There is only one thing to say about the release of the iPad mini.
Why?
Smaller than the original iPad, thinner than the iPhone 5 and with a 7.9-inch display that fits perfectly in your hand (unless you have obnoxiously tiny hands), the iPad mini is Apple’s answer to 7-inch tablets like the Kindle Fire, Nook or Google Nexus 7.
With two models, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus cellular, the iPad mini ranges in price from $329 to $659, while the regular iPad ranges in price from $499 to $829. As eWeek and other sources have reported, the total cost of hardware for one Wi-Fi only 16 gigabyte iPad mini is $188, yet it costs $329 to buy. That’s a big discrepancy and a lot of money for such a small package. After all, I’m getting gypped of 1.6 inches of screen from the already expensive regular iPad.
The iPad mini is like a prepubescent teenage girl, not quite an iPhone (a girl), but not yet an iPad (a woman), at least size wise. It has all the same capabilities as an iPad but lacks the retina display boasted by several recent Apple releases, including the fourth generation iPad and MacBook Pro. So what is the reason for releasing a smaller iPad?
When I see the iPad mini, I see an overgrown iPhone or a shrunken iPad. Advertisements for the new Apple product emphasize the smaller size, perfect for the on-the-go Apple user because, after all, the iPad is just too much of a hassle to carry outside of the house. Don’t even get me started on carrying a 15-inch Macbook Pro.
Now, I understand some of the benefits for this micro iPad, at least compared to its 7-inch tablet competitors. The great thing about Apple products is the App Store, and with the iPad and iPad mini, users have access to over 275,000 apps from games to photo and video editing, words processors and all those cool ones I see in Apple commercials where you can map out the stars and perform virtual heart surgery. Well, that’s what the ads show. I would probably just play Angry Birds.
Other 7-inch tablets don’t have the expansive App Store that iPad mini offers users which makes it a cut above the rest. But what distinguishes the iPad mini from its larger predecessor other than size? Well, nothing.
I love my iPhone and think that Apple can do no wrong (well, except maps) but the iPad mini just makes no sense. Settle with an iPad or an iPhone, but if we keep miniaturizing these products they’ll be reduced to a speck of dust. At least it will be easy to carry.
Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com
Thank you for summing up the article, the foot.
This is how this article went: the ipod mini is pointless but its better than all other 7 inch tablets. Its just a little bit bigger than the I phone but its the perfect tablet for on the go.. I hate the ipod mini and all I do is play angry birds all day, I wanna make love to the ipod mini…