Mini Ipad what to use it for?

[larderland]

I know details on the new mini ipad are scarce at the moment but im thinking about buying one. But im trying to think of whether i need it or not?


Based on the info so far what would you guys use it for? I have a macbook pro but the keyboard on it is damaged so could use having something different but iv never owned an ipad and dont know much about it tbh.

I use my macbook mostly for listening to music, surfing the web, watching and streaming shows and sending emails.

thoughts?

 

[ChristianVirtual]

It would be a good reading device for me while commuting due to smaller form factor compared to iPad. It's really crowed here in Japan. And not only reading but surfing while riding in train.

Condition: one hand usability. Not sure if possible.

 

[inselstudent]

I use my macbook mostly for listening to music, surfing the web, watching and streaming shows and sending emails.

thoughts?

If that's all you do an iPad would be perfect for you. Dunno what'd be better though, a full-size iPad or the mini.
But I used to have an iPad and I found it to be thperfevt device for surfing, browsing, and sending emails. I'm not sure though if you can do much streaming with it as most streams still require flash, I think.

 

[fubaracing7374]

An iPad mini would be perfect for my 3 year old. The iPod touch is a tad too small and an iPad would be too heavy I think. The mini would be perfect for him!

 

[rahul247rocks]

iPad Mini is suited for the following uses:

1. Power Email User
2. One who loves checking calenders and arranging stuff accordingly.
3. One who loves playing light weight games
4. One who wants to have a Kindle like book reading experience
5. Perfect for Jet Setters
6. Drawing and Sketching
7. Up close movie experience.

 

[Nychot]

Pick up a nexus 7 with 14 day return at walmart etc and see what you can do with a 7 inch tablet -- which is EVERTYHING. I have an ipad3 and the n7 and my ipad is becoming secondary to the n7. I think an ipad mini based on the rumored specs will be great.

 

[wrkactjob]

Much easier to hold with one hand while enjoying yourself viewing some of your special pictures.

 

[R1PPER]

I live in fear of the kids dropping my ipad so i might get them there very own ipad mini.

 

[palpatine]

You CAN read PDFs on the Nexus 7, but I wouldn't recommend it, because you have to put it into landscape mode, which doesn't enable you to see much text at once.

You CAN write on the Nexus 7 with a stylus, but the screen surface is so small, it is like taking notes on a big post-it. Again, I wouldn't recommend it over the iPad.

You CAN see everything OK on the Nexus 7, but the much brighter and crisper retina display on the iPad is infinitely better. It really just doesn't compare. And, if the Mini doesn't have an equivalent amount of pixels per inch (264 or so), I think I will pass until the Mini 2 (assuming I ever get one at all).

You CAN type on the Nexus 7, and on the iPad, but it is annoying, and I much prefer using a full-size bluetooth keyboard. However, once you start carrying that around, unless you have one of those cheaply made collapsible keyboards, you might as well carry the iPad.

I think that if you want to get stuff done, the iPad will probably remain the best device. If you want something for your kids to play with, or if you want to bribe a significant other, then the Mini is the way to go.

 

[Medic311]

not sure, hence why i am keeping my iPad 3

 

[Night Spring]

or if you want to bribe a significant other, then the Mini is the way to go.

9 times out of 10, the significant other will end up with the full-size ipad and leave you with the mini.

 

[zephyrnoid]

I know what I would use it for IF it has the features that I need. For everything else, we'll have to listen to what Tim Cook has to say on the 23rd, 4 days from now.

What I'm not interested in:
- A tablet sized telephone
- Just a great Apple branded e-reader
- Just a way to waste time fiddling with Apps
- Just a glorified compact TV

What I am interested in:
- A hybrid pocket-able tablet that becomes my new all purpose PDA
- A near real-time peripheral monitor for my digital devises, particularly, my still and video digital cameras
- A Superb tool for board-room to auditorium presentations
- A well integrated net-book computer that can replace my laptop as a POCKETABLE on-the-road MS Office editing and authoring tool.
This last point needs to be driven home.
APPLE! isn't it time that you offered an add-on physical keyboard with wired or wireless connectivity so that we can thumb our noses at Microsoft Surface® some more

Free-standing tablets are great but the transformable tablet IS the future of mobile computing.

 

[KimMelton661]

Much easier to hold with one hand while enjoying yourself viewing some of your special pictures.

Uhhhh....

 

[Night Spring]

APPLE! isn't it time that you offered an add-on physical keyboard with wired or wireless connectivity so that we can thumb our noses at Microsoft Surface® some more [/B]

You know, I was just thinking about this, and does anyone remember that initially, when the original iPad was released, Apple offered a keyboard dock? Yeah, not the same thing as Microsoft's keyboard cover, which is a much more elegant solution (if the keyboard actually works!). But anyway, the keyboard dock quietly went away, and there was no outcry, I'm thinking partly because there are now so many third party keyboard solutions for the iPad, but perhaps also because people found that they don't really use a keyboard much with a tablet?

I never bought the keyboard dock, but I did have a bluetooth keyboard that came with my iMac which I wasn't using (bluetooth keyboard doesn't have number pad, and I prefer to have a numberpad when working at a desktop), so I thought perfect, I can use this keyboard with my iPad. I even bought a bag specifically to hold both the iPad and the keyboard. But I soon found that I almost never used the keyboard, and more and more the keyboard got left at home, until one day, I realized I hadn't used that thing in many months...

Of course, one crucial difference between iPad/keyboard combos and Microsoft's keyboard cover for Surface is that the keyboard cover has a trackpad built in. And maybe having the trackpad makes a crucial difference in usability of a keyboard attachment with a tablet. Or maybe Apple is right and tablets shouldn't need keyboards and styluses, and if you need a keyboard you should reach for your laptop. It's going to be very interesting to see how this turns out.

 

[seajay96]

I know what I would use it for IF it has the features that I need. For everything else, we'll have to listen to what Tim Cook has to say on the 23rd, 4 days from now.

What I'm not interested in:
- A tablet sized telephone
- Just a great Apple branded e-reader
- Just a way to waste time fiddling with Apps
- Just a glorified compact TV

What I am interested in:
- A hybrid pocket-able tablet that becomes my new all purpose PDA
- A near real-time peripheral monitor for my digital devises, particularly, my still and video digital cameras
- A Superb tool for board-room to auditorium presentations
- A well integrated net-book computer that can replace my laptop as a POCKETABLE on-the-road MS Office editing and authoring tool.
This last point needs to be driven home.
APPLE! isn't it time that you offered an add-on physical keyboard with wired or wireless connectivity so that we can thumb our noses at Microsoft Surface® some more

Free-standing tablets are great but the transformable tablet IS the future of mobile computing.

Why does Apple need to make a keyboard cover? There are lots of good quality 3rd party companies that already do this and doubtful that Apple would be able to make a significantly better one or make a profit in that market. Check out Zaggfolio for one example. I personally prefer a keyboard larger than the width of the iPad and for me, the Apple bluetooth keyboard in an Incase Origami case works great.

One of the many thoughts I have on using an iPad mini:

My iPhone is a little too small and my iPad is a little too big to use as a navigation system in both my car and my plane (Cessna 172). A 7-8" tablet is a perfect size for this but the apps available on Android are crap. There are some great navigation apps on iOS. So, I'm really hoping for a built-in GPS or sticking with the 30-pin dock connector to use an add-on like BadElf.

 

[Nychot]

Why you think the n7 should be for productivity is beyond me. I personally dont think the ipad is either. Both are entertainment devices althothe ipad can be used for some work related projects. My feeling is the ipad mini will become the consumer choice and the ipad will revert to the business world.

You CAN read PDFs on the Nexus 7, but I wouldn't recommend it, because you have to put it into landscape mode, which doesn't enable you to see much text at once.

You CAN write on the Nexus 7 with a stylus, but the screen surface is so small, it is like taking notes on a big post-it. Again, I wouldn't recommend it over the iPad.

You CAN see everything OK on the Nexus 7, but the much brighter and crisper retina display on the iPad is infinitely better. It really just doesn't compare. And, if the Mini doesn't have an equivalent amount of pixels per inch (264 or so), I think I will pass until the Mini 2 (assuming I ever get one at all).

You CAN type on the Nexus 7, and on the iPad, but it is annoying, and I much prefer using a full-size bluetooth keyboard. However, once you start carrying that around, unless you have one of those cheaply made collapsible keyboards, you might as well carry the iPad.

I think that if you want to get stuff done, the iPad will probably remain the best device. If you want something for your kids to play with, or if you want to bribe a significant other, then the Mini is the way to go.

 

[FlatlinerG]

Lectures. Using an iPad Mini with Keynote Remote would be heaven.

...and reading.

 

[zephyrnoid]

I like your Thinking Out Loud (TOL) protocol!
Basically, yet another paradigm shift is occurring and that is that an increasingly mobile hybrid LIFESTYLE is driving hardware/software changes.
I see this in Photography (one of my core domains). Mirrorless Micro 43 that shoot cinema caliber video are sweeping the floor of the big boys as the lifestyles of the consumer / prosumer are demanding a convergence of the still and movie making devices.
I see the same happening in mobile computing. The iPhone is really a evolved and convergent Newton/Palm/ Palmtop computer/GPs etc...

After 4 years of the iphone, we have become aware now of its shortcomings and strengths. But in the meantime, Lifestyles have shifted dramatically.
The awesome potential of the ibook>Macbook Pro>Macbook Air has given way to truly SINGLE hand holdable computers that potentially converge HD (monitoring), GPS, Presentation, E-reader and.... Field Data acquisition.

You all had better be ready as the future of the 7" diagonal palmtop computer is VERY exciting. I see a form-factor range from 5"-7" that will basically hold the core 80% of mobile users, with the rest being niches for telephony heavy users on one end (iphone) and vision and touch challenged on the other ( ipad 9" +)

Once we have REAL TIME / synchronous video monitoring ( esp wireless ) in place, a plethora of wired HD field monitors will vanish from the marketplace.

Once Apps for medical and sports performance data acquisition and processing become a reality, an entire universe of stand-alone medical devices will vanish!

Welcome to Star Trek friends!

You know, I was just thinking about this, and does anyone remember that initially, when the original iPad was released, Apple offered a keyboard dock? Yeah, not the same thing as Microsoft's keyboard cover, which is a much more elegant solution (if the keyboard actually works!). But anyway, the keyboard dock quietly went away, and there was no outcry, I'm thinking partly because there are now so many third party keyboard solutions for the iPad, but perhaps also because people found that they don't really use a keyboard much with a tablet?

I never bought the keyboard dock, but I did have a bluetooth keyboard that came with my iMac which I wasn't using (bluetooth keyboard doesn't have number pad, and I prefer to have a numberpad when working at a desktop), so I thought perfect, I can use this keyboard with my iPad. I even bought a bag specifically to hold both the iPad and the keyboard. But I soon found that I almost never used the keyboard, and more and more the keyboard got left at home, until one day, I realized I hadn't used that thing in many months...

Of course, one crucial difference between iPad/keyboard combos and Microsoft's keyboard cover for Surface is that the keyboard cover has a trackpad built in. And maybe having the trackpad makes a crucial difference in usability of a keyboard attachment with a tablet. Or maybe Apple is right and tablets shouldn't need keyboards and styluses, and if you need a keyboard you should reach for your laptop. It's going to be very interesting to see how this turns out.

 

[Night Spring]

After 4 years of the iphone, we have become aware now of its shortcomings and strengths. But in the meantime, Lifestyles have shifted dramatically.
The awesome potential of the ibook>Macbook Pro>Macbook Air has given way to truly SINGLE hand holdable computers that potentially converge HD (monitoring), GPS, Presentation, E-reader and.... Field Data acquisition.

That reminds me, but Surface RT doesn't have a cellular option. Is Surface Pro going to have cellular? If the Surface is to be taken seriously as mobile devices, then it needs cellular. And when will Apple make a MacBook Air with cellular built-in? Because I've been thinking that will be truly awesome.

Okay, not sure how we drifted so far off-topic from the iPad mini... I guess that's what happens when I start talking out loud!

 

[firestarter]

I'm thinking a mini might replace my smartphone (iPhone).

If it's small and light enough to carry around a lot, then I'd rather be accessing apps and media on an iPad class device than an iPhone class device.

Seems like a waste of money to carry both that and an iPhone though - so it may be possible to downgrade to something simpler.

 

[palpatine]

Why you think the n7 should be for productivity is beyond me. I personally dont think the ipad is either. Both are entertainment devices althothe ipad can be used for some work related projects. My feeling is the ipad mini will become the consumer choice and the ipad will revert to the business world.

Why not? They both have more power than full-fledged computers I used to have just a few years ago, some of the apps available have transformed them into powerful devices, and the iPad Mini is basically (in terms of form factor) a return to the PDAs of yore. I know businessmen and researchers who rely almost exclusively on their iPhones (usually, with a bluetooth keyboard paired to it), and a bump up to the Mini would be a big deal.

I have a feeling the smaller size will not quite cut it, though, after we have all experienced the iPad. I could be wrong. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next week.

As for complaints about an attached keyboard, please take a look at the Origami workstation and the Apple keyboard. It puts everything else to shame, and I suspect no one will enjoy typing on Microsoft's Surface keyboard. I'll give it a try in the stores next week, but I don't have very high expectations. Thank goodness Apple isn't wasting their time and money turning the svelte iPad into a bulky monstrosity! Leave the add-ons to the third-party folks like Incase, who know what they are doing.

 

[zephyrnoid]

If the Surface is to be taken seriously as mobile devices, then it needs cellular.

I respectfully submit to you that your thinking is NOT in the mainstream.
You see, we ALL have mobile palm sized phones. Why would we need them in a tablet? In fact, I hardly EVER use my phone except for last minute texting.

Telephony is DEAD!

 

[urkel]

I respectfully submit to you that your thinking is NOT in the mainstream.
You see, we ALL have mobile palm sized phones. Why would we need them in a tablet? In fact, I hardly EVER use my phone except for last minute texting.

Telephony is DEAD!

He's referring to LTE/3G carrier support

 

[big samm]

Pick up a nexus 7 with 14 day return at walmart etc and see what you can do with a 7 inch tablet -- which is EVERTYHING. I have an ipad3 and the n7 and my ipad is becoming secondary to the n7. I think an ipad mini based on the rumored specs will be great.

Once you go 7 its hard to back to the heavier ipad3... Thats how feel every time i grab my ipad... Its just too big!!

 

[urkel]

You know, I was just thinking about this, and does anyone remember that initially, when the original iPad was released, Apple offered a keyboard dock? Yeah, not the same thing as Microsoft's keyboard cover, which is a much more elegant solution (if the keyboard actually works!). But anyway, the keyboard dock quietly went away, and there was no outcry, I'm thinking partly because there are now so many third party keyboard solutions for the iPad, but perhaps also because people found that they don't really use a keyboard much with a tablet?

I know its blasphemy to say this out here, but what I feel is the missing feature for iPad/tablet keyboard solutions is one thing. The trackpad.

The whole reason to get a keyboard on a tablet is to perform traditional laptop tasks like spreadsheets, longform writing or media. So simply slapping a keyboard on doesnt solve the problem because the motion of going back and forth from keys to screen just to click different fields or edit previous paragraphs is tedious. And thats why I think the Surface RT may be an interesting device because it comes with Office built in and with a keyboard AND trackpad then its a pretty versatile device. Hopefully it succeeds because I'd love for Apple to give us a keyboard AND trackpad iPad solution some day.