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All iPads Mini is great, but Air is vastly superior.

JGWolven said:
I wanted to desperately to have a reason to keep my Mini.. but the screen size really is cumbersome, and in terms of portability, the Air is not a hassle to carry at all.. and never has been. Took the Mini back, kept the Air, and I'm content. :)
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The big problem for me with the iPad mini retina was the screen color gamut lacking severely. Then the size as well because I too have a note 3 and when watching videos on the iPad mini due to the aspect ratio for most films the black bars on top and bottom reducing the video real estate down to nearly my 16:9 note 3! It's not quite the same when compared on paper to my note 3 being smaller but in real application the screen size when viewing wide aspect ratio movies really doesn't seem that big vs my note 3. So I returned it since the iPad Air is so much more portable now and has a substantially larger screen real estate with all wide AR movies.
 
Anti-Lucifer said:
The big problem for me with the iPad mini retina was the screen color gamut lacking severely. Then the size as well because I too have a note 3 and when watching videos on the iPad mini due to the aspect ratio for most films the black bars on top and bottom reducing the video real estate down to nearly my 16:9 note 3! It's not quite the same when compared on paper to my note 3 being smaller but in real application the screen size when viewing wide aspect ratio movies really doesn't seem that big vs my note 3. So I returned it since the iPad Air is so much more portable now and has a substantially larger screen real estate with all wide AR movies.
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I rather use my Note 3 than my 1st gen Mini for watching something like "Gravity". Even with the Air considering the aspect ratio of that film, too much outer outer space. :)
 
iamthedudeman said:
Why does this thread exist? :confused:
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Only because someone wanted to start an opinion poll (without he poll of course) that would hopefully be heated. There was success to some degree, but in no way does it sway any rationally thinking person either way. I'm typing this on MY rMini which I love and would not trade for an Air. I have unlimited access to my wife's Air, that I never, ever pick up. The colors on the mini are just fine. Her Air is a magical device. My rMini is a magical device that fits in my back pocket so, I guess there is no real answer to the your question other than the op wanted to start a nonsense thread. ;)
 
Note to self: A controversial title will make a thread go epic. Hyperbole is a good start . . .;)
 
Whichever one you go for, they are both quality pieces of kit, some might say insanely great. Currently, I have the iPad 3 and a retina mini.

I will upgrade the 3 to an air with the next generation, I couldn't see any real benefit in upgrading now, but with the slight weight drop, speed bump and I would expect better cameras and fingerprint ID on the next one, then it will become worth my while. Not dissing the air in it's current format, I'd buy one if I didn't already have the 3.
 
Deadeyeshark said:
Whichever one you go for, they are both quality pieces of kit, some might say insanely great. Currently, I have the iPad 3 and a retina mini.

I will upgrade the 3 to an air with the next generation, I couldn't see any real benefit in upgrading now, but with the slight weight drop, speed bump and I would expect better cameras and fingerprint ID on the next one, then it will become worth my while. Not dissing the air in it's current format, I'd buy one if I didn't already have the 3.
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Exactly what he said. I'm waiting for the next gen to trade up my 3
 
ron7624 said:
Exactly what he said. I'm waiting for the next gen to trade up my 3
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And while price cannot be discounted as to why android tablet sales are growing and Apple is losing market share, it equally cannot be discounted that IPad owners are happy with their earlier generations. :)
 
Mini makes me feel claustrophobic and constrained, when compared to using full sized iPad.

Most succinct way I can express my opinion on this topic.
 
Lucille Carter said:
The iPad Air owners know they are better than the mini but we need to not hurt the mini owner's feelings. :p
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I will admit after owning my Retina Mini since December and my iPad air for a day, I do love the colors on the display of the Air. Even though the retina has more pixels per inch then the Mini, I wasn't sure if it would make that much difference and it doesn't. The Air also makes using Netflix a much greater experience. There is a lot more "white space" in apps when compared to the same app on the mini due to the bigger screen on the Air and on one or two apps, that kind of looks weird but I'll get used to it.

The sound also seems to be a bit different.

Nothing beats being able to take my Mini out with me and not have this big iPad attracting attention.

All in all, I own both iPads and enjoy using both of them equally.
 
JackieInCo said:
I will admit after owning my Retina Mini since December and my iPad air for a day, I do love the colors on the display of the Air. Even though the retina has more pixels per inch then the Mini, I wasn't sure if it would make that much difference and it doesn't. The Air also makes using Netflix a much greater experience. There is a lot more "white space" in apps when compared to the same app on the mini due to the bigger screen on the Air and on one or two apps, that kind of looks weird but I'll get used to it.

The sound also seems to be a bit different.

Nothing beats being able to take my Mini out with me and not have this big iPad attracting attention.

All in all, I own both iPads and enjoy using both of them equally.
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I totally agree.
 
iPad Air for Business Users

OK, Johnny-come-lately here. As a sometimes business user (for lots of technical manuals, treatises, legal codes, and occasional Word/Excel work) the Air is a lot more useful than a Mini. It's also nice on older eyes...;)

I would like to add (as a new convert form the Windows tablet world), NOTHING beats the 4:3 form factor. I am so tired of 16:9 whiners complaining their videos have silly black bars above and below them without that ridiculous skinny 16:9 form factor - grow up - when you are reading a book or magazine, whether on the Air or my wife's Mini, 4:3 is just far superior. Thank you Mr. Jobs for recognizing "old school" isn't always wrong. :D :apple:
 
Vastly superior for you needs but not everyone's. I doubt my 5 year old niece would think so. She has small hands like all kids her age and the Mini is much better suited for her when she is not using it at a desk/table.
 
For me, the form factor of the iPad mini is perfect; I wouldn't want it any bigger or any smaller. I wasn't even interested in an iPad until I saw the original mini, and then I went "wow!"

It travels with me in a suit jacket pocket everywhere I go. If I need it, no need to deal with a bag or brief case, it's in my hands in 2 seconds, and gone just as quickly when I'm done. It never gets in the way, whether I'm holding stuff in one hand to navigate with a map while carrying stuff with the other, or if I'm lecturing before a class, holding it one handed to read out an equation as I copy it down with a chalk in the other. It's unbelievably portable, and yet with it's 7.9 inch screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, still big enough for dealing with documents that don't reformat themselves for a smaller screen. And while it may not have the extraordinary color accuracy of the Air, having upgraded to the retina, the screen still looks gorgeous to me.

Yes of course the iPad Air has it's advantages, and there are certain occasions where the larger screen would be nice, but for the way I use it, overall the iPad retina mini is vastly superior.
 
My question is: if one has an Air, should one buy a mini retina (and still keep the Air)?

I have an offer a mini retina, LTE, 16GB, 2month old, for $300 and still debating if I should grab it.
 
bankrip123 said:
My question is: if one has an Air, should one buy a mini retina (and still keep the Air)?

I have an offer a mini retina, LTE, 16GB, 2month old, for $300 and still debating if I should grab it.
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I personally would wait for the refresh later this year if you already have the Air. That's what I plan to do.
 
Rodster said:
I personally would wait for the refresh later this year if you already have the Air. That's what I plan to do.
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Do you plan to keep both device? I am not sure if I can make the best of uses of them at the same time. I am mainly use the Air to read (textbooks, papers, news...).
 
bankrip123 said:
Do you plan to keep both device? I am not sure if I can make the best of uses of them at the same time. I am mainly use the Air to read (textbooks, papers, news...).
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I returned the rMini. The size of the Air hits the sweet spot for me but i'd like a smaller iPad so I plan on getting the 3rd Gen mini. By that time iOS 8 will have been a little more refined or at least I hope it is and we should see the A8 make it's appearance and hopefully 2GB of ram.

We are almost half way into the current life cycle. I can wait another 6 months.
 
bankrip123 said:
My question is: if one has an Air, should one buy a mini retina (and still keep the Air)?

I have an offer a mini retina, LTE, 16GB, 2month old, for $300 and still debating if I should grab it.
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Grab it while you can and resell it if you don't want to keep it. I'd like to know why someone is selling a $530 device for only $300.
 
doug in albq said:
Mini makes me feel claustrophobic and constrained, when compared to using full sized iPad.

Most succinct way I can express my opinion on this topic.
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How could that be? The resolution of both screens is identical and the exact same content is displayed, only differing slightly in apparent size. Moving the iPad an inch or 2 closer to your face will probably compensate for such differences. Unless the content you habitually view consists of text with tiny fonts or pictures with microscopic detail I can't imagine how that matters. I used to have a full sized iPad and don't miss it at all.
 
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