iPad Mini: Updated: Walked in for iPad 4, walked out with iPad mini! Then walked in again... :(

[Anti-Lucifer]

This is another "I can't believe it's not butter" kind of thread so you have been warned!

Cool Story:

I walked in ready to buy an ipad 4. Having owned and ipad 3 LTE and and ipad 2 3G, I will say that for those who are on the fence of buying an ipad mini or an ipad retina, you will know once you hold the ipad mini.

The ipad mini display is not retina. It's not even close...but it's clearly good enough and better than the ipad 2! In fact, with SIRI, iphone 5 front camera, ipad 3/4 rear cameras and the video stablization DSP, along with a cool running A5, it's clearly a very well packaged device.

I got rid of my ipad 2, collected the money and was ready to buy an ipad 4. It was NOT an easy decision. The ipad 3 LTE I rarely used LTE and in fact, I never even activated the LTE SIM. On my ipad 2 3G, I used the $14.99 AT&T data plan ONCE. That was a year ago. I also bought the 3G/LTE for the GPS but found that I've only used navigon on my ipads no more than 5 times. I have an iphone 5 now and I use it for navigation instead.

Long story, but I gave the ipad retina to my father in law. He deserved it very much but I regretted that giveaway in less than 24 hours because I had to go back to my ipad 2, it was so hard the text on that 9.7" display is so blurry, it was just very hard for me and I dreaded viewing web pages for a few weeks.

I was skeptical of the ipad mini and today I went into the store and played with the mini and the ipad 4 for nearly an hour. The decision wasn't merely because of the retina, it had to do with the price and the fact the real ipad successor is due out soon! I didn't want a deal like going from iphone 4 -> iphone 4S when the iphone 5 is clearly superior.

So I said, forget it, and having tried out the mini on major websites and going back and forth between the retina ipad and the mini, it was clear I always came back to the mini. The size, weight and overall package is just clearly a better buy for me. I walked out with a 64GB WIFI ipad mini! In fact, retina ipad is so good in the display, it was just so hard to say yes to the ipad mini - but then being able to hold it further away when I couldn't do that with an iPad 2/ipad 3, I was able to enjoy the ipad mini's screen much more so than my ipad 2! Of course I wish it to be retina but if they come out with one next year, I will buy the mini retina! I will just sell the ipad mini by then.

I lost alot of money selling the ipad 2 64GB 3G and I knew that I didn't want to lose that much selling my ipad 4 if I had bought that. The mini is new so it's easier to sell...you reallyhave to use the mini extensively to realize how damn good it is! It is so good, I was able to forego the RETINA DISPLAY and choose the ipad mini.

I can only imagine the buying frenzy if the mini was retina! Bottom line is if you go out and try out the ipad mini, it will really change your mind. I can see why it is sold out and let me say that I am 100% content with the ipad mini. The siri is great, the cameras are fantastic, and best of all I can carry it everywhere and use it with ease. The ipad 3/4 is just great but it's not as ideal as an ipad mini when you need to use it everywhere and because of the weight, you can hold it further away from your eyes and that will convince you the display is good enough!

[toondw]

Horses for courses as they say. Mini suits some not others......me being in the latter. Enjoy, whatever the size.........just within 6 months I bet the retina mini will be out!

[Anti-Lucifer]

Originally Posted by toondw

Horses for courses as they say. Mini suits some not others......me being in the latter. Enjoy, whatever the size.........just within 6 months I bet the retina mini will be out!

Of course it's subjective, what isn't? When you buy things, it's always this way - some people like it, some people don't. You don't have to wear $1000 suits to look great; some people do spend that kind of money for whatever reason, and some buy a $19 pair of jeans, $10 shirt and a $5 tie.

I can't convince all of you but I'm enjoying my ipad mini! When 6 months rolls around, I'll sell my ipad mini. If I paid $900 tax included for my ipad 4 64GB LTE, I would be kicking myself in 6 months.

Luckily, I gave away my ipad 3 but that decision I still regret. But for now, the mini is so good, I'm loving every second of using it!

----------

Originally Posted by hyteckit

Your fonts are huge on safari because you have 'small' and 'large' javascript?

Try another browser.

Didn't like safari on my iPad Mini. Fonts too small.

I switched to Mercury browser. Very nice browser with lots more features than safari. You can set default font size for each site. No global default font size though.

I want the performance of the nitro JS safari has access to. All the other browsers do not therefore is slow. I just used the large font bookmark hack and it's great!

And don't forget instapaper! I can finally use that app for a reason now!

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I wanted to add that even though I didn't buy the 4G/LTE model this time around, it's because I never ever used it. I thought it would be great to have in case I needed it, but I never ever used it except to test out the very first time I owned an ipad 2 3G.

Now with the offline reading list in safari, it's just easier for me to read any webpage on the go. WIth instapaper, I can do the same thing and the fonts will be great on the ipad mini.

I have tried the ipad mini in store on all the websites I could recall at that moment and even though it's no comparison to a retina display, the ipad mini display isn't that bad like everyone makes it to be. I can't force everyone to like a mini, but I am telling you that I gave up a retina display for an ipad mini.

[N0ddie]

We to went in with the intention of buying a 64Gb iPad 4 on launch weekend. However, walked out with a mini 16Gb instead.

Just preferred the mini and to me the screen is superb.

[cardfan]

It just depends on what i'd use it for. If it's mainly for reading and browsing, i'd get something else because that's heavy text. If it's more for apps, games, pics and video, and just do occasional things like reading and browsing, a Mini could be a good choice.

Since I don't think many are buying these to mostly read books or long articles on, it's no surprise they're selling well.

[jabingla2810]

I went from iPad 3 to Mini.

Wouldn't go back now.

The form factor and weight is ideal.

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by cardfan

Since I don't think many are buying these to mostly read books or long articles on, it's no surprise they're selling well.

All it takes to sell them is the Apple logo ...

[smoking monkey]

Originally Posted by Anti-Lucifer

I just used the large font bookmark hack and it's great!

What's this? Can anybody enlighten me?

thanks.

[Appl3FTW]

Love the mini but still debating if i should keep it and save.

[nospleen]

Originally Posted by smoking monkey

What's this? Can anybody enlighten me?

thanks.

Here you go...

http://marcos.kirsch.com.mx/2012/04/...-bookmarklets/

[Anti-Lucifer]

Originally Posted by nospleen

Here you go...

http://marcos.kirsch.com.mx/2012/04/...-bookmarklets/

What I did was modify the script to enlarge the font size to my max comfort level without having to keep tapping on the bookmark to increase size. One single tap brings my fonts up to perfect readable size. And best of all I don't have to use the 3rd party browsers since I do like the nitro js engine safari has exclusive access to.

Search for this and I used a value of 10.
Default is value of 2;

%7Ds+=10

[DarwinOSX]

Originally Posted by toondw

Horses for courses as they say. Mini suits some not others......me being in the latter. Enjoy, whatever the size.........just within 6 months I bet the retina mini will be out!

At least a year for a retina mini unless they greatly increase the thickness and weight.

[MrXiro]

Originally Posted by toondw

Horses for courses as they say. Mini suits some not others......me being in the latter. Enjoy, whatever the size.........just within 6 months I bet the retina mini will be out!

Had to get a dig in there after all, eh?

[ANMA dojo]

Originally Posted by toondw

Enjoy, whatever the size.........just within 6 months I bet the retina mini will be out!

thanks, I'll happily use my mini for the next 6 months, then sell it to upgrade to the mini retina when it comes out

[kinster]

Originally Posted by toondw

Horses for courses as they say. Mini suits some not others......me being in the latter. Enjoy, whatever the size.........just within 6 months I bet the retina mini will be out!

You just wished that happened just to make yourself feel better. Bet it won't be out in 6 months though.

[Steevie]

I really want to get the mini but becuase its internally an ipad 2 im worried that it wont be supported much longer... am i being stupid?

[darngooddesign]

Originally Posted by Steevie

I really want to get the mini but becuase its internally an ipad 2 im worried that it wont be supported much longer... am i being stupid?

Yes.

You will get at least two full OS upgrades and unless you are playing the really advanced games you'll have apps to choose from for a while. The iPad 3 is basically a 2 with a nicer screen and more RAM.

[Anti-Lucifer]

Hi folks-

An update on the extensive use of the ipad 4 thus far:

Again, the retina has sunk in. Now whenever I look at anything non-retina, I don't like it. I don't have a mini here with me (which is a good thing cause I'll sway the other way again!), but for sure, the ipad 4 is a good wise choice.

Now regarding pdf's, I hold my ipad in portrait orientation 99% of the time. I do the same with any ipad mini. If you want to compare, load up any e-brochure from any car manufacturer. You will not like what you see on the ipad mini. on the ipad 4, you don't even need to zoom anything. It's crystal clear! On the ipad mini, it's terrible in portrait and zoom is required in landscape mode.

I have tons of epubs and pdf books to read - and on the ipad 4, portrait orientation is just so natural and you don't have to zoom at all to visually see everything. On the ipad mini, you can't work with it. Zooming is required and on larger high quality PDFs, there is lagging involved to render the image content. So much you can visually see the difference. On the iPad 4, it's nearly .5 seconds on high quality content, not even worth debating!

Overall, I'm quite pleased performance wise of the ipad 4. Still i do not think it is as fast as it should be with the A6 generation hardware. My iPHone 5 is just very very fast/fluid. ON the ipad 4, there is still that dreaded task switching lag and overall UI experience seems to be on par with ipad 2/ipad 3. I do notice wifi and overall multimedia streaming is faster and some websites that have alot of javascript is faster on the ipad 4 enough to see the difference...but if it's a normal web site, you wont' notice much or the speeds seem to be wash between the ipad 2/3/4.

I will say that I still yearn for the ipad mini's size and weight and ergo and just overall discrete form factor you can enjoy using easily. The ipad 4 is heavier by a lot but still, you gotta realize the retina makes up for it. I'm sure they can shave the bezels down on the ipad 5 and reduce weight, but overall, I'm going to stay with the ipad 4 for now. I still enjoy reading in bed lying down (not holding like a book however, but instead laying it down with the edges on the bed; essentially sleeping sideways with it). I watch movies, read content on pdf's and web, do some personal finances with the iPad and yes the mini can do everything (except excel at pdf's compared to the ipad 4) - but I cannot just agree to purchasing the same ipad 2 I sold for such a great loss (more than half).

I need 64GB and LTE - yes, I get to use my iPhone 5 sim inside the LTE ipad 4 (with adapter). I wish it was cheaper, but what you gonna do? Apple is apple.
Would I ever walk back into the store and pick up the mini? You bet I will in a heartbeat; but just not with the current processor specs and even the camera is improved, I dont' think of those items as an incentive. I just cannot pull myself to rebuy the same ipad 2 again. But if it were A6 internals, wow, I don't know, it's like that one girlfriend you use to bang - she was good and you can't help buy always go back to her for booty calls but you know she is not marriage material.

Right now in my life, I need a wife that can do it all - and the ipad 4 is the one!

[kodeman53]

Originally Posted by Steevie

I really want to get the mini but becuase its internally an ipad 2 im worried that it wont be supported much longer... am i being stupid?

Yes.

[bniu]

Originally Posted by toondw

Horses for courses as they say. Mini suits some not others......me being in the latter. Enjoy, whatever the size.........just within 6 months I bet the retina mini will be out!

right on, I have fat fingers which make the mini UI impractical for me. Others I know, will find the mini perfect for them. iPhone is different as the UI is designed for phones and not compressed.

[hyteckit]

Your fonts are huge on safari because you have 'small' and 'large' javascript?

Try another browser.

Didn't like safari on my iPad Mini. Fonts too small.

I switched to Mercury browser. Very nice browser with lots more features than safari. You can set default font size for each site. No global default font size though.

[Deasnutz]

Went in for a 4, checked out the mini screen for 2 seconds...yikes. I was so happy when apple finally went high resolution

[Awakener]

Originally Posted by Anti-Lucifer

you can hold it further away from your eyes and that will convince you the display is good enough!

Lol, you shouldn't have to do that.

[KPOM]

Originally Posted by Anti-Lucifer

I can only imagine the buying frenzy if the mini was retina! Bottom line is if you go out and try out the ipad mini, it will really change your mind. I can see why it is sold out and let me say that I am 100% content with the ipad mini. The siri is great, the cameras are fantastic, and best of all I can carry it everywhere and use it with ease. The ipad 3/4 is just great but it's not as ideal as an ipad mini when you need to use it everywhere and because of the weight, you can hold it further away from your eyes and that will convince you the display is good enough!

Image

Image

I agree that once the iPad mini gets a Retina Display it will a truly spectacular device. My first iPad was the 3rd generation, and my first iPhone was the 4S so I'm definitely spoiled by the Retina Display. I notice the blurriness on the current mini, but the size and weight are definite plusses.

I think for now I'll keep my 3rd gen and the mini, but when the mini gets Retina, I'll probably unload both and replace it with that version of the mini. I just can't get over how light and easy to hold it is.

[Tokes Green]

Originally Posted by KPOM

I just can't get over how light and easy to hold it is.

I know right, forget it's in my jacket sometimes!