Edit- TLDR.. To sum up my post: Minis are great for a lot of people. But for a truly casual consumption device, I want something slightly smaller that I can comfortably palm like the size of an e-reader. And as someone who still likes small phones, a 6 Plus phablet, which is actually half the screen size of a Mini, would be all sorts of compromises. Don't know if there will ever be a good solution for me, but just saying. Anybody out there feel me?
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Anybody else think Apple went too big with the iPad Mini?
I know the Mini came out awhile ago, but after finally trying it out for awhile, I've concluded this.
I'm sure many Mini owners are perfectly satisfied with the size of their Mini. But I think some people, including myself [and Steve Wozniak http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/steve-wozniak-woz-iphone-small-ipad-big-516282 ], were hoping for a smaller device. Namely, something that could be easily palmed with one hand, and as a bonus, fit easily into a back pocket.
The Mini at its current 7.9" screen diagonal and 5.3" device width is too wide to palm comfortably for normal-sized hands and fits in back pockets of only large-sized pants. I read that Apple landed on the Mini's dimensions primarily because of certain conveniences on Apple's/developers' end (eg. being able to use iPad apps as is), and not necessarily because they believed 7.9" was any kind of ideal size for users. The iPad Mini (and its size) was after all an afterthought.
For a palm-able device, an ideal width would have been around 4"-4.5", giving it a screen diagonal of about 6"-7" depending on the aspect ratio. Not coincidentally, this is about the size of most e-readers.
I realize, however, a (the?) major issue with a device at this proposed size is apps. Would it run shrunk down iPad apps or blown up iPhone apps or would developers have to create yet another version of their apps? It's hard to see any of these being a reality, which makes this device not likely to come into existence in the foreseeable future.
With the release of the iPhone 6 Plus, however, at 5.5" screen diagonal and 3" device width, there is now a smaller option to the iPad Mini, albeit significantly smaller than ideal, since it still has to function as a phone. If you look at the iOS device lineup, the sizes increase incrementally, but there is a distinctly large gap between the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPad Mini. There is about a 25% surface area difference between the iPhones, but a 43% surface area difference between the largest iPhone and the smallest iPad. In that gap is where I believe the true balance of size and comfort for a small tablet lies.
The other issue with the iPhone 6 Plus is that it's really a phone. A gargantuan one. And some people prefer smaller phones. And to spend $750-$950 on a dedicated mini tablet that is actually quite a bit smaller than ideal is a big stretch for the average joe.
Perhaps if Apple released an iPod Touch Plus... That would be a compromise I'd actually be more willing to make than the iPad Mini, especially since it would be significantly cheaper than the iPad Mini. An iPod Touch Plus, as unlikely as it is, is probably the best Woz and I can hope for at this point in time.
How do others feel?
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Anybody else think Apple went too big with the iPad Mini?
I know the Mini came out awhile ago, but after finally trying it out for awhile, I've concluded this.
I'm sure many Mini owners are perfectly satisfied with the size of their Mini. But I think some people, including myself [and Steve Wozniak http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/steve-wozniak-woz-iphone-small-ipad-big-516282 ], were hoping for a smaller device. Namely, something that could be easily palmed with one hand, and as a bonus, fit easily into a back pocket.
The Mini at its current 7.9" screen diagonal and 5.3" device width is too wide to palm comfortably for normal-sized hands and fits in back pockets of only large-sized pants. I read that Apple landed on the Mini's dimensions primarily because of certain conveniences on Apple's/developers' end (eg. being able to use iPad apps as is), and not necessarily because they believed 7.9" was any kind of ideal size for users. The iPad Mini (and its size) was after all an afterthought.
For a palm-able device, an ideal width would have been around 4"-4.5", giving it a screen diagonal of about 6"-7" depending on the aspect ratio. Not coincidentally, this is about the size of most e-readers.
I realize, however, a (the?) major issue with a device at this proposed size is apps. Would it run shrunk down iPad apps or blown up iPhone apps or would developers have to create yet another version of their apps? It's hard to see any of these being a reality, which makes this device not likely to come into existence in the foreseeable future.
With the release of the iPhone 6 Plus, however, at 5.5" screen diagonal and 3" device width, there is now a smaller option to the iPad Mini, albeit significantly smaller than ideal, since it still has to function as a phone. If you look at the iOS device lineup, the sizes increase incrementally, but there is a distinctly large gap between the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPad Mini. There is about a 25% surface area difference between the iPhones, but a 43% surface area difference between the largest iPhone and the smallest iPad. In that gap is where I believe the true balance of size and comfort for a small tablet lies.
The other issue with the iPhone 6 Plus is that it's really a phone. A gargantuan one. And some people prefer smaller phones. And to spend $750-$950 on a dedicated mini tablet that is actually quite a bit smaller than ideal is a big stretch for the average joe.
Perhaps if Apple released an iPod Touch Plus... That would be a compromise I'd actually be more willing to make than the iPad Mini, especially since it would be significantly cheaper than the iPad Mini. An iPod Touch Plus, as unlikely as it is, is probably the best Woz and I can hope for at this point in time.
How do others feel?
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