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akimoriRyuuji

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 28, 2015
115
84
The other day I posted:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-it-worth-it-to-own-a-macbook-and-an-ipad.1897075/

Someone brought up a good point regarding screen size. I know this is highly subjective and most likely been discussed before.
However, I'm more interested in what people like to do on their iPads that could be effected by screen size.

For example, I like to read manga. If I try and read manga on the iPad Mini, will I have to constantly zoom in or is it just big enough?

What kind of things do you do on your iPad that you have found difficult due to screen size? Have you ever switched between the Air and the Mini? If so, what were your reasons for doing so?

If this is a repetitive question, then forgive me and you can just ignore this thread. But I look forward to your replies either way :)
 

Mackinjosh

Suspended
Aug 21, 2014
1,181
1,697
I find the Air to be too big. The Mini is perfect for gaming, web browsing and reading. For me anyway.
 

bufffilm

Suspended
May 3, 2011
4,227
2,536
I read comics all the time on my iPad. In fact, reading comics this way is much easier and faster than on a PC or laptop.

Do yourself a favor, get a iPad and not the mini. The price difference is not that great in the the big scheme of things and it's much easier in the eyes (even if you can read the text on the Mini).
 

IrishVixen

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2010
2,504
115
Two things I do that led me to switch from the Mini 2 to the Air 2 a few weeks ago: writing and photography. The Mini's screen has a much more limited color gamut that it can display, so images aren't as vibrant on it as they are on the Air or Air 2--not good if you do any editing. As for writing, I generally use a Bluetooth keyboard (Keys to Go), so it wasn't an issue of finding typing on the Mini's smaller screen uncomfortable...rather it was that I had to either enlarge everything I was typing or move the iPad much closer to me on the table than was comfortable for typing. I have 20/20 vision without glasses--this wasn't a case of poor vision.

Just as an aside, with the Mini, nearly every site I went to, I read in reading mode because it enlarged the font--most fonts appear very small on the Mini's screen. I don't have to do that with the Air 2 so far.

I miss the portability and one handed reading from the Mini. But for what I do, the full size iPad is the better device. (And graphic novels look way better on the Air as well!)
 

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,711
4,491
Here
To be honest, I've been going back and forth on this for months, but I think I've decided on the iPad Air 3.

I have an iPad 3 and briefly an Air 2 before I returned it because I wasn't happy with the build quality. The Mini seemed like the perfect size for games (easier in landscape to hold and use your thumbs) and it could fit in my side pocket so it could go everywhere with me. I've spent several hours over a numerous visits using each in an Apple Store and even loaded some of my PDFs on a display unit via Air Drop to test it's usability and I was pleasantly surprised how readable it was.

But when I really sat down and logically thought about the Air 3 wins for a few reasons (for me):
  • I rarely hold my iPad. It's either in my lap as I ride in a car, sit on the couch, or on a stand when I'm on the treadmill. I doubt I would hold the iPad all the time; I'm much more likely to set it down too. Therefore, I will be looking at a smaller screen from roughly the same distance.
  • More and more websites (including The Verge and MacRumors) are using dynamic layouts now. A few years ago, if a webpage was too small in portrait, you could rotate it into landscape and you'd see the same image as in portrait, but larger so you could read it better. Now, more websites keep the font the same size in either orientation and just alter the layout. For instance, viewing posts on MacRumors: in portrait there are fewer words per line, but more lines, whereas in landscape there are more words per line and fewer lines. This gets rid of the whole "rotate it into landscape for readability" thing.
  • I really don't take my iPad with me out that much. I use it around the house, to school every time I go (but I have a backpack), when I ride in the car, and occasionally when I go out for the day I'll bring it along. During the last option I have a small messenger bag that I use. The advantage of the Mini would be the ability to slip it into my side pocket and take it everywhere, but (1) I don't really like large things in my pocket banging against my leg when I walk and knocking into things when I walk by, and (2) a messenger bag isn't that big of deal. I may just buy a nicer one in the future. I live in Florida, so I don't get to wear winter coats that much and that seems to be the big selling point of portability. "It fits in my jacket pocket."
  • I annotate a lot of PDFs, PowerPoints, and Word documents and I'll do even more of that when I go for my Ph.D since that's all research based. I was pleasantly surprised how usable the Mini was with PDFs, but the Air will still give a better experience with that.

There's no doubt that the Mini's portability would be advantageous in some situations, but I think as a whole the larger iPad Air would be a better experience for me. The biggest draw to the iPad Mini was a better form factor for games, but I don't really play games that often so it's not like I can't live with that first-world problem. :D
 

IrishVixen

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2010
2,504
115
Traverse brings up a good point about the Mini's portability--you may want to really think about where you'll use an iPad and how you're going to carry it if you think you'll be taking it out of the house pretty regularly. If it's never going to leave the house or only very occasionally, the Air/Air2 size is probably the better purchase.

How do you like that keyboard?
I personally love it. It weighs next to nothing and is as thin as an iPhone 6. But because it's fabric covered (feels a bit rubbery) and the key travel is so low, it takes a bit of getting used to, and some will probably hate it.
 

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,711
4,491
Here
I personally love it. It weighs next to nothing and is as thin as an iPhone 6. But because it's fabric covered (feels a bit rubbery) and the key travel is so low, it takes a bit of getting used to, and some will probably hate it.

Are the keys mushy or clicky?
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,960
5,130
Texas
Are the keys mushy or clicky?

They have a mushy feel. I had got the keyboard at a good deal when I purchased it at the time, I like the portability aspect of it... Lightweight & easy to handle.

But it definitely takes awhile to get use to, but I've been using it a lot with my iPad on iOS 9.. Very useful.
 
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Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,711
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You know, I couldn't shake the feeling that the iPad mini would still be a good choice for me, so I went to the Apple Store and picked up a 16 GB iPad mini 2 to test drive. In fact, I'm typing in it right now.

After about 3 hours of use, I think I'm going to return it. I really like the weight and the idea of a device that size, but text is noticeably smaller, which I'd live with *if* I was using the Mini differently than my iPad 3. It's still to big to play games with just my thumbs, so I just hold it with one hand and swipe with the other.

It's uncomfortable and bangs against my leg in a side pants pocket. Now, it does fit in my regular pants pocket, but it's kind of funny looking and cumbersome. I can type much easier in my larger iPad 3 in portrait, but I can type almost as fat on the mini in landscape.

It's really light. I mean *really* light. I find that I'm holding it far more than my iPad 3 without even thinking and with no fatigue.

I cam absolutely see the draw, especially if you were walking around all the time, but im hardly using it any differently than my iPad 3, so why settle for smaller text? Funny thing is, when I go back to my iPad 3, everything is a little too big. I'd love an 8.9" one. I'll give it a few more days.
 

addictzz

macrumors 6502
Jun 11, 2012
392
30
The other day I posted:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-it-worth-it-to-own-a-macbook-and-an-ipad.1897075/

Someone brought up a good point regarding screen size. I know this is highly subjective and most likely been discussed before.
However, I'm more interested in what people like to do on their iPads that could be effected by screen size.

For example, I like to read manga. If I try and read manga on the iPad Mini, will I have to constantly zoom in or is it just big enough?

What kind of things do you do on your iPad that you have found difficult due to screen size? Have you ever switched between the Air and the Mini? If so, what were your reasons for doing so?

If this is a repetitive question, then forgive me and you can just ignore this thread. But I look forward to your replies either way :)

I tried to compare manga-reading in iPad & iPad Mini too. Honestly, I can conveniently read manga in both device but iPad does have a size advantage compared to Mini. Some pages in manga require you to enlarge the image. With iPad, I do not need to move the page around so much to read the whole page after it is enlarged.

I find Mini to be very convenient to bring around. It is the perfect palm size. I can easily do anything using one-hand. Thumb-typing is also easier in Mini. Portability and one-handed usage are the two BIG pluses for iPad Mini. Other than these 2 pluses, I would go for iPad.

Personally though, for my usage, I would pick an iPad. I was contemplating between the 2 when Air 1 & Mini 2 came out. But for current Air 2 vs Mini 3, I would pick the Air 2. I use it to display lyric and musical notation since I play music. Also use it for some quick officework. Reading is easier on the eyes too. Now, if only the screen can use that Kindle's e-ink technology, it might be better since it relieves my eyes from fatigue.
 

5105973

Cancelled
Sep 11, 2014
12,132
19,733
I had a unique problem with the IPad Air when I tried it out. I found the text to be "dotty" if fuzzy. It triggered a migraine condition when I tried to read on it for extended periods so I had to return it and get a retina Mini instead. The text is crisper on the retina mini screen. Otherwise I quite liked the size and full color gamut of the Air and subsequent Air 2 that my husband now has.

The odd thing is that I used a regular mini previously with no problems! Go figure. That screen was far from clear.
 

Codeseven

macrumors 6502a
Dec 31, 2008
849
344
I bought my first iPad, an Air 1, to see if I like it. Compared to my heavy and old 15" 2008 MBP it's a breath of fresh 'Air'. I've been enjoying the portability and ease of use. Overall it's a great device.

However, now I'm beginning to find the Air's screen rather small. I find myself reaching for the laptop. I had been used to a 15" screen and now find myself zooming in allot, which I rarely had to do on the laptop.

Now I'm waiting for October to look for a bigger screen, be it 12" iPad Pro or 12" MacBook.

EDIT: It should be mentioned that I didn't buy the Air to use 'with' my laptop, I'm hoping to replace the laptop altogether with something more than an iPad and less than a MBP.
 
Last edited:

GaryNoine

macrumors member
Jul 28, 2015
82
37
Atlanta
Before purchasing my Mini, I tried out the Air many times. I just couldn't picture myself using the Air because it's size is too large for me. It's funny how people have such different opinions on this topic. To me, the Mini is a perfect hybrid MBP and iPhone. Not too big, not too small. If I want a small casual work area, the Mini is perfect. If I want a larger work area, I'll just reach for the MBP.
 
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