectations. The same feeling I get when using my 15" MBP Retina.
 

TheSwede

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2012
107
0
I've had the ipad4 for about a month now. Two days ago I picked up a brand new mini. My honest take on this is; yes, you do notice that the text on webpages is not as sharp on the mini but on the flip side the whole user experiance is so nice with the smaller form factor and imo better design.

Both tablets have a trade off in my opinion. If i had to choose one i would choose the mini because it fits my needs better. I wanted a portable apple tablet to surf the webb and watch movies on the go. If that means looking at a non retina screen i'm ok with that simply because of the portabillity and cool looks of the mini. If apple decides to put a retina screen in the mini and this had little to no impact on weight and size then you would have imo the perfect tablet.
 

n8236

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2006
1,065
32
My situation is similar to yours, though not exact. Allow me to explain.

I've been upgrading my MBP for the past 4 years and when I went to this generation's retina, the difference is noticeable. Note, how I said it's noticeable and not obvious.

Thus, when I played w/ my friend's mini and my long owned iPad 3, I have also come to that same conclusion.

If you've had a non-retina iPhone or iPad, you'll gladly take the Mini because it does look a lot better. However, if you're like me and own a retina MBP and retina iPhone and had a retina iPad, the Mini's shortcoming of the retina display will be obvious. HOWEVER, the disappointment won't be as bad as you initially thought and you will be able to live with it. I know I could.

PS: rumors swirl that a new Mini will be out in March.
 
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