Don't see the point..

cardfan

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I've used a Mini the past few days and took it back. Too slow compared to iphone 5. Crappy screen when we've been converted to retina. It's a deal breaker.

But wait, the next one will have retina for sure. All the bloggers think it's in the bag. This will be interesting to see considering it takes the latest and greatest iOS chip to power one. And it takes a thick battery.

One thing is for sure, Apple can't make the device heavier or thicker. It's what sells the ipad mini. Using the fastest chip requires more battery and is more expensive. If they address the speed and screen, then only size is differentiating it from the bigger ipad. That alone is not a reason to price it lower. If anything, a smaller denser screen will cost more to make than what's on the big ipad. I don't see it happening..

Also interesting are the arguments people are giving about the fuzzy screen especially when it comes to text. Then they say if you like to read, get this?? I'm not sure why people would want to read fuzzy text. I'd recommend an iphone if you need smaller. Or an ipad 3 or 4 if you need sharp text.

I remember when I had my ipad 2 that I'd pick up the iphone 4S to use first because it was just so much faster (this was later echoed in the ipad 3 review on iMore). The ipad 2 collected dust and was sold off. Now that we have a much faster iphone 5, why would people put up with a slow ipad mini? IMO, it's because they're looking for any reason to justify it. It's nice looking hardware. It's cute. It's thin and light. But for me, it'd be a paperweight that never gets used. Great for a kid I suppose who doesn't know any better.

I'd recommend an ipad 4 if you must have a tablet. Maybe that magic Mini 2 will have retina and actually be as fast as the current iphone. But it's doubtful when you consider where Apple is positioning it.
 

RoboWarrior

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I truthfully agree about the processor in the iPad mini. It should at least be an A5X. Retina not so much. Most computers aren't retina but I definitely see your point. I think this problem really only applies to people who had the retina iPads.
 

Just_Me_D

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For me, the display of the iPad 2 and the iPad mini is more than sufficient. Yes, the retina display is awesome and things look good on my iPhone 4S' retina display, but when I get tired of looking at the small iPhone screen, it is a pleasure to see the larger text on my iPad 2 without having to zoom in and then slide left to right to read web pages like I have to do on my iPhone. The speed of my iPad 2 is more than sufficient for me and the way I use it. As for reading books, I prefer e-ink readers. Now in regard to the iPhone 5 being faster than the iPad 2 and the iPad Mini, so what? It's not like those devices are the speed of a 25 MHz Packard Bell Windows 3.1 machine. I don't care if my iPhone can open an app or load a web page 2 seconds faster than my iPad. What is 2 seconds? Anyway, that's my take on it. I appreciate your post, Cardfan. Take care and have a great night. ;)
 
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cardfan

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In just doing one task, a few seconds doesn't matter. If you jump around perform many tasks, it adds up. The iphone is much faster. Apps are designed for iphone. Websites are designed for iphone so you don't zoom in and out. Text is the same size and sharper on the iphone. So you get tired of looking a retina display and go to your nonretina one with fuzzy text for eye comfort? That makes little sense.

The smaller ipad 2 is slow. It's a crap screen for text. That's it in a nutshell. Though i understand different users have different levels of tolerance. Must be nice..
 

Garz

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My retina iPad 3 is now collecting dust. Yeah I wish the mini had retina but after a couple of days I adjusted just fine. iPad mini is my favorite iPad yet. I love this so much, I turned off data on my LTE iPad 3 and turned on tethering on my i5 so I can use my iPad mini anywhere.
 

agentmobile

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I agree to an extent. I wouldn't say that I hate the thing but I'm not too fond of the screen, I'm really used to the retina display and how sharp looking the apps are and the colors are incredible on the retina display. But the mini just doesn't cut it for me. I went to Apple the other day and they had mini's and 4's side by side throughout the tables and I did a side by side test with the 4 and the mini and I pressed the same apps and the same websites at that same time and the 4th gen was only nano seconds faster than the mini. It just was , only thing it wasn't as fast in was numbers. Other than that one app they were literally equal. So the speed wasn't it for me it was the screen I just want my devices to be equal lol. I am getting the 4th gen iPad and then in February ill be getting the 13" rMPB . I just LOVE the lightness/look/feel of the mini besides the screen. Pisses me off they released it without retina. I know, I know... They couldn't do it and the price and blah blah blah,,, but I expected them too because they are apple and they usually pull that off. I think people are blowing it out of proportion and I bet apple will be releasing a retina version next generation mini ..


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dmoney17

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I have a Galaxy S3 and the display on it is great. I got an iPad mini and am more than happy with it. Is the resolution on the S3 better? Yes. But I do prefer the bigger screen of the Mini. As far as the processor, it really depends on what you're doing. To me I find it fine for what I need to do. Also, I prefer doing tasks on a larger screen than a smaller one. But if people prefer the faster iPhone to the Mini then that is their preference.
 

agentmobile

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I don't Like the display on my S3. I'm selling it soon I love my iPhone 5. Samsung has killer TV's and they generally make great displays but the AMOLED was just a big let down. I don't like the neon over saturated colors (they use a terrible color gamut) iPhone 5 uses sRGB color gamut, but the AMOLED has horrible rendering of dark colors like dark grey or dark brown it black, u would see what looks like burnt out pixels spread out all over the display, especially if u go in the bathroom and turn the lights off then DL a "pixel cure" app to fix dead pixels and change the screen color to a blank dark grey or black screen and stand in the bathroom with lights off you'll see what I mean. No matter what pixel fix app I used they wouldn't go away, it rendered all the other colors fine but dark colors looked spotty.


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cardfan

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If Apple can maintain the thin and lightness, battery life, put a capable chip on it that can run a retina display on a future ipad mini for 329? Yeah, I'm all over it. But sounds too good to be true. I don't see it. That screen would be a higher quality screen (326ppi) than their much higher priced flagship ipad 4 or ipad 5 (264ppi). It'd cost more to make than the bigger ipad.
 

Just_Me_D

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In just doing one task, a few seconds doesn't matter. If you jump around perform many tasks, it adds up. The iphone is much faster.
Speed means nothing unless you're in a hurry or are being timed and I am neither. My iPad and iPhone are for personal use mostly and business use on occasion. Besides, just because an iPhone may be faster, it doesn't mean that my iPad isn't fast.
Apps are designed for iphone. Websites are designed for iphone so you don't zoom in and out.
Apps and websites are designed for desktop & mobile use. Mobile use in this perspective refers to a non desktop device which includes my iPad 2. Besides, I like viewing many websites in desktop view.
Text is the same size and sharper on the iphone. So you get tired of looking a retina display and go to your nonretina one with fuzzy text for eye comfort? That makes little sense.
It makes a lot of sense to me. The retina display did not play a role in my decision to purchase my iPhone 4S and a lack of one did not play a role in me buying my iPad 2. Reading something on an iPad as-is and without having to pinch & zoom is easier on an iPad, in my opinion. That doesn't mean that I cannot read it on my iPhone because I can, but oftentimes, I prefer using the iPad when I get tired of using the iPhone's tiny screen.

The smaller ipad 2 is slow. It's a crap screen for text. That's it in a nutshell. Though i understand different users have different levels of tolerance. Must be nice..
It may be "slower", but it is not slow, at least in my opinion and yes, different people do enjoy various levels of tolerance and that is a good thing. Anyway, thank you again for your comments. I appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of your day...:)
 

iEd

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Is the iPad Mini display really "crappy"? If it's as good as a iPad 2 I wouldn't consider it "crappy".
 

dmoney17

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Is the iPad Mini display really "crappy"? If it's as good as a iPad 2 I wouldn't consider it "crappy".

It's crappy to people coming from a Retina display device. I personally don't feel that it's crappy. My Motorola Xoom has a better pixel density than the Mini, but I still prefer the Mini...way more mobile and functional to me.
 

cardfan

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Is the iPad Mini display really "crappy"? If it's as good as a iPad 2 I wouldn't consider it "crappy".

Compared to other screens on even the low end tablets, this is pretty much the low low end. Fuzzy text? Check. That sort of meets the definition of crappy. I think most reviewers have established that point although they desperately try to point out it's still somehow a quality screen and have chosen to tolerate it.

But it's thin and light. It runs ipad apps. It looks great. Let's rate it excellent. (We'll just list processor and screen, the two most important specs in a tablet, under the "cons" list).

Here's CNET:
The bad: The iPad Mini costs too much, especially considering the lower resolution of its 7.9-inch non-Retina Display. The A5 processor isn't as robust as the one in the fourth-gen iPad and iPhone 5. .

Apple should be embarrassed that every review mentions the screen as a con. They're the ones who started the resolutionary wars.
 

Just_Me_D

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Compared to other screens on even the low end tablets, this is pretty much the low low end. Fuzzy text? Check. That sort of meets the definition of crappy. I think most reviewers have established that point although they desperately try to point out it's still somehow a quality screen and have chosen to tolerate it.
Cardfan, I and many others are not "tolerating" an inferior product and/or display. We actually enjoy the product we purchased. Why is that so hard to accept? Our older model devices gets the job done in the same manner as your newer device.

But it's thin and light. It runs ipad apps. It looks great. Let's rate it excellent. (We'll just list processor and screen, the two most important specs in a tablet, under the "cons" list).
Just like any smart business, Apple created a iPad that will do what all the other iPads can do at a price that will appeal to a particular nich? and they are selling plenty of them. To those people, having a retina display and a faster processor means nothing, and let us not forget the people who currently have iPads with a retina display who have also opted to purchase the iPad Mini. What do you say to them?
Here's CNET:

Apple should be embarrassed that every review mentions the screen as a con. They're the ones who started the resolutionary wars.
Those reviews are in no way preventing a large amount of people from buying the iPad Mini. The average Apple user is not a techie like us or the people who do tech reviews.
 

JHBThree

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Compared to other screens on even the low end tablets, this is pretty much the low low end. Fuzzy text? Check. That sort of meets the definition of crappy. I think most reviewers have established that point although they desperately try to point out it's still somehow a quality screen and have chosen to tolerate it.

But it's thin and light. It runs ipad apps. It looks great. Let's rate it excellent. (We'll just list processor and screen, the two most important specs in a tablet, under the "cons" list).

Here's CNET:

Apple should be embarrassed that every review mentions the screen as a con. They're the ones who started the resolutionary wars.

It can be a quality screen without having a super high resolution. Quality screens have existed long before the technology for high resolution displays was possible. You need to understand that.

Something else you need to understand is that putting in a high resolution screen that would not fracture the resolution scheme apple is using is impossible at this point. A 2048x1136 screen at 7.9 inches is just not a possibility yet, and certainly not at the price point necessary for the Mini. Further, Apple will not introduce another new resolution into the iOS ecosystem until after the newer 4 inch resolution has been fully 'digested'. It was a conscious decision on their part to make it easier for developers, all of which have helped make iOS as popular as it is.

You don't like the resolution of the mini and that's fine. But you need to grow up and stop attacking it, and insulting the people that are okay with it, at every turn.
 

cardfan

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You don't like the resolution of the mini and that's fine. But you need to grow up and stop attacking it, and insulting the people that are okay with it, at every turn.

I really don't need to but thanks for the pro tip. I wasn't insulting anyone. But if anyone feels offended, please accept my apologies.

BTW..have you even read this thread? I know a "retina" ipad mini is impossible at this point (and perhaps not practical given their product line). It won't happen anytime soon. Further, I realize the constraints Apple has and why they chose this specific size. It wasn't a matter of them not wanting to do a 7" tab but they couldn't. A 7.85" 4:3 ipad with ipad 2 resolution was basically all they could do which made sense months ago as people crunched the numbers.

It is what it is. So I'll relent a bit and say if you're into apps, video, some light reading & browsing, it could be worthwhile...anything involving graphics. It's a perfect kids pad and I know I'm buying one for that purpose. Knowing Apple's constraints, the only thing they could possibly do to get to me would be to lower the price.. But I'm also sure Apple won't mind if I simply just get their bigger ipad instead.
 

plaztiksoundz

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Great for a kid I suppose who doesn't know any better. (...) I'd recommend an ipad 4 if you must have a tablet.

Because having different "needs" than yours, automatically makes everyone "a kid who doesn't know better" right?

My mum doesn't need and iPad 4, she finds it too big to even carry around the house and to hold while she is reading. And she still uses my original iPad, that i gave her when i bought my iPad 3". So to her, the Mini's screen IS an improvement. And it's really light! And she doesn't care if her app takes 5 seconds more to open than it should. Doesn't make her "a kid who doesn't know better", just makes her "someone who found a gadget, that fulfills her needs.".

My girlfriend doesn't need an iPad 4, she finds it too big and heavy to carry around in her purse. She would like something smaller that fits her purses and that it's not too heavy. Doesn't make her "a kid who doesn't know better", just makes her "someone who found a gadget, that fulfills her needs.".

I don't need and iPad 4. I have an iPad 3 that barely leaves the house because i don't want to carry a bag around. I want something i can carry in my hand with a small moleskine and a pen. The Mini is perfect for that. And i can keep the iPad 3 at home. I also had an iPhone 4, and now have an iPhone 5. And i always did heavy reading even on my original iPad and it never bothered me. Does the iPad screen look better and crisper? Yes. Does the original iPad screen suddenly makes me blind and unable to read? Of course not! And still, it doesn't make me "a kid who doesn't know better", just makes me "someone who found a gadget, that fulfills my needs.".

If you didn't like the Mini or it didn't fulfill your needs, your entitled to your opinion, and you did the correct thing in returning it and waiting for a new version. But elevating yourself to a higher degree of "inteligence" just because someone doesn't have the same needs or requirements you have, it's a bit egocentric...
 

IAmAuthority

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I don't understand nor do I agree with OP's complaints of the iPad Mini. I personally don't think you need a Retina Display to have clean and crisp screen quality. The screen is at par with the iPad 2, and if you can't settle for that wait until next years iPad Mini. It will more than likely have improved processor and Retina Display technology.

Oh and.."great for a kid?" That goes either way man.
 

impaler

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I like how people are defending the non-retina screen on the mini, like folks that now demand a high res screen are unreasonable. They don't like it and that's that. I am in that camp, after my third Gen iPad, will never buy another non-retina iPad. Too used to the quality. Anything else is a downgrade. When I look at my girlfriend's iPad 2 it looks awful and low res to me.
 

JHBThree

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I like how people are defending the non-retina screen on the mini, like folks that now demand a high res screen are unreasonable. They don't like it and that's that. I am in that camp, after my third Gen iPad, will never buy another non-retina iPad. Too used to the quality. Anything else is a downgrade. When I look at my girlfriend's iPad 2 it looks awful and low res to me.

You are being unreasonable if you disregard all of the reasons why retina wasn't included, which some in here were doing.
 

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