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Of course not, but Apple certainly should have done something else. Do you really think it is good that the iPhone 5 has a higher resolution screen than the Mini?

Iphone 4 had a higher resolution then the iPad 2. The only resolution they could reasonably do with the iPad Mini, was 1024x768 (ie same as iPad 1 and iPad 2) or 2048x1536 (ie same as iPad 3 and now iPad 4). They couldnt shrink the iPad 3 screen at this time at cheap enough cost so the only other option was 1024x768, otherwise none of the software for the current iPads would run on the device. That would have been an epic fail for the device.
 
I don't think the iPad Mini was introduced to sell "truck loads" of units necessarily. Obviously the main cash cow for Apple is the new full size iPad 4. They are simply trying to offer more options for people, something that the company ironically has been criticized in the past for offering too few options.

I think for people where budget is the main priority they will go with the iPad Mini, and will forego the retina display and larger screen of the iPad 4. The iPad 4 is going to be like every other companies "step up" model. The salesperson at the Apple store will start off by introducing the customer to the iPad mini. If the person is genuinely interested then the salesperson will offer the iPad 4 as the unit with more features and bells and whistles. Apple and the salesperson are basically in a win, win situation. The customer goes home happy, and Apple adds marketshare and profit. I don't see the problem.
 
Can I bash your head with a hammer for comparing a 2012 technology to a decade technology. [sic]

You're certainly welcome to try. What's wrong with trying to offer a little perspective into the matter? If you step back and put all the trees together, you see a forest. It's a healthy mental exercise to do every once in a while.
 
It's worlds better than most computers from 10 years ago (probably even 6 years ago) and it fits into a pocket - all for $330 (plus tax). How is that not amazing?

That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. What's the point of comparing the iPad Mini to computers from 10 years ago? There's no comparison, nor is anyone in the market to buy a 10 year-old computer. By that same logic, you can say a Balckberry Playbook or a Sony Dash is amazing too, when we know they are not.
 
You must not actually trade stocks. If that was an indication of your trading knowledge, I imagine that you would loose money quickly based on similar assumptions about a stock PERFORMING LIKE NORMAL. 2.5% down or up is a a pretty average threshold for AAPL.

I do own and trade Apple stock. APPL ended the day off 3.25% and I'd say that's a bit of market sell off. A 3.25% decrease in a day is volatile for Apple, the change in price means the market just reduced Apple's future cash flow with a measurement in the billions (yes, b) of dollars.

Now, the obvious reason to me, who's also a fan of Apple products, is that Apple is pricing those products too high to maximize cash flow. Nobody knows why - I don't think Apple is necessarily greedy, there's probably just higher demand for their products coupled with supplier shortages. All the more reason to wait for V2 of the mini.

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That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. What's the point of comparing the iPad Mini to computers from 10 years ago? There's no comparison, nor is anyone in the market to buy a 10 year-old computer. By that same logic, you can say a Balckberry Playbook or a Sony Dash is amazing too, when we know they are not.

You can make a reference to Obama's line about battleships and bayonets...
 
If you're using "success" as a benchmark, they Microsoft beats Apple hands down, since it's much more used. Specifications and design are valid targets for criticism, as is hand-feel.

It depends on how you define success. Every business I've worked with, as well as myself personally, defines success as bottom line profit. How much do we have left over after we pay all our taxes and expenses. Microsoft was once the leader, but not any more.
 
If you're using "success" as a benchmark, they Microsoft beats Apple hands down, since it's much more used. Specifications and design are valid targets for criticism, as is hand-feel.

The point is is to identify the weakness in Apple's products, as well as strengths, but mostly here people just call other people "whiners" instead of defending Apple's choices.

As I mentioned specs are valid, but there's more to it than just specs. It seems like the people whining about the whiners, are complaining that they JUST complain about specs (just the negative attributes). Evidence shows that Apple has been really, really, really successful with well designed, higher priced/less spec'ed products...

(BTW, I don't claim MS to be un-successful ... in the PC OS market)

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Looks like a fit for me.

How easy would you guys think it would be for me to sell my iPad2 around the 350 range, so I could scoop the iPad mini.


Honestly, it's way better fit for me. I have a Mac mini as my main station and a MBA that I carry to school. I bought the iPad before my Mac mini(which I swapped for a 13inch pro). When I realized I needed mobility I got a MBA, so now my iPad is an eReader and casual reading, but it really sucks to hold it at night when you're tired or reading on the train. So that iPad mini is looking kinda sexy right now.
 
Questions always need to be asked

Way to completely miss the point. I wasn't saying people shouldn't ask questions, I was saying you asked a question that had already been asked an answered many times in this thread.

And your whole "amazing" thing is just pointless semantics. Of course any current technology is going to be "amazing" compared with tech from ten years ago. But products aren't competing with the past, they're competing with what is for sale now. And the alternatives offer a more "amazing" screen resolution at a considerably lower price.
 
“The reason we wouldn’t make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit a price point. It’s because we don’t think you can make a great tablet with a 7-inch screen. The 7-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad.” - Steve Jobs

I have two theories:
1) Apple's just hitting a price point
2) Making an inferior product to make the iPad look better in comparison, leading more people to pay $500 for the iPad

For those praising Apple for "offering more options", Apple's lack of options is one of the reasons that buying an Apple product is so easy. Go to a Best Buy looking for a tablet, and the average consumer will get overwhelmed and bogged down by all the choices. Walk into an Apple store looking for a tablet, and you buy an iPad. Not anymore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice:_Why_More_Is_Less
 
I don't get what market Apple is trying to target here.

The mini is too expensive to compete with the Fire and Nexus and the rest of the budget market. And there's no mid-range tablet market worth chasing.

Anybody understand this?
 
It is a little saddening to see Apple protecting their profit margin with the iPad mini rather than using their weight to really challenge other smaller tablets and woo customers away who are looking at those products. I've been waiting for this announcement so as to decide between the iPad or iPad mini. Given the new specs for both, I'll probably end up getting the 4th gen iPad - more bang for my buck.

While Apple calling the iPad update the 4th gen version was a bit of a shock, it seems like this is a move similar to what they did with the iphone line, whereby they are moving the update cycle to the fall with their other product lines. We can probably expect that there won't be a 5th gen version until next fall. It was probably a difficult call by Apple, but it was either a 6 month cycle this time around or a very long 18 month cycle. This at least brings some improvements to the line that they probably just weren't production ready back in March.
 
Question: Will the iPad ruler apps will now be inaccurate?
Are there any other problems like this?

If not, I guess it's nothing major.
 
Who is this FOR?

At $329, which is significantly more than the Kindle Fire HD (with worse resolution) and the Nexus 7, and being only slightly cheaper than the iPad 2, and with the same functionality as the 2, who is this product even for? For the life of me, I cannot come up with an answer to that question.
 
Yup

How easy would you guys think it would be for me to sell my iPad2 around the 350 range, so I could scoop the iPad mini.


Honestly, it's way better fit for me. I have a Mac mini as my main station and a MBA that I carry to school. I bought the iPad before my Mac mini(which I swapped for a 13inch pro). When I realized I needed mobility I got a MBA, so now my iPad is an eReader and casual reading, but it really sucks to hold it at night when you're tired or reading on the train. So that iPad mini is looking kinda sexy right now.

See? ^THIS^ is the target market of the iPad Mini.
*Phil Schiller and all the cupertino campus staff cheer*
 
Iphone 4 had a higher resolution then the iPad 2. The only resolution they could reasonably do with the iPad Mini, was 1024x768 (ie same as iPad 1 and iPad 2)

Not true. You got the iPad 2 resolution right but the iPhone 4 was 960x640, lower than any of the iPads.


Evidence shows that Apple has been really, really, really successful with well designed, higher priced/less spec'ed products...

You seem to be ignoring all the retina products, the iphone 4, the iPad 3, and now the laptops, all of which had higher resolution than anything available from anyone else at the time of release, right?

After all Apple's hype about Retina (including today!), it's hard to buy it when out of the other side of their mouth they try and tell us that resolution doesn't matter and lower ppi is just fine.
 
Iphone 4 had a higher resolution then the iPad 2. The only resolution they could reasonably do with the iPad Mini, was 1024x768 (ie same as iPad 1 and iPad 2) or 2048x1536 (ie same as iPad 3 and now iPad 4). They couldnt shrink the iPad 3 screen at this time at cheap enough cost so the only other option was 1024x768, otherwise none of the software for the current iPads would run on the device. That would have been an epic fail for the device.

So basically they got lazy and took the path of least resistance. It just couldn't be done. Impossible. After all, this isn't the richest company on the face of the planet trying to sell the most expensive 7 inch tablet.

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You seem to be ignoring all the retina products, the iphone 4, the iPad 3, and now the laptops, all of which had higher resolution than anything available from anyone else at the time of release, right?

After all Apple's hype about Retina (including today!), it's hard to buy it when out of the other side of their mouth they try and tell us that resolution doesn't matter and lower ppi is just fine.

Excellent points.
 
This bad marketing decision is the starting point of the downfall of Apple, whether you like it or not.

Demise or simply the downfall? How far down do you think they'll fall? If they're at number one, is a drop to number 2 a downfall? Or a drop to number 500? Or did you merely indicate that you believe they will start falling? Free fall or with a parachute?

Statements like these sometimes I wonder if they contain more hope and desire than actual facts or scientific predictors.

The downfall of Apple starting here? I would never predict say that, especially after the very successful launch of their iPhone 5, but then again I'm only looking at their recent successes, not at their supposed future failures. Will be interesting to see how well they do with this product - I predict at least moderate success, and given the price, loads and loads of profit.
 
I don't get what market Apple is trying to target here.

The mini is too expensive to compete with the Fire and Nexus and the rest of the budget market. And there's no mid-range tablet market worth chasing.

Anybody understand this?

Well, I don't know if anyone else is like me, but I'll speak for myself. I have a Mac ecosystem(Mac mini, iPhone, Apple TV, iPad2, etc.) going on in my home, but even though I love my iPad2 it's kind of big for me. I think the iPad mini is for people who wants something in the range size wise of a kindle etc. but wants a mac product...with things imessage, ibooks, ical etc. updating on all your products you never really miss a beat.
 
I don't get what market Apple is trying to target here.

The mini is too expensive to compete with the Fire and Nexus and the rest of the budget market. And there's no mid-range tablet market worth chasing.

Anybody understand this?

Simply those who prefer Apple products AND a smaller tablet. I have an iPad 3 mainly for an ereader and photo album, but I also use it for everything iCloud with my iPhone and MacBook. If I waited just a couple months when the iPad Mini rumors really started becoming a likely possibility, I would have waited for its release and would not be disappointed by today's announcement. I don't think it will be as huge of a seller as the iPad, but then again when the first iPad was released I thought it would flop and doubted I would ever own one.....
 
I haven't read through the whole thread, but reading the specs of the mini, it seems very odd that all the camera/bluetooth/GPS/cellular radio specs are the same as the new iPad 4, yet they chose to put the A5 iPad 2 CPU in there. Weird hybrid of iPad 4 and iPad 2 with a small screen. I wonder if that CPU will be ok with those upgraded internals like that.
 
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