Apple releases the iPad Mini

[Razor Leaf]

So a few days back, Apple released a number of new and updated products - but the most eye-catching for me was this thing. The iPad Mini is, well, a smaller iPad - without a Retina Display, surprisingly, and also with a lower-powered CPU. Starting at $329, Apple believe that there is a market for such a device. What do you think of the pricing, form, function, and overall usefulness of this device compared to other iOS devices and similar tablets from competitors?

Discuss!

[Team Fail]

I don't think it's going to be too much of a success unless the price drops. The iPad 1-3 are large tablets, so releasing the iPad Mini to compete with the 7"-10" tablet class, but having such a high price, isn't the best move imo. It sounds great in concept, but in reality, they'd have to do a lot more to get it released. There will be the Apple fanboys that will get it, but it isn't going to be too much more than that.

[jellicentfan1]

I already have an ipad mini. It is called my iphone 4s. This is a waste of money imo.

[Ice-Dragon]

I like the fact that it's more portable, but like Team Fail said, the price needs to drop.

[ShinySearcher01]

@Tranca rofl
Imo, this is going to sell well. Apple has a cult-like group of followers who buy anything and everything the company puts out.

As for me, I'm getting a tablet soon, and I'm torn between this and Google's Nexus 7. If we get a proper jailbreak for iOS 6 anytime soon, I'll probably go for iPad Mini, but otherwise I'm going for the N7.

[Razor Leaf]

I think Apple have a pretty good market here, and contrary to you guys, I don't feel it at all consists of Apple's 'followers'. I think the market is anyone who doesn't yet have an iPad and finds the iPhone or iPod Touch too small to be really productive on. True, the two of them just received screen enlargements, but only vertically - meaning that typing on them, working with documents and emails and etc., is still difficult for some people. The iPad mini is, imo, exactly what it says on the tin - a slightly smaller iPad for people who want a slightly smaller iPad over the larger one. It's still got the same function, just with a screen small enough to be more portable yet still different from the iPod Touch and iPhone.

...although, I see a big issue in the price. Had it been up to the level of the regular iPad then I'd have said it was reasonable. But this machine has no Retina Display and no A6 processor (featured in the much smaller iPhone 5 - so it's obviously not an issue with power consumption or heat production) - technologically, its processor is a generation behind the iPad and an entire two years behind the rest of Apple's iOS devices in terms of display. When Apple are using Retina Displays from 4" on the iPod Touch to 15" on the MacBook Pro, I don't understand at all why they didn't add a 7" one to this machine. These displays are great and they're becoming standard on Apple products so not having one is a huge step backwards for me. Because of these reasons I feel like the Mini is awfully priced. It has its place in the market, but it's hindered hard by that. It should be a hell of a lot more than $70 dollars cheaper than a device with a larger screen, faster processor, and far higher resolution - the normal iPad. At least the entry model is still 16GB rather than 8GB, though. *shrug*

[LividZephyr]

I personally think this is something only iSheep will waste their money on. You can get a Kindle Fire for like $130 less and it can do just as much, just without some of the excess features. I really don't expect the iPad Mini to do well, and since many of Apple's victims just purchased an iPhone 5, the timing isn't great either.

I really hope this is a bomb, because it's about time Apple lost money on something. They're becoming so mega-powerful that they can do all kinds of illegal things to control the market, and it's horrible, because all they do is steal others' technology, then blame other companies for stealing theirs. I wouldn't be surprised if this thing stole technology and got banned from the market due to a lawsuit from the anti-Apple coalition that is developing... which I'd be glad to join tbh.

</rant>

Sorry... I just hate Apple that damn much, and I probably should not reply to this thread again

[Leaf Storm]

The iPad mini is a great device, and it's everything you want in an iPad...just smaller. I'll echo everyone who said the price should be smaller and agree. I'm aming towards an iPad myself but I'm gonna end up choosing the 2, because the price is already dropping. I refuse to be an early adopter of this iPad.

[glitchguy]

If you wanted a smaller ipad why not buy a big phone with a touchscreen.I think it would be cheaper and more useful.

[Patchisou Yutohru]

I hope this flops. This is the dumbest thing they've ever made and I do not support them regarding their decision on making it. Want an iPad mini? Try an iPod touch. Has the exact same things, and is cheaper for more storage.

[Khawill]

Can it fit in a Manila envelope?

[ShinySearcher01]

Originally Posted by Patchisou Yutohru

I hope this flops. This is the dumbest thing they've ever made and I do not support them regarding their decision on making it. Want an iPad mini? Try an iPod touch. Has the exact same things, and is cheaper for more storage.

For now, that's true. But when Apple kills off iPods, which because of the amount of people who'd buy and iPad or iPhone instead inevitably they will, this'll be the cheapest non-phone option.

[LividZephyr]

Originally Posted by ShinySearcher01

For now, that's true. But when Apple kills off iPods, which because of the amount of people who'd buy and iPad or iPhone instead inevitably they will, this'll be the cheapest non-phone option.

Yet another sinister tactic... they're going to force more and more of their victims to buy this thing. It's pathetically tragic.

Someone needs to stick it to Apple, and I hope that only iSheep buy this useless thing (there's no hope for iSheep anyway) so they don't sell their quota. I'd love it, because Apple has become too big too fast - and, of course, they're an evil mega-corporation like various villains in media... only they're unfortunately real.

Really... this is basically a Kindle Fire that costs nearly twice as much. Why buy?

[Chuck̄]

As much as I've been waiting and wanting a new iPad to replace my now EOL first generation and thinking that a smaller version would be great, I'm still on the fence about getting one. The price point isn't all that bad, considering the ecosystem that's already in place for it and the silent guarantee that I'll get at minimum a full iOS version update next year (none of which I can say about any android tablet). It's really the specs that get to me. Essentially they performed a die-shrink on the components in the iPad 2 for the iPad Mini. THe iPad 2 was fantastic when pitted against the original generation like I have, but compared to the new 4th Gen iPad or the discontinued 3rd gen iPad those specs are mediocre at best and I have to feel like there's a halfway decent chance of not getting updates after october of next year. I tend to use my iDevices for a minimum of 2-3 years so getting a product that might get EOL'd after a year and a half is simply not acceptable.

All of this said, the iPad mini is still a great device, I'm just simply weighing the options for another first gen device versus waiting until April/Mayor next October to see if a revised iPad Mini 2 comes out that outclasses this one by a factor of 2 which has been the recent trend in the regular iPad line.

[Para-Dox]

I don't see the point of this. It's really overpriced compared to it's rivals such as the Nexus 7 (£160 for roughly the same specs of a £269 device) and it doesn't have any kind of data connectivity.

As a hole, I've never really seen a use in a tablet, especially 7-inch ones. If you want a good way to get to the internet anywhere, just get a smartphone with a big screen like the Nexus 4 or Note II.

[LividZephyr]

Amazon is making fun of the iPad Mini's price and usefulness on their homepage lol

Image is attached. It's so true.

[Patchisou Yutohru]

Originally Posted by ShinySearcher01

For now, that's true. But when Apple kills off iPods, which because of the amount of people who'd buy and iPad or iPhone instead inevitably they will, this'll be the cheapest non-phone option.

Apple will never kill off the iPod. I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous.

[Aerilyn]

Originally Posted by ShinySearcher01

For now, that's true. But when Apple kills off iPods, which because of the amount of people who'd buy and iPad or iPhone instead inevitably they will, this'll be the cheapest non-phone option.

Echoing what was already said, Apple will never stop making iPods. No disrespect, but just the thought of them even considering the possibility is ridiculous by itself. At its core it's a small, portable music device that doesn't need to be bought with a contract or service plan a la the iPhone or even the iPad; the latter which is simply a larger version of them both. That aside, iPods are still selling for Apple giving them no reason to even ponder about the idea to stop selling iPods on the market today or anytime in the foreseeable future.

Getting back to the iPad Mini, the first time I heard about it I thought it was a dumb idea. Plain and simple. I love Apple and I love their products, but an iPad Mini is just a fruitless idea trying to stretch out what they already have rather than come up with something new altogether. As far as I'm concerned, Apple already had the iPad Mini in-stock when they started selling their iPod Touch and their iPhones. The iPad was just a larger version of the two and now the iPad Mini just seems meaningless in retrospect.

[TRIFORCE89]

It is unnecessary, yes. But, it is also an emerging market.

Apple sees stuff like the the Galaxy Tab, Nexus 7, and even the Kindle Fire. Smaller tablet devices. They want in on the market early, and just making a tiny iPad is the easiest way to do it. iPad, iPhone, iPod - markets Apple either created or got in very very early into, or revolutionized. This smaller tablet scene could pass them by if they didn't act.

Price may deter buyers. Tough to say. Apple stuff, though I like and buy some of their products (and not nearly as often as they'd like me to, I'm sure. My laptop and iPod are from 2007), is over priced. But that hasn't deterred consumers yet. They've built a terrific brand and what they've managed to convey if that they have a quality product. True or not, or if you agree or not, is irrelevant. That's the public's perception and consumers would willingly pay more for something that they believe to be better.

[Mr Cat Dog]

Aaaaaaaaaand Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave. Or his urn. Or whatever... I dunno. So much for never making a tablet below the dimensions of the original iPad. I can't imagine I'll get it, but those people who were considering a Kindle Fire may have some second thoughts when this goes on sale tomorrow (it is tomorrow, right?). That being said, as has been mentioned numerous times, it's too frickin' expensive. Of course all Apple products are expensive, but this one does seem particularly so. If people are willing to pony up that kind of cash for Apple, then more power to them, I guess... I just don't think as many people will do so for this than they would for a new MacBook Pro, for example.

[Patchisou Yutohru]

Originally Posted by Mr Cat Dog

Aaaaaaaaaand Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave. Or his urn. Or whatever... I dunno.

It's rumored that Steve Jobs mapped out the future of Apple for them for at least the next four generations, and I believe it, considering it's Steve Jobs we're talking about, so I think that he had a hand in the iPad mini's development.

[Zet]

Originally Posted by Patchisou Yutohru

It's rumored that Steve Jobs mapped out the future of Apple for them for at least the next four generations, and I believe it, considering it's Steve Jobs we're talking about, so I think that he had a hand in the iPad mini's development.

I also believe it to be true, he really did hate Android with a fiery passion.

[TRIFORCE89]

Originally Posted by Patchisou Yutohru

It's rumored that Steve Jobs mapped out the future of Apple for them for at least the next four generations, and I believe it, considering it's Steve Jobs we're talking about, so I think that he had a hand in the iPad mini's development.

Except that he said this two years ago:

I'd like to comment on the avalanche of tablets poised to enter the market in the coming months. First, it appears to be just a handful of credible entrants, not exactly an avalanche. Second, almost all of them use seven-inch screens as compared to iPad's near 10-inch screen. Let's start there. One naturally thinks that a seven-inch screen would offer 70% of the benefits of a 10-inch screen. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. The screen measurements are diagonal, so that a seven-inch screen is only 45% as large as iPad's 10-inch screen. You heard me right; just 45% as large.

If you take an iPad and hold it upright in portrait view and draw an imaginary horizontal line halfway down the screen, the screens on the seven-inch tablets are a bit smaller than the bottom half of the iPad display. This size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion.

And

Apple's done extensive user-testing on touch interfaces over many years, and we really understand this stuff. There are clear limits of how close you can physically place elements on a touch screen before users cannot reliably tap, flick or pinch them. This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps.

No tablet can compete with the mobility of a smartphone, its ease of fitting into your pocket or purse, its unobtrusiveness when used in a crowd. Given that all tablet users will already have a smartphone in their pockets, giving up precious display area to fit a tablet in our pockets is clearly the wrong tradeoff. The seven-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad.

[Patchisou Yutohru]

Originally Posted by TRIFORCE89

Except that he said this two years ago:

I'd like to comment on the avalanche of tablets poised to enter the market in the coming months. First, it appears to be just a handful of credible entrants, not exactly an avalanche. Second, almost all of them use seven-inch screens as compared to iPad's near 10-inch screen. Let's start there. One naturally thinks that a seven-inch screen would offer 70% of the benefits of a 10-inch screen. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. The screen measurements are diagonal, so that a seven-inch screen is only 45% as large as iPad's 10-inch screen. You heard me right; just 45% as large.

If you take an iPad and hold it upright in portrait view and draw an imaginary horizontal line halfway down the screen, the screens on the seven-inch tablets are a bit smaller than the bottom half of the iPad display. This size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion.

And

Apple's done extensive user-testing on touch interfaces over many years, and we really understand this stuff. There are clear limits of how close you can physically place elements on a touch screen before users cannot reliably tap, flick or pinch them. This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps.

No tablet can compete with the mobility of a smartphone, its ease of fitting into your pocket or purse, its unobtrusiveness when used in a crowd. Given that all tablet users will already have a smartphone in their pockets, giving up precious display area to fit a tablet in our pockets is clearly the wrong tradeoff. The seven-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad.

Oh. Okay.

Well then, I'll amend my statement to: It's rumored that Steve Jobs mapped out the future of Apple for them for at least the next four generations, and I believe it, considering it's Steve Jobs we're talking about. Deterring from his plan like they did (especially when he was so adamantly against it) just makes me angry. I find it incredibly disrespectful to his vision and makes me think less of Apple as a company.

[Autophobic]

I don't think the price is an issue. Tons of people that use Apple products will get it just because it's the newest product out.