Boy, wouldn't that be a deal, $199 for a 16GB iPad Mini. I'd buy one at that price with no retina display. It's a great price and (I think) good competition for the other tablets and book readers out there.
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iPad Mini Event Said to Focus on iBooks
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Boy, wouldn't that be a deal, $199 for a 16GB iPad Mini. I'd buy one at that price with no retina display. It's a great price and (I think) good competition for the other tablets and book readers out there.
Reading your message made me think of something. Why does a book reader have to be backlit or not backlit? Why couldn't it be both. Turn off the light when you don't need it. Then you could make, perhaps, an iPad Mini that could be read in bright sunlight or with the lights off. Do you think that would be a winner?
Thinking about it, how is an inch and a half smaller make a bit of difference in ease of use? I was thinking of a 2 inch difference. That would be something I could wrap my hands around and use. A lot of people like to read in bed, so I can see why the iPad is too big. I got use to it but sure, I'd like a smaller iPad. The book readers I've looked at are all portrait mode. They show one page of a book at a time. I like landscape mode with 2 pages at a time. What I'd like to see in an iPad Mini is one that is about 7.5 inches and does everything the iPad out now does. Give it the option to be backlit or not with a tap of the screen, give it automatic e-ink for book mode but in settings be able to turn it off. Have 8GB and a 16GB versions at $199 and $299, wifi only. Something major has to be different between the full size iPad and the iPad Mini. What do you all think?
Such displays exist... called transflective LCDs...though they are not without compromise. To understand you have to know the very basics of how these technologies work...
LCD is a light modulating technology. The pixels work like little shutters, controlling how much light passes through them. On a reflective LCD, such as those used on a watch or older electonics, the light comes from in front, passes through the LCD, hits a reflective surface behind it, and bounces back in however way the LCD determines. On a backlit display the light comes from behind and simply passes through however way the LCD determines. Now a transflective LCD uses a semi-reflective surface which allows light to bounce off and also allows light to pass through. Unfortunately this does not bounce back as much light as a pure reflector, and it also doesn't allow all of the light from behind to pass through. So you are left with the proverbial jack of all trades, master of none.
EInk BTW uses a completely different technology. Instead of liquid crystals it has tiny capsules filled with black and white pigment floating in a clear solution. One pigment has a positive charge, the other negative. When the display refreshes a certain quantity of each pigment is pulled to the top, the rest to the bottom. Then light reflects directly off of the pigment on the surface.
Oh and there is another technology called LiquaVista, which can supposedly offer both high contrast reflectivity and backlighting, though it's been a couple years since it was announced and they haven't reached the mass production stage yet.
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When the iPad was first rumored, I admit I was one of the naysayers. I thought it would flop and just didn't see a market for it. After the iPad 3 was announced, and a basement flood destroyed most of my books, my wife and I each got one and mine has basically become my digital photo album and e-reader. Meanwhile, my kids saved their allowances to buy Kindle Fires. Shortly after they got them, the iPad Mini rumors started.
After checking out the Kindle Fires, a tablet that size would have suited my needs just fine, probably more so than the iPad. However, I am a big advocate of iCloud. All my music, photos, calendars, reminders and books all sync up very nicely. With my kids' Kindle Fires, their apps and books sync nicely to my Amazon account, but they do not have any of their music from their iPods on them. I know there's a way to get music from iTunes to Amazon's music player, but I also know it's not an easy process. They do not have any photos on them either.
So my attitude towards this rumor is much more positive. I am quite happy with my iPad so getting a mini one for myself would be just plain wasteful and unnessecary, but because of the size and ease of syncing up with other media, I could see my kids selling their Kindles and possibly even their iPods, saving up more allowance depending on the price of these Minis and going that route.
I don't see it being as big of a seller as the iPad, but because it's Apple it will be popular enough. I know a handful of people that will get them just because it's a new Apple product.
As for pricing, I would expect it to be more than other similarly sized tablets. Apple's products always cost more, but from my experience, most, not all, other brands' qualities are not nearly as good. If there is a 16gb model, I could see it being priced the same as an iPod Touch or just slightly higher. No matter the price, it'll still sell well.
After checking out the Kindle Fires, a tablet that size would have suited my needs just fine, probably more so than the iPad. However, I am a big advocate of iCloud. All my music, photos, calendars, reminders and books all sync up very nicely. With my kids' Kindle Fires, their apps and books sync nicely to my Amazon account, but they do not have any of their music from their iPods on them. I know there's a way to get music from iTunes to Amazon's music player, but I also know it's not an easy process. They do not have any photos on them either.
So my attitude towards this rumor is much more positive. I am quite happy with my iPad so getting a mini one for myself would be just plain wasteful and unnessecary, but because of the size and ease of syncing up with other media, I could see my kids selling their Kindles and possibly even their iPods, saving up more allowance depending on the price of these Minis and going that route.
I don't see it being as big of a seller as the iPad, but because it's Apple it will be popular enough. I know a handful of people that will get them just because it's a new Apple product.
As for pricing, I would expect it to be more than other similarly sized tablets. Apple's products always cost more, but from my experience, most, not all, other brands' qualities are not nearly as good. If there is a 16gb model, I could see it being priced the same as an iPod Touch or just slightly higher. No matter the price, it'll still sell well.
Not starting at $299
The iPad mini will start at $320 -- for an 8GB model. http://ipad.blorge.com/2012/10/15/8gb-ipad-mini-to-start-at-320/
The iPad mini will start at $320 -- for an 8GB model. http://ipad.blorge.com/2012/10/15/8gb-ipad-mini-to-start-at-320/
That's an odd statement to make considering Apple's most popular iPod was the nano not the Classic, and their most popular Mac is the 13" MacBook Pro not the 15". And it pretty much boils down to cost in the end. Also remember that the high-end versions always came out first before the "mid-tier" models.
You are correct, but then again I don't think people camped out, there were not massive pre-orders and they did not sell out of iPod Nanos and and MacBook Pros (though I could be wrong). Over time, yes I do think the smaller one may become the more popular option as people upgrade. I just can't see people with a perfectly working iPad now to flock to get the minis. Then again, there are those with money to burn and those who need every single Apple product, so who knows....
Apple is not getting my money. Which when compounded by others is a problem for Apple. They want my (and your) money.
Just saw the leaked price list. Pricing is good and those wanting cellular versions will be happy.
http://www.cultofmac.com/195936/an-8gb-ipad-mini-will-cost-you-249-in-black-or-white-lte-models-start-at-549/
From the link above:
8GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in Black – $249 / €249
8GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in White – $249 / €249
16GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in Black – $349 / €349
16GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in White – $349 / €349
32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in Black – $449 / €449
32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in White – $449 / €449
64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in Black – $549 / €549
64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in White – $549 / €549
32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular in Black – $549 / €549
32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular in White- $549 / €549
64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular in Black – $649 / €649
64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular in White- $649 / €649
http://www.cultofmac.com/195936/an-8gb-ipad-mini-will-cost-you-249-in-black-or-white-lte-models-start-at-549/
From the link above:
8GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in Black – $249 / €249
8GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in White – $249 / €249
16GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in Black – $349 / €349
16GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in White – $349 / €349
32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in Black – $449 / €449
32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in White – $449 / €449
64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in Black – $549 / €549
64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi in White – $549 / €549
32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular in Black – $549 / €549
32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular in White- $549 / €549
64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular in Black – $649 / €649
64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular in White- $649 / €649
If these prices are true, I'm surprised the 16GB is $349 rather than $299. $349 is $100 more than the Nexus 7.
What's that supposed to mean?
My point was that the exact same book is almost 60% more expensive from Apple than Amazon. The only difference being one uses the Kindle app on my iPhone/macbook the other iBooks on my iPhone/macbook.
Are you saying the iBooks app is so much better than the Kindle app it's worth paying so much more for, and I'll say it again, exact same book ?
have you look at Kindle HD in details? And the best part is that it doesn't have Google play. Amazon has it's own app store (so that they can sell the search to Bing.. the default search engine in Amazon Fire is Bing and not Google.) and the number of apps in the Amazon store is roughly 10% of Google play.
http://www.androidauthority.com/ana...hd-what-its-got-and-what-it-hasnt-got-113057/
So clearly the dual-core, 1280×800 Kindle Fire HD has a lot to offer, but what is missing:
GPS and magnetometer One of the neat features of the Nexus 7 is that it includes a GPS and magnetometer which means it can be used for turn-by-turn navigation as well as for a whole bunch of location aware services like Google Now. But the Kindle Fire HD has none of these. This means that the Fire HD is a very much stay at home device. For many that will be fine, but for some this gives the Nexus 7 the edge. The 3G versions of the iPad also have GPS where as the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 inch 4G LTE does not.
Bluetooth and NFC Does a tablet need Bluetooth and NFC? I dont know, but the Nexus 7 has both and the iPad has Bluetooth. If you need them then the Kindle Fire HD isnt for you.
Decent cameras Devices like the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 include rear and front facing cameras. The Nexus only has a front facing 1.2 MP camera while the Fire has an unspecified front facing camera. Do people take photos with their tablets? Nah! Is a front facing camera useful? Yes! Is the front facing camera on the Fire HD good enough? Yet unknown.
Lack of Google Play Just about every Android device in the universe offers access to Google Play (with the exception of some low-end Chinese makes) but Amazon has its own ecosystem for films, TV, music and of course apps. The Amazon Appstore isnt as large as Google Play but all the essentials are available both in terms of free apps and paid apps. Some people dont like it. If you absolutely need access to Google Play then none of the Kindle Fire devices are for you.
I'm not sure if you're trying to be helpful but no, I'm not interested in Kindle hardware so I'll say it again...
I have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro. Both have iBooks and the Kindle APP...
To buy the book in question in iBooks format costs 60% more than in Kindle format.
I like Apple and their hardware and I'll pay a premium for what I consider quality, but I won't pay over the odds for their media for no reason.
My guess is iBooks will be a central topic, though not the sole one.
Hmm.. If new macs are going to be released at this event, perhaps that means a desktop version of iBooks will be announced?
