iPad mini or wait for the Retina?

SoApple · Jan 8, 2013, 06:05 PM

So i just started university and am finding myself purchasing e-books rather than actual physical copies. It is much simpler to use , portable and easier on the budget. I do own a macbook air , however I feel that having a tablet is so much more practical.
I am thinking of purchasing myself the ipad mini , I think it's perfect for e-books.
Although I am a little hesitant , I've been reading rumours that Apple is cooking up a retina mini , which in my opinion will be great.
Not sure if I should wait and see if the retina rumour really materializes or should just buy one now?

Thanks

maflynn · Jan 8, 2013, 06:18 PM

The retina version will be great but a couple of points to ponder.

The iPad mini is available now, the retina version isn't - who knows when it will be out.
The iPad's price point is rather high, a retina screen will drive the price even higher presumably.
The processor and GPU are not powerful enough to handle the retina screen so the A6 will be used.
Because of the higher performing screen and GPU a larger battery will be needed if they wish to maintain the same battery life.
The size may be altered because of the issues above.

I'm not saying apple can't or won't but if you like the current form factor then I suggest you buy it and enjoy it. If Apple releases the iPad mini sometime in 2013 you could always sell the this one and buy the retina version

didgeridoo · Jan 8, 2013, 09:58 PM

I'm waiting. I have an ipad3. Going with the current mini is going backwards with regards to image clarity. If the current mini isn't going to be used for reading text then it's fine.

Dominus Mortem · Jan 9, 2013, 12:47 AM

I think you should get a regular ver. 4 IPAD for reading text. Especially if they are text books with pictures. The text and image quality will be unsurpassed and I'd want the slightly larger screen too. The Ipad is great, don't get me wrong, I have one, but if I were using it for textbooks I'd want the larger retina IPAD.

Nightarchaon · Jan 9, 2013, 04:15 AM

I am getting this gen Mini, played with a friends and compared it along side a retina iPad and i just dont see the diffrence, retina is pointless for what i want to do, and the distance at which i hold the device from my eyes, i cant see a difference between the retina iPad and the non-retina iPad.

Interestingly a test was done on HD TVs a few years back, and most people who were shown a selection of TVs running a mix of 720p and 1080p screens from a normal viewing distance couldn't tell which was which, same holds true for the iPads, if your close enough to see the difference, your too close to the device screen.

Give me a sensible resolution and a better battery life, no need for high end GPU, more ram and a power hungry screen.

The Man · Jan 9, 2013, 05:59 AM

The iPad 3 and 4 are thicker and heavier than iPad 2 due to battery requirements to power the retina display. For the iPad mini, it would probably take IGZO display to keep power requirements of retina display low, so that they can keep it slim and light. But I heaven't heard about the yields of IGZO to be high enough for Apple to actually use them, because Apple needs millions of displays to satisfy demand. I would think IGZO maybe there at the end of the year, but who really knows.

My mini will arrive in a few days.

SoApple · Jan 9, 2013, 03:07 PM

Thanks for all your input!

It's pretty tough to make a decision! Price wise the current 329$ isn't too pricy.
I would assume that the retina display ipad mini would make the price rise to a good 399$.

The ipad mini might get a little heavier and maybe a little thicker but personally that wouldn't really bother me.

Apple products have a good resale value so if ever a retina mini comes out Im sure i can easily get 250-275$ for it.
However I feel that im buying the mini a little too late. Considering that apple seems to refresh it's products every other month :/

The Man · Jan 10, 2013, 03:53 AM

Well, the price doesn't have to rise when a retina mini comes along. Look at what happened to the regular iPad: 3rd gen replaced the iPad 2, but at the same price point.

You'll never know when the new mini will arrive or what technology Apple will use. Would Apple put to market a thicker and heavier iPad mini so soon after making such a big deal about the mini being thin and light? Maybe. The 3rd gen iPad was also a bit of an in-between, because the GPU couldn't really keep up with the display resolution. 4th gen solved that.

rockyroad55 · Jan 12, 2013, 07:36 AM

If its just for ebooks, how about one of the kindles? Amazon's book ecosystem is tons better than Apple's.

Jan 8, 2013, 06:05 PM	#1
SoApple macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2012	iPad mini or wait for the Retina? So i just started university and am finding myself purchasing e-books rather than actual physical copies. It is much simpler to use , portable and easier on the budget. I do own a macbook air , however I feel that having a tablet is so much more practical. I am thinking of purchasing myself the ipad mini , I think it's perfect for e-books. Although I am a little hesitant , I've been reading rumours that Apple is cooking up a retina mini , which in my opinion will be great. Not sure if I should wait and see if the retina rumour really materializes or should just buy one now? Thanks
	0

Jan 8, 2013, 06:18 PM	#2
maflynn Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: May 2009 Location: Boston	The retina version will be great but a couple of points to ponder. The iPad mini is available now, the retina version isn't - who knows when it will be out. The iPad's price point is rather high, a retina screen will drive the price even higher presumably. The processor and GPU are not powerful enough to handle the retina screen so the A6 will be used. Because of the higher performing screen and GPU a larger battery will be needed if they wish to maintain the same battery life. The size may be altered because of the issues above. I'm not saying apple can't or won't but if you like the current form factor then I suggest you buy it and enjoy it. If Apple releases the iPad mini sometime in 2013 you could always sell the this one and buy the retina version
	1

Jan 9, 2013, 04:15 AM	#5
Nightarchaon macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2010	I am getting this gen Mini, played with a friends and compared it along side a retina iPad and i just dont see the diffrence, retina is pointless for what i want to do, and the distance at which i hold the device from my eyes, i cant see a difference between the retina iPad and the non-retina iPad. Interestingly a test was done on HD TVs a few years back, and most people who were shown a selection of TVs running a mix of 720p and 1080p screens from a normal viewing distance couldn't tell which was which, same holds true for the iPads, if your close enough to see the difference, your too close to the device screen. Give me a sensible resolution and a better battery life, no need for high end GPU, more ram and a power hungry screen. __________________ MacBook Pro/iPad Mini/TV1/iMac/iPhone5
	0

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Jan 8, 2013, 09:58 PM	#3
didgeridoo macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2012	I'm waiting. I have an ipad3. Going with the current mini is going backwards with regards to image clarity. If the current mini isn't going to be used for reading text then it's fine.
	0

Jan 9, 2013, 12:47 AM	#4
Dominus Mortem macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2011	I think you should get a regular ver. 4 IPAD for reading text. Especially if they are text books with pictures. The text and image quality will be unsurpassed and I'd want the slightly larger screen too. The Ipad is great, don't get me wrong, I have one, but if I were using it for textbooks I'd want the larger retina IPAD.
	0

Jan 9, 2013, 05:59 AM	#6
The Man macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2004	The iPad 3 and 4 are thicker and heavier than iPad 2 due to battery requirements to power the retina display. For the iPad mini, it would probably take IGZO display to keep power requirements of retina display low, so that they can keep it slim and light. But I heaven't heard about the yields of IGZO to be high enough for Apple to actually use them, because Apple needs millions of displays to satisfy demand. I would think IGZO maybe there at the end of the year, but who really knows. My mini will arrive in a few days.
	0

Jan 9, 2013, 03:07 PM	#7
SoApple Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2012	Thanks for all your input! It's pretty tough to make a decision! Price wise the current 329$ isn't too pricy. I would assume that the retina display ipad mini would make the price rise to a good 399$. The ipad mini might get a little heavier and maybe a little thicker but personally that wouldn't really bother me. Apple products have a good resale value so if ever a retina mini comes out Im sure i can easily get 250-275$ for it. However I feel that im buying the mini a little too late. Considering that apple seems to refresh it's products every other month :/
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 03:53 AM	#8
The Man macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2004	Well, the price doesn't have to rise when a retina mini comes along. Look at what happened to the regular iPad: 3rd gen replaced the iPad 2, but at the same price point. You'll never know when the new mini will arrive or what technology Apple will use. Would Apple put to market a thicker and heavier iPad mini so soon after making such a big deal about the mini being thin and light? Maybe. The 3rd gen iPad was also a bit of an in-between, because the GPU couldn't really keep up with the display resolution. 4th gen solved that.
	0

Jan 12, 2013, 07:36 AM	#9
rockyroad55 macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Phila, PA	If its just for ebooks, how about one of the kindles? Amazon's book ecosystem is tons better than Apple's.
	0