iPad Mini: I was wrong about the mini

[Amplelink]

I admit it. I bought into all the un-hype about a lack of retina. Even felt the same when I saw it at an Apple store. But I finally brought one home today and I have to say, this is exactly what I've been looking for in a tablet. The lack of a retina is not an issue at all, even as an owner of every single retina iOS device that Apple's put out. Text is noticeably less crisp than a retina, but still absolutely fine for reading. I do have to zoom in in web pages, but I had to do that in my retina iPad anyway. No big deal.

All in all, an excellent device and at a much more palatable price than its big brother.

[THiPad]

I love my MINI too, and since I wear reading glasses anyway...I frequently zoom
in on pages on my full size iPad also. No big deal!!!

It does charge up very slow compared to my IPad 2.

[CandyNJ66]

I also thought that the Mini screen would be way inferior to Retina but its just fine! I don't even Zoom so far on web browsers. I love my Mini!!

The size and super light weight is perfect for me. I can't wait to upgrade to the LTE version but hope I don't get a bad screen! I might just tether my Android phone to it with my Hotspot feature.

Anyway, I was wrong too

[ixodes]

Mine is just fine.

It will be interesting to see how Apple prices the upcoming retina equipped mini. This may be the first Apple product with very low resale value.

[racoonboy]

They should keep one seperate thread for those who'd like to post their happiness about the Ipad mini.

[thadoggfather]

I am enjoying mine as well, day 2.

I'm still not sure if I can bring myself to get rid of the full-sized retina 3. Or maybe even the mini because as of now, I'm pretty roped into the form factor and see a lot of application for it.

[duneriderltr450]

I am loving the mini. Just got it a few hours ago.

[thadoggfather]

Steve was wrong too.

He said smaller tablets are DOA but mine gets past the apple logo and boots to the lock screen? Do I have an outlier?

[Buckeyestar]

Originally Posted by racoonboy

They should keep one seperate thread for those who'd like to post their happiness about the Ipad mini.

Right under the thread for all those who over-exaggerate about the "unusable" screen.

[kodeman53]

Originally Posted by ixodes

It will be interesting to see how Apple prices the upcoming retina equipped mini.

Interesting how this has gone from guess to fact, even though Anandtech says it's not possible without other changes/compromises to the device.

[ItsWelshy]

Originally Posted by thadoggfather

Steve was wrong too.

He said smaller tablets are DOA but mine gets past the apple logo and boots to the lock screen? Do I have an outlier?

He said that 7" tablets were DOA, the Mini is nearly 8"

[MonkeySee....]

I agree OP. I heard so much negativity around the screen and then I saw it in store and just couldn't believe what the fuss was all about.

Its perfectly fine for the device and unless you're right up close you wouldn't know any different.

[maflynn]

I'm in agreement with the OP, the display is not retina, and its obvious but, I wasn't expecting that either.

Its a fine tablet that suits my needs

[WilliamLondon]

Originally Posted by Amplelink

I admit it. I bought into all the un-hype about a lack of retina. Even felt the same when I saw it at an Apple store. But I finally brought one home today and I have to say, this is exactly what I've been looking for in a tablet. The lack of a retina is not an issue at all, even as an owner of every single retina iOS device that Apple's put out. Text is noticeably less crisp than a retina, but still absolutely fine for reading. I do have to zoom in in web pages, but I had to do that in my retina iPad anyway. No big deal.

All in all, an excellent device and at a much more palatable price than its big brother.

Very cool, thanks for the post! Before this device was launched I was determined that if it came out with the resolution which it has, I'd end up buying one of the higher resolution Android tablets. After seeing it at launch, I was impressed with the whole package, the beauty of the device, the thinness of it, the form factor, and when I saw the screen I was pleasantly surprised at just how good it is, so I bought one. Using it every day, it's even better, especially because all those iPad apps out there just work on this device, and that is a huge benefit to mini owners. All my old iPad apps just loaded up and worked beautifully.

While the screen isn't as good as it can be, and hopefully will be some day (did you read Anandtech's review?), I think this device is more than just its screen and resolution, it's the whole package and I think it does 'the whole package' very well.

[syd430]

Originally Posted by ItsWelshy

He said that 7" tablets were DOA, the Mini is nearly 8"

He also said that about 10" should be the min, so don't see your point.

[bembol]

+1 OP

Originally Posted by thadoggfather

Steve was wrong too.

He said smaller tablets are DOA but mine gets past the apple logo and boots to the lock screen? Do I have an outlier?

I believe this is why the Mini gets dismissed by Apple fan(boy)s.

[iLLUMI]

I think a lot of us have unfairly judged the Mini.
It really is quite awesome as I found out today after playing with one.

Black Friday tomorrow, will be checking for good deals on Mini.

[djdover]

Originally Posted by ItsWelshy

He said that 7" tablets were DOA, the Mini is nearly 8"

And everyone knows that extra inch can make all the difference!

[mattopotamus]

I have both and think they are both great. Every time I think I will sell my 4 and just use the mini, I look at the retina screen and decide to keep both haha.

[ScottNWDW]

I've had my mini a week now and it has become my most used device. I rarely even turn on my 3rd Gen iPad anymore. I never thought the screen was that bad at all. In fact it looked better than my 1st gen iPad and better than the iPad 2 that I was comparing it with in the Apple Store. I am able to read web pages just fine and with minimal zooming if at all. I also love the fact that all I had to do was log in with my Apple ID and everything that was on my iPad 3 just moved over to the mini.

The form factor is perfect for me. Throw it in my backpack or messenger bag and off I go. The other nice thin is that I can hold a lot more now since I got the 64gb iPad mini and my iPad 3 was just 16gb. My iPad 1 was 32gb. I won the iPad 3 at work, otherwise that would have had at least 32gb so I can't complain about the lack of storage space.

Overall though I really love the mini and the screen is really better than expected. The negativity to the screen is unnecessary and I'm guessing that most of it came from people who heard it was not a retina display and just immediately hated it, even though they may have never even looked at it.

[mattopotamus]

Originally Posted by ScottNWDW

I've had my mini a week now and it has become my most used device. I rarely even turn on my 3rd Gen iPad anymore. I never thought the screen was that bad at all. In fact it looked better than my 1st gen iPad and better than the iPad 2 that I was comparing it with in the Apple Store. I am able to read web pages just fine and with minimal zooming if at all. I also love the fact that all I had to do was log in with my Apple ID and everything that was on my iPad 3 just moved over to the mini.

The form factor is perfect for me. Throw it in my backpack or messenger bag and off I go. The other nice thin is that I can hold a lot more now since I got the 64gb iPad mini and my iPad 3 was just 16gb. My iPad 1 was 32gb. I won the iPad 3 at work, otherwise that would have had at least 32gb so I can't complain about the lack of storage space.

Overall though I really love the mini and the screen is really better than expected. The negativity to the screen is unnecessary and I'm guessing that most of it came from people who heard it was not a retina display and just immediately hated it, even though they may have never even looked at it.

I think everyone is just different when it comes to screens. My eyes are very sensitive and can definitely notice a difference. I can look at a screen and tell you right away if it is 720p or 1080P.....led, LCD, or plasma. The backlighting has a lot to do with it and I think everyone's eyes are different. The mini is great and the screen is good, but I don't see how people do not notice a massive difference.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by maflynn

I'm in agreement with the OP, the display is not retina, and its obvious but, I wasn't expecting that either.

Its a fine tablet that suits my needs

Agreed. It clearly isn't as good as a retina screen, but it isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.

[maflynn]

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

Agreed. It clearly isn't as good as a retina screen, but it isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.

And for those that do think its that bad, there's other tablets available that will suit their needs better. The bottom line is, one size does not fit all, and if one product does not fit your needs move on and get one that does.

[falconeight]

I do exactly the same things I do on a regular ipad heavy only more comfortably.

[nfl46]

Haha. This typically happens. After a few weeks, people finally come to the realization that the screen isn't that bad. We may finally start seeing less topics on complaints of the lack of retina. When people video games, it doesn't look bad, its just the text. But, I love the mini.