iPad mini Confronting mortality and admitting rmini too small for me

[Misskitty]

10-inch format was "set in stone" by Steve Jobs, just like iPhone's 3.5 inch. He was very radical and ridiculed both 4"+ phone size and 7-8" tablet size. But years of usage by millions of users proved that for a phone 4.5-5.5" size is more optimal. Same with 10" size. People are turning more and more to a book-reader screen size - 7-8". It's the same size as pocket books, organizers, pocket notebooks (paper), travel guides, etc. - there's a reason this size is so popular, and that reason is that something is useless if you don't have it with you.

10-inch size is awkward and eventually, you'll find yourself carrying it less and less and leaving it at home and then it becomes just a home appliance like a TV.

Well said. The air is good for couch potatoes but way too big to bring out of the house. Its not the weight thats the issue, but the size. Its not pocketable, so its gonna have to be carried by hand or in a bag. People really want that? And that to me totally defeats the purpose of lugging around a device that isnt pocketable. The fact you can pocket the mini and have both hands free, people just dont acknowledge how much of a benefit this is.

The air, you have to carry in hand or in a bag. So that means you will have to rest it down on places, whether it be counters, tables, desks. You may not mind it at first, but trust me it gets old really fast. Its like carrying around a cell phone with say a 10" screen. Could you people imagine owning a cell phone that you couldnt pocket cause its too big? Exactly, there you go.

For ANYONE who plans on carrying their ipad with them everyday or at least on a daily basis, the mini wins hands down, unless you dont mind carrying a bag, the air shouldnt even be in the question. Its great to have the mini with you because 1) it allows you to use that as opposed to your cell phones tiny screen and run your phone as a wifi hot spot. 2) Saves battery on your cell phone 3) Just much more tolerable than using a tiny cell phone screen.

Just think of the times where you unexpectedly had to kill some time somewhere and only had your cell phone on you, to check email, surf the web....do that for an hour here and there, ya not very pleasant.

I see this all the time, people wherever they are, on their phones with the tiny screens surfing the web, doing facebook for a good length of time...only to think a tab would be so much better. Ive been down this road many times and it simply sucked using an iphone 4 for any longer than 10 minutes to go online.

Even with me getting a new phone and it having a 5" screen, when Im out, Ill always choose the mini simply for the screen size. Phones are ok here and there for short periods of time but nothing more.

Give it 6 months, or not even and I bet you many will stop carrying their Airs out of the house cause it is a big device.

Having used the 1st gen mini for a year, and literally took it everywhere with me, you cant underestimate just how portable the thing is. Because its so portable, it encourages people to take it with them everywhere. Cant say the same for the air. If people saw you bringing your 10" ipad to the grocery store or the mall, they would think it looks hideous. People find the mini too small? Really? For someone like myself with normal sized hands, its perfection for size. Apple nailed it dead on for form factor.

From what Ive noticed, from all the reading on here and so on, it seems theres a trend. People (myself would be one) who have grown up on smartphones or handheld devices and used to texting on phones (ive used several blackberries for years, which had the tiniest keys), have little problem going with the mini because the mini for me, pretty much feels like a bigger phone minus the phone itself. While, anyone who hasnt really been fond of cell phones and texting, web surfing on them (either cause they find them uncomfortable or screen too small), have difficulty using the mini.

At the end of the day the mini is a true handheld device, while the air is a table top device.

Its been proven time and time again that people these days want smaller tablets under 8" cause its more portable. Many already have and use e-readers which are as light as can be and usually under 8". Having the mini, makes their transition easy and makes the device versatile.

How often do you see someone in public lugging around a full sized ipad or 10" tab? No one, at least I sure dont. Everyone has 8" or less tabs. Walk into any Best Buy and ask the guys there, what they sell more of...gaurentee they say tabs 8" and under. Just look at all the other brands of tablets, theyre all pushing the smaller size cause thats where the demand is.

Even on a bus or train (though I dont take either), I would feel like a complete coocoo head if I pulled out a full sized ipad and screams you looking for attention or showing off. Or even walking, in a building, mall, wherever, same thing...you would look like a coocoo head.

The thing is literally the size of a daytimer, which makes it perfect for putting in a pant pocket, coat pocket, purse, belt, pants, socks, even headbands. Cant say the same for the air. The mini is the size of a daytimer, while the air is the size of a painters canvas.

 

[saberahul]

You need to be prepared to be judged on this site. Thick skin. It's the nature of this place...

It's the nature of the online world where our identities are anonymous; hence, we feel that we rule this planet and can do/say whatever. Human nature.

 

[JGWolven]

I carry my ipad everywhere. At work. Around the house. Doesn't matter. The posts that claim it's too big or awkward to carry around the house? Oh.. My.. God..

 

[ckeck]

Even on a bus or train (though I dont take either), I would feel like a complete coocoo head if I pulled out a full sized ipad and screams you looking for attention or showing off. Or even walking, in a building, mall, wherever, same thing...you would look like a coocoo head.

Are you for real? Screams for attention or showing off if you happen to carry around a non-mini iPad? Your post just lost all credibility. Thanks for wasting everyone's time.

 

[samiznaetekto]

Well said. The air is good for couch potatoes but way too big to bring out of the house. Its not the weight thats the issue, but the size. Its not pocketable, so its gonna have to be carried by hand or in a bag. People really want that? And that to me totally defeats the purpose of lugging around a device that isnt pocketable. The fact you can pocket the mini and have both hands free, people just dont acknowledge how much of a benefit this is.

The air, you have to carry in hand or in a bag. So that means you will have to rest it down on places, whether it be counters, tables, desks. You may not mind it at first, but trust me it gets old really fast. Its like carrying around a cell phone with say a 10" screen. Could you people imagine owning a cell phone that you couldnt pocket cause its too big? Exactly, there you go.

For ANYONE who plans on carrying their ipad with them everyday or at least on a daily basis, the mini wins hands down, unless you dont mind carrying a bag, the air shouldnt even be in the question. Its great to have the mini with you because 1) it allows you to use that as opposed to your cell phones tiny screen and run your phone as a wifi hot spot. 2) Saves battery on your cell phone 3) Just much more tolerable than using a tiny cell phone screen.

Just think of the times where you unexpectedly had to kill some time somewhere and only had your cell phone on you, to check email, surf the web....do that for an hour here and there, ya not very pleasant.

I see this all the time, people wherever they are, on their phones with the tiny screens surfing the web, doing facebook for a good length of time...only to think a tab would be so much better. Ive been down this road many times and it simply sucked using an iphone 4 for any longer than 10 minutes to go online.

Even with me getting a new phone and it having a 5" screen, when Im out, Ill always choose the mini simply for the screen size. Phones are ok here and there for short periods of time but nothing more.

Give it 6 months, or not even and I bet you many will stop carrying their Airs out of the house cause it is a big device.

Having used the 1st gen mini for a year, and literally took it everywhere with me, you cant underestimate just how portable the thing is. Because its so portable, it encourages people to take it with them everywhere. Cant say the same for the air. If people saw you bringing your 10" ipad to the grocery store or the mall, they would think it looks hideous. People find the mini too small? Really? For someone like myself with normal sized hands, its perfection for size. Apple nailed it dead on for form factor.

From what Ive noticed, from all the reading on here and so on, it seems theres a trend. People (myself would be one) who have grown up on smartphones or handheld devices and used to texting on phones (ive used several blackberries for years, which had the tiniest keys), have little problem going with the mini because the mini for me, pretty much feels like a bigger phone minus the phone itself. While, anyone who hasnt really been fond of cell phones and texting, web surfing on them (either cause they find them uncomfortable or screen too small), have difficulty using the mini.

At the end of the day the mini is a true handheld device, while the air is a table top device.

Its been proven time and time again that people these days want smaller tablets under 8" cause its more portable. Many already have and use e-readers which are as light as can be and usually under 8". Having the mini, makes their transition easy and makes the device versatile.

How often do you see someone in public lugging around a full sized ipad or 10" tab? No one, at least I sure dont. Everyone has 8" or less tabs. Walk into any Best Buy and ask the guys there, what they sell more of...gaurentee they say tabs 8" and under. Just look at all the other brands of tablets, theyre all pushing the smaller size cause thats where the demand is.

Even on a bus or train (though I dont take either), I would feel like a complete coocoo head if I pulled out a full sized ipad and screams you looking for attention or showing off. Or even walking, in a building, mall, wherever, same thing...you would look like a coocoo head.

The thing is literally the size of a daytimer, which makes it perfect for putting in a pant pocket, coat pocket, purse, belt, pants, socks, even headbands. Cant say the same for the air. The mini is the size of a daytimer, while the air is the size of a painters canvas.

You nailed it. Nothing can be added, and nothing can be taken away from this summary.

In a few months when the initial excitement of a slightly thinner and lighter but nevertheless same boring old 10-inch iPad wears off, peope will realize that for a home device (carry-able between rooms) laptops are much better choice and Giant iPad is pretty much useless (that's what happened with my iPad 1: MBA 11" was introduced a few months after IPad, and my iPad 1 dusted in a drawer for 3 years until the Target trade-in turned the mummy into a beautiful puppy, rMini).

3.5" for a phone and 10" for a tablet were products of Jobs' reality distortion field, but most users now love larger phones and smaller tablets.

 

[MBAir 2012]

Misskitty: I am confused by your countless threads. First you loved the RMini then hated it. Then you loved it again but then hated it. Then you decided iPad Air was better for you and your final choice but now you think the RMini is better? Which is it?

I am not slating you in any way. I like reading peoples opinions and experiences but whats up with all the indecisiveness and contradictory posts? I think you'll just end up confusing other people. Its a tablet... pick one and move on.

 

[rajpatel]

I love the mini, in concept and execution. It's a beautiful and graceful little device. I like the feeling of heft that it has, like an expensive piece of jewelry. The Air is missing it a bit. The Air feels good in the hands, but that is the drawback......you need both. Though I'm male, I have small hands like a girl. I've known at least a couple of girls who were shorter than me but had bigger hands than me.

Ultimately, even though I think the retina mini is awesome, when I want to browse the web, since getting my ipad 4 back yesterday after a month, I just find web browsing on it so much easier than mini. Much less scrolling, no zooming at all. It's nice. It's like quitting a tedious part time job I wasn't even getting paid for. I think I will now appreciate my full size ipad a lot more than if I never had the mini experience. I wonder if I could sell the retina mini on eBay for profit. But I do like it so much. As an e reader, tv and movie player, photo displayer, music player, and web surfer when out and about it can't be beat

 

[bevsb2]

I can't argue with the portability and convenience of the mini. I just got the rMini and for the first time take an iPad everywhere with me. I love my rMini. I still use my Air mainly at home however. I love the beautiful big screen that is easier to read and so light weight that carrying it around the house just isn't an issue. Bottom line is that I love both devices, but if I could only keep one it would be the Air. I can't even begin to comment on the statement that someone using a full size iPad in public looks like a "coocoo head". Seriously!?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I think today is about the seventeenth day I've had the mini. Used my ipad 4 for the first time in a month today, it was elsewhere. Feel such relief. Reading on the mini involves a lot of scrolling and zooming. Plus I'm 42

I thought I would never go back to reg ipad but I was flatly wrong. It's the mini I mite not go back to, tho I write this on it

I read your title and thought of my father... but he just turned 75. We got him an rMini thinking it would be easier for him to hold, but turned out he preferred the Air for same reasons you stated.

Personally, I haven't encountered any of those problems (I'm older than you you so not sure age has anything to do with it) but do go to the Air (own Air and rMini) for certain tasks like writing or Photochopping. For simple stuff like reading books, web surfing, games on the couch I grab the rMini every time.

 

[quamsi]

Misskitty, your posts are very confusing. It's almost like you are trying to justify and defend the Air one day then the Mini the next then back to the Air. Collected from all over the forums:

You said this yesterday:

Once you use the air, ya its hard to go back to the mini cause the screen (mainly text) jist feels so small. Small, but i wouldnt say too small, but harder on the eyes. Even though i used it for a year and has no issues.

The biggest beef with the mini is the poor gamut. Comparing it to the air, is like comparing a steak knife to plastic butterknife. Its that bad.

You said this a couple days ago:

the air, it shrinks that gap. The air is much more comfortable to use than any previous ipad. I wouldnt even consider any previous full sized ipad. Its like carrying around a pizza box with a steel block inside.

I still cant decide which one to bring back. I was going with the air, but when it came to refunding the rmini back to the store, I just couldnt do it. Its the size and comfort of the device that is unmatched by any other tablet today. Honestly, its perfection.

You also recently posted this:

Using both naked, I prefer the air simply cause (I find anyhow) the air when naked is just as comfortable to hold, use and type on with the split keyboard as the mini. I could see myself taking the air out naked cause its really not much heavier than the rmini.

Then the next day posted this:

Actually i havent returned the mini yet caise i couldnt get myself too. Its the form factor that i cant give up and i always will hold a special place in my heart for the mini.

Im now reconsidering and actually might return the air instead.

If you are that confused and torn on which is the best device and which is the one you will ultimately keep, perhaps you should keep your temporary opinions to yourself until you are set. Your posts all conflict with each other which can be very confusing to people who come here seeking opinions and advice.

 

[Misskitty]

You nailed it. Nothing can be added, and nothing can be taken away from this summary.

In a few months when the initial excitement of a slightly thinner and lighter but nevertheless same boring old 10-inch iPad wears off, peope will realize that for a home device (carry-able between rooms) laptops are much better choice and Giant iPad is pretty much useless (that's what happened with my iPad 1: MBA 11" was introduced a few months after IPad, and my iPad 1 dusted in a drawer for 3 years until the Target trade-in turned the mummy into a beautiful puppy, rMini).

3.5" for a phone and 10" for a tablet were products of Jobs' reality distortion field, but most users now love larger phones and smaller tablets.

Having used an ipad and a bunch of other brand tablets here and there for the past 3 years, and seeing how its fit into my life, this is how i see it. Ive always been a heavy phone user, not as in talking but as in texting, emailing, web surfing. Whenever, i can be on it in public, im always on it. It keeps me entertained. Id sure rather be on my phone, than staring at drywall and plants when having lunch during work. Before tablets became mainstream, i used my phones all the time as this device to keep me occupied. Staring into a tiny cell phone screen everyday on lunch for 30mins. Not anymore cause cell phone screens are ok to use for short periods of time, nothing more. This is where portable tabs come in to play and replace that.

To me, a tablet is the middle device, the hybrid device lets call it....that sits between your laptop and your phone. The mini compliments your cell phone, whereas the air or any other 10" tab compliments your laptop.

On the go, aside from bigger screen, theres no benefit using the air. In the jaime rivera review, he brings up some very good points about how people want to use full size for business and really the air is not a good device to use for productivity cause of the lack of multitasking, and is still primarily a viewer as opposed to a worker. Because of the lack of multitasking, the screen real estate is put to waste. I agree with that, until apple finally wakes up and smells the roses and brings true multitasking to ios, larger ipads will never be anymore than a jumbo notepad for business productivity. All can be done just as good on smaller tabs if not better.

Ya all those times having to surf the web on a crappy 3.5" iphone screen sucked big time. Like the other poster said, a device is no good if its not with you. And for me, i wouldnt buy a tablet if it was strictly for in home use, because a laptop will be cheaper and much more productive. If i just wanted to use a device for web surfing and emails from the couch, id never blow $500 on an ipad, where other brand tabs are half the price and can easily do the job. Lets face it, from recent surveys a large portion of ipad users, use their ipads for jist that, web, email and the occasional game. You dont need a $500 device to do that. And unless youre trying to impress when you have company over with the apple logo, its pointless.

I can see how the air suits the people who arent heavy phone users and dont mind staring into tiny cell phone screens outside of the house while leaving the air at home. But for heavy phone users, having the ability to bring the mini with you everywhere is just a huge luxury.

 

[Misskitty]

Misskitty: I am confused by your countless threads. First you loved the RMini then hated it. Then you loved it again but then hated it. Then you decided iPad Air was better for you and your final choice but now you think the RMini is better? Which is it?

I am not slating you in any way. I like reading peoples opinions and experiences but whats up with all the indecisiveness and contradictory posts? I think you'll just end up confusing other people. Its a tablet... pick one and move on.

I know, its been 15 days now since i got both, and since ive found different purposes in my life for both, ive decided the best solution is perhaps to keep both, even though Id rather not. I dont want to, cause i find it redundant, but for me there might not be any happy medium cause both have pros and cons. The cons of one device, the other doesnt have, and the pros of one device, the other doesnt have.

To be honest, 3 weeks from today, I didnt even have the air on my mind, let alone even consider owning. When I heard about it, it just passed through my mind. I had the mini at this time, and my original plan was to upgrade to rmini. I shouldnt have ever walked into Best Buy to talk a look at both. I should have ordered the rmini online, then i wouldnt be in this mess

Good thing i have the ext return policy cause i will most likely need another couple weeks to decide. But if i had to choose one today, it would be the mini. Even with its washed out screen, it will always have a special place in my heart. The form factor just cant be beat. And i find when i go into electronic stores to look at tabs, i always go to the smaller ones first cause thats what im most drawn to.

Now if i paid full price for both devices, i wouldnt even be considering keeping both. Its just too expensive and too much money sitting around. But because i got a great deal on them and was able to sell my old mini for $300, thats why im open to keeping both.

But ill have to ask myself, is it worth paying $450 for a device that I already own, and only use in bed cause of the larger screen? Debatable. I mean I could always bring my 13" MBP into bed if I wanted to save the $450 and wanted a bigger screen. Sure, Id have to unplug wires and get a 2nd charger for in the room, but it saves $450 (which is still a good chunk of change).

Afterall, I hardly use my MBP anymore, so it just sits there for most of the day. I have it connected to two 27" LED monitors and $200 pair of 2.1 speakers. Does it seem like a bit overkill for something i dont use much? Perhaps. I mean, I could down size my computer setup to compensate for owning both the rmini and air...but where would i start.

Having 2 monitors is probably something i couldnt live without, and the speakers....well....as much as I love them and the sound they put out. I do regret a slight bit spending this much money on them considering how sparingly I use them. My only other option is to downgrade the MBP to a cheap laptop under $500. But id take too much of a hit selling my MBP. I have considered this here and there for the past year but i dont wanna take the hit. And really I wouldnt get much back.

If i kept both ipads, i would Use the air at home, and mini outside of the house. And if im going to a friends house or somewhere stationary, i still have that option bringing the air too.

Sorry for another long post, I tend to talk too much.

 

[gnasher729]

Are you for real? Screams for attention or showing off if you happen to carry around a non-mini iPad? Your post just lost all credibility. Thanks for wasting everyone's time.

Some people some to be fixated on attention. To me, carrying a non-mini iPad means that you are either transporting it from A to B, or that you intend to have a computer with you that you can use at anytime while walking from A to B, and that you either bought an iPad before the iPad mini was released or that you prefer the larger iPad. It would never occur to me that someone carrying an iPad was looking for attention.

 

[CandyNJ66]

I'm 47, not thinking about my mortality whatsoever and I love my Retina mini for reading Next Issue magazines on it. I just got new glasses with bifocals for the first time and I can see the R mini screen super great. Doesn't bother me one bit. Not sure what you being 42 has to do with anything. If you find it hard to read on it, you clearly need a trip to the eye doctor.

The portability and beautiful screen is what sold me on it. Definitely not getting an iPad Air

 

[andyw715]

The rMini was just delivered and I love it.
(I had the original one for almost a year).

I especially like it in the brown leather apple case. The brown leather iPhone case looks nice as well but it covers up all the gold goodness of the 5s.

In any event, its really a personal choice, and sometime a futile one (i.e. MissKitty figuring out that she'd like/need both).

 

[Misskitty]

I'm 47, not thinking about my mortality whatsoever and I love my Retina mini for reading Next Issue magazines on it. I just got new glasses with bifocals for the first time and I can see the R mini screen super great. Doesn't bother me one bit. Not sure what you being 42 has to do with anything. If you find it hard to read on it, you clearly need a trip to the eye doctor.

The portability and beautiful screen is what sold me on it. Definitely not getting an iPad Air

I agree. I have normally below average vision as I have stigatism, but with an updated eye prescription from this past spring, I now have 20/20 vision and can see perfectly. I wear my glasses all the time.

 

[KhunJay]

I'm 47, not thinking about my mortality whatsoever and I love my Retina mini for reading Next Issue magazines on it.

Thats an interesting perspective...I am keen on magazines too and I felt the Air displayed the page more realistically, for ease of reading. On the miniR, the page was proportionately reduced and the type smaller. I guess you can zoom in but that would be too much work for me if i had to do it for every page of a 150 page mag. For ebooks, no doubt retina mini is just fine.

BTW on miniR do you read next issue in portrait or landscape mode?

 

[CandyNJ66]

Thats an interesting perspective...I am keen on magazines too and I felt the Air displayed the page more realistically, for ease of reading. On the miniR, the page was proportionately reduced and the type smaller. I guess you can zoom in but that would be too much work for me if i had to do it for every page of a 150 page mag. For ebooks, no doubt retina mini is just fine.

BTW on miniR do you read next issue in portrait or landscape mode?

Portrait. Works perfectly for me

 

[rajpatel]

So true. Constantly zooming in and out like khunjay said was tiring. I am really enjoying surfing the web and reading mags on my ipad 4 after a month of not having it. I find the mini perfect for everything except web surfing, which I find it tiring for.

 

[bigjnyc]

Sell your rmini (assuming it's too late to return) and sell your iPad 4... then buy yourself an iPad air... this will be helpful to your financial situation and you will have the perfect device that fits your needs. Problem solved

 

[rajpatel]

I am considering a few possibilities. Rite now, just keeping my 4 and Rmini, is the idea I like best. I really hadn't appreciated what rich color my 4 has until Rmini sort of highlighted it, since rminis colors are a bit muted. It's still really nice. It has a soft and subdued appearance to it. The colors don't pop, but they are pleasant and the display is otherwise very sharp and nice. It's hard to justify keeping the Rmini, since it's a bit superfluous, and I'm broke, however, it's the wave of the future without question. And it really can't be appreciably improved. Somebody wrote that is why I post here and others work at apple. I mean, they can make incremental improvements, but I am sure the device I hold thirty yrs from now will be essentially the retina mini in its current with some visual and audio tweaks. Sure at some point, it will weigh a third of a pound and be bendable, and have a wraparound display and all the rest, but it will always be just a screen, never anything more. And I think apple really has brushed up against perfection with both the rmini and air. There is really not a whole lot of places to go from here, technologically speaking. As far as these "screens" go, in their various iterations, they have been refined down to their essence and refined just about as much as they can be.

 

[Misskitty]

AHHHHH

i like the size of the rmini, but boy is the larger screen of the air so nice to have. I was pretty much set on returning the air yesterday but couldnt do it.

I go from the air to rmini and i miss the larger text.

I go from the rmini to the air and i miss the portability and form factor.

Reallt, considering the crap ios7 and overpriced devices, apple should have had a 2 for 1 deal for current customers so we can keep both.

I need to end this so im flipping a coin.

 

[rajpatel]

I like that u hate ur phones screen so much u gave it as both reasons 1 and 3 to own a mini. That's funny. I agree with u tho. I can't stand to use my iPhone 5 for anything other than calls and maybe checking email on it. Web browsing, books, tv, movies are out of question. But that's just me. I know a few peeps who practically live on their phone.

I totally disagree that the full size ipad is some huge behemoth like u pretend. It's the size of a typical magazine and weighs one and a half pounds. Nobody using one in public is looking for attention. That's moronic. I used my ipad 4 at the bookstore a few times a week for months cuz I didn't have Internet. Nobody ran me outta there for being a show off or exhbitionist. You must have been attacked by an original ipad when young, and developed a sense of mistrust toward them, cuz I really don't see the Air or even previous full size iPads as being the overgrown gargantuan nightmare u claim

We as a people and culture are spoiled. Now one and a half lbs is considered heavy

 

[JonCh101]

I have family in town and they love Panera Bread. So we have been eating their almost every night while we do our christmas shopping. Point is I have been observing what type of computers everyone is using. I live near a few collages so there is allot of student traffic. I've been pretty shocked at the number of people packing iPads. More than half the customers are on them. And it's been a pretty even mix of full sized /Mini.

I also noticed that I'm seeing one laptop to every 5 iPads/minis. And that no one is using Microsoft Surfaces etc. Has really made me notice that laptops are on their way out and that Apple owns the tablet market.

Saying that people are carrying around a full sized ipad for attention is nonsense. What looks ridicules and sad is watching someone squint and pinch trying to browse the internet on their phone.

IMO the Ipad Air has made the mini obsolete. Other than being able to maybe stick it in your pocket what's the point? It's not THAT much more portable. I think apple has backed themselves into a corner here.

 

[mcdj]

I think apple has backed themselves into a corner here.

Yup, a $100 billion corner. An awful predicament indeed.