iPad mini iPad Mini. A 3 month review

Thanks OP. My Dad passed away last year and he always talked about getting an iPad for his flying (he was a pilot) but he never got the chance to pick one up. Thanks for the great review and the tie in to Aviation!

I work subcontract for an airline and they're using iPads everywhere now, in the board room, execs, hostesses and pilots. I'm not sure if the mini is suitable due to the screen limitations but maybe it's early days and they're trying them.i would think the maps and flight charts not so ideal on a non retina screen?

All you need is a BFL screen saver and you'll be set ;>)

I wish Apple came out with mini sooner, bought the 3 instead.

I was set to buy a mini the day it came out,
...until the airplane (Cessna 172) I regularly fly was sold, so the primary reason to get mini was gone.

I will get a mini later this year, when next version is out, and my iPad 3 is well used.

BTW, wonderful review!

PS, check my aviation related post.

I love the mini too, returned an iPad 4 and have not regretted it since I travel. It's really less than 2" smaller screen diagonal , but WAY lighter and thinner.

I just keep misplacing it cause it's SO portable.

Nice review, you proved that even for such a "low spec" device, you made the most out of it and enjoy it. That's all that matters

The more Apple makes the iPad mini desirable at $329 it actually hurts the 9.7" iPad. If the next mini matches spec for spec of it's bigger brother at $329 who in their right mind would pay $170 for 1.8 inches?
I'm almost positive that the mini will not have the same resolution as iPad 4. Either the mini 2 will have the same display or it's going to be a different resolution below the current retina spec or it's going to cost more than $329. Don't get you hopes up for a 2048x1536 iPad mini for $329. Apple should have stayed king of the 10" iPad because there's no winning in the 7-8" category with competition under cutting Apple by $100. The 8" Samsung Note will have more features and will be cheaper.

JPNFRK7 said:

Great review! I also love my Mini and have replaced my laptop with it at school for notetaking.

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Random 995K said:

QFT... Personally I prefer the 4 as it suits my needs better but what an excellent review. 2 thumbs up

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Guys...while I completely agree that the review was excellent...a little forum etiquette. Don't quote such a a massive post (like a review) only to post a compliment. In the case you were going to address certain points, it makes sense. In this case, it just make it an incredibly long 'scroll' to get to your point

larrybeo said:

Wow this is a first - no one's left a bashing .....

That being said, the hard drives are way too small as well, and Apple's price points for their SSD drives are ludicrious. What world do they live in that a 32GB SSD upgrade is worth 100 dollars?

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They aren't SSD. They're much more comparable to high end CF of SDXC cards internally. If you're into photography, you know how much a 32GB 90mb/second card costs...$140. It's not as 'huge' a mark up for this type of storage as you'd think. It's also one of the reasons so many phones are 16GB only with a 32GB option here or there. 64GB is rare. iPhone and a handful of others. Even in the tablet space...16/32 is the norm...and all manufacturers (that are into profit) charge $100 for the 16-32 jump.

macsrcool1234 said:

It's a good review of the iPad but there's nothing at all that makes it suggest why a mini would be better IMO.

Other than this:


But then again, I don't have girl hands and am strong enough to carry the iPad around so I guess that doesn't make sense to me.

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You're obviously ignorant to the cockpit, and what a knee board is. Has nothing to do with his hand size.

Fruit Cake said:

I work subcontract for an airline and they're using iPads everywhere now, in the board room, execs, hostesses and pilots. I'm not sure if the mini is suitable due to the screen limitations but maybe it's early days and they're trying them.i would think the maps and flight charts not so ideal on a non retina screen?

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I'm a pilot as well...I got my private license in '89. Instrument in '96 and multi engine in 2002. The Jep charts and apps ala Foreflight look amazing in the iPads. Regardless of resolution. Just like google earth...you can zoom in for 'better' resolution. We've been using the iPad as a 'backup' to our 43 pound flight bags for 18 months. It saves a LOT of weight. I think UA has completely gone to the iPad now. They obviously have a backup set of charts in the pit...but navigation, weather, and flight planning on the iPad is very reliable at this time! Very exciting times to be a pilot!

cdmoore74 said:

The more Apple makes the iPad mini desirable at $329 it actually hurts the 9.7" iPad. If the next mini matches spec for spec of it's bigger brother at $329 who in their right mind would pay $170 for 1.8 inches?
I'm almost positive that the mini will not have the same resolution as iPad 4. Either the mini 2 will have the same display or it's going to be a different resolution below the current retina spec or it's going to cost more than $329. Don't get you hopes up for a 2048x1536 iPad mini for $329. Apple should have stayed king of the 10" iPad because there's no winning in the 7-8" category with competition under cutting Apple by $100. The 8" Samsung Note will have more features and will be cheaper.

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Man, I can't get RID of my silly Notw fast enough. I hate it! Bought it on a whim last March...I've got the iPhone 5 as well. The Note collects dust. I don't think Apple has any concerns about canabalizing their other gear. Tim Cook mentioned on the earnings call that this was an awesome opportunity For them and they're just fine with it. Just a quick glance at MR and it's pretty obvious that there's plenty of folks that appreciate one or the other. Maybe so far as to say a 50/50 split? I know I love owning both. The iPad 4 and the iPad mini. I use both daily...as well as my laptop.

To the OP...thanks for sharing. May I ask which kneeboard you used to mock yours up? Looks great, and comfortable
Excellent review. Congrats on your PPL. Good luck, be safe. Are you doing all your flying in southeast? I learned and have only flown in Alaska. We rented a plane in Washington state two years ago...but we didn't get off the ground due to weather (172).

J

cdmoore74 said:

The more Apple makes the iPad mini desirable at $329 it actually hurts the 9.7" iPad. If the next mini matches spec for spec of it's bigger brother at $329 who in their right mind would pay $170 for 1.8 inches?
I'm almost positive that the mini will not have the same resolution as iPad 4. Either the mini 2 will have the same display or it's going to be a different resolution below the current retina spec or it's going to cost more than $329. Don't get you hopes up for a 2048x1536 iPad mini for $329. Apple should have stayed king of the 10" iPad because there's no winning in the 7-8" category with competition under cutting Apple by $100. The 8" Samsung Note will have more features and will be cheaper.

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Good point on the mini/big iPad distinction. I think eventually the mini will be on par with its big bro spec-wise, but they need to make sure the increased volumes in sales of the mini make up for the lower margins.

Disagree that Apple's lost the 7/8" category. The hardware is only part of the equation. Ecosystem is the bigger part. Apple's got a sticky ecosystem and there are loads of people who want a mini and wouldn't ever consider an Android tablet. The Note is competing primarily with other Android tablets for a distant second. That's why we haven't seen a marked decrease in iPad market share even after the Kindles, Notes, etc were released.

Excellent review, a lot of us couldn't have said it better

thelookingglass said:

Disagree that Apple's lost the 7/8" category. The hardware is only part of the equation. Ecosystem is the bigger part. Apple's got a sticky ecosystem and there are loads of people who want a mini and wouldn't ever consider an Android tablet. The Note is competing primarily with other Android tablets for a distant second. That's why we haven't seen a marked decrease in iPad market share even after the Kindles, Notes, etc were released.

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Apple is still dominant, to be sure, but I wouldn't count on it's numbers looking so good next year. In 2011, my house only had an Apple tablet. In 2012, we've had two Android tablets, and one iPad. Next year? I can't say for sure.

"Apple continued to win out in terms of tablet market share this past quarter, according to the latest figures from ABI Research, with a 55 percent share of all shipments during the period. That’s a lead it has had since 2010 when the iPad was introduced, but it’s also the slimmest lead it’s ever had, and represents a dip of 14 percent versus the previous quarter. At this rate, Android could overtake the iPad for tablet share sometime next year, something which seemed unlikely or even impossible in 2010 and 2011."
http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/28/ip...arrows-much-faster-than-originally-predicted/

"Sales of Google’s (GOOG) low-cost Nexus 7 tablet have reportedly topped Apple’s (AAPL) iPad over the holiday season in Japan. Nikkei cites market research firm BCN in reporting that a survey of 2,400 stores across Japan suggests that Google’s 7-inch tablet accounted for 44.4% of all tablet sales by large electronics vendors in the region. Despite the launch of the iPad mini, sales of Apple tablets were said to account for 40.1% of all tablet sales over the period. It is unclear if Apple stores were included in the firm’s poll."
http://bgr.com/2013/01/17/nexus-7-sales-japan-ipad-294036/

There are plenty of glowingly positive prognostications for Apple as well, but I think these two articles are the canaries in the coalmine. My guess? Apple will do what it did to computers and move us on to the next thing, leaving the Android and Windows folks to fight over scraps in a dying market. I am wondering what is next, because right now, my iPad completes me

Great review, fun to see some unusual uses for the mini, and impressed by the video you produced with iMovie.

D.T. said:

Wow, that's the most epic review ever. 10/10 rating.

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One does not simply rate a review

Oridus said:

I think he said it just because until the mini was announced, people really weren't complaint about the weight..... The ipad four is definitely a lot lighter and more portable more than the average laptop. I, as well, prefer the four over the mini. I use one for work, and for right now think that the screen size is perfect for the productivity, and the retina display does not disappoint. That being said, I know a lot of people like the mini.... I just think its getting a lot of hype partially due to it being the new hotness from apple.

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Wrong, people were already complaining that the iPad 2 was heavier and a little thicker. That's why I bough an iPad 2 instead of the 3 last year, and now switched to iPad mini.

It's day and night when you take your iPad with you all the time.

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palpatine said:

Apple is still dominant, to be sure, but I wouldn't count on it's numbers looking so good next year. In 2011, my house only had an Apple tablet. In 2012, we've had two Android tablets, and one iPad. Next year? I can't say for sure.

"Apple continued to win out in terms of tablet market share this past quarter, according to the latest figures from ABI Research, with a 55 percent share of all shipments during the period. That’s a lead it has had since 2010 when the iPad was introduced, but it’s also the slimmest lead it’s ever had, and represents a dip of 14 percent versus the previous quarter. At this rate, Android could overtake the iPad for tablet share sometime next year, something which seemed unlikely or even impossible in 2010 and 2011."
http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/28/ip...arrows-much-faster-than-originally-predicted/

"Sales of Google’s (GOOG) low-cost Nexus 7 tablet have reportedly topped Apple’s (AAPL) iPad over the holiday season in Japan. Nikkei cites market research firm BCN in reporting that a survey of 2,400 stores across Japan suggests that Google’s 7-inch tablet accounted for 44.4% of all tablet sales by large electronics vendors in the region. Despite the launch of the iPad mini, sales of Apple tablets were said to account for 40.1% of all tablet sales over the period. It is unclear if Apple stores were included in the firm’s poll."
http://bgr.com/2013/01/17/nexus-7-sales-japan-ipad-294036/

There are plenty of glowingly positive prognostications for Apple as well, but I think these two articles are the canaries in the coalmine. My guess? Apple will do what it did to computers and move us on to the next thing, leaving the Android and Windows folks to fight over scraps in a dying market. I am wondering what is next, because right now, my iPad completes me

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That's great. If now your own family is a market trend, let's add mine. Nobody has any iPhones or iPad one year ago. They now all have both. Android is doomed.

Great write up and nice review. I too am very happy with the mini, its everything I had hoped for in a 7" tablet. I haven't tried any content creation with pages or numbers but perhaps I'll keep that in mind when I need too.

The original poster had an excellent review and if I already didn't own an iPad mini I would have went out and bought one. That being said though, I DO own and iPad mini and an iPad 3. I've been using an iPad since the iPad 1 came out so I am used to what the iPad can and can't do.

I absolutely LOVE the iPad mini. The screen resolution to me is absolutely fine. I use the iPad mini more than I ever did any of the other two iPads. I still use the iPad 3, but maybe only 10% of the time. The iPad mini goes with me everywhere. It's always in my backpack or messenger bag, whereas the iPad 3 was too bulky and heavy to carry around.

As for the mini's screen resolution, well even though it is the same pixel count as the iPad 1 and 2, the screen looks better because the pixels are compacted in a smaller area. Therefore, the resolution seems better. Retina, although nice, is over hyped and the fact that the iPad mini does not have it is not a deal breaker for me. I used an iPad one from it's release date back in 2010 until I won an iPad 3 from work in 2012. After seeing the 3 I actually took it to an Apple store to make sure it was a 3 since in many instances I could not tell the difference. I can tell now but if I am looking at things that closely I need to see someone about OCD or something. Before the iPad 3 everyone was totally fine with the iPad screen, when the retina display was introduced all of a sudden it was as if everyone went blind when a non retina display had to be used and their eyes began to bleed.

I for one love my Mini and find that I am using my mini for more things than I ever used the iPad/iPad3 for. Perhaps it's the portability and the lightness of it that allows me to take it everywhere, or that it is just a joy to use. All I can say is this, after 2.5 months of using it, I wouldn't give it up for anything, except for maybe an updated second or third generation model at some point in the future. The form factor alone will pretty much guarantee that I will not buy a full sized iPad again.

ScottNWDW said:

Before the iPad 3 everyone was totally fine with the iPad screen, when the retina display was introduced all of a sudden it was as if everyone went blind when a non retina display had to be used and their eyes began to bleed.

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I disagree about this. From the day that the iPad came out, I (and many others) complained about the fuzziness. Yes, it was "good," but we knew it could be a lot better, and we eagerly looked forward to a day when we could look at a screen and not see pixelation. In particular, those of us who spend a lot of time reading journal articles, books, etc. on the iPad were frustrated with the iPad 1 and 2. The iPad 3 was the first iPad that I finally felt was "just right." It had the minimum processor power and RAM I needed, and the screen was brilliant. I cannot say anything bad about the iPad 3 and 4 screen, to be honest, because it seems perfect. It is at the point where even if they increase the ppi, I probably could not even tell.

Of course, there is personal preference and so forth that will make the Mini a better choice for some people than others. But, please do not assume that the Retina display is some kind of gimmick. This level of precision (inability to see pixels) is something many of us have been waiting all of our lives to see, so it is something rather significant, which is why some of us are so disappointed with Apple for walking the display quality back to old levels with the Mini.

Nice review and glad to hear about your experience. For my part I need/want the larger screen though plan to pick up a mini when they release one with a retina screen.

I've had an iPad 1, 2 &3. I used the hell out of them for work and personal use.

It sounds funny to complain about the size of the iPad, but that was my only complaint about it. It's amazing to see how far mobile computing has come in the last few years and the next few years are even more amazing I hope.

I picked up a mini in November to replace my iPad 3 and it's beyond amazing. Of course the screen isn't retina quality but being a technology enthusiast is about making informed compromises.

Of course I'll be in line for a retina version the day it gets released (providing there aren't too many compromises ).

Night Spring said:

I agree that the girl hands remark is uncalled for, but I also feel that the OP shows how an iPad can be a great productivity device, but not how a mini is a better productivity device than a full-size iPad. I read the list of things OP does on his mini, and I kept thinking, "yes, but they are even easier to do on the bigger iPad." I understand that for the OP, the lighter and more compact format of the mini is probably important, and I too now mostly take the mini with me when I go out. But when I'm home, I definitely prefer my iPad 3 -- anything that can be done on the mini is easier to do on the 3 because bigger screen means more space. Everything is just easier to see and manipulate.

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I switched to the mini for the thin/lightness as well, but would and will switch back to the full size if Apple can trim it down.
It seems like most folks just want lighter/thinner.
I bet if the only difference was screen size- most might prefer a slightly larger screen size.
Think about it. A lighter thinner full-size retina or the current mini?
The 9.7 is still a smaller LxW than a newstand magazine and who has ever complained about carrying a magazine?

Bokes said:

I switched to the mini for the thin/lightness as well, but would and will switch back to the full size if Apple can trim it down.
It seems like most folks just want lighter/thinner.
I bet if the only difference was screen size- most might prefer a slightly larger screen size.
Think about it. A lighter thinner full-size retina or the current mini?
The 9.7 is still a smaller LxW than a newstand magazine and who has ever complained about carrying a magazine?

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Although I would choose the full size iPad for my needs, a lot of people neither want nor need a larger screen. For example, if they use it for emails and ebooks, then why 9.7"? Something smaller might fit more easily into a purse or a coat pocket (besides being lighter). If the iPad Mini gets a Retina display, I fully expect there to be huge demand for it (even more than now). The full size iPad will continue to do well, and I will continue to want the larger size, but I think if people could choose between two retina devices, they'll probably go for the medium size iPod (small = Touch, medium = Mini, and large = iPad).