Don't see the point..

[localhost8080]

i think its the same argument between the retina macbook pro and the macbook air.

the air has a normal screen and is fine. its also very light.
the pro has a nice high dpi screen and is much heavier than the air.

the mini has a normal screen and its fine, its also very light.
the ipad 3 and 4 have nice high dpi screens and are much heavier than the mini.

so it looks like this:

if you prefer lightweight, get a mini and a macbook air.

if you dont mind weight, get a macbook pro and an ipad.

personally, i prefer lightweight.
im done with heavy things. the lightweight ones are much better.
your opinion may differ, but think about it like this:
ipad mini + macbook air = motorbike
ipad4 + macbook pro = sportscar.

you are asking for either a 2 wheeled sportscar or a 4 wheeled motorbike......

 

[iEd]

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.

This seriously sounds like a spoiled diva talk. How in the hell does a iPad 2 look awful and low-Res even in comparison to a Retina iPad. "'It looks awful". "folks demand a high res screen". Hey let's march on Cupertino. I have a chant too.... NO NON-RETINA! NO NON RETINA!

"Never shall my eyes be subjected to a non-Retina display for I shall turn to stooone"..... COME ON MAN!!!!!!!.

 

[cardfan]

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...

I'm happy for you. Really. But I'll stick with my opinion. There's many out there that turn on standard definition and don't blink an eye. I'm married to such a person. Personally, I don't watch anything not in HD anymore. And you can make the same arguments, it works for them, it still looks decent enough, etc. I'll even say it's still great for kids..lol

It's still compromising.

But like Droid and I were also saying, Apple can't do better than that given the present tech. It may also be that Apple won't want to do better than that given other factors. That makes it at the very least an "entry level" product that no amount of complaining will fix. There's too many in the mainstream eager and willing to buy it as is. Most of this has to do with tablets being a young market. Many are still desperate to be able to afford their first one. They will happily compromise with most having no idea they're compromising.

That doesn't mean I'm elevating myself to some sort of level of "intelligence." I'm a CPA. I see clients all the time who have little concept of managing money or running a business. It ranges from business owners to individuals. It doesn't mean that I think I'm better than them. It just means I'm specialized in certain areas just as they are.

I think the bottom line is that even for those like me, there's still a choice. Get a bigger ipad or do without and use that iphone. The Mini isn't it. But there's still plenty out there who don't mind the Mini as is. It's a mainstream product aimed at pulling in more of the bottom.

 

[cardfan]

This seriously sounds like a spoiled diva talk. How in the hell does a iPad 2 look awful and low-Res even in comparison to a Retina iPad. "'It looks awful". "folks demand a high res screen". Hey let's march on Cupertino. I have a chant too.... NO NON-RETINA! NO NON RETINA!

"Never shall my eyes be subjected to a non-Retina display for I shall turn to stooone"..... COME ON MAN!!!!!!!.

That's cute. Too bad Apple has spent the past couple of years educating the people on the benefits of higher resolution screens. They've created a competitive edge by coining the word "retina." Competitors such as google, amazon, and samsung are firmly in the PPI wars. Are you trying to say it's all BS? Do you really not see the difference?

So for Apple to introduce a product with specs that are at least a couple of years old and defies they're current marketing is a bit of a compromise. Especially when there's many better different choices. Apple's constraints with iOS have really shown. First with the iphone 5 and now the ipad mini. The first was trying to go bigger without doubling the resolution again which resulted in apps with black bars. The second is a product with too low of a resolution because they're so constrained on what they can do.

 

[Team George]

I do notice the lack of retina, for sure. Perhaps the best way to judge if this matters is to ask people with both form factors the following question: How many people are using their retina IPads more than their minis? It could be just the novelty factor, but I am barely using my IPad 3 at the moment, apart from watching Peppa Pig with my 2 year old!

 

[Just_Me_D]

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.

Not caring about a retina display is not defending non-retina displays and not worshipping a retina display is not hating it. Some of us, believe it or not, could care less about a retina display....Period!... and we don't mind that some of you do. Remember, what doesn't make sense to some makes perfect sense to others........so don't hate or frown upon people who opt for the non-retina display iPad Mini. It is their choice and not yours to make for them.

 

[cardfan]

Not caring about a retina display is not defending non-retina displays and not worshipping a retina display is not hating it. Some of us, believe it or not, could care less about a retina display....Period!... and we don't mind that some of you do. Remember, what doesn't make sense to some makes perfect sense to others........so don't hate or frown upon people who opt for the non-retina display iPad Mini. It is their choice and not yours to make for them.

No offense, but I'm not sure you've ever owned an ipad with higher resolution. I mean, you've already declared more than once you don't see the difference between screens on the ipad 2 & 3. You don't seem to care about speed. You answer almost every response with a snarky "thanks for your post and have a good day" nonsense. It gets a little tiresome to even respond to you. You're a pretty wishy-washy poster. It's like I'm debating Mr. Magoo. That's how I picture you.

For those who may not know: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Magoo

Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of comical situations as a result of his nearsightedness, compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem. However, through uncanny streaks of luck, the situation always seems to work itself out for him, leaving him no worse than before.

 

[Just_Me_D]

No offense,

None taken.

but I'm not sure you've ever owned an ipad with higher resolution.

You're right. I have not, but I can easily go and purchase one.

I mean, you've already declared more than once you don't see the difference between screens on the ipad 2 & 3.

That is incorrect. I have often stated how gorgeous the retina display is. I've also advised people to go with the iPad with the retina display if money is not an issue. Yet, I've also said on many occasions that my iPad 2 is more than sufficient for my needs and I have no intentions of upgrading it unless it craps out on me.

You don't seem to care about speed.

Also incorrect. Speed is subjective. A 2-second difference in load time is not an issue for me and many others.

You answer almost every response with a snarky "thanks for your post and have a good day" nonsense.

My wishing people a good day, a great evening, a safe & pleasant weekend is what I really mean. That is the type of person I am and it has nothing to do with being snarky. I'm no Saint, but I do have manners, morals and respect for people.

It gets a little tiresome to even respond to you.

That is why choice is so important. You can always choose to respond or not to respond. Ive stated on numerous occasions that i am a fan of free speech whether I agree with someone or not.

You're a pretty wishy-washy poster. It's like I'm debating Mr. Magoo. That's how I picture you.

(laughing)...It is not a problem for me to agree and disagree with the same person because my responses are usually based on a specific post/reply. For example, if JohnDoe posted a comment that I agreed with, I may "like" the post, and if JaneDoes posted a reply that I agree with, I may "like" her post, too. If that's wishy-washy then so be it. Anyway, thank you for your reply and I hope you have a safe & pleasant weekend. Yes, I do mean that...

For those who may not know: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Magoo

 

[Rocket_Girl]

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.

^^that. Me too. Turned off LTE data to iPad 3 (limited edition). Took it off data share plan. Tethering works beautifully. Can -- and do -- carry mini EVERYWHERE.

Difference between retina on iPad 3 and non- retina on mini was noticeable *at first* and when comparing side by side. Thing is, while many shoppers compare side by side, few buyers actually USE them that way. For me, retina on full- size iPad is like holiday china: may be lovely, but the everyday stuff is what I *use*. It's the same with mini - and therein lies the value. For me. To each his or her own. Here in the first world, these are choices rather than problems...

 

[OTACORB]

I got the iPad mini and absolutely noticed the difference in the display from my previous retina iPad. However, I didn't sit there and compare them back and fourth as I used them. No, I took my iPad mini and just started using it just as I had my larger iPad before it. But suddenly found I as able to use it to connect to my car audio system which controls music app and Pandora. I never did this with the bigger iPad, but the iPad Mini has a perfect place in my vehicle to allow this. I often left my larger iPad because well sometimes it just wasn't that convenient to bring along. However, the size of the iPad Mini sort of got me to bringing it with me more and I am using it a lot more than I did the previous larger iPad. Now that I've been using it for while, unless I just compare the displays... I've forgotten about the differences. People are just spoiled and Apple has no one to blame, but themselves for this. Nonetheless I think the iPad mini is a great little device and very much so a keeper. So, I very much so see the point!

 

[lonbeehold]

For my use and needs, I completely agree with the OP. I played with the mini today at Apple. I love the size and the form factor. Swiping around to a few apps, things looked great. Then I went to Newsstand. And Flipboard. And iBooks. And that was the end of the mini experiment for me. I do a great deal reading on my iPad and for me, there is absolutely no going back from the Retina display. I carry my iPad 3 with me every day, along with my iPhone 5 and my Kindle. It all fits comfortably in my bag or purse and I have everything I use with me at all times. I would not have minded a smaller lighter iPad, which is why I went to check out the mini, but for me, it's just not worth the downgrade of the display.

 

[gixxer07600]

This device is pretty cool. Sure the retina displays look nicer but I don't realize anything until I put it side by side with my iPhone 5. I love the size of this thing too. So much more convienant to use. Love that you can palm it. It's not that slow honestly. I have yet to have any kind of lag with it.

 

[RealNeal]

Couple of thoughts on the display...

The display in the Mini is actually new technology - GF2. Its what allows it to be so thin. I believe this is the first product to use this technology. It also has a higher pixel density and smaller pixels than the iPad 2. For what I use it for, its fine.

Rene explained on an earlier thread that Apple was pretty constrained to the current resolution in order to maintain compatability with existing iPad apps. It was also necessary to keep the device thin, cool and have decent battery life. There are trade-offs in everything.

Apple is currently investing heavily in Sharp's IGZO screen technology, which allows for much brighter, higher density screens that use far less power. When that technology is ready, we'll probably see a Retina iPad mini.

So if not having Retina bothers you - don't buy a Mini just yet. If you love the size, light weight and portability the Mini offers, its a great little device.

 

[tlo07]

I tried out the Mini in Best Buy. I thought it was too slow loading webpages. Granted, I don't know how fast it would be if there weren't a hundred other devices on the same wifi, but the regular size iPad didn't seem slow. I din't think the screen looked bad at all.

 

[gvndeb60]

Here is my stupid opinion.....

When they announced the iPad mini and there was no retina I was surprised. I understand why they didn't but I consider retina a huge selling point for apple. I didn't think I would get a mini due to this because I love the screen on my iPad 3 and iPhone 5.

However, I wanted to see one in person because the size fits my needs better than my iPad 3. At first I could notice the screen. Then I held the iPad mini away from my face where I would normally use it and it wasn't as bad. The only real noticeable pixelation is on very small text but I can just zoom in a little and it is fine. Not the deal breaker I thought it would be.

As far as performance, I think it is fine. I do not notice any lag and it is very fast in my use. The only thing I don't do is heavy gaming so I can't speak to that.

At the end I bought one and gave the iPad 3 to my wife. She is a student so the bigger screen and retina is better for her with reading books and writing papers. I love the size of my mini, I use it more because I can take it more places with me due to its size.

This is my opinion, everyone has different needs. That being said I still feel Apple hit a home run with the mini.


Sent from my iPad mini using Tapatalk

 

[DigitalMadness]

Here is my stupid opinion.....

When they announced the iPad mini and there was no retina I was surprised. I understand why they didn't but I consider retina a huge selling point for apple. I didn't think I would get a mini due to this because I love the screen on my iPad 3 and iPhone 5.

However, I wanted to see one in person because the size fits my needs better than my iPad 3. At first I could notice the screen. Then I held the iPad mini away from my face where I would normally use it and it wasn't as bad. The only real noticeable pixelation is on very small text but I can just zoom in a little and it is fine. Not the deal breaker I thought it would be.

As far as performance, I think it is fine. I do not notice any lag and it is very fast in my use. The only thing I don't do is heavy gaming so I can't speak to that.

At the end I bought one and gave the iPad 3 to my wife. She is a student so the bigger screen and retina is better for her with reading books and writing papers. I love the size of my mini, I use it more because I can take it more places with me due to its size.

This is my opinion, everyone has different needs. That being said I still feel Apple hit a home run with the mini.


Sent from my iPad mini using Tapatalk

I agreed with you. The Retina display is a nice to have; not a must have have on a 7" tablet. The whole Retina thing was a huge marketing term made up by apple. It is like the TV's 1080P. All the marketing say, you must have 1080P. Well not really, a lot of people were buying TV smaller than 46" and watching them from greater than 10 feet away. At that distance, you can't tell the difference between 1080 and 720. In fact on a good quality transfer DVD (480p), most people can't tell the difference between that and HD.

 

[CairnsRock]

I agreed with you. The Retina display is a nice to have; not a must have have on a 7" tablet. The whole Retina thing was a huge marketing term made up by apple. It is like the TV's 1080P. All the marketing say, you must have 1080P. Well not really, a lot of people were buying TV smaller than 46" and watching them from greater than 10 feet away. At that distance, you can't tell the difference between 1080 and 720. In fact on a good quality transfer DVD (480p), most people can't tell the difference between that and HD.

Excellent point. I like it. Some times, tech gets silly and much more than is really needed. Some examples are..

How thin does your tv need to be.

How many pixels does your point and shoot camera need.

3D tv with no channel support.

Blue ray players when video content is all going on line.

Better sound than the the human ear can detect.

 

[Fausty82]

Excellent point. I like it. Some times, tech gets silly and much more than is really needed. Some examples are..

How thin does your tv need to be.

How many pixels does your point and shoot camera need.

3D tv with no channel support.

Blue ray players when video content is all going on line.

Better sound than the the human ear can detect.

That?s why Mr Baskins and Mr Robbins have 31 flavors... different strokes for different folks... we will all never agree on everything... so there are different flavors... just because you don?t want it doesn?t mean I don?t...

 

[trmoney24]

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.

a5x wouldn't help with performance on the iPad mini, as far as improving processor speed of non-graphical components. The A6 would have helped in the manner you are speaking of (i believe).

 

[DigitalMadness]

That’s why Mr Baskins and Mr Robbins have 31 flavors... different strokes for different folks... we will all never agree on everything... so there are different flavors... just because you don’t want it doesn’t mean I don’t...

This is exactly what the marketors are looking for. They sell you on what you want. Not what you need.
It's a marketing genious to put the "i" infront of all the apple products.Especically in this "I" want world.