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siritalks

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 19, 2011
85
1
... is absolutely fine, or actually very good.

I know I'll get shot down for "another one of these threads" but I think we need some balance here.

I have both an iPad 3 and a iPhone 4S, both with retina displays, and was worried after reading threads on this board that the iPad mini that I'd ordered would look bad in comparison.

Now, mine arrived on Thursday, and I genuinely have no idea what the hell people are yapping on about. Sure, it's very slightly less bright, and if you look REALLY closely you can see a very (and I mean very) slight pixellation on text, but it is more than good enough for the size of the device.

And before anyone says "you don't know what you're talking about man..." etc etc I work in web design and photography and spend every day using high end editing software where pixellation would be an issue. I genuinely don't see the problem with the mini at all.

Also, there is neither an "unusable level of reflection" nor a disastrous "squashy screen" :)

The mini is what it is. A great little device for use on the go, and it's specs match what it's designed for.

I would advise that anyone thinking about a mini shouldn't pay too much attention to the negativity, because it's mostly unfounded, and much of it wouldn't surprise me if it was actually written by people who haven't even picked up the device in the first place.
 

Random 995K

macrumors 6502
Nov 3, 2012
295
0
... is absolutely fine, or actually very good.

I know I'll get shot down for "another one of these threads" but I think we need some balance here.

I have both an iPad 3 and a iPhone 4S, both with retina displays, and was worried after reading threads on this board that the iPad mini that I'd ordered would look bad in comparison.

Now, mine arrived on Thursday, and I genuinely have no idea what the hell people are yapping on about. Sure, it's very slightly less bright, and if you look REALLY closely you can see a very (and I mean very) slight pixellation on text, but it is more than good enough for the size of the device.

And before anyone says "you don't know what you're talking about man..." etc etc I work in web design and photography and spend every day using high end editing software where pixellation would be an issue. I genuinely don't see the problem with the mini at all.

Also, there is neither an "unusable level of reflection" nor a disastrous "squashy screen" :)

The mini is what it is. A great little device for use on the go, and it's specs match what it's designed for.

I would advise that anyone thinking about a mini shouldn't pay too much attention to the negativity, because it's mostly unfounded, and much of it wouldn't surprise me if it was actually written by people who haven't even picked up the device in the first place.

I have an ipad 4 and before i got one i used the mini at the apple store. Personally i found that after using my iphone 5 i couldn't go back. It's just not as sharp and imo is easy to tell. Once you get used to things in life its generally hard to go back.... especially if they are good things.
 

siritalks

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 19, 2011
85
1
Don't get me wrong, I can see the difference. It's just not huge at all.

Also, for some reason, the difference was more noticeable when I tried it in store. When I got it delivered home, it looks much much crisper. I don't know if that's simply something to do with people's grubby hands being on them all day.
 

Lukewarmwinner

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2012
338
4
I have both an iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and iPad 3. Went to see the Mini yesterday. I totally agree with the OP.Hoonestly I couldn't tell the difference between mini and iPad 4. Well, there was a difference but really not making the iPad 4 better, just different. I've ordered the Mini and planning to sell my other iPads. The Retina is great on the iPhone, but I can't really see the difference in the smaller screen sizes. Also the rMBP 15" is really stunning but rMBP 13" not that much. I'll guess the retina benefits in really small screens (iPhone) and larger (rMBP 15) - for me that is..
 

Tsuchiya

macrumors 68020
Jun 7, 2008
2,310
372
I personally agree with OP, but then again the drop in PPI isnt such a huge deal for me anymore considering that I had dealt with the shock back when I brought an iPad 2 after using an iPhone 4 screen.

To be fair I guess for those who have slowly been upgrading their devices (iPhone, iPad and now Macbook) there is a noticable difference. I brought an iPad 3 for the family (so I get more time on my own iPad...) which I try not to use much because I would be too tempted to upgrade myself...
 

wrkactjob

macrumors 65816
Feb 29, 2008
1,357
0
London
I'm actually starting to hope there are more "It's crap" threads because I have a feeling that this about to land delivery of cellular capable ipad mini's are going to sell out in a flash.

Hopefully if there are enough "It's crap don't buy it" threads I can still have a chance of grabbing one without having to go to Ebay and pay a premium to get one.

~runs off to start "It's crap" thread~
 

FlashHead

macrumors regular
Feb 22, 2010
249
0
I think the screen is completely acceptable and well worth the trade off for size/weight/portability.
 

KenJr

macrumors newbie
Mar 8, 2012
5
0
I think the screen is completely acceptable and well worth the trade off for size/weight/portability.

Presumably, the design mission statement for the iPad Mini expressed the goal of designing a 10 hour battery life tablet that's light, thin, and can be carried in a pocket or small purse.

I had an iPad 1 and bought an iPad 3. My complaint with the 3 is that it's heavier, bulkier and takes too long to charge.

Using the iPad 3 as a reference, an iPad Mini with retina display would be, in comparison with the current Mini, heavier, thicker, slightly too big for a pocket, and would take longer to charge.

The current Mini meets the goals of the presumed original mission statement. A retina display iPad Mini, using current technology, would not, thus much of its appeal would be lost
 

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,666
5,879
The screen is not bad at all, but it is very hard on the eyes when reading forums or websites w/ a lot of text. Reading these forums for more than 20 minutes and I would start to get a headache. If I am just checking emails, facebooking, or playing games....it is great though.
 

Ladybug

macrumors 68000
Apr 13, 2006
1,874
1,013
I think the mini is a fantastic product. I have an iPad 1 & 3 and this is by far my favorite Apple product. It's small enough to be convenient for casual browsing, reading, and my occasional game, and I can drop it into my purse and go. It doesn't have the specs the 3 & 4 have, but for my personal use it is perfect.

I'll likely sell my old iPads and when I need something more I can use my MBP which I have to do now anyway. I'm not the least bit bothered by the screen nor do I think it looks bad at all.

In case anyone is wondering I do wear reading glasses and my eyes are in the 45+ crowd. My only minor complaint is the size of the fonts in Safari and that was fixed using Mercury browser or using the increase font tip posted in another thread. The battery life on this thing is fantastic btw.
 

hkfan24

macrumors regular
Sep 20, 2012
211
0
I agree. The screen is actually pretty good. A lot of the bashing on the screen here has been so exaggerated.
 

MrXiro

macrumors 68040
Nov 2, 2007
3,850
599
Los Angeles
... is absolutely fine, or actually very good.

I know I'll get shot down for "another one of these threads" but I think we need some balance here.

I have both an iPad 3 and a iPhone 4S, both with retina displays, and was worried after reading threads on this board that the iPad mini that I'd ordered would look bad in comparison.

Now, mine arrived on Thursday, and I genuinely have no idea what the hell people are yapping on about. Sure, it's very slightly less bright, and if you look REALLY closely you can see a very (and I mean very) slight pixellation on text, but it is more than good enough for the size of the device.

And before anyone says "you don't know what you're talking about man..." etc etc I work in web design and photography and spend every day using high end editing software where pixellation would be an issue. I genuinely don't see the problem with the mini at all.

Also, there is neither an "unusable level of reflection" nor a disastrous "squashy screen" :)

The mini is what it is. A great little device for use on the go, and it's specs match what it's designed for.

I would advise that anyone thinking about a mini shouldn't pay too much attention to the negativity, because it's mostly unfounded, and much of it wouldn't surprise me if it was actually written by people who haven't even picked up the device in the first place.

Completely agree with you. I think there are some legitimate but personal reasons some people dislike the Mini. But mostly I think people just want to hate it because it's not the bargain basement priced tablet that the Nexus 7 or the Fire HD is. So they knock the quality to make themselves feel better and it all gets blown out of proportion.

After reading some of the negative comments I looked over my iPad Min screen again and said to it, "why are you of inferior quality?"

It said back to me, "I'm not inferior to anything, I'm a perfectly good tablet, so shut up, stop being a little bitch and use me for your daily tablet needs or return me."

That Siri is a sassy one...

----------

When reading text - is it crisp for you? I just find it difficult to read. I prefer my iPad 1.

I think it has more to do with the font size on the Mini than the display then. The Mini's PPI is higher than the iPad 1 and 2s.

I do think that Apple should put code into the Mini specifically to enlarge the native font size a little within the Apple Apps and more importantly Safari.

They did it with the split keyboard. It's way bigger on the iPad Mini than on the iPad 2.
 

Deasnutz

macrumors 6502
Jun 9, 2011
268
62
I look at photos and forums on my iPad 4 all the time. I couldn't get use to losing the real estate and clarity by using a mini. My 5 handles situations when I'm on the go, so the mini would just be unnecessary.

I'm sure I could live with just the 5 and a mbp.
 

OTACORB

macrumors 68000
Jun 21, 2009
1,542
1,030
Central, Louisiana
I agree all these negative post about the mini display has been over blown and OMG so much drama. Sure there is a difference but overall it's still pretty good and the device makes it worth it. I use the mini so much more than the larger iPad. It's great #
 

KatanaAzul

macrumors member
May 7, 2010
70
8
I think the screen is completely acceptable and well worth the trade off for size/weight/portability.

Agree 100%. Sure the retina screens look nice, and I wouldn't trade my 4S for a non-retina product, but for me the size and weight of the mini were much more important.
 

d123

macrumors 68020
Oct 19, 2009
2,233
706
Earth
I do think that Apple should put code into the Mini specifically to enlarge the native font size a little within the Apple Apps and more importantly Safari.

They did it with the split keyboard. It's way bigger on the iPad Mini than on the iPad 2.

There have been a couple of threads about increasing the font size in Safari (using bookmarklets) which work very well.
 

JSalig

macrumors 6502
Oct 30, 2010
272
3
I find the screen to be acceptable. However, anything I liked doing on the ipad mini I found to be far more enjoyable on my 4+" inch phone. That pretty much sealed the mini's fate for me. There are a number of apps that really don't do the ipad mini any favors. Hopefully some software tinkering can change that. Not holding my breath though, so back to the Apple store it goes.
 

Cdumitru78

macrumors member
May 7, 2008
54
8
I couldn't agree more

I went from the original ipad to the mini, and so far I am loving it! After reading all the posts here about the screen size and all that, I kept being stressed that I might not enjoy the mini, but in all honesty, it is a great device. I read all the negative screen reviews at work, then I go back home at night and love using the device all night long.
 

falconeight

Guest
Apr 6, 2010
1,866
2
I bought a mini and reading all the hoopla on this sight about the screen made me go buy a ipad retina. I used the retina for 3 hours then returned it. Sure the screen is great and nice but man its fat, its heavy, its a 2 and half year old design, and the bezel is huge. Trying to find a comfortable position holding it or sitting with it is just ridiculous. I understand that people love the regular size ipad, I just know its not for me.
 

Techwriter

macrumors regular
Apr 1, 2010
163
17
The screen is not bad at all, but it is very hard on the eyes when reading forums or websites w/ a lot of text. Reading these forums for more than 20 minutes and I would start to get a headache. If I am just checking emails, facebooking, or playing games....it is great though.

If you are using the Safari browser to view forums on this site, it's really a challenge on the mini. There are better app browsers on the Apple App Store you can try, such as the Atomic, Mercury, or Perfect web browsers. They all let you increase font size, making the experience much more enjoyable and easy on the eyes. Here's a helpful thread on browsers:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1486105/

I also tried several ebook reading apps, Kindle, Nook, Stanza, Kobo to name a few. I found the Shubook app, which is very similar to the non-supported Stanza app in features. For me, when using Shubook, the font is much crisper and less jagged.

When using the mini, it might be a case of finding the right app for the job.
 
Last edited:

Yr Blues

macrumors 68030
Jan 14, 2008
2,687
889
The screen is basically 2 year old technology and it shows

Detailed schematics and small text suffer the most, movies and photos suffer the least
 

Nee412

macrumors 6502
Jun 25, 2010
281
8
Sunny England!
I agree with the OP. I tried the mini today for the first time in store and I can honestly say that the screen isn't as bad as people say.

It's so much lighter and more portable that the 4. I had the money to buy either today, and despite them having 4s in stock I decided to wait and order a mini. I want a portable internet browser, magazine/ebook reader, and something to watch the odd film on during a slow night shift. The iPad mini ticks all the boxes for a lower price than the 4, and it's a hell of a lot nicer to hold.
 

KenJr

macrumors newbie
Mar 8, 2012
5
0
The screen is basically 2 year old technology and it shows

Detailed schematics and small text suffer the most, movies and photos suffer the least

iPad 2 is 123 ppi (good resolution) iPad mini is 166 ppi (better resolution).

I just went to the smallest text size available on the Kindle book I was reading on my Mini (the text was really, really, small) but I could read it fine with my reading glasses on. Maybe some people need reading glasses and don't realize it.
 
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