I ordered the mini and used it for about a week and a half. Initially I loved the form factor, but I realised it also had some issues. For example typing in landscape more while not bad size wise is much more annoying visually, in terms of not being able to see the keys you are typing on. Compared with the full size iPad, there is a big issue here with ease of typing. I love typing on the touch screen, and the big iPad I think I'm faster than on a physical keyboard, but the mini I found it was definitely more awkward due to not being able to see the keys as easily through cramped hands.
Then there was the major issue, screen sharpness/resolution. I tried to overlook this for a few days, and not having a retina iPad before I though I would be ok with it. But as I used it I kept noticing the pixels and blurriness more and more. Especially on viewing the web in portrait mode. How annoying I thought, as a device this compact MUST have RETINA, for the text to be comfortable to view. I mean It is still small in portrait view on the full sized iPad, so in my view it becomes too annoying to use for web browsing in portrait. Yes of course you can turn and use in landscape, but should there be this compromise? I didn't like have a device which was essentially useless for web browsing in portrait and being forced to go landscape. Ive heard some people got round this by overriding the font size in portrait, but that would have some deforming effects to web pages.
No, no, the solution to this IS retina. And when I thought about how the iPhone 5 is smaller than the mini but has retina, and how the big iPad is larger, and has retina, the more it was annoying.
I understand maybe apple were limited somewhat by the form factor they wanted to put out, and it is amazing, but it really, really, has to have retina when it is this compact.
Having said that, Im not sure retina mini will work for me either though. There will still be the issue of cramped and harder to view typing even in landscape, and even when very sharp in portrait the size may be too small to be a comfortable experience.
I ended up returning the mini, and paying a little extra on black friday for an iPad 4. And wo, amazing screen, and due to my previous expectation I was shocked at how light the 4 was lol. When I lifted it out of the box it literally shot up as I had prepared myself for something ridiculously heavy. In reality there is not that much difference between the 2 and 4. After a few days use I would say it is notcible, but really not terrible.
Then there was the major issue, screen sharpness/resolution. I tried to overlook this for a few days, and not having a retina iPad before I though I would be ok with it. But as I used it I kept noticing the pixels and blurriness more and more. Especially on viewing the web in portrait mode. How annoying I thought, as a device this compact MUST have RETINA, for the text to be comfortable to view. I mean It is still small in portrait view on the full sized iPad, so in my view it becomes too annoying to use for web browsing in portrait. Yes of course you can turn and use in landscape, but should there be this compromise? I didn't like have a device which was essentially useless for web browsing in portrait and being forced to go landscape. Ive heard some people got round this by overriding the font size in portrait, but that would have some deforming effects to web pages.
No, no, the solution to this IS retina. And when I thought about how the iPhone 5 is smaller than the mini but has retina, and how the big iPad is larger, and has retina, the more it was annoying.
I understand maybe apple were limited somewhat by the form factor they wanted to put out, and it is amazing, but it really, really, has to have retina when it is this compact.
Having said that, Im not sure retina mini will work for me either though. There will still be the issue of cramped and harder to view typing even in landscape, and even when very sharp in portrait the size may be too small to be a comfortable experience.
I ended up returning the mini, and paying a little extra on black friday for an iPad 4. And wo, amazing screen, and due to my previous expectation I was shocked at how light the 4 was lol. When I lifted it out of the box it literally shot up as I had prepared myself for something ridiculously heavy. In reality there is not that much difference between the 2 and 4. After a few days use I would say it is notcible, but really not terrible.
