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nehope

macrumors member
Nov 27, 2012
50
0
I like mine. Going back and forth from the iPad 3 retina screen and the mini can be a bit disconcerting but I've adjusted. I love the size, feel, and weight. It's the one I reach for first and spend the most time on now. If they ever put a retina screen on it, the iPad 3 is history.
 

pommie82

macrumors 6502
Jan 4, 2011
299
30
uk
I'am really enjoying the mini a lot more then the 9'7 inch iPad its just better for reading and things like that perfect for when traveling and you want to read something

I use my mini for about 6 hours a day every day without fail now
Before i had a mini i would only use my iPad a couple of hours a day
and that it i think it was more of the weight thing for me and i didn't
really use it much but the mini always been used for something in my hand
 

ALMF

macrumors regular
Jun 20, 2012
147
1
i really like my mini. it is easy to hold.

i use it for games and reading. no issues here
 

Sech

macrumors member
Mar 31, 2012
61
8
I dont miss my iPad 3 one little bit...

Ditto! I just returned from a conference where I used my mini almost exclusively for a week. Sessions, meetings with customers and partners, it has been fantastic. For me, it is what the iPad should have always been.
 

GreatDrok

macrumors 6502a
May 1, 2006
561
22
New Zealand
It's awesome. I decided that I could go with the top spec LTE model since the size is perfect and I've never had a retina iPad so the screen is actually a step up from my previous iPad 1. I've no regrets and will run this for as long as I can just like my iPad 1 which was used daily for 2.5 years and will now do service as my in home iTunes remote and anything else I feel it still does well. I won't likely jump to a new mini if they put retina on it because the screen is fine for my purposes so the next iPad I get will need to be a substantial improvement.
 

ActionableMango

macrumors G3
Sep 21, 2010
9,612
6,907
It's awesome. Small, lightweight, handy, portable, and powerful. I use it every day and hardly ever have to charge it.

Smaller is the new bigger.
 

Galatian

macrumors 6502
Dec 20, 2010
336
69
Berlin
I had mine in use for two weeks now (LTE version shipped late here in Germany). I owned the first iPad and have been very disappointed with it (too heavy to be truly portable so I had to carry it in a bag like a notebook, but it was not powerful enough to replace one).

The iPad mini completely addressed those issues. My hands are big enough so I can actually "monkey grip" it which is very helpful. It fits perfectly in my coat pocket and in my white coat pocket at the hospital (in facts that's also the reason why the iPad mini was my first white product).

For me the display is sharp. It is sharper then the original iPad and iPad 2 obviously, but I have to admit reading on it is not as nice as reading on my 13" rMPB. Then again usually zooming in just a tad makes it much easier on my eye.

One thing I was really surprised about: It is fun playing games on it! The screen is not so small like on the iPhone where the controls would essentially rendered almost half the screen "unused" but it is not too big or heavy like the iPad where gaming could be tiresome.

I know have to say for me this is how the iPad should have always been and except of the - as of now - lack of retina display, I really think this is one of the best devices I own.
 

solo118

macrumors 65816
May 16, 2011
1,316
170
Fantastic compared to my ipad1. No complaints, no regrets. I could have got a refurb ipad 3 for the same money, and I am glad I passed on it.
 

LushMojo

macrumors regular
Oct 26, 2008
123
20
Camden, Maine
Absolutely love mine. I had the 2 and 3. The Mini fits in my white coat pocket and has made my experience working in the hospital and clinics great. The exceptionally long battery life is great for working long hours as well. I have to mirror the statements already made here - this is what the iPad should have been all along. It may be my favorite Apple product ever (and my first Apple product was a Powerbook 180, so I've been in the Apple game since the early 90s).
 

cfs112

macrumors member
Oct 26, 2012
87
0
My experience with my iPad mini has been fantastic! Display looks fine to me. And because its more portable and lighter, I use it more than I did my old iPad 1. I use my tablet more now because of the smaller size and lighter weight so I think the iPad mini is a win in regards to user experience.
 

yegon

macrumors 68040
Oct 20, 2007
3,403
1,979
Rarely used my 3 since getting the mini, absolutely love it. I'll be preordering a retina mini the moment they go live on the store though!
 

LightOnAHill

macrumors regular
Jun 26, 2010
138
0
I got my wifi 64 white and it's awesome.

the smaller size has the portraits keyboard just the right size to thumb type and I can do it faster than I can write so I can use it in court (lawyer) to take notes in a pinch, like the other day I pulled out the Mac air 11" and the battery was dead because the kitteh had unplugged it at night, and I needed sentencing notes right then my case being the next to be called. well, have everything in dropbox, all my files, and I installed documents to go on my iPhone 5 and on the ipad mini and I was able t go right into docs to go and open up the word file, and read my notes, and then take notes. it is more useful than my iPhone in this regard, but in a super tight punch the iPhone would have the same document and editing ability, just not as nice a thumb keyboard. so that's my thought on the keyboard

regarding the display, it's not retina like my iPhone but it is 161 pixels per inch or something and that's pretty clean to my eye, about the same as my air,

the screen is very white without color in the white, it's bright,

the device is very thin, and feels very good holding in the hand

in landscape mode the keys in the keyboard are much bigger but I can't type on them as easily as the air and I've fund the keyboard for the thumbs in portrait mode is faster.

I have a folding case and like that, I can have documents open like a PDF or we page of the code and sit it on the desk upright next to the laptop and work with it, so it's useful as a way to display something on the side of the computer.

the speakers are loud and sound good

wifi signal is great

battery life is surprisingly great, seven or more hours and I usually have the brightness on max.

I would only like the home screen to have denser rows for the applications - too much space looks lame

hope this helps those thinking about it!
 

dinggus

macrumors 65816
Jan 17, 2012
1,309
63
Out of all the Apple products that I own (iPad 2, iPad 3, 27" iMac, 11" MBA, iPhone 3GS, 4S and 5), I'm going to say it has to be the best Apple product that I have owned. I'm on this thing almost every time I have a chance.

I don't care for retina display with it (I'm sure ill notice a big difference when it gets updated), to me the screen looks just as good as my wife's iPad 3 and she's even thinking about getting one but is worried about the screen size for when she flies home and wants to watch movies.
 

Al'sDad

macrumors member
Dec 7, 2012
44
18
I love it. My iPad 3rd gen has been connected to the charger doing nothing since I got the mini.
 

ob81

macrumors 65816
Jun 11, 2007
1,406
356
Virginia Beach
I like it. Got a 64gb wifi because I plan on having it for the long haul. It is a great little device, and very convenient. The size and the fact that I have the same capabilities as my iPad 2 were the sell points for.

It is funny, because now when I hold an iPad 2-3-4, I really notice the weight and it seems like a burden to use.

I just need a good laptop to go with it now.
 

EMAN19

macrumors 6502
Sep 19, 2012
275
0
New York, NY
having had time to digest, what are your thoughts?

I LOVE my iPad mini 64GB.

Everything about this device is simply awesome; from the weight, size, design and form factor over all is tops! Way better than the larger sized iPad in terms of portability too. The iPad mini feels right in my hands whereas the iPad 9.7 inches did not. I can't put this thing down! I get about 5-8 hours of usage per day on my iPad mini whilst my HP laptop collects dust underneath my bed!
 
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