A 7.85" iPad would be an ABOMINATION!

[nuckinfutz]

My thoughts exactly. App developers already have to think about two different UIs in their universal apps. If this comes out will they have up start developing a third size or will they just show iPad apps smaller than the size they're designed for. And if they just go for showing them smaller then people will start adjusting their designs to work well on the iPad mini which means they won't be fully utilising the size of the full size iPad.

I can't see it happening.

Incorrect. Resolution stays the same so developers don't have to do anything. While the UI elements would indeed be smaller they'd only be say 30% smaller or so. Not a huge issue unless you've bloated up your app with too many controls.

This argument is overdone and shows a lack of understanding about how apps are created.

But if you disagree give me a list of 5 iPad apps that suddenly become a mess of a UI if they shrink.

Most iPad apps have plenty of room between the elements.

 

[kdarling]

Apple has already shown that they're not afraid to ask developers to update their apps for different screen resolutions and sizes.

 

[mcdj]

wow, just wow. You people can down vote me all you like but you deserve all the ridicule you get.

The best part of this nonsense thread is that if Apple does in fact come out with an iPad mini, we get to resurrect this thread and laugh at you, even harder than we are now. You, on the other hand, never get to say "I told you so" unless Apple closes their doors forever without having produced an iPad mini.

 

[richpjr]

Not an abomination at all. I could see picking one up.

 

[knucklehead]

Apple has already shown that they're not afraid to ask developers to update their apps for different screen resolutions and sizes.

But what exactly does that have to do with this thread?
From your bio, you should be able to give good reality based answer. I'm curious.

 

[kdarling]

But what exactly does that have to do with this thread?

It was a comment to posts like #50 and others, in which people said that Apple would never make developers support another screen size.

I posted it on the fly from a phone, and I didn't have time to do a lot of quoting or editing. I figured since it was right next to several such comments, anyone reading the thread would get it.

 

[MythicFrost]

No it would be perfectly fine. I was at first against such an iPad, but there is a market for a smaller device more suitable to reading and a 7 inch iPad would be a nice complement to the 9.7 inch iPad.

 

[knucklehead]

It was a comment to posts like #50 and others, in which people said that Apple would never make developers support another screen size.

I posted it on the fly from a phone, and I didn't have time to do a lot of quoting or editing. I figured since it was right next to several such comments, anyone reading the thread would get it.

OK, but to the actual point -- Does the question of developers having to update their apps really have much to do with the rumored 7.85" iPad? Does that represent much of an actual hurdle?

 

[RetiredInFl]

I think it's safe to conclude it would be an abomination that goes against everything that Apple has built itself upon recently.

An abomination! My God, so dramatic. Jobs is d-e-a-d. The world will continue on and so will Apple without him.

 

[davidlw]

I would love a 7.85 Mini iPad. I own a couple of 7 inch tablets and have wished to have one from Apple. Just the right size to carry around most everywhere whereas the 10 inch is a little much. Mine stays home most of the time.

 

[Insulin Junkie]

The best part of this nonsense thread is that if Apple does in fact come out with an iPad mini, we get to resurrect this thread and laugh at you, even harder than we are now.

+1, i was thinking the same thing, this deserves to be bookmarked and pulled up the moment a smaller ipad becomes official. i remember quite a few very similar "this will /will never happen in the next few years" threads made by people convinced of and aggressive about their beliefs, some of these threads i dearly wish id bookmarked back in the day to pull up for the lols. i wont forget to do that this time.

 

[ZipZap]

Lighter is key. I live in London and e-readers are overwhelmingly popular reading device on the underground, i see more people holding e readers than books. Sme do have an iPad but I don't see them standing up holding it.

The iPad is simply too big and heavy to be a portable reading device. A device alf the size and weight would be a major bankroller for apple.

As for as resolution goes, apple can just chop and iPad three in half and a smaller iPad will run the same resolution as iPad 1 and iPad 2.

Weight is the KEY element of the smaller ipad. It's why the smaller one will eventually cause the demise of the larger model. If Apple can get the present ipad to be as light as a typical magazine, then that's a different story.

----------

What surprises me about this threads how one sides the opinions are despite the fact the poll results have been split pretty much 50/50 throughout. Where are you people? They're probably too busy speculating on the 4th gen iPad, the real deal.

Let's indulge ourselves and say there is an iPad mini, where will it fit into the current Apple product line? We have iPod touch, MacBook air & pro with FOUR iPad skus in between. How thin should spread themselves or should they kill off one of their current product lines to make room for the mini?

So are we saying we should expect a 16, 32, 64gb 7.85" model? How would price these devices to prevent overlap with the current line up? Let's keep it simple. So let's say they produce a single 16gb iPad mini, some kind of super budget model you guys are craving, let's also say it's priced a $250. Bearing in mind the 16gb iPad 2 basic model is probably a loss leader at $400, how much money is the 16gb iPad mini likely to lose Apple on its own? Its not even as simple as that, most importantly how much cannibalisation would it cause the New iPad? How many people would buy the cute little mini over the regular iPad? Probably many millions. Maybe even more people would go for the $250 iPad mini over the $400 iPad 2 or $500 iPad 3. Great huh?

So aside from iPad mini being a sweet little cutie for your man bags and purses how much business sense does it make for apple? How many regular iPad sales would be lost to it? Let's say amazon sell 100 million kindles fires, they make a LOSS on every device, Android is riven with piracy, hardly anyone makes any money on the platform, let's say amazon barely make any money per user on the device, and some of you guys are seriously suggesting apple have reason to feel threatened, a reason to destroy sales of their profitable own new iPad to compete with a loss making, piracy riven competing device where there is no serious developer support?

wow, just wow. You people can down vote me all you like but you deserve all the ridicule you get.

The point is....people are compelled to buy from Apple.

Apple sees the market as streams of revenue. They will produce whatever product can generate a reasonable stream of revenue and fits with their product lineup.

They dont care about product canibalization as long as the sale ultimately goes to Apple.

Large or small profit does not matter, its the act of income generation that keeps Apple pressing forward and shareholders happy.

 

[MacAttacka]

Weight is the KEY element of the smaller ipad. It's why the smaller one will eventually cause the demise of the larger model. If Apple can get the present ipad to be as light as a typical magazine, then that's a different story.

----------



The point is....people are compelled to buy from Apple.

Apple sees the market as streams of revenue. They will produce whatever product can generate a reasonable stream of revenue and fits with their product lineup.

They dont care about product canibalization as long as the sale ultimately goes to Apple.

Large or small profit does not matter, its the act of income generation that keeps Apple pressing forward and shareholders happy.

There is no money to be made from the mini and it will kill off the lucrative iPad. That is not something that can just be brushed aside. iPad mini would be commercial suicide for their current line up. It would damage the Touch and the iPad revenue streams to be replaced with nothing but Amazon-kindle style loss. Why would they do that?

So how do Apple create new revenue streams? They could develop a new device for existing users. So I have an iPad and an iPhone, am I being asked to buy an iPad mini too? No? So the mini is really not upselling to the existing 100million eventual iPad userbase. So this iPad mini is not for existing iPad users, its for those people who do not have iPad or iOS device. First of all if you dont like the iPad, you dont like the iPad, theres not temping you however small or however many colors it comes in. Secondly, lets say there are iPad virgins out there who might be tempted but have not been completely won over - surely they are Apple's new target? Yes! They most certainly are. However why build an iPad mini when iPad 3 is already doing the trick? iPad 3 purchasers are overwhelmingly new users who never had the original two devices. iPad 3 is capturing the market iPad 1 and 2 failed to do. So on that basis why complicate matters building an entirely new device?

Apple's revenues will increase in two ways. From their existing users who have invested in their hardware, they just need to develop even more apps and services. Great. Their iDevice just got that much better. For new users, Apple need to develop a device that will attract these people, bring them into the iOS universe and then increase revenue by selling them software and services. The iPad 3 does all of that and therefore along with my earlier arguments about the non-profitability and damage an iPad mini would do, it simply aint happening.

 

[ixodes]

Once Apple releases this new smaller size there's going to be a lot of users eating their words.

Suddenly the hypocrites will be proclaiming it the smartest move Apple has made.

That's why I find these threads so entertaining. Zealots at their finest

 

[shinobi-81]

once apple releases this new smaller size there's going to be a lot of users eating their words.

Suddenly the hypocrites will be proclaiming it the smartest move apple has made.

That's why i find these threads so entertaining. Zealots at their finest

qft

 

[noteple]

There's only one thing for certain. You don't know what's happening or not happening. Apple has proven that time and time again.

They also happen to have a "mini" version for almost every product.

Yes but why does everyone think a smaller device would be just like the iPad.

The Nano is not a iPod Touch.

You should see something smaller, and similar, in support of a larger concept.

But it doesn't have to be an iPad, any more then a MacBook Air was a MacBook Pro.

 

[dancj]

Incorrect. Resolution stays the same so developers don't have to do anything. While the UI elements would indeed be smaller they'd only be say 30% smaller or so. Not a huge issue unless you've bloated up your app with too many controls.

Not incorrect in the slightest. I never suggested (or thought) that the resolution would change. A 7.85" screen is about 65% of the current iPad screen. Like I said, some apps will be fine, but plenty which make full use of the iPad's size will suffer and would want redesigning.

This argument is overdone and shows a lack of understanding about how apps are created.

No, but your argument shows a lack of understanding of my argument.

But if you disagree give me a list of 5 iPad apps that suddenly become a mess of a UI if they shrink.

Most of my apps are games which won't suffer, but three that would suffer are:
AppShopper
IMDB
Contacts

 

[nuckinfutz]

Grin

I understand it now.

And +1 for calling out IMDB. I was just remarking about how cluttered they have made that interface. Very informative but overall cluttered.

Developers should take heed that good mobile user interfaces don't always need to mimic their websites.

LinkedIn has done a pretty good job with their iPad app. There's proper spacing and when they need to present more data they use a Flipboard'esqu page swipe.

I think more developers should be implementing a readability mode like Tweetbot has which makes any screen pretty damn good at text so long as the data can be parsed correctly.

 

[knucklehead]

Most of my apps are games which won't suffer, but three that would suffer are:
AppShopper
IMDB
Contacts

I agree that dropping to the reduced touch interface of the iPhone is a compromise, but I have AppShopper open on my iPad right now ---- what do you see as the big problem with it?

 

[dancj]

I agree that dropping to the reduced touch interface of the iPhone is a compromise, but I have AppShopper open on my iPad right now ---- what do you see as the big problem with it?

There's no problem with AppShopper (or IMDB) on a 10" screen, but I I think the menu on the left hand side would get too tight for easy accurate use on a 7.85" screen.

 

[knucklehead]

There's no problem with AppShopper (or IMDB) on a 10" screen, but I I think the menu on the left hand side would get too tight for easy accurate use on a 7.85" screen.

I just did a quick check on scaling IMDB and AppShopper to 7.85" size. I'm a bit sloppy on the accuracy right now, but it looks like IMDB stays within Apple's human interface guidelines as mentioned in the lead post here:https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1349884/
and AppShopper clearly falls below.

It will be interesting to see what happens with all this. The more I mess around with actual scaled screens, the more I like them. If AppShopper is as bad an example of app scaling as can be found, it's really not all that bad. It could certainly benefit from a redesign, but wouldn't be unusable without it.

 

[aimeeinohio]

I myself would love a 7-8" iPad. I carry my iPad in my purse, and I don't like to carry a huge assed purse. While my iPad in it's case fits in my purse, I can't snap my purse shut.

Scoff if you must, but there IS a market for smaller items.

 

[buddybd]

Once Apple releases this new smaller size there's going to be a lot of users eating their words.

Suddenly the hypocrites will be proclaiming it the smartest move Apple has made.

That's why I find these threads so entertaining. Zealots at their finest

My thoughts exactly, its funny how people pretend to know what Jobs would've wanted.

Jobs changed his mind many times as well so there's no reason why he wouldn't consider a smaller iPad later on.

There's has been abundant proof that there is a market for smaller tablets, and yes Apple is like every other company, they'll try and grab as much business as possible. Only difference is they usually know when its 'safe' to go in and don't release products left and right.

 

[Booji]

I really like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 - its a great size that can fit in your jacket pocket - a great take along to a cafe or on the train or bus. I'd buy the smaller iPad provided the price point is at least $200 less than the new iPad.

 

[seaquestamd]

My prediction.

7.85" iPad mini with 16GB (only capacity available).
A5X Single Core with dual graphics chip.
1024 x 768 Display
16GB WiFi - $279USD
16GB WiFi + 3G $399USD
Available in a range of colours. (think iPod Nanoesque colours).
Most likely plastic unibody construction to reduce cost of manufacture.

Apple will then kill of the 9.7" 16GB WiFi iPad 2.

Watch as schools buy these things by the boatload.