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iPad 3 or Mini dilemma

rockyroad55

rockyroad55

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 14, 2010
4,152
59
Phila, PA
I'm going to make this short and to the point since long posts are meaningless.

I like the portability of a Mini, easy to carry around in my lab coat and commute. I don't exactly have a huge thing against a larger footprint of the iPad 3 versus the Mini, but portability is convenient not a need. BUT I have some Amazon credit which will make an iPad 3 16GB new come out to $230.

What would you do? $230 vs $329.
 
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You need to determine your major needs and see which iPad best fits those needs.

For me, portability and one handed operation are a higher importance then having a retina display. So the decision (for me) was easy, an iPad mini.
 
maflynn said:
You need to determine your major needs and see which iPad best fits those needs.

For me, portability and one handed operation are a higher importance then having a retina display. So the decision (for me) was easy, an iPad mini.
Click to expand...

What if you took my price into consideration at the time?
 
rockyroad55 said:
What if you took my price into consideration at the time?
Click to expand...

There's comes a point where saving a few bucks isn't worth it. What do you NEED? You can always use the Amazon credit for something else you need. I'd rather spend a little extra and get a device that fits my needs than save a few bucks and get a device that will make my wrists numb from holding it over my head too long while reading in bed. But that's me.
 
rockyroad55 said:
What if you took my price into consideration at the time?
Click to expand...
If you can afford either, the real question is which one would you enjoy using more and actual use more.

For me, there's a balance between portability and enjoyment. Personally, I know that I would enjoy having the 9.7" screen more than the 7.9" on the Mini. However, the gain in portability would mean that I'm using the iPad a lot more often if it's a bit smaller. I think somewhere around a 6" screen would be the other end of that. i.e. It'd be much less more useful/fun, but only marginally more portable.
 
Tough call especially in ur situation with amazon credit.

If u didn't have amazon credit I say go with the mini.

It all goes down to portability. How important,

Performance wise. iPad mini/2 are about same as iPad 3 (cause of retina screen)
 
ZBoater said:
There's comes a point where saving a few bucks isn't worth it. What do you NEED? You can always use the Amazon credit for something else you need. I'd rather spend a little extra and get a device that fits my needs than save a few bucks and get a device that will make my wrists numb from holding it over my head too long while reading in bed. But that's me.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true. Love reading many of your posts here. This is actually my first ipad that I will keep for a while. I had one before but only sold it not because of size but because I didn't need one. Now I do.

Since its my first one, I actually don't know what size I need. The only time I played with an iPad 3 for an extended amount of time was during the iPhone 5 campout. Someone let me use their iPad for hours and I enjoyed that very much. But the mini didn't exist then
 
If being able to carry in you lab coat (portability) is very important the mini is the way to go. Am getting the mini for field use, too. The full size iPad is not so large I do not carry it in the field but the mini seems to be just the perfect size for holding with one hand while inputting with the other.

You have a hard choice but just think what you will be using your device for, where and when. You will enjoy either!
 
Lol some of you make it sound like the bigger iPad is this huge bulky piece of hardware that's such a choir to bring around. I take mine everywhere and never once thought it was a hassle in fact I forget its even in a back pack or on top of a stack of books or work related paperwork.

The ipad mini really isn't much smaller.
 
iapplelove said:
Lol some of you make it sound like the bigger iPad is this huge bulky piece of hardware that's such a choir to bring around. I take mine everywhere and never once thought it was a hassle in fact I forget its even in a back pack or on top of a stack of books or work related paperwork.

The ipad mini really isn't much smaller.
Click to expand...

It isn't that much smaller but it's enough to get people thinking. Half the weight and thinner. People said the 13 MBP isn't too heavy but once you use a 13 MBA, the weight is very noticeable.

I'm 60/40 leaning towards the mini. Mainly because of the convenience of the lightning port. But a part of me can get used to the iPad size. Ehh this blows. Truly a first world problem :)
 
If you wait a month, then Amazon will probably have the mini, and you can use your Amazon credit on that.
 
maflynn said:
You need to determine your major needs and see which iPad best fits those needs.

For me, portability and one handed operation are a higher importance then having a retina display. So the decision (for me) was easy, an iPad mini.
Click to expand...

Good advice :) That's why I opted for the Mini. I, currently, have an iPad 2. While it's not that heavy, it would be nice to have a smaller, lighter version.
 
I did some calculations. If I wasn't happy with the iPad 3 and sold it for $350 (I shot low for quickest sale) I would only make $50 after taxes. Not worth the time. MINI IT IS!
 
rockyroad55 said:
I did some calculations. If I wasn't happy with the iPad 3 and sold it for $350 (I shot low for quickest sale) I would only make $50 after taxes. Not worth the time. MINI IT IS!
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good plan. Hope you enjoy your iPad Mini :D
 
rockyroad55 said:
I'm going to make this short and to the point since long posts are meaningless.

I like the portability of a Mini, easy to carry around in my lab coat and commute. I don't exactly have a huge thing against a larger footprint of the iPad 3 versus the Mini, but portability is convenient not a need. BUT I have some Amazon credit which will make an iPad 3 16GB new come out to $230.

What would you do? $230 vs $329.
Click to expand...

Personally even though i prefer the 7"~ format i think the low res screen on the Mini would bug me and i would plump for the excellent screen on the 3.
 
I agree with a lot of posters. It depends on your needs. For example, my needs at the moment don't include a mini. I have my phone for on the go surfing and reading when commuting in the train and bus. I need my ipad 3 because I type about three pages a day on it and the keyboard is just about right to type on. The lightness of the ipad 3 and size is perfect for me as I carry a messenger bag to work. I the weekends when I need to do work I carry my ipad 3 in a small messenger bag. I don't even notice it's on me.

That being said, if creating documents is not something you need to do to be productive and younneed to fit something in a lab coat then I would say go mini.
 
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cfs said:
I agree with a lot of posters. It depends on your needs. For example, my needs at the moment don't include a mini. I have my phone for on the go surfing and reading when commuting in the train and bus. I need my ipad 3 because I type about three pages a day on it and the keyboard is just about right to type on. The lightness of the ipad 3 and size is perfect for me as I carry a messenger bag to work. I the weekends when I need to do work I carry my ipad 3 in a small messenger bag. I don't even notice it's on me.

That being said, if creating documents is not something you need to do to be productive and younneed to fit something in a lab coat then I would say go mini.
Click to expand...

I'd like for it to fit in a lab coat but its not going to change my life if it didn't. So difficult ha
 
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