163 PPI is not that bad

[MNealBarrett]

Yes, it really is that bad

My dirt-cheap Virgin Mobile Evo V phone has a pixel density of 256 PPI.

Apple started this PPI war, and now they and their minions are complaining about it.

 

[GeorgieAcevedo]

Whatever. I'm still getting it. I already love it and I haven't seen it.

 

[Mechinyun]

Whatever. I'm still getting it. I already love it and I haven't seen it.

This should be Macrumors motto right here boys!


The IPAD mini has a total weak sauce display.

Don't fool yourselves.

It's crap and you will buy it anyway - because you are weak.

 

[mackinmike]

Are u just saying that to make yourself feel better about your purchase or do u really believe that?

Too much apple koolaid tonight?

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It's not that bad. It's also not that good. It's funny to see the usual suspects in this thread apologizing for Apple's poor choices though.

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Retina display on an iPhone? LOL, what's the point?! On an iPod Touch? Pshh, no one would want that.....oops.

Werd. Ironic isn't it.

People... stop drinking the koolaid. Y'all delusional.

 

[Mr Astonishing]

I think the PPI thing is somewhat misleading. PPI is a linear count, not an area. When you look at a display, it's a 2D image. We are not just looking at how sharp a single line is.

Many people think that the Retina (264 PPI) iPad is twice as sharp as the iPad 2 (132 PPI). In my mind, it's actually FOUR times sharper. Maybe it's harder for some to comprehend or market because he number gets much larger to compare, but here's a conversion to SQUARE inches (PPSQI...rolls off tongue, right?)

iPad 2 = 17.4K PPSQI
iPad Mini = 26.6K PPSQI
iPad Retina = 69.7K PPSQI

My main reason for pointing this out? I think the iPad Mini will look a bit sharper than people are expecting. Not just 23% sharper compared to iPad 2, but more like 53% sharper. Obviously the Retina iPad is still way sharper.

I agree completely. Everyone can agree the display is not retina, and the Kindle/Nexus both have sharper displays. If you want the sharpest display on the market buy a Kindle or Nexus. I don't think any apple fanboy will tell you otherwise. This will be my first personal tablet, (my girlfriend has an iPad 2), but I'm already well developed into Apple's ecosystem, and Apple offers more dedicated tablet apps, a lighter tablet, and a high quality build. I also know my Apple products will work for years to come and will still receive the latest updates. (Problems I have had with Android manufactures in the past). These are all things that matter to me. I'm sure the 163 PPI will be just fine. It's not retina, but who really was counting pixels before Apple started making it a competition. Buy what you want, because at the end of the day who cares? Competition is good for all of us.

 

[lianlua]

I don't know, after seeing the super high density retina, 163 aint that great. Especially when the other cheaper tablets are doing much higher for less price. I don't get it. If you simply like Apple products better then fine but you can't honestly think the mini's inferior specs at a higher price can be justified.

That depends entirely on what you're choosing to look at. In the 7.7-8" range, you don't see other products with much higher pixel densities. The best models out there are 1280x800, which isn't really a significant difference.

You're talking about choosing a camera based solely on megapixel count. It's foolish. The other tablets may have a higher resolution, but that doesn't make them better. The bargain 7" tablets also tend to be dimmer with worse color performance. Everything is about compromise. The same resolution as the iPad 3 was out of the question from the beginning, and short of pushing the envelope in the market size, their highest option was 1280x800 (or 1280x960 to keep it 4:3). That's not enough of a difference to be worth the headache of another target resolution for iOS.

Apple put a screen on the iPad Mini that is inferior to competitor's screens

Based on the track record of other iPads, it's extremely unlikely that the iPad mini's display will be inferior in any measure of quality. It will have a lower resolution, but unless that's your only criterion, your statement doesn't add up.

Of course, if you want to go back in time to the same technological level as the iPhone 3G that is cool with me.

They haven't. The iPad mini's display contains a number of brand-new technologies, sharing most of it with the iPhone 5's LCD. The only thing that's identical to the iPhone 3G is the pixel density, which has nothing at all to do with its technological "level".

My dirt-cheap Virgin Mobile Evo V phone has a pixel density of 256 PPI.

Apple started this PPI war, and now they and their minions are complaining about it.

Just as predictably as minions of the other guys are missing the forest for the trees by focusing on one raw number instead of a holistic view.

That's typical, though, of people who are constantly shooting to keep up or win the rat race instead of setting a vision for a product.

 

[perpenso]

Many people think that the Retina (264 PPI) iPad is twice as sharp as the iPad 2 (132 PPI). In my mind, it's actually FOUR times sharper.

It really is only twice as sharp. If PPI doubles then any line you measure - horizontal, vertical or something in between - you will get twice the number of pixels. Hence twice as sharp.

Area is an important measurement but that is with respect to performance. 2D images may only be twice as sharp but there are four times the number of pixels to draw, or in the case of a game pixels to move around.

 

[nfl46]

I can't wait to see this in person. Hopefully it doesn't look too bad.

 

[wytwolf]

I'm sure the screen will be fine. My 2011 15 inch non-retina MacBook Pro has a PPI of about 110. The mini will be 163 so pretty much in the middle of a standard laptop and retina. My Sony ebook reader is 166, I doubt I will notice a 3ppi difference.

 

[trip1ex]

Still on my Ipad 2 and think the display is great. I've seen Retina in the stores and it is better, but never was unhappy about my iPad 2 display. IT's always been a step up from a laptop display and better than most pc monitors as well.

Pack the same resolution into a smaller display with better color gamut (from what I read) and I wouldn't be complaining at all. IT would be a non-factor for me.

IT wouldn't be as good as the best, but it wouldn't be a con or anything to complain about either. Like having $8 million in the bank instead of $10 million.

And having less pixels to move has its advantages. Device can be lighter, thinner and takes less time to charge. From what I read the performance of the IPad 3 isn't quite as snappy as the Ipad 2 either.