So I got to play with an iPad mini last night and I have to say after using both an iPad 2 and iPad mini, I much prefer the larger iPad. The mini is nice but for a tablet it just seemed too small for my tastes. The larger iPad is still very portable and much more comfortable to use for anything due to its larger display. Of course this is only my opinion but I'm glad I finally got to use an iPad mini to compare to an iPad.
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All iPads iPad > iPad Mini
- Thread starter Boob
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I wonder if you'll be saying the same thing after having the 2 for a few weeks and using it for extended periods of time. Sure, for 10 minutes the 2 might seem better than the Mini, but after holding it for >30 minutes I assure you you'll appreciate the Mini more.
Personally I have had a 2 for 2.5 years and love using my girlfriends Mini and can't wait to get my own. I'm curious your age and eye sight strength as well. I can see for older people or for poor eye sight the bigger screen would be a no-brainer. All personal preferences
I find text to be generally more clear on the Mini than the iPad 2, so that's something to consider if eyesight is a problem (not saying it is in this case). My iPad 4 hasn't been used in a while. The Mini does fit in my pants pocket, and I carry it when driving. My iPad 4 has seen the inside of my car twice....maybe. That's the beauty of choices, so there ya go.
When eve rim in the Apple store I play with the 4, that big screen is really nice. The 5 is going to be a hell of a tablet.
I wonder if you'll be saying the same thing after having the 2 for a few weeks and using it for extended periods of time. Sure, for 10 minutes the 2 might seem better than the Mini, but after holding it for >30 minutes I assure you you'll appreciate the Mini more.
Personally I have had a 2 for 2.5 years and love using my girlfriends Mini and can't wait to get my own. I'm curious your age and eye sight strength as well. I can see for older people or for poor eye sight the bigger screen would be a no-brainer. All personal preferences
Thanks for your assessment. I am planning on getting my mother an iPad. She wants a mini, but I've suggested she get the larger iPad. We've only played with it in the stores. So perhaps, you're right and maybe go for what she wants rather than what I think she really needs. It seemed the regular iPad was portable enough, but after reading your comments, maybe not.
Do you know when to expect the new iPad mini. I hear it might be introduced in the key note when they introduce the iPhone 5S/6 next month. We were planning on buying the mini today, but was willing to postpone it if the new iPad mini is released in a couple of months. Your thoughts?
Hey hope you don't mind my butting in but if the rumors are true, the new full-sized ipad will be lighter and will take on the new form factor of the mini. What I would do is wait until it's released and compare it in stores next to the mini.
I wonder if you'll be saying the same thing after having the 2 for a few weeks and using it for extended periods of time. Sure, for 10 minutes the 2 might seem better than the Mini, but after holding it for >30 minutes I assure you you'll appreciate the Mini more.
Personally I have had a 2 for 2.5 years and love using my girlfriends Mini and can't wait to get my own. I'm curious your age and eye sight strength as well. I can see for older people or for poor eye sight the bigger screen would be a no-brainer. All personal preferences
When the 5th gen iPad comes out none of that will matter.
Because with the new IGZO display technology the iPad will have a much lighter and thinner form factor with the same design as the mini.
When the weight is cut down so drastically it will hit the same sweet spot that the mini holds.
No worries. That's good advice as well. I'll wait to hear what they say at the key note next month and make a decision then. I really like the size of the iPad, but after reading some of the comments, most who've experienced the iPad prefer the mini. I just want to get the right iPad or mini for my mother.
Thanks for chiming in. I appreciate it.
I wonder if you'll be saying the same thing after having the 2 for a few weeks and using it for extended periods of time. Sure, for 10 minutes the 2 might seem better than the Mini, but after holding it for >30 minutes I assure you you'll appreciate the Mini more.
Personally I have had a 2 for 2.5 years and love using my girlfriends Mini and can't wait to get my own. I'm curious your age and eye sight strength as well. I can see for older people or for poor eye sight the bigger screen would be a no-brainer. All personal preferences
I've had the mini for an extended period (2 months) after owning the ipad 2 for a year and a half. I must say I miss the size. The portability is nice, but the ipad 2 is equally portable in the bag. The only advantage the mini has is that it is easier to use in public, in which case I just use my iPhone. I can't wait to get a full sized ipad again...
That will NEVER happen. Even the mini is at times heavy. The larger ipad will not hit the weight sweet spot until it weighs no more that a pad of paper.
I've had an iPad 3 since it came out, and I bought the iPad mini the day it came out. I just replaced my iPad 3 with an iPad 4. The reason was that the 3 was just a 16GB WiFi version and the iPad 4 I got is 64GB with WifI and Cellular. I kept having to swap things in and out of the iPad 3 and lately I was having some issues getting connected at places with WiFi. So I went ahead and splurged on the iPad 4. Yes I know I could have waited for the 5, but I didn't want to wait anymore. The iPad 4 is twice as fast as the 3 was and the camera is better, which I don't care since I don't use the iPad cameras that much anyway. My life will be made simpler just because of the more memory and the addition of the Cellular.
That being said though, there are times and places I prefer to use the mini, which is also a 64GB model, but WiFi only. There are times I prefer to use the larger iPad. Since they both now have the same memory, I could essentially have the same items on both rather than having certain programs on one or the other. But like I said there were times when I didn't feel like carrying the larger iPad, so just carried the smaller one. and vice versa. With the one having only been 16GB, there were apps on the mini that I could only use on the mini, and there were a few apps I felt better suited for the larger iPad.
As for the endless debate over retina vs non-retina, the iPad 3 was retina and the iPad mini is not. For what I needed to do I really didn't notice any difference in the screens. Both screens looked amazing in my opinion. If I looked super close at each screen, sure, I may have noticed the dreaded pixelation, but trying to find such a beast would just lead to my getting a headache or even a migraine so why should I bother.
For me the decision was merely to replace what I currently had with something that would make my life easier overall. As long as it works I'm OK with the decision I made. Since Apple hasn't even announced the iPad 5 yet, it could be a matter of weeks or even months before it is released. For me I needed a better solution in the here and now. I didn't need something that may or may not have certain features somewhere down the line. When the time comes that those specs are announced and a release date given I will, at that time decide if it was worth it or not. Right now the iPad 4 fills my needs perfectly and that is what matters the most.
That being said though, there are times and places I prefer to use the mini, which is also a 64GB model, but WiFi only. There are times I prefer to use the larger iPad. Since they both now have the same memory, I could essentially have the same items on both rather than having certain programs on one or the other. But like I said there were times when I didn't feel like carrying the larger iPad, so just carried the smaller one. and vice versa. With the one having only been 16GB, there were apps on the mini that I could only use on the mini, and there were a few apps I felt better suited for the larger iPad.
As for the endless debate over retina vs non-retina, the iPad 3 was retina and the iPad mini is not. For what I needed to do I really didn't notice any difference in the screens. Both screens looked amazing in my opinion. If I looked super close at each screen, sure, I may have noticed the dreaded pixelation, but trying to find such a beast would just lead to my getting a headache or even a migraine so why should I bother.
For me the decision was merely to replace what I currently had with something that would make my life easier overall. As long as it works I'm OK with the decision I made. Since Apple hasn't even announced the iPad 5 yet, it could be a matter of weeks or even months before it is released. For me I needed a better solution in the here and now. I didn't need something that may or may not have certain features somewhere down the line. When the time comes that those specs are announced and a release date given I will, at that time decide if it was worth it or not. Right now the iPad 4 fills my needs perfectly and that is what matters the most.
I wonder if you'll be saying the same thing after having the 2 for a few weeks and using it for extended periods of time. Sure, for 10 minutes the 2 might seem better than the Mini, but after holding it for >30 minutes I assure you you'll appreciate the Mini more.
Personally I have had a 2 for 2.5 years and love using my girlfriends Mini and can't wait to get my own. I'm curious your age and eye sight strength as well. I can see for older people or for poor eye sight the bigger screen would be a no-brainer. All personal preferences
Funny to say but some people were like just touch the Ipad mini and already they are ready to have their full size on ebay or give to the wife, mother, brother, sister or mother in law.
Op spend a good night with it and dislike so he has a point.
I've had an ipad 3 and mini from their release dates. I use the mini more than 80% of the time. (I'm 85 in February.)
I have an ipad 3 retina. Went back and forth at apple store and finally bought a mini. Now I used it more than my 3.
Why not, try 60 days + and retina mini will be too small a screen for me anyway. Sold the mini on ebay. If ipad 5 interests me I will get one after Xmas when I can get accessories easily too.
The only reason I got a mini as i had heat issues with the ipad 3's. iPad 4 is definatally faster, smoother and plays pay TV better. Mini is painfull on websites, books ok as you can make font bigger.
Mini is more suited for kids for games and women that want to put it in their handbag, or find the iPad too heavy.
Any men that think the iPad is too heavy need to man up lol.
I purchased an Ipad 4 when it came out but returned it because I quickly realized that I couldn't replace my laptop for the type of work I do and couldn't justify a 500$ purchase for a stay at home device. I will however buy a mini 2 when it comes out and I plan on taking it wherever I go. I love the form factor. I would use it for emails, PDF and some other light stuff.