Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

TsunaMic

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 25, 2012
5
0
Chocolate Town, USA
I have been debating whether or not to get the iPad Mini. I realize it is more portable, but is it worth not having the A5 and retina display. I want to hear some other peoples thoughts on whether or not being more portable is worth giving up the newest features.:apple::)
 

bova80

macrumors 6502a
Jul 8, 2008
581
33
Pittsburgh, PA
I have been debating whether or not to get the iPad Mini. I realize it is more portable, but is it worth not having the A5 and retina display. I want to hear some other peoples thoughts on whether or not being more portable is worth giving up the newest features.:apple::)

seems to me you could have easily read threads that are already out there rather than creating a new thread, but hey that's my opinion.

but to some it up you are going to get people that love it and don't care that it lacks retina or a6 chip, but they you'll have the ones that do. basically that is what you are going to get here.
 

takeshi74

macrumors 601
Feb 9, 2011
4,974
68
I have been debating whether or not to get the iPad Mini. I realize it is more portable, but is it worth not having the A5 and retina display. I want to hear some other peoples thoughts on whether or not being more portable is worth giving up the newest features.
All subjective matters (worth is highly subjective on any topic). Depends on who you ask. It's obviously worth it to those that have bought and kept the Mini.
 

rowspaxe

macrumors 68020
Jan 29, 2010
2,214
1,009
Blech. I should have mini thread fatigue by now, but mostly I am just turned off by the open ended threads.
 

2ndchancephones

macrumors regular
Jul 4, 2011
175
-1
Denton, TX
I don't have a mini or I would answer. Not sure why all these goons come in here telling you to read other threads....just answer the op's question or move on. Is that so hard?
 

bagelmaker

macrumors member
Oct 29, 2012
73
0
For me, the pros of the portability and usability of the mini far outweigh any cons. I've only had one retina device and though I liked the screen it was not the selling point for me to get that device, so the lack of retina is kind of a non-issue for me. I really like this mini and while it's not perfect it definitely is a purchase I'm quite happy with.
 

urkel

macrumors 68030
Nov 3, 2008
2,795
917
Pro:
Its so awesome

Con:
Its so awesome until the next model comes out then it feels outdated


Regardless of what the excuse makers say, Retina does matter on a device that you spend a lot of time reading on. So as much as I love my Mini, i fully intend on selling it once the rumor mill starts churning out the retina mini rumors.
 

doctorxring

macrumors member
Jun 20, 2006
50
0
.

If you are a photographer or want to use the iPad for maximum
quality display purposes in respect to imaging, then an iPad with
a Retina screen is the way to go.

If you can be happy with excellent, but not necessarily state of
the art imaging quality and find portability issues higher on the list, then
the Mini is best.

I have both. I am a photographer. But I also have a niche for
the Mini dues to its better handling as a Kindle device and also
it's extreme portability.

For me, the iPad is my #1 computing device.

.
 

GreatDrok

macrumors 6502a
May 1, 2006
561
22
New Zealand
Beware comparisons with retina - if they're showing it in portrait mode, the scaling is imperfect and makes the mini screen look worse than it really is. Run it in landscape mode and text is very legible.

That said, for the money I spent on my 64 GB cellular mini, I would have been stuck with the 16GB retina model so capacity and portability wins the day. As others have said, go into a store and try both. The mini is fast and has a bright display. The cameras and cellular capabilities are the same on both models so it is just size and display resolution. I have shorts with big pockets and can stick my mini in them easily. Can't do that with my full size iPad.
 

aleni

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2006
2,560
858
for the mini, i dont care if it doesnt have a retina display, because it's quite sharp enough. much better than the iPad 2. the only cons about it is the lack of ram. i wish it shipped with A6 processor and 1GB of ram.
 

MT0227

macrumors 6502
Jun 16, 2009
340
1
.
If you are a photographer or want to use the iPad for maximum
quality display purposes in respect to imaging, then an iPad with
a Retina screen is the way to go.

Print photography can't come close to resembling the look of an LCD display, let alone a retina display; so I'm not sure I agree with this statement.

I will agree that the retina display sure makes great photos look fantastically vibrant and full of bright/sharp colors.
 

MT0227

macrumors 6502
Jun 16, 2009
340
1
I've been looking for digital notebook capability for about a year. The iPad Mini + Noteshelf + Adonit Jot Pro is the best setup I've found to date.

I go from meeting to meeting with what I have in my hands, so the size and weight makes the Mini more desirable for me when compared to its larger sibling.

I'm happy to sacrifice the Retina display here for the desired functionality I need given the current display satisfies my needs just fine.


Pro's: Portability, easy to hold, perfect on the go notebook
Con's: Thin bezel may take some adjusting time, No HDR/Panoramic photo options (yet), only 5mp front Camera
 

bevsb2

Contributor
Nov 23, 2012
4,399
13,503
I don't have the mini but have looked at in the store on several occasions. I have an iPad 4 and rMBP so for me the screen looks unsatisfactory. After playing with the mini I also found it awkard trying to look at websites on the small screen without enlarging the text and swiping to see everything. It is a beautiful, lightweight device to hold, but the functionality is missing for me. I rarely have the need to carry an iPad with me anywhere so the portability isn't a factor for me either. I use my iPad 4 at home and find the size perfect for recreational use. This isn't to condemn the mini but it just isn't for me. I can see that the portability makes it an excellent choice for someone who carries an iPad with them frequently.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.