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

washburn

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 8, 2010
513
33
don't get me wrong, I love retina its stunning but retina devices don't do what is mostly on the web well, lets face it 99% of the web is not retina optimised, images, videos look blurry…its like trying to watch 720p on a 1080p TV and the percentage of people with retina equipped devices is hardly any, and what could happen is a lot of people won't bother switching the same way they didn't switch from DVD to blu-ray...

so why are you people so bent on getting retina iPad mini?

having used the current iPad mini I love the screen, sharp and displaying 1 to 1 pixel ratio correctly, so I think the next refresh would be better if they made it more powerful/slimmer or whatever and improved but kept the same screen which is already awesome and not get retina straight way, what do you think?

this article said it well
http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/139612-the-ipad-minis-display-isnt-retina-but-its-still-good-enough

"It’s clear that Retina displays are headed for all of Apple’s products, but this transitional period still needs non-Retina screens around."
 

cardfan

macrumors 601
Mar 23, 2012
4,191
5,269
Sounds like you're rationalizing things. There's more benefits to a higher resolution screen than negatives.
 

ChristianVirtual

macrumors 601
May 10, 2010
4,122
282
日本
I still have iPad2 and iPad3. Every time read MR on iPad2 the image looks pixelated; crispy on iPad3. Ok; nothing new with that one.

But that means the web is very capable of providing content for retina. You are right with images which might be stored in 72 dpi. Those would not benefit from retina. Kindle, Safari, eMail, ... lots of other stuff scream for retina.

I really tried hard to get an iPad mini; and I will get hopefully very soon (but with retina).
 
Last edited:

Batavian

macrumors 6502
Mar 10, 2011
464
38
I think it's a given that any Mini 2 will have retina. It's the only current generation Apple device that is non-retina. If Apple decides to release any new generation device prior to September 2013, I'd say the Mini would be it.
 

bevsb2

Contributor
Nov 23, 2012
4,342
13,338
I'm not anxious for the mini to get a retina screen anytime soon as then I will be tempted to buy one. :)
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,419
43,307
On one hand, I'd like an improvement in the display and while I'm very happy with my mini as it is, a better display would be welcome.

With that said I'd be concerned about the following items.


  • Cost - a retina display will be more expensive for apple to use, and so that cost will be passed on to us. The current mini is expensive enough as it is.
  • CPU, will we keep using the A5 or will it have the A6. The retina display means it will need a more powerful GPU
  • Battery life, the retina display will need more power, but also the A6
  • Size, will the thickness of the mini increase to accommodate a larger battery

Overall I like the mini's display but its unfortunate that at the pixel density is such that the displayed text is a point of contention for many people. I'm generally content with the mini but if apple were to improve it, without pushing the price out of my reach it may be an option.
 

bbeagle

macrumors 68040
Oct 19, 2010
3,539
2,972
Buffalo, NY
Retina doesn't matter to me. I would like to see a retina iPad mini come out tomorrow, then I could grab a cheap barely-used old iPad mini for like $200.
 

Batavian

macrumors 6502
Mar 10, 2011
464
38
I would think Apple would price a 16GB retina Mini 2 at $399. That would fit in nicely with a 16GB iPad at $499. And the $299 32GB iPod Touch.

Apple is pretty shrewd in pricing the current Mini. There is a reason it is so hard to find 16GB Mini's. Its the least expensive tablet Apple makes and provides the lowest cost for first time buyers not currently within the iOS ecosystem. And Apple is using 2 year old technology to boot! There is so much more, even beyond retina, that Apple can offer in incrementally upgrades. Doubling the RAM. Or use of current CPU. Brilliant marketing.
 

mrkjsn

macrumors 6502
Jan 10, 2010
265
0
Wirelessly posted

As others have said, text is the reason. I don't care that images are not as sharp but the fact that I have to zoom in every time I'm browsing the web to read the text is a problem that could easily be solved by retina.
 

ZBoater

macrumors G3
Jul 2, 2007
8,497
1,322
Sunny Florida
I'll buy a mini retina when and if they release it with the same width and weight and battery life. Whether that be tomorrow or 2 years from now.
 
S

syd430

Guest
I'll buy a mini retina when and if they release it with the same width and weight and battery life. Whether that be tomorrow or 2 years from now.

Be honest, you will still buy it even it's slightly heavier and thicker.
 

danpass

macrumors 68030
Jun 27, 2009
2,689
475
Glory
If it could be kept the same weight/size/battery life then sure, put retina.

Battery life very important for aviation use.
 

725032

Guest
Aug 5, 2012
724
0
Ipad mini is useless to me until it goes retina.

Waste of space in its current form imo
 

wrkactjob

macrumors 65816
Feb 29, 2008
1,357
0
London
Then no retina for you.

Have to say it wouldn't bother me, I have tried it out and really only want it for watching films, checking mail and casual web browsing.

If retina means heavier and thicker then I'd rather stick with the light and thin version!

Unless your doing a lot of reading I think Retina is overrated...its nice to have that little bit more clarity but its really not the end of the world if you havn't got it.

I think we are going to see some extraordinary screen technology in the near distant future that will produce massively lighter and slimmer devices.

So this will do in the mean time! :)
 

ljmjag

macrumors member
Jul 1, 2005
71
29
The lack of retina is such a huge fail. I just bought the mini - but it's going to go back. I just opened the NY Times on the web on both my iPad 3 and the mini and the lack of retina is so glaring that it is almost painful.

Justify it all you want - but I'm shocked that Apple would release a product with "old" technology. Since when did they ever start taking steps backward in time?? Almost every other small tablet has a better screen from the Nexus to the Kindle Fire.

As much as I love the form factor, back this will go until there is a retina mini.
 

Abazigal

Contributor
Jul 18, 2011
19,456
21,843
Singapore
The lack of retina is such a huge fail. I just bought the mini - but it's going to go back. I just opened the NY Times on the web on both my iPad 3 and the mini and the lack of retina is so glaring that it is almost painful.

Justify it all you want - but I'm shocked that Apple would release a product with "old" technology. Since when did they ever start taking steps backward in time?? Almost every other small tablet has a better screen from the Nexus to the Kindle Fire.

As much as I love the form factor, back this will go until there is a retina mini.

Well then, what do you think they ought to have done? A retina screen would have pushed the price up, and their purpose for releasing the ipad mini was clearly to compete with the nexus7 and its anticipated impact on ipad sales.

They had a choice between price, battery life, form factor and screen res. Losing Screen Res seems like a small price to pay for preserving the other three.
 

SnowLeopard OSX

macrumors 6502a
Dec 5, 2012
676
60
California
don't get me wrong, I love retina its stunning but retina devices don't do what is mostly on the web well, lets face it 99% of the web is not retina optimised, images, videos look blurry…its like trying to watch 720p on a 1080p TV and the percentage of people with retina equipped devices is hardly any, and what could happen is a lot of people won't bother switching the same way they didn't switch from DVD to blu-ray...

so why are you people so bent on getting retina iPad mini?

having used the current iPad mini I love the screen, sharp and displaying 1 to 1 pixel ratio correctly, so I think the next refresh would be better if they made it more powerful/slimmer or whatever and improved but kept the same screen which is already awesome and not get retina straight way, what do you think?

this article said it well
http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/139612-the-ipad-minis-display-isnt-retina-but-its-still-good-enough

"It’s clear that Retina displays are headed for all of Apple’s products, but this transitional period still needs non-Retina screens around."

Within a couple years, you can bet that the entire web will be retina optimized. Assuming you use applications. Not a lot of people are equipped with retina devices? -- your post sounds like buyer's remorse, if anything. If an iPad mini with retina came out, it would fully solidify how much you regret buying a non-retina mini.

What about people with iPhone 4, 4S, 5, iPad 3, iPad 4, new rMBP? There are tons of people with retina equipped devices. In fact, I'd argue that smart people, knowing that retina display is already out there, would have been a little bit skeptical to buy Apple's iPad mini with no retina knowing that a retina display would come with the device within one year.

Buyer's remorse is a bitch!
 

ljmjag

macrumors member
Jul 1, 2005
71
29
Well then, what do you think they ought to have done? A retina screen would have pushed the price up, and their purpose for releasing the ipad mini was clearly to compete with the nexus7 and its anticipated impact on ipad sales.

They had a choice between price, battery life, form factor and screen res. Losing Screen Res seems like a small price to pay for preserving the other three.

Apple rarely compromises so I'm surprised that they did so with the screen res. Since when has Apple minded about charging more for a premium product. Second, the iPad - as opposed to the Kindle Fire (as an example) has always been positioned as both a content consumption device and a content creation device. The Nexus, Kindle Fire, Nook and numerous other Android small tablets have a better screen resolution and already cost less (not that I want any of those devices - I'm too heavily invested in iOS having owned every iPhone since the first one and about 6 iPads for my family of assorted generations).

Apple has touted the mini as an ideal size for reading iBooks and reading the web - yet at these two tasks, the iPad loses out to its competitors - don't you find that weird? Apple compromised not only on the display but on processing power and RAM as well by giving us the outdated A5 chip - it's the equivalent of trading in your smartphone for a calculator watch - and they still charge a couple of hundred dollars more then a Nexus.

The more I play with the mini - the more I am perplexed by it. She might be the prettiest girl at the dance but you really don't want to have to talk to her. I'm going to wait for a retina mini and go back to using the iPad 3 - behemoth that it may be...
 

WilliamLondon

macrumors 68000
Dec 8, 2006
1,699
13
Apple rarely compromises so I'm surprised that they did so with the screen res.

I wouldn't agree they compromised at all, and I definitely wouldn't agree this is old technology, as if they went into their barn of crap they threw out last year and cobbled something together and called it a mini. That's just simply not true.

The device is so much more than merely a display. For me the form factor is so incredible, and what didn't suffer as a result of this thin and lightweight device is quality materials and build. This device is simply wonderful, and it's the total package that makes it so.

As far as the screen goes, the one big benefit their keeping it at iPad 2 resolution ensured that when I brought this device home on day 1, I was able to load up all my old iPad gen 1 apps, and download a bunch of new ones that worked without any bars or scaling or anything odd at all on this display. They all just worked, and they worked on a device that amazes me still just how thin it is and how great it feels to hold. I love this form factor.

Don't get me wrong, I want an improved screen at some point, but I don't want to compromise on thinness, weight or battery life. Also, a new resolution means fragmentation and apps won't simply work on it beautifully day one, so we'll be stuck with this period in between when some (not all) app developers rush to upgrade their apps. If it gets a doubling, that would be great, but I've read enough to know that isn't possible without compromising thinness, battery life and weight (all) - then it just doesn't have the same magic I think this device does have, which is more than just a display. It's the whole package.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.