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Does the Apple Pencil 2 work as well on the new iPad Mini as it does on the iPad Pro? Thinking of getting an iPad Mini for note-taking as well as occasional illustration. I have a Galaxy Note 9, but I don’t end up using the pen much since I find the screen is too small for notes. iPad Mini could be the perfect size.

Also curious if the USB-C port on the iPad Mini supports external USB drives like the iPad Pro. Anyone know? May want to do occasional video editing using Adobe Rush on the iPad Mini with an external drive connected. Though, not sure if the smaller screen would make this too impractical.
 
I don’t use my iPads in portrait, ever. As I’m using my mini now in landscape, enjoying a better multitasking experience with the larger screen, I don’t see jelly scrollling in the least. Fantastic device, glad I bought it, and no way I’m returning it!
 
Just clearing it up so that nobody misreads your post about "no jelly" to mean "no jelly on the iPad mini 6".
;) :D
Yeah I got ya. But I still say even in portrait, to me it’s not noticeable with normal scrolling when I’m reading. Sure I can recreate the effect by scrolling quickly, but I can’t read or see anything on screen doing so…just not enough for me to return this otherwise amazing device.
I will say, though, my iPad mini has been getting surprisingly hot when I use it for very long. A bigger deal to me than jelly effect.
 
“Unfortunately not designed a
Magic Keyboard for it”
What? Who buys the mini to use with a keyboard? There are far cheaper and optimal options for that. This form factor is designed specifically to be the the quintessential handheld device.
 
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“Unfortunately not designed a
Magic Keyboard for it”
What? Who buys the minuto use with a keyboard? There are far cheaper and optimal options for that. This form factor is designed specifically to be the the quintessential handheld device.
Ah I would have loved a magic keyboard for it. The ultimate “netbook” from 15 years ago!
 
Does the Apple Pencil 2 work as well on the new iPad Mini as it does on the iPad Pro? Thinking of getting an iPad Mini for note-taking as well as occasional illustration. I have a Galaxy Note 9, but I don’t end up using the pen much since I find the screen is too small for notes. iPad Mini could be the perfect size.

Also curious if the USB-C port on the iPad Mini supports external USB drives like the iPad Pro. Anyone know? May want to do occasional video editing using Adobe Rush on the iPad Mini with an external drive connected. Though, not sure if the smaller screen would make this too impractical.
The Apple Pencil 2 works almost as well on the Mini 6 as on the iPad Pro. Because the Mini 6 has a 60Hz display versus 120Hz (Promotion) display, there is a slightly greater lag between the position of the pencil tip and the drawn line on the screen. I prefer the iPad Pro for sketching due to the larger space, and the iPad Mini for notes due to its portability. I tend to use the Mini in landscape for notes, but the iPad Pro in portrait for notes, but maybe that is just me. The Mini therefore gives me about the same page width but half the viewable page length.

Yes, the USB-C port supports connection of multiple USB drives through a USB hub (or directly to one USB drive if you wish), just like my iPad Pro. I haven't done speed tests, but it actually seems to transfer faster than my iPad Pro. I haven't tried a fast SSD though. I have not tried editing a video on an external drive, only transferring and viewing files (including 4k videos, which look great), but so far have not seen any limitations compared to the iPad Pro
 
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As someone who has (or had) several iPad Minis, iPads and an iPad Pro, I thought the video review pretty fair and balanced. I also have had the new iPad Mini 6 for several days.
Threads in this forum tend to focus on one particular aspect of a device, and threads that get the most traffic are the ones focusing on discovered issues or negative aspects, but these hardly present a balanced picture for those considering purchasing one. It is good to be aware of issues, but I suggest don't judge the importance of the issue by the amount of discussion it receives, or the intensity of some the comments, which are pretty unfiltered. One needs to do one's own filtering.

A review like this gives a better balanced perspective, I think. Overall, I think the iPad Mini is neat, fun and enjoyable.
 
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Re: the orientation change.

The problem for Apple now is this: somewhere along the process of this redesign, someone decided to prioritize landscape mode (for reasons that baffle me).

Someone somewhere then failed communicate this to Marketing or Retail, because:
- When you visit Apple’s splash page for the Mini the first thing you see is the new Mini shown in… portrait.
- When you go to buy the product from anywhere (Amazon, Apple,etc) the device is shown in…portrait.
- When iJustine (Youtuber) interviewed Tim Cook the other day he showed her the new Mini and was holding it in… portrait .
- If you go into a retail store the new Minis are all laid out in…portrait.

D73B5CE0-F712-40C7-87CA-FD0B4BA5BC6C.jpeg
 
Re: the orientation change.

The problem for Apple now is this: somewhere along the process of this redesign, someone decided to prioritize landscape mode (for reasons that baffle me).

Someone somewhere then failed communicate this to Marketing or Retail, because:
- When you visit Apple’s splash page for the Mini the first thing you see is the new Mini shown in… portrait.
- When you go to buy the product from anywhere (Amazon, Apple,etc) the device is shown in…portrait.
- When iJustine (Youtuber) interviewed Tim Cook the other day he showed her the new Mini and was holding it in… portrait .
- If you go into a retail store the new Minis are all laid out in…portrait.

View attachment 1851653
I don't see what's baffling about the emphasis on the portrait orientation. The thing is basically designed to be comparable to a book or notepad in portrait. Everything about the design of all iPads, from the camera placements to the logo on the back, make it clear that portrait has always been intended to be their default orientation.
 
I was thinking of switching from my 11” Pro to this new Mini but not having a Smart Keyboard is a dealbreaker. Does it not have the magnets it needs to support that?
I'm sure the keyboard would be too cramped to be of much serious use.
 
My last iPad was the original 9.7" pro. I used it heavily when I got it and now only use it for graphic novel reading, media consumption, and recently xCloud gaming. I gave my wife the Apple Pencil and haven't missed it. For those things, it seems like a reasonable upgrade. Especially when I was offered $250 for the Pro from a coworker. At this point, there aren't many negatives for the mini when I compare the two... even the PPI on the Mini is better than the 1st gen Pro.
 
Am I misunderstanding something or does "identical" not mean what they think it does?

" . . . and it's identical to the Touch ID Home buttons we used for years before Apple started the transition to Face ID."

If it were identical it would be in the same as the one on the regular iPad 9. It's not.
 
I love my new Mini! I’ve not been able to use as much as I’d like because I’m still waiting on the Apple case to go with it - but the little bit I have used, it’s the perfect complement to an iPhone for reading, Facebooking, quick emails, some media consumption, etc.

The form factor was the most important thing to me, I skipped the last iPad Mini and got an 11” Pro and it was just too big to be used practically in my situation. Plus lack of Pencil 2 support.

Thank you Apple for giving us a Pro-ish experience in the Mini!
 
Re: the orientation change.

The problem for Apple now is this: somewhere along the process of this redesign, someone decided to prioritize landscape mode (for reasons that baffle me).

I don't see what's baffling about the emphasis on the portrait orientation. The thing is basically designed to be comparable to a book or notepad in portrait. Everything about the design of all iPads, from the camera placements to the logo on the back, make it clear that portrait has always been intended to be their default orientation.
Wait, you started off like you were disagreeing, but then wrote something that agrees with the quoted point that they prioritized landscape with the hardware, but Apple highlights using it in portrait.

I think you two just became best friends!!
 
I don't see what's baffling about the emphasis on the portrait orientation. The thing is basically designed to be comparable to a book or notepad in portrait. Everything about the design of all iPads, from the camera placements to the logo on the back, make it clear that portrait has always been intended to be their default orientation.

That's the orientation that is now awful from jelly scroll --- that's the "baffling" part.
 
Wait, you started off like you were disagreeing, but then wrote something that agrees with the quoted point that they prioritized landscape with the hardware, but Apple highlights using it in portrait.

I think you two just became best friends!!
Yes, I was posting early in the morning and looking back now I think I misinterpreted what the comment I quoted was saying. I wasn't fully awake yet. lol.

So yeah, I think we're actually in agreement. But really, Apple has been making iPads for over 10 years now. They should function equally well in either orientation!
 
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