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Really the mini will be for anyone who wants more and easier portability. I have a new iPad and absolutely love it at home but mostly it doesn't go with me too many places as it is a commitment to lug around a large tablet when I do. Then I find most of the things I need to do on the go I can do on my iPhone that's always in my pocket. An iPad mini would be sooo much easier to carry around, even possibly fit it in a jacket pocket or something. But it will mean I will have a larger and therefore easier to use screen than my iPhone to use more often as I will have it with me more.
 
Apple ups order by 50% to AUO for iPad mini panels - report
Tuesday 16 October 2012 | 14:48 CET | News
Taiwanese TFT-LCD manufacturer AU Optronics (AUO) has replaced old photo masks to overcome problems in production of display panels for Apple's iPad mini, hence motivating Apple to increase its order by 50 percent, reports Cens citing insiders, but not commented upon by AUO. Industry sources say AUO originally had minor problems in meeting Apple's requirement for under-2.2 JND (Just Noticeable Difference). Apple originally asked AUO to supply 2 million iPad mini panels per month, but has elevated its monthly order with AUO to 3 million panels, which will be scheduled for delivery in mid-October. According to sources in the display supply chain, Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology (TSMT) is supplying LED lighting strips and control boards to AUO.


So will the screen be TFT-LCD based?
 
So will the screen be TFT-LCD based?

I think that is all that exists. There are many variants of this: TNT, IPS, etc., but it's all TFT-LCD

Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think that's it.

It will probably be an IPS TFT LCD with an LED for the OCD.
 
I think that is all that exists. There are many variants of this: TNT, IPS, etc., but it's all TFT-LCD

Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think that's it.

It will probably be an IPS TFT LCD with an LED for the OCD.

So this means no retina? Correct?
 
So this means no retina? Correct?

Uh, no

It means ALL screens are TFT-LCD, even the so-called Retina.

It's like all 'people' are Homo Sapiens ....(well, except my neighbor maybe)

It's a genus species thing. (i'm so smart eh? :D )
 
Uh, no

It means ALL screens are TFT-LCD, even the so-called Retina.

It's like all 'people' are Homo Sapiens ....(well, except my neighbor maybe)

It's a genus species thing. (i'm so smart eh? :D )

Haha! Ok thanks for clearing that up.
 
http://9to5mac.com/2012/10/16/apple-to-launch-24-new-ipad-models-comprised-of-ipad-minis-and-perhaps-lightning-ipad-3/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+9To5Mac-MacAllDay+%289+to+5+Mac+-+Apple+Intelligence%29
 
Really the mini will be for anyone who wants more and easier portability. I have a new iPad and absolutely love it at home but mostly it doesn't go with me too many places as it is a commitment to lug around a large tablet when I do. Then I find most of the things I need to do on the go I can do on my iPhone that's always in my pocket. An iPad mini would be sooo much easier to carry around, even possibly fit it in a jacket pocket or something. But it will mean I will have a larger and therefore easier to use screen than my iPhone to use more often as I will have it with me more.

^ Agree. It will fit in my purse while my ipad does not.

My 10 year granddaughter wants a mini for reading books. She is permitted, even encouraged, to read in school on one. She tried the Tab 2 7-inch tablet, but decided she wanted an Apple product so she can share apps and music from her ipod touch. Get them into the Apple ecosystem early and they are there for the long haul.
 
medical students, residents, physicians, and other health professionals.

there are lots of great medical apps (as well as EMR access) available for the ipad, but the ipad is simply too large and inconvenient to carry around. a 7-8" ipad mini on the other hand would be perfect for the white coat pocket.

not fitting in my white coat was the reason I ditched my ipad for a smaller 7" android tablet, so I've been really looking forward to an ipad mini for quite some time! :)

What is an iPad mini going to do that a smartphone (or even an iPod touch) can't? I see no need to carry both a smartphone and an iPad mini.
 
i think this is to compete with the nexus 7, kindle, nook.. people in the market for cheaper, smaller tablets. Of course, this would only make sense if the price is competitive.
 
What is an iPad mini going to do that a smartphone (or even an iPod touch) can't? I see no need to carry both a smartphone and an iPad mini.

The larger screen size will make reading files, text books, records, etc much more comfortable than on a iPhone screen. It's not so much the functionality that will be different. It's the fact that it has a larger screen than a phone while being more portable and POCKETABLE than a full size iPad. This is important to me when I am constantly on the move at work and unable to carry around something the size of the larger iPad.
 
The larger screen size will make reading files, text books, records, etc much more comfortable than on a iPhone screen. It's not so much the functionality that will be different. It's the fact that it has a larger screen than a phone while being more portable and POCKETABLE than a full size iPad. This is important to me when I am constantly on the move at work and unable to carry around something the size of the larger iPad.

When I am rounding on 16 patients in the hospital, I'm not sure when I can squeeze in some time to read a textbook on the floors. I may look up a drug on Epocrates or google something real quick while actively working, but nothing intensive enough to require an 8" screen. With down time, I would rather go to the doctor's lounge with a 24" display to read on.


And have you ever carried anything heavy in your white coat's pockets? I carried Boards and Wards in my left pocket for a few rotations as a medical student and subsequently developed neck pain for as many months I had Boards and Wards in my pocket. Nowadays, all I carry in my white coat's pockets are my stethoscope and a few papers.
 
When I am rounding on 16 patients in the hospital, I'm not sure when I can squeeze in some time to read a textbook on the floors. I may look up a drug on Epocrates or google something real quick while actively working, but nothing intensive enough to require an 8" screen. With down time, I would rather go to the doctor's lounge with a 24" display to read on.


And have you ever carried anything heavy in your white coat's pockets? I carried Boards and Wards in my left pocket for a few rotations as a medical student and subsequently developed neck pain for as many months I had Boards and Wards in my pocket. Nowadays, all I carry in my white coat's pockets are my stethoscope and a few papers.

So what you are telling us is that you don't need portability for your device?

It would be good to hear what you think of the mini after it has been out 6 months.
 
When I am rounding on 16 patients in the hospital, I'm not sure when I can squeeze in some time to read a textbook on the floors. I may look up a drug on Epocrates or google something real quick while actively working, but nothing intensive enough to require an 8" screen. With down time, I would rather go to the doctor's lounge with a 24" display to read on.


And have you ever carried anything heavy in your white coat's pockets? I carried Boards and Wards in my left pocket for a few rotations as a medical student and subsequently developed neck pain for as many months I had Boards and Wards in my pocket. Nowadays, all I carry in my white coat's pockets are my stethoscope and a few papers.

You get down time? I'm not sure what you are referring to. ;) Most places I work at have very limited if any Internet access, the computers are lucky if they run windows XP, and have limited resources in regards to actual textbooks. If I need to look up something quickly I don't have time to go to a clinic library or rely on their computers. So, I do carry a lot of things with me. I used to carry a formulary in one of my pockets and a bunch of instruments attached by a roll of tape to the underside of my coat on the other side. This made my coat heavier than others but not unbearable. I also carry my stethoscope around my neck since sometimes I don't wear a coat. I don't know how big boards and wards is, but that formulary was pretty big and never left me with a sore neck. However, I do know that the mini is lighter than it, and will contain much more info in a format that is easy to use (if anything like the full-size iPad). This might not work for you, but it will definitely work for me.
 
iPad mini is a good alternative to the Kindle for me! If I can decide between Amazon and :apple:, I go with :apple: (better service, warranty, design, ecology-oriented, ...).
 
iPad mini is a good alternative to the Kindle for me! If I can decide between Amazon and :apple:, I go with :apple: (better service, warranty, design, ecology-oriented, ...).

If you're really into Books or Amazon TV (some shows are free to watch with Prime), then the Kindle is better.
 
I had the 1st iPad, skipped 2nd gen, currently have the newest but looking to sell it. I find the new iPad amazing (tablet computer is great for me) but I now have a MacBook Air as well. The iPad needs to be as big as it (for me) because I used it for productivity as much as consumption. I wrote documents, did illustrations, and got things done.

With the MBA for all the workload, I think a smaller iPad would suit me better just to really use it as an e-reader and movie player, but occasionally checking mail and social networks if it's the thing that happens to be in my hand. Why not save loads of money and get a Kindle? Because I read a hell of a lot of PDFs (academic) and I find the Kindles suck for that. The iPad works, but doing less productivity with it, I would prefer it to be smaller. More comfortable that way too.

BUT, it has to be Retina then. It's for reading. PDFs, ebooks, websites. I'd sacrifice size, flash drive space etc for retina on a smaller iPad. But everyone says they aren't going to do it. If it turns out to be Retina (or close), it's going to be perfect for me, and this is coming from someone with the latest full-size iPad. Some people say there's no reason to get one. I feel I've got good reason, but if Apple sell almost all their products with retina display, but not the one thing that most people will use for reading, then I think they will have missed out on some sales. Sure, it will sell like hot cakes anyway, and leave room for improvement. I get it.
 
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