iPad mini Is iPad mini a fad?

[MikeTheHustler]

i own iphone 4S, ipad mini with retina display, and 13" MBA... Surely, i use my iphone 4S the most as I bring it everywhere with me. And when i want to watch movies, i either watch it through my MBA or plug my MBA to my 46" Samsung HDTV. I use these two devices 99% of the time.... i stopped using the ipad because it's too heavy to use while laying down on bed, and when sitting down, my MBA is already light enough and has bigger screen +keyboard to be more productive. is this fairly common nowadays? most people i know are also no longer obssessed about using their ipad as they used to.

my biggest pet peeve is probably the 3:4 ratio. i much much prefer watching youtube / movies on my mba because it's 16:10 ratio... my mba will display videos full-screen without the massive black bars on the ipad. i know its nicer to use 3:4 for browsing the internet, but i would sacrifice having 16:10 tablet with worse browsing experience in gaining better watching videos experience.

i plan to purchase iphone 6 which is rumored to be 4.7"... i can see that i'd be using the mini even less after owning the iphone 6

 

[Rodster]

The iPad mini is not a fad. In fact most tablets are trending smaller in the 7-9" size. For me the sweet spot is 8.5". I prefer the 4:3 format which is why I use iPad's primarily. If you like 16:10 then currently the only option is Android. The new Samsung Tab Pro 8.4 is killer but it requires good eyesight as the screen resolution is pretty high for a small tablet.

 

[DiCaprioAngel]

I use all three of my Apple devices (rMBP, rMini, and iPhone 5) respectively. At home, I use my laptop most, when I'm out of the house, I use my phone and/or my iPad depending on my mood. I use my iPad primarily for watching movies on the go and reading books. There's always a use for all devices, it's just up to the user whether or not they feel the need to incorporate any use in either of them. I don't feel like it's a fad at all. Everyone has specific needs for each device which is why they buy them. Sure, I lean on my laptop most when I'm home, but I don't take my laptop with me everywhere I go. My phone and my iPad goes with me. So, it's just a matter of how you, as the user, incorporates use in each device. I bought the iPad primarily to read books on it, then I added a bunch of movies I liked most which will give me the opportunity to watch a movie when I'm not home or out camping with my boyfriend in Upstate New York. Maybe you haven't found a proper use for it yet. I understand that they're all pretty much the same device in different forms, but I feel that there is always one particular use for an iPad. I don't find the rMini heavy at all - it's the lightest tablet I've ever held, to be honest. Even with the smart cover and a back case, it's still a light tablet. I know everyone has different preferences to certain devices. Maybe the iPad just didn't work out for what you needed it for. Hopefully you'll find some use out of it - something that will draw you to use the iPad as opposed to your phone or your laptop.

 

[Puonti]

No, it's not a fad. How much someone gets out of it depends a lot on what other devices they have and how they use all of those devices. I have a 4S, iMac and iPad mini and find the mini very useful as a second screen while watching something on the iMac and much more portable than the iPad 2 I used to have when on the go. Great for gaming and browsing, handy as a tabletop Sonos controller or for referring to recipes when cooking, etc.

I also have a Kindle Paperwhite – roughly the same size as the mini, but much more specialized in its utility. Someone might find it redundant (or a "fad" as you say) considering you can read Kindle books on the mini, too, but it's simply a superior reading experience to the mini so it earns its keep.

In your case I feel the mini simply doesn't fill an actual need.

 

[rowspaxe]

The iPad mini is not a fad. In fact most tablets are trending smaller in the 7-9" size..

I think the mini outsells the air--so its hard to call it a fad. With the rise of phablets--7-8 inch tablets may lose some momentum. I seldom see small tablets out and about though--I do see a lot of the larger ipad.

Personally, the mini experience is greatly improved by the smart cover. It like having everything you need in the size of a paperback. The larger ipad in a smart cover feels a little floppy

 

[justinthesommer]

Absolutely not. To me the iPad mini is the perfect sized ipad for portability. It fits into my back pocket. Between an ipad and an iPad mini I'll always pick the mini

 

[b3av3r]

Personally, I don't have a need for a tablet instead using my 13" MBA for everything. However, after my gf has had an iPad and iPad mini I can see the usefulness of the mini. I felt the iPad was too big to comfortably use for extended periods while the mini feels natural (not sure about the iPad air). I imagine I am not alone in this feeling especially since a lot of tablets are built with similar dimensions.

If you have an iPhone and MBA, I don't see the need for a tablet because like you said it is just as easy to use the MBA as the mini. I imagine if you didn't have your MBA you would use the mini much more and not think it was a fad.

 

[east85]

Late at night I prefer reading on my iPad Mini over the MacBook. For me it's pretty easy to hold for hours on end. If it's a fad I'll keep riding the fad train.

 

[Night Spring]

If you have an iPhone and MBA, I don't see the need for a tablet because like you said it is just as easy to use the MBA as the mini. I imagine if you didn't have your MBA you would use the mini much more and not think it was a fad.

I find it really hard to believe that people think the MBA is as easy to use as a tablet, whether it is a mini or a full size one. Maybe because I use the iPad mostly for surfing the web and reading ebooks -- but the keyboard of the MBA really gets in the way when you're just trying to read stuff. I suppose if your main usage of the iPad is to watch videos, then the MBA might be as easy to use, or even easier because you don't have to hold it up. But ever since I got my first laptop computer, I've wished I could just take the keyboard off! The iPad is a dream come true for me. I still keep my MBA for work, but the huge majority of my leisure time is spent on the iPad. I now often go for days sometimes without sitting in front of a computer. Strictly speaking, I don't need an iPad, but it is definitely the device I have near my hand 24/7.

 

[b3av3r]

I find it really hard to believe that people think the MBA is as easy to use as a tablet, whether it is a mini or a full size one. Maybe because I use the iPad mostly for surfing the web and reading ebooks -- but the keyboard of the MBA really gets in the way when you're just trying to read stuff. I suppose if your main usage of the iPad is to watch videos, then the MBA might be as easy to use, or even easier because you don't have to hold it up. But ever since I got my first laptop computer, I've wished I could just take the keyboard off! The iPad is a dream come true for me. I still keep my MBA for work, but the huge majority of my leisure time is spent on the iPad. I now often go for days sometimes without sitting in front of a computer. Strictly speaking, I don't need an iPad, but it is definitely the device I have near my hand 24/7.

I have a kindle, not kindle fire just the e-reader, for reading books. Anything else I do I would prefer to have a keyboard. I see it as an asset not as a hinderance.

 

[Oohara]

I was dead set on getting a iPad mini but honestly forgot about it completely when I got my Note 2. So when/if the 5.5" iPhone comes out - given that the regular iPad also got smaller with the Air - I can definitely see sales for the iPad mini decreasing somewhat.

The category as such is probably here to stay though. Most of all I see a lot of people using them to give their kids something to play games/watch videos on at home or when travelling...it's the space age babysitter no. 1 for sure

 

[HenryDJP]

OP I wouldn't necessarily say the mini is a fad but I do agree with you about the size concern. I was about to buy a mini but I already know I'm getting the next iPhone and with it being a larger screen I would feel the iPad mini would be nothing but a waste having it and the new iPhone. That being said I went with the iPad Air which makes much more sense for me. When the new iPhone comes out my setup will be a 27" iMac, 9.7" iPad Air and new iPhone. The perfect balance of screen sizes for different needs.

 

[maflynn]

I'm sure people said the same thing about the Note 3 and now Apple is rumored to be producing a larger phone.

The smaller tablet is fitting a need, Apple wasn't the first to the market with a smaller tablet, they did so in response to seeing consumers clamoring for something smaller. If it was a fad, apple would have avoided the R&D and start up costs associated for producing a new product.

 

[Tulani]

mini retina you beauty

I love my mini. I could eat it

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Is iPad mini a fad?

I don't see how. I have one and love it. In fact, I like more than the full sized iPad I had before it.

 

[raccoonboy]

I wouldn't call Mini a fad but wouldn't say its a success either.

Read somewhere that mini retina accounts for less than 10% of current ipad user, i mean ipad user not all tablets. We can say its a flop.

Ipad is an innovation when i came out but now when players like Samsung litterally make a portable notebook 8 inch with a stylus and make phone call. We all knew Ipad is too limited. I own Ipad 2 for 2 years and could realize i use it so little. And now i bought a nintendo handheld so i pretty much charge my ipad once a week, maybe over. I spend couple hours on my pc each day. Couldn't sell my Ipad now, resale value so low.

 

[dasx]

I've been using less and less my iPad Mini since I got it 13 months ago. Now it's in my desktop, inside its case, probably with a drained battery for the last one or two weeks.

If I ever wanna use it for something, when I get it it's dead and I have to plug it in. Then, after some days, when I wanna use it again... dead again.

It's been like this the last two months maybe, I think it's time I sell it or pass it to someone who will actually use it.

 

[Arndroid]

I am a little amazed you find the mini too heavy to use while laying down. Owning both a mini and an air, I could understand that complaint with a regular sized ipad, but the mini?

My 73 year old mother has a mini she uses all the time because it is so easy to use and control in most situations.

Recent reports on macrumors have shown the yutes of America shifting from regular sized iPads to the mini. So it is unlikely to be a far.

 

[Night Spring]

I have a kindle, not kindle fire just the e-reader, for reading books. Anything else I do I would prefer to have a keyboard. I see it as an asset not as a hinderance.

I can't stand e-ink, and even if I could, most of my reading is news articles on the web, with some ebooks. The Kindle may be good for ebooks (if you can stand e-ink), but not for surfing the web. I guess you don't spend much time just surfing the web, without typing input? If so, I suppose you don't mind being stuck with a keyboard. I can spend hours surfing the web without touching the keyboard, hence my desire to get rid of it.

 

[TWO2SEVEN]

I just traded my Mac Mini for a 13" MBP. This actually prompted me to sell my Air and get an rMini.

I know that the Air is very portable, but I am really enjoying the increased portability of the rMini so far. I feel a little less awkward walking around with it and it happens to fit in the back pocket of my jeans while I am walking.

The MBP and the Air were close enough in screen size that I wanted something a little bit different.

Of course, this is all just in my experience, your experience may differ.

 

[sonicrobby]

The mini isnt a fad; it may not suit you, but that doesnt mean its a fad. I used the hell out of my mini in college. Fit in my pocket, perfect screen size for textbook viewing and not taking up too much desk space. Granted after college I had no use for it, but that doesnt make it a fad. It has its uses in many situations.

 

[GGJstudios]

I used my MBP and iPhone extensively until I got the iPad mini. Now I mostly use the iPhone for calls, text messages and the camera. I prefer the iPad mini for everything else the iPhone does, and it has replaced about 85-90% of my need for the Mac.

The size is extremely portable (I wasn't impressed at all by the full-sized iPad), and comfortable to use. The iPhone screen is too small for my old eyes to be effective for extensive web surfing or emails or document handling, and that would be true even with a larger iPhone 6.

The iPad mini is ideal for my purposes and I would suspect that I'm not the only one who shares this opinion. Is it a fad? I hope not, because I plan to buy more in the future as the need arises, unless something comes along that proves itself to be a better solution. A larger iPhone isn't going to do that for me.

 

[bevsb2]

I love the rMini. Perfect size for my purse and I take it everywhere. I have an iPhone 5 and use it for calls, texts and e-mail but it is too small for web surfing in my opinion. I don't want a larger phone. The combination of iPhone 5 and rMini works for me and I certainly don't think the mini is a fad. I had a Kindle Fire and didn't like the 7 inch screen size.

 

[RickTaylor]

The mini isn't a fad. It's not for everyone, and I might not be such a fan if my main purpose for it was watching movies. But for reading books the 4:3 ratio is much better, especially when pdf documents that can't be paginated.

 

[adammull]

I use my mini for everything. I even text with it during the day at my desk. I could easily have a flip phone and a cellular iPad mini.