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iPad iPad Mini Retina or iPad Air. Or Neither?

B

boombox15

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 17, 2013
272
22
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I am on the fence about buying an iPad. i have an iPhone 5S that I love so that makes me wonder if I really need an iPad. I have read that the Minis display has a weaker color gamut but is that really an issue? And I am also wondering if the minis display is too small.

I know there will be new iPads in the fall, but I can always sell mine on eBay or trade it in. I wont be doing a lot of gaming, and I will just be using a lot of everyday apps. I won't be using this as my main device because I have a 27 inch iMac, 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro, and my iPhone 5S.

But, do I really need an iPad? Are they worth it?
 
boombox15 said:
I am on the fence about buying an iPad. i have an iPhone 5S that I love so that makes me wonder if I really need an iPad.
Click to expand...

You started your post with a negative comment followed by a negative question so I say you don't need it unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket.
 
boombox15 said:
I am on the fence about buying an iPad. i have an iPhone 5S that I love so that makes me wonder if I really need an iPad. I have read that the Minis display has a weaker color gamut but is that really an issue? And I am also wondering if the minis display is too small.

I know there will be new iPads in the fall, but I can always sell mine on eBay or trade it in. I wont be doing a lot of gaming, and I will just be using a lot of everyday apps. I won't be using this as my main device because I have a 27 inch iMac, 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro, and my iPhone 5S.

But, do I really need an iPad? Are they worth it?
Click to expand...

I have both an iPad and an iPad mini. I also have an iMac, Macbook Pro and the iPhone 5. I love having the iPad because it is a lot easier to carry around than the laptop.

which iPad do I prefer is another question I like aspects of each one better than the other. I do find myself leaning more towards the iPad when I want to do things like excel, or some creative stuff. My iPad is the 64GB with WiFi + Cell and it all works well for me. My iPad mini is the retina version with 128GB and WiFi +Cell. It does everything the iPad does, and sometimes better because it has the faster chip in it, but it is the right size when I want to read my latest iBook or Kindle book. Since it has so much memory this is the device I load up with movies and stuff at vacation time. Traveling with just the iPads is so much better than lugging a laptop around with it's charge cables an such. I just bring one of the iPad chargers and it'll charge the iPhone, and both iPads. Sometimes where I am staying has the iHome radios in the room that also allow for charging so it is really convenient.

Since my current iPad is the iPad 4, which I got on the AT&T NEXT program, I will be able to update it when the iPad Air 2 (iPad 6) comes out. at that point I may just go for the 128GB model, again with WiFi+Cell.
 
Update: After thinking it through, I went with a 32GB Wi-Fi only Space Gray iPad Air. I have always liked larger screens better than smaller ones so the choice was quite obvious. I also got a 3rd party clear thin case to make it feel thin and light.
 
Yeah, I find the smaller text on the mini harder to read. Plus things like typing (I mean two handed touch typing) is easier on the Air.
 
I used the mini retina for 9 months before I decided to go to the Air.

But in such an opinionated forum, YMMV, as always.
 
boombox15 said:
I am on the fence about buying an iPad. i have an iPhone 5S that I love so that makes me wonder if I really need an iPad. I have read that the Minis display has a weaker color gamut but is that really an issue? And I am also wondering if the minis display is too small.

I know there will be new iPads in the fall, but I can always sell mine on eBay or trade it in. I wont be doing a lot of gaming, and I will just be using a lot of everyday apps. I won't be using this as my main device because I have a 27 inch iMac, 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro, and my iPhone 5S.

But, do I really need an iPad? Are they worth it?
Click to expand...

Do you need the iPad? Seeing your doubts, then NO.

Do you want the iPad? Seeing you knowing that you love ur iPhone 5s more but still creating a thread, then probably YES.

Anyway, if you want to do a lot of book reading, gaming at better screen, experience iOS apps with adapted iPad interface then maybe you could take a stab at iPad. Just FYI, if you need book reading alone, maybe you can get a kindle.
 
At home I use the iPad Air and I bring my iPad mini (retina) with me when I go out. Perfect solution.

Honestly I have both because I bought the Air first, and still found it too heavy when I used it outside the home.
 
iPad Air for me. Started off with a mini which I loved but was always lusting after more real estate so got the Air. My intention was to keep both and use the mini outside and the air in doors. However due to the low weight of the Air I found I was using the Air all the time even outside. The mini wasn't getting used at all. Also, due to the fact that my Air was retina and the mini wasn't the non -retina display started to bother me. I've since given my Mini away to a relative.
 
For me it's just the ipad mini with retina display. I don't need a bigger ipad and never liked the 9.7 inch screens. I use my ipad mini both at home and wherever I go.

Plus I don't have any color gamut issues with mine. Whether iPad Mini Retina has it or not, I just don't notice it.
 
Rodster said:
You started your post with a negative comment followed by a negative question so I say you don't need it unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket.
Click to expand...

I would have to agree with this. Outside of "I have to get it for work/school" if you start off basically saying you can't think of a reason to have it, then you don't need it. So don't waste your money.

I wanted something for watching movies on long flights etc during work and figured I'd buy it and try it for a couple of weeks. I knew where we were filming at the time there was an apple store if I hated it and wanted to return it. I ended up liking it. But I wouldn't have bought it just to buy it. At least not when they first came out
 
boombox15 said:
.....And I am also wondering if the minis display is too small......
Click to expand...

This is the first time I have ever heard someone wonder if the iPad mini screen is too small. I thought this complaint only applied to the iPhone.

But seriously? It's a 7.9 inch screen. It's not small. It's bigger than the iPhone and slightly smaller than the iPad Air.

This is a first. It gave me some palpitations when I read it.
 
JuanBadApple said:
This is the first time I have ever heard someone wonder if the iPad mini screen is too small. I thought this complaint only applied to the iPhone.

But seriously? It's a 7.9 inch screen. It's not small. It's bigger than the iPhone and slightly smaller than the iPad Air.

This is a first. It gave me some palpitations when I read it.
Click to expand...

Well it's small compared to the Air, which I think is the point. Text does look tinier on the mini and that may be enough of an issue for some.

As for whether iPads are worth it, it all just depends on what you want out of it. You'll be able to find SOME usage out of it. Whether or not that usage is frequent or important to justify the purchase really depends on the person. I personally use it was a video watcher and book reader among other things. Good enough for that purpose.
 
Update 2: Got my iPad Air on Friday and it's just amazing! It's way better than I thought it would be! Now my set up is truly complete!

As a side note, I am already wondering if the iPad Air 2 that is coming out this fall will have a different design, or if it will just be a A8 upgrade, Touch ID, and a better camera. I'm still getting one either way, but what is expected in the iPad Air 2?
 
I bought a retina iPad Mini because it uses the exact same processor and has the exact same resolution as the iPad Air just in a smaller form factor. I think that the 7.8" display size is the absolutely perfect size for me. Fortunately I have good vision so the smaller and sharper the text is the better. I love the display because it is just as pixel-dense as the iPhone.
 
If you think you would use an iPad along with your iPhone then there is nothing wrong with trying it out. I have the 5S and use it all the time when I'm out and at work. At home I find it more convenient to get things done on my iPad Air due to the larger screen. Now that Apple made the iPad lighter and thinner I even use it in bed at night to read my iBooks.
 
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