All iPads Should I buy an iPad 4 or iPad Mini?

I have a 13" MBA and to get a full-sized iPad was too similar in size; mini was the way to go for me. The lack of retina display is a bit annoying but it's not so bad. Most of those in the it's-not-retina-so-it-sucks group have come from using a retina iPad so they notice it more. Think about that when you decide which one to get. More of an issue for me is the glare, but I think that's an issue across the entire iPad range. I do wish it had retina, but the ultra-portability of the tablet trumps the display resolution for me any day.

Why not buy one, see how you feel about it after a week and if you don't like it just trade it in for the iPad 4? I'm sure the guys in the Apple store won't mind the extra money

Alex

I will choose the iPad 4. Big screen, retina display, fast processor.

Are people seriously pretending that the resolution on the mini is garbage?! You kids these days sure are spoiled, my god! I have tried so hard to convince myself that the screen on my mini is awful, but at the end of the day, I love how it looks. It'll be a great day once the second generation of the mini is out, so I wont have to listen to people cry about having to look at a non-retina mini!

fiction2040 said:

Are people seriously pretending that the resolution on the mini is garbage?! You kids these days sure are spoiled, my god! I have tried so hard to convince myself that the screen on my mini is awful, but at the end of the day, I love how it looks. It'll be a great day once the second generation of the mini is out, so I wont have to listen to people cry about having to look at a non-retina mini!

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Trade-offs will be made, I guarantee it. So when the retina mini comes out, you will read complaints about weight, performance, charge-time or battery-life instead.

fiction2040 said:

Are people seriously pretending that the resolution on the mini is garbage?! You kids these days sure are spoiled, my god! I have tried so hard to convince myself that the screen on my mini is awful, but at the end of the day, I love how it looks. It'll be a great day once the second generation of the mini is out, so I wont have to listen to people cry about having to look at a non-retina mini!

Click to expand...

If I wasn't coming from a retina ipad 3 the mini would have been fine but the difference in display clarity is definitely noticeable when reading books, manuals or documentation. Not so much on games and movies. Retina mini will be nice but I think it won't have the awesome battery life once they do it.

I ultimately gave the mini to my business partner who never used one before and thought it was great.

Cheers,