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All iPads Is the difference noticeable?

Kaye Star

Kaye Star

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 23, 2014
27
0
USA
I went to Best Buy today to window-shop and check out the iPad Air a little. They had the iPad Mini and the iPad Retina Mini on display. I compared the two and really couldn't see any difference, not even a tiny bit.

Same when I tried to compare the iPad Air and iPad 2 for speed. They seemed to load as quickly as each other.

Does anyone notice the difference? Do I maybe just need to play with them for more than two minutes?
 
I notice the difference on the screen of the retina ipad versus the ipad 2 immediately. Very noticeable. I could not go back to a non retina ipad.

The difference between the screens of the non retina mini and retina mini is not as noticeable as the pixel density of the non retina mini is higher than the ipad 2. But the boost in specs on the retina mini vs the inn retina I think is worth the $100 extra. Double the ram and latest gen cpu gpu is worth it.
 
The text is sharper on the Air, the animations are smoother on the Air. It's just overall a better spec'd machine.
 
Yeah there is a difference with the air. The mini retina does seem a little slower then the air. In the end I returned the air and kept the mini since I like the size of the mini r better.
 
I have the original iPad mini and I've compared many times. The difference is so minor to me that it's barely noticeable. I'm still extremely satisfied with mine.
 
Everyone's different. The difference between the retina mini and the original mini is very noticeable to me, but I tend to hold it a bit close, and I use it a lot for reading. On the other hand, I don't notice the difference in colors between the mini retina and the Air, but other people find that very noticeable.
 
ipad mini and the retina iPad mini are very like, when i originally went to check it out i was playing with the non retina until a genius told me that it wasn't the retina.
 
You actually have to take it home and use it.

When I owned the first gen mini, I noticed the difference instantly when browsing in bed - the lettering just wasn't crisp.
 
I think it's hard to see in the stores because they have the brightness cranked up to maximum and the store lightning distorts things a bit. If you took them both home and put them side by side you'd probably notice a difference. Whether that difference is worth the extra money comes down to personal choice.

As for speed. Yes the air is faster but the iPad 2/mini aren't slouches. They are still pretty nifty. However you have to think of the future as well. The air and iPad mini will last longer.
 
As much as I wanted the 1st generation mini, I passed on getting one as I knew I wouldn't be happy with the pixelated text after using retina. It was very noticeable to me when looking at the mini in the Apple store and I found it hard to read the small text in portrait mode. I have the rMini now and love it. The color saturation isn't as good as the Air but to me it is still a very nice screen and I don't even notice the difference when using it.
 
I don't think you'll really notice the speed difference unless you're playing games with a lot of real-time graphics, like some racing games, etc.

If you don't notice any difference in color saturation, etc. (I haven't seen them in person, myself), then you have more options. You certainly won't notice any difference once you choose one and never again look at the other.
 
Rodster said:
The text is sharper on the Air, the animations are smoother on the Air. It's just overall a better spec'd machine.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's really like night and day when comparing the 2 with the Air. I had a 2 but my youngest daughter now has it. The upgrade was monumental. IMO. ;)
 
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