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iPad mini Why iPad Mini?!
- Thread starter akash.nu
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Form factor. Portability. Like a kindle in size but does way more.
I am still sad that Apple never released an e-ink iPad Reader to compete with Kindle. At this point, I have so many Kindle e-books and audiobooks, and it would be a hard sell to migrate over unless Apple was willing to offer some amazing deals to "move" libraries over (i.e. re-purchase with heavy subsidy).
As great as the iPad is overall, it still doesn't compare to an e-ink screen when it comes to reading books...
Web browsing and gaming, mostly. Love the portability.
Would love to have Pro features, though, like quad speakers, Pro-Motion and an edge-to-edge display. I’m seriously contemplating moving up to a Pro for those features, but I just can’t get over the portability aspect of the Mini. It’s so comfortable to hold. No other iPad is quite like it.
Would love to have Pro features, though, like quad speakers, Pro-Motion and an edge-to-edge display. I’m seriously contemplating moving up to a Pro for those features, but I just can’t get over the portability aspect of the Mini. It’s so comfortable to hold. No other iPad is quite like it.
Same here: web browsing and gaming are very nice on a mini. The screen and speed are excellent. I've got mine in a Zagg Rugged Book case, which has been flawless, and detaching the BT keyboard is very easy for portrait mode only games. I recently tried but returned an iPad Air 3 with a Logitech Slim Folio keyboard case. Guess the mini has spoiled me for now.
The iPad mini is a powerful gaming machine that can fit right in your pocket!
The iPad Mini 2 was my first ever iPad. I bought that originally to use for reading. It was the perfect size and easily portable and didn’t look ridiculous taking it out to read in public transportation. I have since then migrated to a bigger iPad (Pro) for a variety of reasons, but I did enjoy the iPad Mini 2 for as long as I had it. I can see why people are keen on the size.
- Mini size but no compromises in features
- Laminated screen (unlike the hollow 10.2 screen)
- FPS gaming enjoy the “handheld” size
- Book reading
- Drawing (Pencil Support)
- Purse / Small Bag size
- Kids
For us then we have a Mini 4 and 5 for the kids but I keep my kindle account on it because I like using it for books. If Apple allowed User Profiles then I’d be stealing their Mini all the time because, as much as I love the 12.9, there are so many instances that I want to just use a small iPad.
- Laminated screen (unlike the hollow 10.2 screen)
- FPS gaming enjoy the “handheld” size
- Book reading
- Drawing (Pencil Support)
- Purse / Small Bag size
- Kids
For us then we have a Mini 4 and 5 for the kids but I keep my kindle account on it because I like using it for books. If Apple allowed User Profiles then I’d be stealing their Mini all the time because, as much as I love the 12.9, there are so many instances that I want to just use a small iPad.
I’ve bought a bunch of Kindle books but don’t own a Kindle. I read them in the Kindle app on my iPad. I admit that the text on the Kindle is better and it’s much lighter. One place the iPad beats the Kindle is reading anything in color.
Back to the OP question of why the Mini, size is the main feature. My son is a helicopter instructor and uses the iPad as a flight book. The Mini fits in a tight cockpit better. The full size is tough to strap to your knee.
I have a 2018 12.9" and Mini 5. My Pro is for work and my Mini is for consumption. The size is everything. I would've paid more if there was a Mini Pro with just Pro features like quad speakers, edge to edge, and Face ID. And, it has a better chip than the regular iPad, so no brainer for me. The speed and longevity make it a better purchase than the regular iPad for me.
For situations where an iPad is too large.
We have guys who use Minis in an underground mining environment because they will fit in pockets, the side of their boot, etc.
A full size iPad will not. it doesn't matter how much better/cheaper the full size iPad is if it will not be able to do the job because it is too large to be carried conveniently around the job site.
Agree e- readers are cool devices, but I guess the screen technology is too limited for other use cases which is a deal breaker for Apple. They want multi function devices these days.
It’s a shrunken iPad Air, so it has the laminated display and the A12 chip unlike the base iPad at a lower price than the iPad Air.
I didn’t think the size would be such a big deal given the difference is only about 3 inches?! 
Generally wouldn’t you be able to use the basic iPad in pretty much every situation including the use cases mentioned hitherto?
One more thing, I’ve never owned an iPad mini but I have a kindle paperwhite. What type of pockets do they fit into?! Coat pockets?!
Generally wouldn’t you be able to use the basic iPad in pretty much every situation including the use cases mentioned hitherto?
One more thing, I’ve never owned an iPad mini but I have a kindle paperwhite. What type of pockets do they fit into?! Coat pockets?!
I think it’s substantially smaller than the other iPads so it lends itself not only to very young people but anyone who looks for a really compact device.
I’d love to get one as my couch iPad one day but that would be a very reduced use case.
I’d love to get one as my couch iPad one day but that would be a very reduced use case.
Yes I’m playing around with the idea to get a mini but since I already have an iPhone 11 Pro and a basic iPad I can’t think of a reason to get rid off the basic iPad and get a mini.
I didn’t think the size would be such a big deal given the difference is only about 3 inches?!
Generally wouldn’t you be able to use the basic iPad in pretty much every situation including the use cases mentioned hitherto?
One more thing, I’ve never owned an iPad mini but I have a kindle paperwhite. What type of pockets do they fit into?! Coat pockets?!
3” is the difference in screen size, which is a diagonal measurement. Look at the actual device dimensions. There’s a big difference in physical size. I have an iPP 10.5 and an iPP 11 and a Mini 5. I use the Mini 5 in bed and for toting around in my purse.
If you look at the physical dimensions, you should be able to figure out what size pockets the various iPads will fit inside. I don’t have a PaperWhite any more (I have both Oasis models) but the Mini 5 is slightly larger than the old Kindle keyboard.
I’ve had a mini since the original that I keep next to the bed to read on. I love that I can hold it one handed with no problem due to its size and weight. I can cuddle the dog or my wife while holding it up and reading. I have a mini 5 now, and think that an iPad mini has a place next to my bed for years to come.
I have a 12.9 iPad Pro (3d generation) and an iPad Mini 5, and both have their purposes. I use the larger iPad when sitting out on my deck in nice weather, and also around the house. The Mini is the one which travels with me around town or out of town, as it fits nicely into purses, bags and pockets. I also take the 12" MacBook on trips as well, and the two devices complement each other very well. The Mini is great for reading in bed, either at home or in a hotel room!
The 10.5"-11" iPads in landscape are roughly the size of two iPad minis side by side.I didn’t think the size would be such a big deal given the difference is only about 3 inches?!
I’ve got a 9.7” 2017 basic iPad. Wondering if a mini would be better for my usage.
Only you can determine that. My eyesight isn't what it used to be so I'm just more comfortable using 9.7" or bigger iPads.
Well for me it’s a couple of reasons. The first reason is that the very first tablet I ever got was a Kindle fire HDX 7 inch which I used for a couple of years before I got my very first iPad so I’m used to a tablet being that much smaller and more portable. The second reason is that I work in child protective services so I go out into the field a lot and one of the things that I absolutely loved about how Apple market at the iPad mini five was that it has the same power and performance that the iPad Air three has but in a smaller form factor with Apple Pencil support which has made my job much much easier. I also have an error three which is back in the office which I use when I need a larger screen for using multiple apps simultaneously. But I always gravitate first and foremost to the mini. Also it’s a minor thing but part of it is also price the fact is you can get the mini five and an Apple Pencil for the same price that you would pay for an iPad Air three so you are saving yourself about $100 there. Furthermore, longevity even though it was a datEd device when it first came out in 2015 the iPad mini 4 has lasted about five years now and it’ll also be supporting iOS 14 which means that it’ll get another year of life before being discontinued. With the A12 processor chip in this tablet there’s definitely going to be a lot of functionality and life for this tablet for the next several years. Also I had the opportunity to purchase a third generation iPad Pro and used it for about a month before I returned it because a I couldn’t justify the price of keeping it and be actually did not notice a significant difference between the processing power of the pro versus the mini and the air which really highlights just how powerful the mini is