Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad Air 2 and Mini?
- Thread starter themetnut
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
We have both in my house--an iPad Pro 9.7" and an iPad mini 3. The mini used to belong to me, but I gave it to my wife to replace her original mini when I got the Pro. But we have two very different workflows.
I personally LOVE the mini form factor, but I also love the idea of "doing work" on my iPad. While I 100% disagree with the notion that the iPad in general is a "consumption only" device, I do think that the iPad mini itself is a "consumption only" iPad, at least in the way I use iPads. I had switched to the mini because wasn't using my 9.7" iPad Air for much other than movies, TV shows, and reading, but that changed once the iPad Pro and iOS 9 came out. I want my iPad to be a workhorse, but still be a thin and light tablet, and the 9.7" Pro fit both of those needs for me. I'm incredibly happy with it, and don't feel the need to own a mini anymore. Any time I go anywhere where I think I'm going to be sitting around a lot doing nothing (doctor's waiting room, son's piano lessons, etc.) the iPad goes with me.
HOWEVER
I do still pick up the mini 3 I gave my wife a couple of months ago and drool over the form factor. To her, a 9.7" iPad is FAR too large of a tablet. She has had that opinion since the original iPad came out and still has it now. She wants to read, watch video, answer emails here and there, and look at Pinterest. The mini 3 stays on her nightstand almost all the time and has taken the place of all the books, magazines, papers, and everything else that used to be stacked there. She does not make an attempt to type up long documents or do any serious photo editing or anything like that on her mini, and will get out her Macbook Pro if she needs to do anything like that.
So I have to look at it like if I didn't live with someone else who used an iPad mini, would I have both at this point? I don't think so. The 9.7" iPad is incredibly portable because it feels like it weighs nothing, especially if I pop the keyboard cover off of it while I'm using it for tasks that don't require typing. I still really, really love the thin, light, compact form factor of the mini, but I don't NEED a mini. In fact, I've thought about purchasing a non-keyboard Smart cover for my iPad Pro for those days when I want to go out of the house and JUST bring the tablet portion of my iPad Pro for reading or games or whatever. I'd rather do that than own another mini, honestly.
I personally LOVE the mini form factor, but I also love the idea of "doing work" on my iPad. While I 100% disagree with the notion that the iPad in general is a "consumption only" device, I do think that the iPad mini itself is a "consumption only" iPad, at least in the way I use iPads. I had switched to the mini because wasn't using my 9.7" iPad Air for much other than movies, TV shows, and reading, but that changed once the iPad Pro and iOS 9 came out. I want my iPad to be a workhorse, but still be a thin and light tablet, and the 9.7" Pro fit both of those needs for me. I'm incredibly happy with it, and don't feel the need to own a mini anymore. Any time I go anywhere where I think I'm going to be sitting around a lot doing nothing (doctor's waiting room, son's piano lessons, etc.) the iPad goes with me.
HOWEVER
I do still pick up the mini 3 I gave my wife a couple of months ago and drool over the form factor. To her, a 9.7" iPad is FAR too large of a tablet. She has had that opinion since the original iPad came out and still has it now. She wants to read, watch video, answer emails here and there, and look at Pinterest. The mini 3 stays on her nightstand almost all the time and has taken the place of all the books, magazines, papers, and everything else that used to be stacked there. She does not make an attempt to type up long documents or do any serious photo editing or anything like that on her mini, and will get out her Macbook Pro if she needs to do anything like that.
So I have to look at it like if I didn't live with someone else who used an iPad mini, would I have both at this point? I don't think so. The 9.7" iPad is incredibly portable because it feels like it weighs nothing, especially if I pop the keyboard cover off of it while I'm using it for tasks that don't require typing. I still really, really love the thin, light, compact form factor of the mini, but I don't NEED a mini. In fact, I've thought about purchasing a non-keyboard Smart cover for my iPad Pro for those days when I want to go out of the house and JUST bring the tablet portion of my iPad Pro for reading or games or whatever. I'd rather do that than own another mini, honestly.
I have both a 9.7" iPad Pro and iPad mini 2. I've had the mini 2 for some time now and have simply kept it because it's a cellular model and I use it on occasion at work where we don't have Wi-Fi available. Otherwise though, I use the iPad Pro everywhere else.
I still like the mini form factor a lot and for where & what I use it for, it still does the job perfectly and it slips in my work laptop bag without adding any noticeable weight or bulk at all. But unless someone has a specific use case for one, I really don't think it's necessary especially since the Air 2 & 9.7" Pro are so thin and light these days themselves.
I still like the mini form factor a lot and for where & what I use it for, it still does the job perfectly and it slips in my work laptop bag without adding any noticeable weight or bulk at all. But unless someone has a specific use case for one, I really don't think it's necessary especially since the Air 2 & 9.7" Pro are so thin and light these days themselves.
I have both devices. I use the iPP for office work (documents, email, etc.) and the iPad mini for media (books, movies, television shows). My iPP stays on my desk attached to the Smart Keyboard and the iPad mini is used around the house and when I out and need to perform a task, such as grocery lists for shopping. I feel it is worth it to have both devices.
I went from an Air to a Mini 4. I'm missing the size of the Air now. I find because of the smaller keyboard coupled with my fairly big fingers that I make a lot of typing errors on the Mini. A lot. We bought a couple of Air 2s when they came out but returned them. I didn't think the performance over the Air 1 was worth the cost of upgrade and my wife prefers the size of the Mini. The Mini sure is easier to hold for long periods, though. Less hand/finger fatigue.
I have an Mini 2 and iPad Air 2...and while I LOVE the form factor of the mini I find I never use it anymore. I almost always have the Air 2 with me. In fact the mini has been sitting on the counter top with a dead battery for literally weeks.
I do feel compelled to share that I think a lot of the reason I've moved away from the mini is because my eyesight has gone in the toilet the last couple of years. I struggle to read things on the Air 2 without glasses (cheaters)...I know I'd be very uncomfortable trying to do anything on the mini. And I don't like having to wear cheaters "full time". I carry a pretty large purse and the Air 2 fits in it. I'm actually considering the 9.7 iPP, but when I get really honest with myself I don't know that I don't NEED it. The Air 2 does the things I need it to do. The mini I should probably consider selling/trading. It just isn't getting used anymore.
I do feel compelled to share that I think a lot of the reason I've moved away from the mini is because my eyesight has gone in the toilet the last couple of years. I struggle to read things on the Air 2 without glasses (cheaters)...I know I'd be very uncomfortable trying to do anything on the mini. And I don't like having to wear cheaters "full time". I carry a pretty large purse and the Air 2 fits in it. I'm actually considering the 9.7 iPP, but when I get really honest with myself I don't know that I don't NEED it. The Air 2 does the things I need it to do. The mini I should probably consider selling/trading. It just isn't getting used anymore.
I have two mini 2's (16GB - wifi only) in the house plus an iPP 9.7 (wifi + cellular). One mini is used only as a TV and music remote control and stays in the living room. The other mini mostly stays in my bedroom and used as a music remote and reader. My iPP is the only iPad I ever travel with. I use it for everything you would use an iPad for.
The mini is great for tasks where you are holding the iPad up for a while, such a reading or as a remote. It just feels good in the hand. The iPP is a more comfortable and efficient screen size to actually work with, but holding it up for long periods of time is tedious.
That said, one mini was bought new and the resale value dropped to the point it wasn't worth selling. The other I bought specifically as a remote during a "fire sale" clearance. I think it was $225 - I couldn't resist. But I can't see updating them for what I use them for. I'll use them until Apple obsoletes them and the remote apps I use no longer work. At that point I might replace one of them, but not both. It's truly a luxury to have multiple iPads. I could do find with just one.
The mini is great for tasks where you are holding the iPad up for a while, such a reading or as a remote. It just feels good in the hand. The iPP is a more comfortable and efficient screen size to actually work with, but holding it up for long periods of time is tedious.
That said, one mini was bought new and the resale value dropped to the point it wasn't worth selling. The other I bought specifically as a remote during a "fire sale" clearance. I think it was $225 - I couldn't resist. But I can't see updating them for what I use them for. I'll use them until Apple obsoletes them and the remote apps I use no longer work. At that point I might replace one of them, but not both. It's truly a luxury to have multiple iPads. I could do find with just one.
I've owned 2 iPads at a few points, and it always ends up being 90% one, 10% the other. Just my experience, of course, but I can hardly justify one (though I always can!) but never two!
I have both. I typically use the larger one. The smaller one is set to be installed in my truck as soon as the panel is painted and returned.
I hear you on that. I used to have a work-issued laptop, a Mac mini, an iPad Air, and an iPad mini. I have consolidated that all down into my work laptop (soon to be a Mac, but currently an old Windows machine), and an iPad Pro. I can't justify a zillion devices anymore.
[doublepost=1464292759][/doublepost]
Out of curiosity--is this going in your dashboard permanently somehow? Do you worry about extreme heat/cold ruining it?
I have the Mini 4 and iPP 12.9" and both serve me well, neither are consumption only or work only, both serve as "do most everything iPads." The iPP is my main workstation device, (Sketching, photo editing, video editing, writing, emailing, homework, etc, etc.) The Mini is used to write and do emails and smaller things when I'm too lazy to grab my iPP. It is just more convenient to grab a device that's almost half a pound, compared to one thats a pound and a half. *First world problems, lol.
Kallum.
I have been thinking of doing the same thing. Using it with Waze and Google maps plus streaming works better than most factory setups. How are you mounting it?
This is exactly why I would be disappointed if the mini were ever to be discontinued. It's such a great form factor when you just want to grab it, do something real quick, and then put it back down. I'm glad I gave mine to my wife, because that way I can still use it when I miss it.
I used the iPad as a mold blank, covered it in aluminum foil and tape, and used fiberglass to sculpt the tray. Then it was a matter of cutting the factory panel (I bought a second to keep the original... original) to accept the tray, and mounting the tray using a polyurethane adhesive made for bumper repair (so it has some flex to it). I think I have a picture around here somewhere...
Sitting in the stock location. I actually have the stock stereo behind it (it functions without the faceplate) as the sound processor. I had to shift the environmental controls down about 1/4" to make it fit properly. That area cracked after body filler (the rough stuff towards the bottom of the bracket), so I hogged it out and put in more urethane... didn't put enough in the first time.
I have an iPad Air 2 and an iPad mini 2, and I'm getting fed up with the lag so I'm just waiting for Best Buy's next $100 off promo for the iPad mini 4 and then I'm going to buy it.
Ditto. I use the Mini At work as an email triage / note taking device. The iPad Air 2 is for home / holidays (anything personal).