All iPads The iPad Air has ruined it for me...

ApplePhy said:

I bought the air when it first came out because like many of you I didn't feel like waiting weeks to get my hands on what I really wanted...the retina mini.

I've had the 1st gen mini for the past year, and fell in LOVE with the form factor, convinced that it was THE perfect form factor for iPads.

Over the past 2 weeks, while I was using my Air I began to fall in love with this device. The big screen made it a joy to use. I found that carrying it, using it, typing on it was amazing. And I've truly started to appreciate how light and thin this device is, so much so that the advantages the mini once had for me is quickly dissipating.

Then I finally got my rMini and have been using it almost exclusively since. And I'm not as enamored with it as I am with my air.

Maybe it's because the 'newness' of the form factor is no longer a novelty for me? But the small screen is starting to annoy me. I'll likely return it.

Question: how many of you who chose the rMini over the Air have come from the 1st gen mini? I can't help but think that people who have already experienced the form factor will not be as enamored anymore, since they've already experienced the form factor? I bet most who chose the rMini are coming from a full sized ipad? Likewise those that chose the Air...how many are coming from the mini?

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Ive had the mini the rMini and the Air. The first mini I kept for a full year. The new rMini just wasn't getting any use. Its easier to read text on my Air and I get the full experience of an iPad. The rMini is a good option too.

ApplePhy said:

I bought the air when it first came out because like many of you I didn't feel like waiting weeks to get my hands on what I really wanted...the retina mini.

I've had the 1st gen mini for the past year, and fell in LOVE with the form factor, convinced that it was THE perfect form factor for iPads.

Over the past 2 weeks, while I was using my Air I began to fall in love with this device. The big screen made it a joy to use. I found that carrying it, using it, typing on it was amazing. And I've truly started to appreciate how light and thin this device is, so much so that the advantages the mini once had for me is quickly dissipating.

Then I finally got my rMini and have been using it almost exclusively since. And I'm not as enamored with it as I am with my air.

Maybe it's because the 'newness' of the form factor is no longer a novelty for me? But the small screen is starting to annoy me. I'll likely return it.

Question: how many of you who chose the rMini over the Air have come from the 1st gen mini? I can't help but think that people who have already experienced the form factor will not be as enamored anymore, since they've already experienced the form factor? I bet most who chose the rMini are coming from a full sized ipad? Likewise those that chose the Air...how many are coming from the mini?

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you r probably one of the few

Just like Bill Clinton once said: "it's the economy, stupid". We can use that here but change the wording: "it's the screen size, stupid".

I don't mean anyone is stupid for preferring the mini. Lots of people do and that's fine. But, two inches of screen is an enormous amount and every time I try someone's mini out I feel like I'm holding a large phone or something. Just doesn't work for me. Too insignificant. Not enough red meat.

AdonisSMU said:

Ive had the mini the rMini and the Air. The first mini I kept for a full year. The new mini just wasn't getting any use. Its easier to read text on.

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A 90 inch t.v. is easier too read text on. Doesn't make it any more portable though.

Same

Ipad 1, 2 and then the mini for a year. Loved it, but the Air is everything in one package for me. Have the Rmini laying on my desk right now, unopened and will return tomorrow. Nice that Apple offers both for the different preferences that we read on this forum.

Raffi said:

A 90 inch t.v. is easier too read text on. Doesn't make it any more portable though.

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My Air is just as portable as the mini I owned for a year....and I dont have to hold it close to my face, its faster, has a superior display by all counts. What else... Its my opinion and if you dont like it oh well. Its my money spending on what I want. So save it.

I bought an Air originally. Kept it for a week. Now I'm typing this on the rMini. I returned the Air.

For me, I have great ideas so I like the smaller everything. I love being able to thumb type easily or hold in one hand. It's easier to replace the kindle as well.

My only tiny gripe is on some websites (this one for example) I do need to zoom to read whereas I didn't before. But considering 30% of the right side of macrumors.com is an ad, it doesn't bother me too much.

Also, I'm not an expert but I feel like maybe the color gamut isn't as good as on the Air.

ClemTiger0408 said:

I bought an Air originally. Kept it for a week. Now I'm typing this on the rMini. I returned the Air.

For me, I have great ideas so I like the smaller everything. I love being able to thumb type easily or hold in one hand. It's easier to replace the kindle as well.

My only tiny gripe is on some websites (this one for example) I do need to zoom to read whereas I didn't before. But considering 30% of the right side of macrumors.com is an ad, it doesn't bother me too much.

Also, I'm not an expert but I feel like maybe the color gamut isn't as good as on the Air.

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My hands aren't big, but I can type fine on the air.

richardbb85 said:

My hands aren't big, but I can type fine on the air.

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Are you telling me people have different opinions?!?!

ApplePhy said:

Question: how many of you who chose the rMini over the Air have come from the 1st gen mini?

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I'm coming from the 1st gen mini, and my retina mini is currently shipping. I chose the new mini specifically because by now I know my usage habits, and know from experience the form factor of the mini works for me. The old mini worked well for me even with it's lower resolution screen and older processor, and the new one is just about perfect for my use case. I did consider the Air, but while it's a great improvement on the previous larger Ipads, I still prefer the mini's form factor.

I had an ipad 1, then a 3 + a Mini thinking I would get rid of my 3 which I never did. After 1 year I sold the mini and kept the 3 then I bought the Air. The small fonts and my eyes were a problem on the mini so I really never considered another Mini. The Air is pretty amazing and I'm happy I updated. The form factor on the Mini is awesome and if you have great eyesight then it's a worthy upgrade as well. So yes, I too have gone from a mini back to full size ipad. I think it's wonderful that Apple has 2 choices on ipad size. Now everyone can buy whatever fits their needs best.

Ladybug said:

I had an ipad 1, then a 3 + a Mini thinking I would get rid of my 3 which I never did. After 1 year I sold the mini and kept the 3 then I bought the Air. The small fonts and my eyes were a problem on the mini so I really never considered another Mini. The Air is pretty amazing and I'm happy I updated. The form factor on the Mini is awesome and if you have great eyesight then it's a worthy upgrade as well. So yes, I too have gone from a mini back to full size ipad. I think it's wonderful that Apple has 2 choices on ipad size. Now everyone can buy whatever fits their needs best.

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Great post!

The tiny text on the mini is exactly why I opted for the Air. I slightly prefer the smaller size of the mini, but not at the expense of readability since reading comprises 99% of what I do on my iPad.

I feel that way about the rMini. The Air was awkward to hold with one hand and navigate. The size of the rMini is perfect and the portability can't be beat. Oh, and it fits in my jacket pocket. Don't see any reason to ever go back to the large screen. That's what I have a laptop or desktop for.

When I went to Best Buy I wanted a 128gb retina mini because like you I thought it was the perfect size for a tablet. They only had the 16gb model so I got an Air to pass the time until they got the mini I wanted. After a few days I don't really want the Mini. The Air is easy to hold and as if now I haven't gotten tired holding it and the larger screen is really nice. I haven't made my final decision yet but as of right now the Air is ahead.

ljmjag said:

I feel that way about the rMini. The Air was awkward to hold with one hand and navigate. The size of the rMini is perfect and the portability can't be beat. Oh, and it fits in my jacket pocket. Don't see any reason to ever go back to the large screen. That's what I have a laptop or desktop for.

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And Air owners will say they don't want a small, portable screen; that is what their iPhones are for oh, and contrast ratio is somewhat important on a device that is all screen (like a tablet)

cababah said:

And Air owners will say they don't want a small, portable screen; that is what their iPhones are for oh, and contrast ratio is somewhat important on a device that is all screen (like a tablet)

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What nonsense. I'm not manipulating photos and producing tv shows with the mini. I'm reading web pages, RSS feeds, kindle books, comics and graphic novels - none of which are a bother. I'm typing emails or short documents which are also not effected. I'm playing mindless games which don't matter. And while stuck late at the office tonight, I used the watch ESPN app to catch the second half of the MNF game. Know what? I had no problem seeing two different color uniforms. Such overblown drivel. For the 1% who have a critical need for professional reasons for flawless color contrast then maybe this tablet isn't for them - or the small percentage of people with OCD.

But for everyone else - the rMini is the sleek sexy friend to that fat cousin you have to put up with and who is always in the way.

ljmjag said:

What nonsense. I'm not manipulating photos and producing tv shows with the mini. I'm reading web pages, RSS feeds, kindle books, comics and graphic novels - none of which are a bother. I'm typing emails or short documents which are also not effected. I'm playing mindless games which don't matter. And while stuck late at the office tonight, I used the watch ESPN app to catch the second half of the MNF game. Know what? I had no problem seeing two different color uniforms. Such overblown drivel. For the 1% who have a critical need for professional reasons for flawless color contrast then maybe this tablet isn't for them - or the small percentage of people with OCD.

But for everyone else - the rMini is the sleek sexy friend to that fat cousin you have to put up with and who is always in the way.

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Hmm I hardly consider myself OCD but if I look at an image that is supposed to be red, I don't want to see orange. Hope you aren't looking up paint colors on that thing...

I have the first gen Mini with cellular and liked it a lot UNTIL I got the Air. I still liked its form factor and weight though so I bought the rMini on impulse when BB received a shipment when I was out the store.

Long story shorter, the 2nd gen Mini has retina now but text especially browsing in portrait mode the font is still too small. With the price difference of only $100 now, I feel since everything I'm doing on the Air now is a much better expereince with the larger screen so worth it. And the weight and size is very tolerable IMHO for me. I can even dock it on my prior Logitech keyboard after I bought a rear shell so no need to purchase the new one.

All the way with the Air, all hail!!

Well gee and I thought I was the only one with an opinion!

But hell yeah, I too had this crazy turnaround of opinions. I had the iPad 4 and liked it but it was getting to me how bulky it was when I just wanted to pull it out and do something. So i got the iPad mini soon after it came out and fell in love with its form factor. I was like holy ba Jesus. This is the most perfect size for a tablet ever! I can even fit this sumbitch in my scrubs pocket at work. Loved it and vowed to never go away from the mini. I was eagerly waiting for the mini 2 to come out and then I saw the keynote for the iPad air. Seemed cool. Yeah they made it a little smaller but it's a full size tablet and I don't wanna carry that crap around. I remember when the 4 was like. Making it a teeny bit smaller won't make it portable enough for me to use on a daily basis and enjoy as much as the mini

Flash forward to one day walking around the mall and stopping into the apple store and picking up the air...and letting out an audible groan, I knew this would be my next tablet. To have my opinion that was absolutely sure I would never go away from mini to "I want this full sized iPad so bad" was weird. I mean....I was 100% sure the mini was the form factor I wanted. How could I be so wrong?

It's amazing how quickly even a firm opinion can change on something given a drastic change in circumstances. This experience and others like it are why I will keep an open mind about things. Now I pick up my daughter's iPad mini and feel like I can't see a damn thing. Like "I used to watch movies on this little thing? Wow"

I actually use the rMini just like I used my iPad 3. I write songs on it, I tap out emails -- sometimes lengthy ones, I read books, I draw, I watch videos, I play games, I use it as a controller for Logic Pro X, I record with it using an HD mic, etc. Anything I did with my iPad 3 (which I love since it was my first iPad), I do with my rMini and love it, too. The only thing I do with my rMini that I never did with my iPad 3 is put it in my coat pocket so that it is with me everywhere I go. With the iPad 3, I had to always to carry a bag, which wasn't always convenient.

The Air is an awesome tablet, so no disputes from me there. But coming from the heaviest retina iPad, the only advantage for me was the weight -- the size would still pose a challenge for carrying it everywhere. The rMini is even lighter than the Air, and having it with me all the time makes the device infinitely more useful than my iPad 3.

Same here. I feel stupid returning my Air...will buy another and return the mini once my refund has been credited.

s2mikey said:

Just like Bill Clinton once said: "it's the economy, stupid". We can use that here but change the wording: "it's the screen size, stupid".

I don't mean anyone is stupid for preferring the mini. Lots of people do and that's fine. But, two inches of screen is an enormous amount and every time I try someone's mini out I feel like I'm holding a large phone or something. Just doesn't work for me. Too insignificant. Not enough red meat.

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If a 12" comes out next year would you switch for an additional 2 inches?

There's no wrong answer to this, just curious.

AdonisSMU said:

My Air is just as portable as the mini I owned for a year....and I dont have to hold it close to my face, its faster, has a superior display by all counts. What else... Its my opinion and if you dont like it oh well. Its my money spending on what I want. So save it.

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Well said and I agree 100%

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ActionableMango said:

If a 12" comes out next year would you switch for an additional 2 inches?

There's no wrong answer to this, just curious.

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I doubt I would, if that rumor were true. I can't see a tablet of that size being viable. If it had a higher resolution, then it would be more compelling.