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meechy

macrumors 6502
Jul 24, 2010
284
12
Plenty of people who want to save $50 and don't really bother about having the latest and greatest specs.
 

Nautilus007

macrumors 68030
Jul 13, 2007
2,642
1,320
U.S
It isn't worth it in any sense, even if you're buying hundreds for educational institutions its technically obsolete. I can't see it being supported for more than another year.
 

FatPuppy

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 14, 2012
1,709
151
I saw an ipad mini 1 a few days ago on ios 8, it's like using a dead cat.
 

addictzz

macrumors 6502
Jun 11, 2012
392
30
For a difference of $50, I would get iPad mini 2 of course. 3 ipad mini generations, 2 are underpowered against the bigger brother, and mini 2 is the only anomaly. Will surely get a mini 2. And get the 32GB.
 

Roy G Biv

macrumors 6502
Dec 26, 2010
362
104
$50 can feed a starving family of 4 for a year in Papue Guineau. Please, if $50 isn't much to you, go google Papue Guineau family charities.
 

Brian Y

macrumors 68040
Oct 21, 2012
3,776
1,064
Parents on a budget running up to Christmas I imagine. Or people who don't understand the differences.

I understand the point of keeping the 1 (cheap price point) - what I don't understand is keeping the 2.
 

Rodster

macrumors 68040
May 15, 2007
3,177
6
I understand the point of keeping the 1 (cheap price point) - what I don't understand is keeping the 2.

I'll bet Apple must have quite an unsold inventory on the rMini. From several articles i've read the rMini wasn't selling like hotcakes and neither were the rest of the iPad lineup. Sales have either been flat or have declined. All year long i've seen Best Buy and other retailers drop the price between $50-100. A couple of years ago that was unheard of.
 

CEmajr

macrumors 601
Dec 18, 2012
4,452
1,242
Charlotte, NC
It's pretty funny that Apple still refuses to just drop the original iPad mini to $199. Despite it's specs, it would sell like hotcakes at that price point.
 

Cool Pup

macrumors 6502a
Jun 18, 2010
724
115
Dallas, TX
I actually miss my original Mini, if not only because of the lightness.

Yeah the screen is far worse, but it was such an amazing device to have in an era with huge iPads.

50 doesn't seem like enough of a discount when you can get a much better processor and screen for just a bit more.

iPad Mini should be $199.
 

Wbutchart

macrumors regular
Aug 20, 2013
142
4
My wife still has here original mini - almost two now. I urged her to upgrade now that the mini 2 has been priced so cheap but she says the mini 1 does all she needs it too. Maybe a bit of life left in yet.
 

andyw715

macrumors 68000
Oct 25, 2013
1,827
1,397
I actually miss my original Mini, if not only because of the lightness.

Yeah the screen is far worse, but it was such an amazing device to have in an era with huge iPads.

50 doesn't seem like enough of a discount when you can get a much better processor and screen for just a bit more.

iPad Mini should be $199.

I bet Target/Walmart will sell a boat load of these at $179. $249 with $70 gift card.
 

nameischarles

macrumors regular
Jun 16, 2014
154
187
I still have the first gen mini and it runs iOS 8 fine, I have had no issues. Infact I use the mini more than my iPad Air. Granted the screen isn't sharp but its not bad watching YouTube and videos or for Facebook.
 

mtneer

macrumors 68040
Sep 15, 2012
3,179
2,714
Parents on a budget running up to Christmas I imagine. Or people who don't understand the differences.

I understand the point of keeping the 1 (cheap price point) - what I don't understand is keeping the 2.

I hear this often around the forums when people are talking about older models/ lower specs. I wonder how many such people are around who do not know what lower and higher specs are. Even if they are not semiconductor engineers or OS coders; wouldn't someone understand that an A8 is better than an A5? My mother has no clue about cars, engines, aerodynamics and thermodynamics - but she knows 25 mpg is better than 20mpg when she reads the brochure...
 

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
I hear this often around the forums when people are talking about older models/ lower specs. I wonder how many such people are around who do not know what lower and higher specs are. Even if they are not semiconductor engineers or OS coders; wouldn't someone understand that an A8 is better than an A5? My mother has no clue about cars, engines, aerodynamics and thermodynamics - but she knows 25 mpg is better than 20mpg when she reads the brochure...


Those are the majority of people in the world. Tech savvy people are in the minority.
 

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,142
19,682
If you can't price it at $199, then just get rid of it. For $50 more you can get a device that is several orders of magnitude better. I just worry about a bunch of consumers buying the cheapest thing and then being outraged when it doesn't get any updates and app updates stop working on it next year.
 

Nautilus007

macrumors 68030
Jul 13, 2007
2,642
1,320
U.S
Most educated consumers would see the benefit on spending and getting the mini 2 vs the mini. My guess is people who don't read blogs and who have kids and want the cheapest model will just get it.
 

Brian Y

macrumors 68040
Oct 21, 2012
3,776
1,064
I hear this often around the forums when people are talking about older models/ lower specs. I wonder how many such people are around who do not know what lower and higher specs are. Even if they are not semiconductor engineers or OS coders; wouldn't someone understand that an A8 is better than an A5? My mother has no clue about cars, engines, aerodynamics and thermodynamics - but she knows 25 mpg is better than 20mpg when she reads the brochure...

She might know the difference between 20 and 25mpg, in the same way she might know the difference between 8 and 10 hours of battery life.

Would she understand how an A8X is better than an A8 which is better than an A7. Moreover, would she understand why it is $200 better.
 

IrishVixen

macrumors 68020
Jun 20, 2010
2,497
104
The 1st gen mini is fine if all you do is surf, email, read (assuming good eyesight), and watch stuff. Games like solitaire & sudoku are fine too. Start doing anything graphics/memory intensive and it simply crumbles. And that's on iOS 7. I can't imagine how bad it would be on 8.

But as a basic, non gaming device, it's honestly still decent. Overpriced, but usable. Don't open anything that uses a ton of RAM and it'll be fine. Someone like my father in law would probably do quite well with it; he'd never come up on its limits.

That said, I'm picking up a Mini 2 today. With what I use, the crashing and the resulting iCloud issues it seems to trigger are driving me nuts. I hadn't originally planned to change it out as it's fine otherwise, but with the discount on the rMini, it's worth making the switch.
 

SonRK

macrumors 6502
Aug 9, 2011
258
18
Just sold my Mini 1 hoping to be wowed by the Mini 3.

Instead, it's now coming down between the Air 2 or Mini 2 Refurbished (as cheapest option)


Currently using my iPad 3 as my main tablet, and it's so heavy, bulky, gross, etc.
 
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