I have an ipad 2 and a mini. When my wife got me the mini for Christmas, I gave my 13 year old daughter the ipad 2. Last week, clumsy me, tipped the mini off a counter and it landed flat on the rug, screen down. Poof! Shattered screen. Oh well, called everywhere locally and no one will change the mini screen.
I won't jack the ipad 2 back from my daughter,so I only use my iphone 5 and iMAC. Miss my mini, but I can't afford to buy another one just yet.
I prefer the mini. Much lighter and easier to hold.