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mac jones

macrumors 68040
Apr 6, 2006
3,257
2
I use it in place of my Kindle, which surprised me as i'm a Kindle junkie.

Considering this, and it's uses in other things, it looks presently like it's got some kinda 'Swiss Army Knife' thing going for it.

Time will tell though
 

ixodes

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2012
4,429
3
Pacific Coast, USA
Interesting how this has gone from guess to fact, even though Anandtech says it's not possible without other changes/compromises to the device.
Apple is positively obsessed with retina for many reasons, the first of which is the ego pump they get from boasting they created it. Any "changes / compromises" are about to be resolved as Apple works with a vengeance to get retina into the mini.

Secondly it's all part of Apples master plan to move their customers up market into more expensive devices.

Third, now that they've pushed their weight around as the self appointed bully in the tech sector, they've pissed enough people & companies off, that that've got a target on their back.

Witness the new 440ppi Android smartphones in the works for Q1 thru Q3 of 2013. Apples about to taste their own medicine & it's gonna make them think twice.
 

AppleRobert

macrumors 603
Nov 12, 2012
5,726
1,132
There are more differences between the Mini and the 3rd gen than just the screen. Obviously the size and weight but the hardware is more equivelent to the iPad 2 isn't it? And doesn't the 3 blow away the 2?
 
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Stu-Pid

macrumors newbie
Jun 9, 2009
22
0
I think what people just need to accept is that the iPad Mini is not a perfect product for everyone, but is a perfect product for many.

I ordered two of them, one for me and one for my wife. I simply couldn't get on with the screen and for me it was night and day compared to my iPhone 4S and iPad 3, and so I returned it. My wife on the other hand had no issues with the screen and couldn't really tell much of a difference, despite also owning an iPhone 4S and using the iPad 3 at least as much as I do.

There are plenty of people like my wife in the world (they certainly outnumber the tech nerds), and they will all love the Mini for the form factor, screen size, build quality, and the fact that it runs iPad apps and fits in with the rest of their iOS devices seamlessly. The screen will be a complete non-issue for them.

Apple doesn't need to please everyone with the Mini to sell millions and make makes hundreds of millions in profits, and that is all that matters at the end of the day, not what tech nerds on the internet think about it. They can argue about PPI until they are blue in the face and it won't make a blind bit of difference to the people that love their iPad Minis.
 

matrix07

macrumors G3
Jun 24, 2010
8,226
4,891
Witness the new 440ppi Android smartphones in the works for Q1 thru Q3 of 2013. Apples about to taste their own medicine & it's gonna make them think twice.

Please tell me why 440 ppi matters? Are you an eagle?
 

Dan14

macrumors regular
Aug 28, 2009
226
0
I admit it. I bought into all the un-hype about a lack of retina. Even felt the same when I saw it at an Apple store. But I finally brought one home today and I have to say, this is exactly what I've been looking for in a tablet. The lack of a retina is not an issue at all, even as an owner of every single retina iOS device that Apple's put out. Text is noticeably less crisp than a retina, but still absolutely fine for reading. I do have to zoom in in web pages, but I had to do that in my retina iPad anyway. No big deal.

All in all, an excellent device and at a much more palatable price than its big brother.

Welcome to the club :D
 

Dave-Z

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2012
861
1,447
People keep going on about HiDPI, but let's remember that for decades the world got by just fine with non-HiDPI displays. In fact, the move to HiDPI is quite recent.

I had an iPad 1 and iPad 2; I now use an iPad 3 and Retina MBP. HiDPI is fantastic. Things look amazing. I picked up an iPad Mini (and was blown away by the [lack of] weight) and the screen is fine. Yes, zoomed-out web pages make reading fine print difficult, if not impossible. But when I used the device as I normally use a tablet there really wasn't a problem. The text looks great and everything is quite readable. My vision is not great, but it is 20/20 with glasses. I spend most of my time reading and cannot imagine that the iPad Mini's display would be a problem. For those who are complaining about it, how have you been getting by for the last 30 years?

People going on and on about Retina displays is, in my opinion, ridiculous. If it's that important to you, don't buy the Mini. Buy a non-Apple tablet or a larger iPad with a retina display. But remember, in as much as the display is important to you, others find different aspects of the device important to them. For some, the weight alone is all that matters. They would rant about how "heavy" the iPad 4 is, even though its weight is modest. Different people have different needs/wants; that's why we have so much variety in the world.

I would guess the majority of consumers don't care all that much about HiDPI. The race for the highest DPI display is going to be as productive in the display market as it was/is in the print and scan markets. (In other words, there's actually very limited use in being able to scan 4800 dpi or print at 1200 dpi. For most people 150-300 dpi is just fine and beyond that it's just a specification war.)
 

AdonisSMU

macrumors 604
Oct 23, 2010
7,297
3,047
I think what people just need to accept is that the iPad Mini is not a perfect product for everyone, but is a perfect product for many.

I ordered two of them, one for me and one for my wife. I simply couldn't get on with the screen and for me it was night and day compared to my iPhone 4S and iPad 3, and so I returned it. My wife on the other hand had no issues with the screen and couldn't really tell much of a difference, despite also owning an iPhone 4S and using the iPad 3 at least as much as I do.

There are plenty of people like my wife in the world (they certainly outnumber the tech nerds), and they will all love the Mini for the form factor, screen size, build quality, and the fact that it runs iPad apps and fits in with the rest of their iOS devices seamlessly. The screen will be a complete non-issue for them.

Apple doesn't need to please everyone with the Mini to sell millions and make makes hundreds of millions in profits, and that is all that matters at the end of the day, not what tech nerds on the internet think about it. They can argue about PPI until they are blue in the face and it won't make a blind bit of difference to the people that love their iPad Minis.
Im a tech nerd and I returned my iPad 4 in favor of a mini.
 

1rottenapple

macrumors 601
Apr 21, 2004
4,702
2,719
I have both and think they are both great. Every time I think I will sell my 4 and just use the mini, I look at the retina screen and decide to keep both haha.

The mini is awesome for the size. And I have the lte model so I'm gonna bring it in my car to work and what not. Like a semi laptop replacement.
 

MarkCollette

macrumors 68000
Mar 6, 2003
1,559
36
Toronto, Canada
Witness the new 440ppi Android smartphones in the works for Q1 thru Q3 of 2013. Apples about to taste their own medicine & it's gonna make them think twice.

I welcome this, it only highlights the difference between Apple's focus on usability versus others' focus on pointless specs.
 

aerok

macrumors 65816
Oct 29, 2011
1,491
139
Retina is overrated but I still prefer the N7 so bought that for my girlfriends, much easier to hold with one hand than the Mini.
 

Amplelink

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 8, 2012
934
392
Retina is overrated but I still prefer the N7 so bought that for my girlfriends, much easier to hold with one hand than the Mini.

After some use, I'm actually starting to feel the same too. I like the bigger screen but then it makes the mini less comfortable to hold. I actually enjoy reading on my kindle a bit more for this very reason.

No retina still doesn't bother me much, on the other hand.
 

aerok

macrumors 65816
Oct 29, 2011
1,491
139
After some use, I'm actually starting to feel the same too. I like the bigger screen but then it makes the mini less comfortable to hold. I actually enjoy reading on my kindle a bit more for this very reason.

No retina still doesn't bother me much, on the other hand.

The Kindle (eInk version) is a whole other thing, I literally hold the Kindle like I would hold a book since it's so light.
 

throAU

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2012
8,817
6,985
Perth, Western Australia
It will be interesting to see how Apple prices the upcoming retina equipped mini. This may be the first Apple product with very low resale value.

It will be interesting to see if they actually do one any time soon.

It will be the same price almost as an iPad 4, which defeats the purpose of making a more affordable iPad.
 

akdj

macrumors 65816
Mar 10, 2008
1,186
86
62.88°N/-151.28°W
Mine is just fine.

It will be interesting to see how Apple prices the upcoming retina equipped mini. This may be the first Apple product with very low resale value.

When did YOU start enjoying your mini? You've had nothing but negative to say about it since inception. I think you're highly overrating specs & retina display especially. While I enjoy both my iPad 4 and my mini...most folks could give rip about PPI and resolution. They'll sell just as well as any other 'year old' Apple device. Guaranteed

Apple is positively obsessed with retina for many reasons, the first of which is the ego pump they get from boasting they created it. Any "changes / compromises" are about to be resolved as Apple works with a vengeance to get retina into the mini.

Secondly it's all part of Apples master plan to move their customers up market into more expensive devices.

Third, now that they've pushed their weight around as the self appointed bully in the tech sector, they've pissed enough people & companies off, that that've got a target on their back.

Witness the new 440ppi Android smartphones in the works for Q1 thru Q3 of 2013. Apples about to taste their own medicine & it's gonna make them think twice.

Gotcha. U are still there. Lol. Come on man. Android is still playing catch up with their CPU and gpu technology. Just because the new HTC is true 1080p doesn't mean the more enticing visual features maintain the contrast, brightness, color gamut, reflectivity, and power usage. Some of the most important features of an excellent display. See the review from Engadget on these new 440ppi phones. This batch at least doesn't look so promising. Nice thing about Apple, they release when the hardware and software are able to coexist without issue, lag, and/or performance hits.

Retina is overrated but I still prefer the N7 so bought that for my girlfriends, much easier to hold with one hand than the Mini.

I understand. She. You have multiple girlfriends it's always easier to go with the cheaper device:)
 

0970373

Suspended
Mar 15, 2008
2,727
1,412
I adore my mini. Yes, adore. Lol. I can't put it down. I was hesitant about reading on it because I've gotten so used to my Kindle and I hated reading on my ipad 1. But I really like it on the Mini. The New Yorker app, which never really worked right on my gen 1 is wonderful on the mini. And it fits in my purses! Haha.

Bigger isn't always better, it's what you do with the equipment. ;)
 

arcangel6

macrumors regular
Aug 21, 2008
178
4
Wisconsin
I've had my mini a week now and it has become my most used device. I rarely even turn on my 3rd Gen iPad anymore. I never thought the screen was that bad at all. In fact it looked better than my 1st gen iPad and better than the iPad 2 that I was comparing it with in the Apple Store. I am able to read web pages just fine and with minimal zooming if at all. I also love the fact that all I had to do was log in with my Apple ID and everything that was on my iPad 3 just moved over to the mini.

The form factor is perfect for me...........

I completely agree! My 3rd Generation iPad has been collecting dust since last Friday. For me the trade off of Retina display vs size/weight is an easy decision.....the Mini wins! Don't get me wrong, I do love the Retina display. However, for my use the Mini is almost perfect! A Mini with a Retina display would be spectacular BUT not if it meant a trade off in size and weight. Also, I have noticed better wifi speeds with the mini.

Regards,

Joe
 
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