All iPads Ipad for reading

[austyn23]

Hi to all!

Long story short, I have to read and study from several websites (blogs, courses, etc). I tried using the mbp and my partners air, is not comfortable

Usually I study when I finished working so I leaved my desk. Sometimes the couch, sometimes the table and rarely the bed.

I sold a mini 4 (wish I didn’t) so now I’m looking for an iPad for this. Is the mini 6 maybe a good choice? Or a refurbished mini 5 too old? For books I have a kindle, but for web reading maybe is not the best option.

The regular ipad 10.2 I think is too big… I had an iPad Air 2 a long time ago and I remember it was big.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[rui no onna]

If the mini 4 worked well for you before, then I expect the mini 6 should be fine, too (depending on how you feel about jelly scroll).

Refurb mini 5 is good, too. Honestly, the mini 6 isn’t really that much faster than the mini 5.

Personally, I find a lot of desktop websites don’t play nice with the mini’s small screen so I tend to prefer 9.7” or bigger for web browsing.

 

[austyn23]

I saw the jelly issue, I think its fine.

Here the 64g mini 6 is 520€; I think 64 is ok for my needs but is hard paying that price (675€ the 256 option).

 

[EastHillWill]

For what it’s worth, I bought the new mini for reading and didn’t like it. However, my use case is a bit different than yours in that I primarily read in bed when it’s dark out. The LCD screen on the mini just didn’t get dim enough. I ended up buying a Microsoft Duo, and with its OLED screen and book-like form factor it’s perfect.

If you’re willing to consider an Android device you should take a look. If you want to stick with Apple and won’t be using it in very dark environments, a mini would probably serve you well. (And in fact, if you and/or your partner aren’t that sensitive to light, the mini may get dim enough for you.)

 

[kristalsoldier]

For what it’s worth, I bought the new mini for reading and didn’t like it. However, my use case is a bit different than yours in that I primarily read in bed when it’s dark out. The LCD screen on the mini just didn’t get dim enough. I ended up buying a Microsoft Duo, and with its OLED screen and book-like form factor it’s perfect.

If you’re willing to consider an Android device you should take a look. If you want to stick with Apple and won’t be using it in very dark environments, a mini would probably serve you well. (And in fact, if you and/or your partner aren’t that sensitive to light, the mini may get dim enough for you.)

Interesting about that MS Duo. How is that working out? I was kind of interested in it, but I believe at one point it was glitchy…in terms of software implementation etc. it’s an intriguing device for sure!

 

[kristalsoldier]

Hi to all!

Long story short, I have to read and study from several websites (blogs, courses, etc). I tried using the mbp and my partners air, is not comfortable

Usually I study when I finished working so I leaved my desk. Sometimes the couch, sometimes the table and rarely the bed.

I sold a mini 4 (wish I didn’t) so now I’m looking for an iPad for this. Is the mini 6 maybe a good choice? Or a refurbished mini 5 too old? For books I have a kindle, but for web reading maybe is not the best option.

The regular ipad 10.2 I think is too big… I had an iPad Air 2 a long time ago and I remember it was big.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

It depends really. If you say “studying” and your course materials are websites/blogs, then a Mini would work (some websites may have rendering issues, but I have not run into such problems thus far).

If your study materials require using epubs, then, the Mini will work just fine. If it involves Kindle books, then also it would be fine using the kindle app. But if it involves PDFs, then it’s not ideal since, in my experience, a lot of zooming is involved. Not very conducive to a seamless reading and focusing experience.

If your study requires making/taking notes, then a Mini (I use the Mini 6 and can only speak for that) works but is not, in my opinion, ideal. I use OneNote. But, honestly, it a bit cramped. I use the Pencil and hand write my notes. This is especially true with annotating. Thus, I have found that the 11” Pro works better in this scenario. Taking/making quick notes using the soft keyboard (on the Mini) is an option and if you are thumb typing, in my experience, it works great.

One should also not discount the portability factor. The Mini far outstrips it’s larger variants in this regard. Previously, I used to discount this advantage but I have now come to a greater appreciation for this having bought and used the Mini for some time now.

I am not going to presume to advice you on what to buy. What I have tried to do is to let you know some of the considerations to keep in mind when assessing your options.

 

[EastHillWill]

Interesting about that MS Duo. How is that working out? I was kind of interested in it, but I believe at one point it was glitchy…in terms of software implementation etc. it’s an intriguing device for sure!

I had both Duos, and each started out rough but are now in good places. The 2 is very good, while the 1 is just good. I actually prefer the 1 as a reader due to its slimmer form factor; it feels more like a prototype (in a good way) than something you can easily buy and use. You can find the 1 for 3-400 USD, while the 2 is still closer to 1K.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I’ve had an iPad Pro 11 for the last handful of years. I did all of my reading and consumption on it. I tried a mini a few times but quickly got tired with the small screen. Most of my reading is in a reading chair with a body pillow propping up the iPad.

I’ve tried to move my reading to my iPhone 13 Pro Max unsuccessfully. I just can’t do more than a few hours comfortably.

I’ve tried to move a lot of my reading to my MBP and while the screen is nice and comfortable I just don’t want to read more than a few hours with it on my lap. I could easily do 5+ hour stints on my iPad.

I’ve been without an iPad for a few months now. And while I’ve read books on my iPhone and Mac they were not super comfortable. The Mac was super easy on the eyes.

If I had to get an iPad for reading I’d consider a 12.9. I do a lot of reading. And I’ve noticed screen size has a huge impact on how long I want to read and comfortability factor.

For you? Definitely try a mini 6 or an air if you want to try a big iPad again.

 

[sparksd]

I have an M1 12.9, Mini 6, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and a Kindle Oasis and of those, the 12.9 is far and away my favorite reading device. Retired now, I read a lot, hours per day, mostly using the Kindle app. Eye strain has never been a problem when reading on the iPad. The Oasis only sees use those rare times I am reading outside in sunlight.

 

[ndouglas]

I enjoy reading on both phone and ipad. As noted by others above, if you enjoyed the Mini I would stick with that one. If the latest is too expensive, getting 1 or 2 steps back from the latest would be fine given your stated usage needs. The Apple refurbished store is sometimes good for that, sometimes not so much.
Best wishes with whatever you end up getting!

 

[austyn23]

Thanks to all.

The phone is off the equation, I don’t like oled and the face id scanning my face every two minutes.

I think I will go with a refurb Mini 5 or an Air maybe 😄

 

[Mark Stone]

Thanks to all.

The phone is off the equation, I don’t like oled and the face id scanning my face every two minutes.

I think I will go with a refurb Mini 5 or an Air maybe 😄

I would suggest the M1 Air 5th gen. I do a lot of research and documentation on late 1800s early 1900s architectural history in my city (my website is https://www.sketchclub.net/, and I do research and documentation for the Trost Society’s website at https://trostsociety.org/), and the iPad handles the task with ease. I generally search University archives, the Library of Congress, newspapers dot com, etc. I also maintain a Bookface page on the same subject with about 10k followers, and all of its work is done on the Air. The iPad is small enough that when used out in the field it is convenient as heck, yet large enough that it replaces my HP Notebook. Def recommended. 😊

 

[spiderman0616]

I have a mini 6 that I bought specifically for reading, note taking, document markup, quick sketches on the go, etc. I think you would love it for this purpose. Highly recommend.

 

[austyn23]

I have a mini 6 that I bought specifically for reading, note taking, document markup, quick sketches on the go, etc. I think you would love it for this purpose. Highly recommend.

Yes, I think is the best option; I understand the other users and their uses, but the ipad lineup is too big for just reading comfortable (for me at least).

I saw a nice Mini 5 64gb for 240€ on Amazon Warehouse, they give 2 years warranty.

The 6 is just to expensive just for reading...

Thanks to all!

 

[NYCValkyrie]

For what it’s worth, I bought the new mini for reading and didn’t like it. However, my use case is a bit different than yours in that I primarily read in bed when it’s dark out. The LCD screen on the mini just didn’t get dim enough. I ended up buying a Microsoft Duo, and with its OLED screen and book-like form factor it’s perfect.

If you’re willing to consider an Android device you should take a look. If you want to stick with Apple and won’t be using it in very dark environments, a mini would probably serve you well. (And in fact, if you and/or your partner aren’t that sensitive to light, the mini may get dim enough for you.)

Have you used the Accessibility settings for dimming the screen? These are old directions but I think most everything is still similar. It was a game changer in low-light situations and reading on my iPad. https://bgr.com/general/ios-8-1-features-tips-tricks-dimming/

 

[EastHillWill]

Have you used the Accessibility settings for dimming the screen? These are old directions but I think most everything is still similar. It was a game changer in low-light situations and reading on my iPad. https://bgr.com/general/ios-8-1-features-tips-tricks-dimming/

Ah, that‘s pretty neat. No, didn’t try that. At its dimmest the text was *too* dim, while the backlight was still too strong. I’m not sure if this feature would have helped, but certainly would have been worth a try!

 

[neutrino17]

I like the 12.9” M1 for reading. But YMMV. Regarding reading in bed, I suggest getting a small LED light to slightly brighten the area around you. I find it disturbing to read in a totally dark room with a lit screen of any kind.

If it is nearby, try to visit an Apple store and test out the screens. The newer screens have become much easier on the eyes.

 

[klasma]

The mini 6 is too narrow for my taste (and I find the jelly scrolling to be quite jarring), so I would recommend getting a mini 5, or a larger iPad if you’re comfortable with the added weight.

As already mentioned in the thread, in complete darkness the LCD will be dark gray rather than black. I bought a used Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (2019) for that reason, which has an OLED display, so black is really black. It also includes a stylus (pen). Of course it lacks integration into the Apple ecosystem, but you can sync stuff with Dropbox or the like.

 

[antiprotest]

For what it’s worth, I bought the new mini for reading and didn’t like it. However, my use case is a bit different than yours in that I primarily read in bed when it’s dark out. The LCD screen on the mini just didn’t get dim enough. I ended up buying a Microsoft Duo, and with its OLED screen and book-like form factor it’s perfect.

If you’re willing to consider an Android device you should take a look. If you want to stick with Apple and won’t be using it in very dark environments, a mini would probably serve you well. (And in fact, if you and/or your partner aren’t that sensitive to light, the mini may get dim enough for you.)

It is possible to make the screen dimmer than the dimmest setting. I have tried it. It gets so dim there should be no problem reading in a dark room.

How to Make Your iPhone Display Dimmer Than Standard Brightness Controls Allow

If the screen of your iPhone or iPad is too bright for comfort, the usual solution is to go to Settings -> Display & Brightness and drag the...

www.macrumors.com

 

[ndouglas]

Yeah it sounds like since you had the mini before, and since you find the larger ipads too big, the mini size would be perfect for you. Actually I‘ve often thought that size would be perfect for me too, for personal reading, I just ended up having to get 11” for work purposes so now it seems excessive to have two different ipads. Minis do seem like perfect paperback-book size readers.

 

[kngelv]

Having a mini just for reading is one thing. Using one for coursework is quite another. I would see if you could borrow a larger one and log into a course. The mini is too small for classwork readings IMHO.

James

 

[Mactech20]

Get the mini 6. I read ALL THE TIME on it and it is a fantastic experience. The absolute perfect form factor

 

[SeenJeen]

Having a mini just for reading is one thing. Using one for coursework is quite another. I would see if you could borrow a larger one and log into a course. The mini is too small for classwork readings IMHO.

James

Agreed with this. Especially if you’re dealing with full page PDFs.

Mini is certainly perfect for epubs, though.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Agreed with this. Especially if you’re dealing with full page PDFs.

Mini is certainly perfect for epubs, though.

Agree with this too. In my use the Mini 6 works best with ePub, kindle and Word documents. PDFs require zooming and scrolling around, which is (to me) quite disruptive while reading.