iPad Mini: I just returned my Mini and here is why

[Mazda 3s]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

I must say I'm sick of the display snobs (and for the record I have an iPad 3 and have no intention of getting the mini, and I also have an iPhone 5). Why can't people accept that retina isn't the be all end all for everyone?

It's not about being a snob. It's about getting accustomed to a certain baseline with displays and not wanting to go back.

It'd be like you going back to using the iPhone 3GS display on a daily basis after growing accustomed to the iPhone 4/4S/5

[coolguy879]

Apple is probably just testing the waters with the iPad mini. If it's a huge success, expect to see a Retina display next year.

[shootingstar64]

I just returned my Mini as well ...





... to get a Mini Wi-Fi + Cellular

[Buck987]

Originally Posted by kas23

I see you've never tested one of these devices out. I couldn't care less if they're not "retina" or some other Apple marketing buzzword. These screens look absolutely stunning compared to the Mini's screen.

this is true

[Mac... nificent]

Originally Posted by kas23

I couldn't care less if they're not "retina" or some other Apple marketing buzzword.

It's called better resolution, and it does make a difference whether you appreciate it or not.

[cwwilson]

I really wanted the iPad mini once I got my hands on one for the first time. It was so thin and light and looked great in white. The pricing was also a factor not to be underestimated, but at the end of the day, the screen was holding it back. It wasn't a big enough upgrade over my N7 to make it worth the investment which lead me over to the iPad 4. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is a screen to behold. Yes, the iPad 4 is heavier, and more robust, but if you can get past that, the clarity and sharpness of the display will make it worth your while and the pluses of having more processing power and RAM means it will last longer than the mini if you're one to hold onto your devices.

Crazily enough though, if the mini were to get retina (which is a forgone conclusion around here), it might be game over for the competition (though the Nexus on 4.2 is much better than before), and probably even the big iPad as well. Can you imagine the size/weight of the mini with the resolution/power of the 4? Wow.

[Snowshiro]

Originally Posted by cwwilson

Can you imagine the size/weight of the mini with the resolution/power of the 4? Wow.

And a battery life of 10 minutes.

[ThatsMeRight]

Originally Posted by Mazda 3s

It's not about being a snob. It's about getting accustomed to a certain baseline with displays and not wanting to go back.

It'd be like you going back to using the iPhone 3GS display on a daily basis after growing accustomed to the iPhone 4/4S/5

It's not that bad. Also, the iPad mini's display has much wider viewing angles, better colours and a much higher contrast over the iPhone 3GS display.

An iPad mini with Retina display would have cost Apple much more and it would have made the iPad mini thicker and heavier. Also, let's not forget that it still is a quite good display, actually.

And than there's also one other thing to take into consideration: there are lots of people who don't even notice the difference between a Retina display and a non-Retina display. Usually older people, but still.

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Originally Posted by BaldiMac

Sounds like Apple made a good decision with the iPad mini specs!

Yep, they are earning big money here.

[Rhinoevans]

Originally Posted by Quixotic3

I so wanted to love the Mini. I pictured myself casually pulling the mini out of a coat pocket at some coffee bar and surfing the web or maybe playing some angry birds. In reality the mini is too big and I had all of the same problems toting it around that I did with the normal size iPad ***but that is Not why I returned it. The screen... well I can honestly say that not having the retina was not a huge deal at first... I am old my eyes aren't what they used to be... but it kept bothering me for some reason... oh yeah, no... I got it ... the price. The reason I buy the best is... to... get... the best and I feel that my MBP retina is hands down the best laptop out there, and I feel that if I called apple support they will have an answer for me ( a company so far that isn't trying to do more with less...) so why Apple did you cheap out on the mini? It could have been the best thing ever just like all of your other products and at the premium that I paid over it's competitors it should have been. It should have had a better screen, better camera that did at least what the iPhone 5 camera does, more ram, and if you couldn't fit it in the size you released then you shouldn't have released it, Steve would not have...

What a stupid post. The mini is great, bought the 64G Cellular and no regrets, and yes I have the retina Ipad 3. The Screen is great. Also bought a new cMBP, without retina (did not need it on the laptop).

And by the way, tried to buy a 16G Mini last week for granddaughter and guess what, SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE!

So I am guessing price is good and no retina not a factor.

Do your homework , you knew it did not have a retina and you bought it anyways, and now Apple has a used return. Although I guess that is Apple fault for having a horrible return policy for them!

[Drunken Master]

I thought you were going to return it because the screen is too small.

Which it is.

[dcorban]

Originally Posted by Snowshiro

And a battery life of 10 minutes.

You are suggesting that a device with approximately double the number of pixels as the current iPhone will somehow drop the useable time from 10-12 hours to 10 minutes? I'd be surprised if a retina screen even cut the time in half.

[dcorban]

Originally Posted by Rhinoevans

Also bought a new cMBP, without retina (did not need it on the laptop).

Now that I have an iPad, I realize that retina is practical for the MacBooks. If I hold my iPad at the same viewing distance as my MacBook Air, the text is almost exactly the same size. I can clearly see the difference in text rendering on the MacBook. Text is relatively blurry, with the sub-pixels used for smoothing easily noticed. Since the text is the same size, this means that the screen on my MacBook is equivalent to an iPad 2. I would no longer tolerate the iPad 2 resolution, so why tolerate it on my MacBook?

My iPad is essentially replacing my MacBook, otherwise I would immediately replace my Air with a retina MacBook.

[yeah]

Originally Posted by Quixotic3

No, I did not buy it blind. But I do have buyers remorse though... I feel that since the much smaller iPhone 5 has a better screen, camera, processor, gps, etc they could have fit those things into the mini. I am disappointed that it did not match up to their other products and it could have. I am worried that this is a big misstep for Apple as I am a stock owner. I have been a long time fan of Apple and I am worried that they are heading in the wrong direction. Do I as a customer have to wait for the second iteration of each product to get what should have been in the first and let early adopters beta test an inferior product for me? Shish, right back at you

1) They couldn't put a Retina Display on it because the iPad Mini can't fit an A(whatever)X processor (you would need that kind of graphics to power so many pixels)

2) A Retina Display would kill the thin battery easily

3) And you know how Apple is, you pay a premium, but you get the best products in the world

[LaurieAnn]

Stupid question here. Wouldn't a Retina display in the Mini make the text even smaller??

[dsa1971]

Originally Posted by Rhinoevans

What a stupid post. The mini is great, bought the 64G Cellular and no regrets, and yes I have the retina Ipad 3. The Screen is great. Also bought a new cMBP, without retina (did not need it on the laptop).

And by the way, tried to buy a 16G Mini last week for granddaughter and guess what, SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE!

So I am guessing price is good and no retina not a factor.

Do your homework , you knew it did not have a retina and you bought it anyways, and now Apple has a used return. Although I guess that is Apple fault for having a horrible return policy for them!

I have the iPad 3 and recently purchased the iPad mini. I DID do my homework and obviously knew the mini did not have a retina display. I went to the apple store to use the and look,at the mini as well. Even though the mini resolution is not as good I thought its form factor would outweigh any display shortcomings. For me that turned out not to be the case. After using the mini for a week exclusively I went back to the iPad 3 and definitely noticed the display difference. The iPad 3 is so much crisper. I love the mini form factor but not enough to sacrifice the better display. That's just my preference. It does not make it wrong and other people obviously love the mini as is. And now Apple has ANOTHER used iPad mini. And people pay and premium price for Apple products so its reasonable in my view that they have a 14 day return policy.

[Mazda 3s]

Originally Posted by ThatsMeRight

It's not that bad. Also, the iPad mini's display has much wider viewing angles, better colours and a much higher contrast over the iPhone 3GS display.

An iPad mini with Retina display would have cost Apple much more and it would have made the iPad mini thicker and heavier. Also, let's not forget that it still is a quite good display, actually.

And than there's also one other thing to take into consideration: there are lots of people who don't even notice the difference between a Retina display and a non-Retina display. Usually older people, but still.

----------


Yep, they are earning big money here.

As I said, TO ME, the display is a step back and TO ME it feels like going from a retina iPhone to a 3GS.

If you're fine with an inferior screen, then by all means have at it. But I'm not wasting my hard earned money on inferior display technology no matter how thin it is.

[rowspaxe]

Originally Posted by dsa1971

And people pay and premium price for Apple products so its reasonable in my view that they have a 14 day return policy.

Returns are for defective products. People who can't figure out what they are buying are idiots. That said, if apple endorses this behavoir, you can't fault consumers. i am sure returns are higher among brand participation types than nornal consumers.

[Sodner]

Love my Mini. Sold my RETINA equipped iPad as a result.

[dsa1971]

Originally Posted by rowspaxe

Returns are for defective products. People who can't figure out what they are buying are idiots. That said, if apple endorses this behavoir, you can't fault consumers. i am sure returns are higher among brand participation types than nornal consumers.

Maybe you should actually read Apple's return policy.

The first line "Apple wants you to be thrilled with your new purchase"

http://store.apple.com/us/help/returns_refund

I KNEW I was buying a non-retina display ipad and I also know Apple's return policy. I also believed the lower resolution screen would not bother me. After a week of using it it DID bother me. You say you can't fault consumers but you don't mind calling us idiots. Way to act like an adult.

[Mazda 3s]

Originally Posted by dsa1971

Maybe you should actually read Apple's return policy.

The first line "Apple wants you to be thrilled with your new purchase"

http://store.apple.com/us/help/returns_refund

I KNEW I was buying a non-retina display ipad and I also know Apple's return policy. I also believed the lower resolution screen would not bother me. After a week of using it it DID bother me. You say you can't fault consumers but you don't mind calling us idiots. Way to act like an adult.

Agreed. You said it better than I could. The way he talks down to people makes him the real id***.

[rowspaxe]

Originally Posted by dsa1971

Maybe you should actually read Apple's return policy.

Didn't I stipulate that apple condoned this behavior--why should I read the return policy? Really, you took a week a to figure out whether you wanted a product? I just find the whole "try to buy" thing egregious. Its my opinion.

[Mazda 3s]

Originally Posted by rowspaxe

Didn't I stipulate that apple condoned this behavior--why should I read the return policy? Really, you took a week a to figure out whether you wanted a product? I just find the whole "try to buy" thing egregious. Its my opinion.

So if I buy a pair of shoes online and they don't fit, I should just keep them because I'm an idiot for not being able to try them on in an imaginary virtual showroom?

Not everyone in America has an Apple Store or Best Buy in their backyard, so it's not like they can just hop in the car to go try one in person.

If you buy most consumer goods and you don't like it or it doesn't "fit you", you can return it within a reasonable amount of time. If you don't like the policy, take it up with the stores. Don't call people idiots because YOU have a problem with it. It's uncouth and downright childish.

And if it's returned within one day or one week, what's the difference if it's within the return window. It's still a used device so it doesn't make a difference as the box has already been opened.

[AppleRobert]

Originally Posted by rowspaxe

Didn't I stipulate that apple condoned this behavior--why should I read the return policy? Really, you took a week a to figure out whether you wanted a product? I just find the whole "try to buy" thing egregious. Its my opinion.

Some retailers are inclined to take a hit with a return versus a customer not buying it at all. Remember, what is the retailer like BB paying for an ipad to begin with? They can resell it as open box and still make a buck easily.

Some have more liberal return policies than others, the latter maybe charging a restocking fee or have a lesser return date timeline. Guess where Joe/Jane may be more inclined to buy from though.

[harcosparky]

Originally Posted by Quixotic3

I feel that since the much smaller iPhone 5 has a better screen,

Now that there is downright funny ....

I have no problem reading from, typing on and otherwise using an iPad mini, however that iPhone 5 with it's yucky screen .... not so much.

I had my broken iPhone4 replaced with another iPhone4 because the iPhone5 was such a letdown!

SHISH!

[harcosparky]

Originally Posted by Mazda 3s

So if I buy a pair of shoes online and they don't fit, I should just keep them because I'm an idiot for not being able to try them on in an imaginary virtual showroom?

Not everyone in America has an Apple Store or Best Buy in their backyard, so it's not like they can just hop in the car to go try one in person.

But they do have a Shoe Store!