All iPads Thinking about buying iPad

saporiti said:

Hello boys and girls

I'm currently a owner of a iPhone 5 and MacBook Pro 13 2012 non-retina.

I want to get an iPad as an in between device. I mean, sometimes I just don't feel like taking the MacBook to college or to some coffee shops where I go to study.

Although, my plafond is not that big, and that's why I'm here. I think 16gb is not enough, since I want to have some movies and some games like FIFA one the iPad. What do you guys think? Because here in Portugal the 16gb iPad 2 costs 399€ and the 16gb iPad mini costs 339€.

Another question: since I'm using the iPhone 5, will I be disappointed with the screen quality of the iPad 2 or iPad mini?

Do you guys find the iPad mini big enough to read PDF files, comic books, word documents, etc?

Should I wait until march for the possibility of a iPad mini with retina display?

Just to mention some prices: the 32gb iPad mini costs 439€, the iPad 4 with 16gb costs 509€... I don't want to pay so much for only 16gb that's why I'm kind of undecided when it comes to buy an iPad.

Would really appreciate some opinions, specially the ones based on the usage of both iPad mini, iPad 2 and iPad 3/4.

Cheers guys!

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The iPad mini is a great device and I own the 16GB WiFi only version. I take it to school for notes and for studying and even doing research between classes and at home. I also own an iPhone 4S and I am not disappointed with the screen quality because the same resolution as the iPad2 but on a smaller device makes the resolution that much better on the mini.

I think the mini is better for pdf documents and word files and reading in general because it more closely resembles the size of a book. plus, you can increase the font size and it is still very clear. I have been impressed with it thus far and have had it now for a couple of months.

I also previously owned an iPad2 32GB WiFi only version and the mini is better in my opinion.

I think the 32GB WiFi+cellular version for you would be perfect.

I have used only this Mini and iPad 3, but based on that I would get the Mini over iPad 2.

They have pretty the same specs except that the Mini is of course lighter, slimmer, has smaller screen and has better camera technology. If the iPad 2 would have better resolution or faster processor then it would be harder to decide, but now I think Mini is better and tad cheaper option.

saporiti said:

First of all, thank you for your reply.

When it comes to Wi-fi and Celullar it's useless to me, Wi-fi only is just fine.

What did you felt when you changed from the big display of the iPad 2 to the smaller one in the Mini? Do you still do everything you used to do? DO you watch movies on the iPad mini?

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Then that makes the price that much better. The display is better on the mini and the WiFi is better, so it's much easier and more reliable to share my iTunes library. I watch movies on it all the time and it's great. One of my favorites(although not historically accurate) is Kingdom of Heaven, and I have that synced on the iPad and watch it almost once a week when I'm putting my kids to bed.

And yes, I saved my iPad2 backup and when I got the mini, I just synced everything and it was like nothing had changed; except for the form factor of course. Being able to carry it around more easily is great. If you're still unsure, find someone that has one and ask them if you can look at it for a bit. If not, then find a retailer that has one that you can demo(just be sure to quit all the applications that are most likely still loaded up on it).

I honestly would not go back to the full-size iPad after having owned the mini.

saporiti said:

Ok, so you guys like the Mini form factor more than the regular size?

My girlfriend has a iPad 2, Wi-fi only, 16GB.

I like it, I love iPads. I haven't played with it thaaat much, but it sure looks nice.

Thing is: Why paying 400€ for a iPad 2 with 16GB when I can pay 440€ and get the Mini with 32GB?

And then there are other options like the iPad 3 and ipad 4, however, the iPad 4 costs 509€ only 16GB, isn't that too much? Damn!

Do you guys ever felt the iPad Mini kinda slow? Running heavy games, for example... or watching a 1080p movie.

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I don't know if the mini plays 1080p or not since I haven't downloaded any 1080p movies.

IPad Mini itself can capture video at 1080p and of course play them as well, it would be horrible if it didn't since even cheap Android -tablets sold at 45-60€ can play 1080p.

There's no replacement for seeing and trying them for yourself. Everyone's needs and abilities are different. Some people can't see the difference between retina and non retina display, some can. Some don't mind pinching and zooming a lot, others do.

The ipad4 has a retina display. To me is extremely noticeable the difference between an ipad3/4 and the Mini. I have both. The blockiness of the mini really bothers me sometimes. If you use iphone apps on the iPad, on the ipad3/4 it will use retina resolution and look great. On the mini, iPhone apps look very bad.

The Mini is small and especially light. That can be really nice. There are many times you don't need a bigger display that something small can be useful.

However, if you have the space and don't mind the weight, the extra screen area is really nice. While the mini is more like a paperback book, there's no denying that the ipad 3/4 has a bigger display. Text will look bigger for the same density, PDFs in particular look much better where you may not be able to change the font size. On the Mini you may end up having to pinch, zoom and pan more often to clearly see everything.

So it's a trade off. I like the big retina display on the ipad 3/4. I like the small lightweight Mini as well.

I don't like the iPad2 unless your vision is so bad that you don't see a difference between it and a retina display. Ipad 2 is the worst of both worlds. Big, heavy and blocky display.

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saporiti said:

Do you guys ever felt the iPad Mini kinda slow? Running heavy games, for example... or watching a 1080p movie.

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Ipad mini is actually quite fast. Same processor and graphics as ipad 2. The ipad3 is slower because it has the same processor while handling 4x the number if pixels on the display. The ipad 4 is finally fast again with a very fast CPU and GPU.

I have a iPhone 5, iPad 2 and 4 in the house. Don't buy a 16gb iPad. You will forever be managing your apps as they keep getting bigger and bigger. As for screen quality, I don't think the 2 is so bad that I can't stand using it. I'm quite happy with the quality (although the slower processor can get a bit frustrating).
I can't comment on the mini as it's never had any appeal to me. I see it as a device for people who want an iPad and an iPhone, but can't afford both. A compromise device. That said if I actually used one I may feel different.

saporiti said:

...
Something I read somewhere in the internet: iPad Mini feels like a toy. I mean, does the screen feels less resistant to pressing and scratching than the iPad 3/4?

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I haven't noticed an issue with pressing or scratching on my iPad Mini and I've had it since they were released. I do use it everyday, some days for hours. Of course how people handle their electronics varies from person to person. I do have a Smart Cover on mine.

saporiti said:

Something I read somewhere in the internet: iPad Mini feels like a toy. I mean, does the screen feels less resistant to pressing and scratching than the iPad 3/4?

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iPad Mini lacks scratch resistant glass so it takes damage easier.

saporiti said:

Okey,

So I just scratched iPad 2 out of the list.

I sincerely don't know if the iPad 3 is still available out here.

When it comes to price tags, 440€ for 32GB (mini) is much more soft that 510€ for 16GB (iPad 4).

Also, having an iPad with a lightning connector would be so much better, since I also have the iPhone 5.

Something I read somewhere in the internet: iPad Mini feels like a toy. I mean, does the screen feels less resistant to pressing and scratching than the iPad 3/4?

Click to expand...

I prefer the bigger iPad. I felt the mini was good, but the text on the screen and a lot of apps was just too small for me. When you have to tap a little icon or read the text of a little pop-up or dialog box, that's where the text can get really small. For movies, if it's just for you, the mini is great. For watching movies with someone else, the regular iPad with a larger screen is better.

I have an iPhone 5 and a 12" laptop. I felt the Mini was too close to the iPhone 5 to be a good in between device. The regular iPad was a much better fit for when I didn't want to take my laptop and I already have my phone. If I need to look something up quickly I can use my phone, but when I want to settle down to do real stuff or for extended periods, the regular size of the iPad is a real joy to use.

I have to admin though, I'm talking about the iPad 4. Part of the joy in using it is just simply how fast it is. I do a lot of web browsing, and web sites these days seems to have hundreds of objects that need to be drawn and sized as the page is displaying. The iPad 4 handles this very nicely and quickly and just makes interacting with the device so much easier.

I did take both on a trip recently (the Mini and the 4) and for quick access I grabbed the Mini but for any extended use I grabbed the 4. Again, since I have my iPhone 5, I determined the regular size iPad made a better in between device.

I have an iPad mini & iPad 4.

Advising you is difficult because they are both excellent.

I'm very mobile & thought once I had the mini I might give the iPad 4 away to a family member. Yet I can't part with it, there's just too many differences between the two in day to day usage depending on the task at hand.

While they're both iPads, there's quite a difference in the user experience.

Think very carefully about the overall size, and which one would suit you best. Ignore some of the posts that complain about the mini's low resolution. Yes it's not retina, but having the latest iPad 4 retina, my experience is it's nice yet not a deal breaker.

Either way you can't go wrong. For me owning both is mandatory.

saporiti said:

I think 16gb is not enough, since I want to have some movies and some games like FIFA one the iPad. What do you guys think? Because here in Portugal the 16gb iPad 2 costs 399€ and the 16gb iPad mini costs 339€.

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16gb is not large enough for movies.

saporiti said:

Another question: since I'm using the iPhone 5, will I be disappointed with the screen quality of the iPad 2 or iPad mini?

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Yes!

saporiti said:

Do you guys find the iPad mini big enough to read PDF files, comic books, word documents, etc?

Click to expand...

It is terrible for PDF.

saporiti said:

Should I wait until march for the possibility of a iPad mini with retina display?

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There are a lot of rumors about iPad Mini and iPad 5. Worth waiting.

saporiti said:

Do you guys ever felt the iPad Mini kinda slow? Running heavy games, for example... or watching a 1080p movie.

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Yes. Webpages often freezing or reloading.

You can grab the iPad Mini 16GB for 315€, the iPad 2 16GB for 370€ , the iPad 3 16GB for 430€ or the 32GB for 500€ and the iPad 4 16GB for 440€ or the 32GB for 535€ if you are willing to order them from the UK.

Awakener said:

16gb is not large enough for movies.



Yes!



It is terrible for PDF.



There are a lot of rumors about iPad Mini and iPad 5. Worth waiting.




Yes. Webpages often freezing or reloading.

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These are crazy answers.

The screen resolution is great. It's not retina, but I seriously doubt that you will be disappointed.

I rely on the iPad mini for reading PDF files for school. It's great.

Rumors.....

I have never had webpages freeze or be forced to reload. Often? then something is wrong with the device and should be returned.

saporiti said:

These week I'm going to visit some stores, check the screen quality of both iPad 4 and ipad Mini.. But since 439€ for 32GB is still a better deal than 509€ for 16GB, I am probably heading towards the Mini

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I think you'll be impressed and surprised by the mini. I have no doubt that the full size iPad is still awesome, but 16GB or 32GB of storage is plenty of space. This is especially true if you don't try to sync a complete HD movie file to have a great viewing experience. I converted my DVDs to universal formats and made sure that the quality was good before saving them. Most of my movies are less than 1.5GB and look great on all my devices.

I have a ipad 4 retina 16gb wifi only. I do like it a lot and it is very useful the next ipad I am getting will be a 32 gb. Because once you put a few apps and games you like you're only left with 1-2 GB (you have like 13 Gb in reality).

This is a bummer because I have 1080p HD movies that are 2-5 GB in size that would take advantage of the beautiful retina display.

The mini is a second rate device to me. It's too small and the screen isn't that nice. The ipad 4 is beautiful and I couldn't resist that. As far as people that say the mini is more mobile, well I have iphone 5 that I pay monthly that takes advantage of that niche.

the ipad 4 is still very mobile, especially if you are used to lugging around a heavy laptop.