I said this before and I guess no one agrees with me, but I think the mini, despite it's inauspicious start, is actually the "iPad Pro" in hiding. IMO, it has the potential to be a far better iPad than the original iPad.
Before anyone was sure they were going to make a tablet at all and people were writing about what they expected, or what Apple seemed to be aiming for based on their patent applications, everyone seemed to think that the following was quite essential:
- thumb typing or some kind of ability to type while walking or standing up
- long periods of one handed operation or holding it in one hand
- easy portability without accessories like cases, straps, keyboards etc.
The iPad mini is actually the first tablet to cover all these "essentials." You can't do any of those things on the iPad, at least not easily. The average iPad with it's giant thick leather case, or keyboard case or whatever most people use, is practically a hybrid laptop by comparison. You have to put it down on a table top just to type an email. It's hardly a mobile device at all. With the iPad mini, I could see people (kids most likely) typing entire books on it while skateboarding down the street. I think it could easily replace a MacBook Air for a lot of people right now.
It seems to me that anyone using a tablet for serious purposes would gravitate towards the mini, whereas those just using it for casual uses would use the larger one. The big one is for seniors and the "slower," more "challenged" computer users, the mini is for the pros.
I agree with your points but not your conclusion of "iPad Pro in hiding." I think it's a mini but I think it could be a much bigger seller and profit center than the larger model, much like the Nano is to the iPod Classic.
I read a rumor about some Android tablet supposedly coming out with a resolution that's greater than the iPad 3/4, but I have to ask, what's the point? Hardware specs mean nothing, if the software is not there to support it. Is that super-high resolution Android tablet going to run phone apps that are blown up? And Android is not smooth, even at crappy resolutions, I can only imagine how horrible Android will be when it's used on ever higher resolution screens.
...
As a side note, color is the most important factor for human perception, resolution is only second.
So natural colors with high dynamic range unchanged by the viewing angle make the most impression.
Keeping the glass thin and laminating the lcd also adds to the natural and lifelike impression because icons seem to float on the display and 3D effects look real.
I said this before and I guess no one agrees with me, but I think the mini, despite it's inauspicious start, is actually the "iPad Pro" in hiding. IMO, it has the potential to be a far better iPad than the original iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
I agree with your points but not your conclusion of "iPad Pro in hiding." I think it's a mini but I think it could be a much bigger seller and profit center than the larger model, much like the Nano is to the iPod Classic.
Or maybe it's just a matter of completing the set of three and letting the customers choose: iPod Touch at 4", iPad Mini at 7.9" and iPad at 9.7", just like they had the iPod, iPod Nano and Shuffle.
I think Apple did this not so much to fill a market gap but rather a gap in their own product line, to let a customer find what they need when they enter the Apple Store. They tend to look more inward than outward. Perhaps that's the right direction when you're atop the industry.
I said this before and I guess no one agrees with me, but I think the mini, despite it's inauspicious start, is actually the "iPad Pro" in hiding. IMO, it has the potential to be a far better iPad than the original iPad.
Before anyone was sure they were going to make a tablet at all and people were writing about what they expected, or what Apple seemed to be aiming for based on their patent applications, everyone seemed to think that the following was quite essential:
- thumb typing or some kind of ability to type while walking or standing up
- long periods of one handed operation or holding it in one hand
- easy portability without accessories like cases, straps, keyboards etc.
The iPad mini is actually the first tablet to cover all these "essentials." You can't do any of those things on the iPad, at least not easily. The average iPad with it's giant thick leather case, or keyboard case or whatever most people use, is practically a hybrid laptop by comparison. You have to put it down on a table top just to type an email. It's hardly a mobile device at all. With the iPad mini, I could see people (kids most likely) typing entire books on it while skateboarding down the street. I think it could easily replace a MacBook Air for a lot of people right now.
It seems to me that anyone using a tablet for serious purposes would gravitate towards the mini, whereas those just using it for casual uses would use the larger one. The big one is for seniors and the "slower," more "challenged" computer users, the mini is for the pros.
One handed operation of the iPad mini is impossible. You need two hands to do that.
(Unless you type with your nose.)
The iPad is easy to use standing up (or walking), even without smart cover.
Typing emails, browsing the web, etc, is all very easy to do.
I said this before and I guess no one agrees with me, but I think the mini, despite it's inauspicious start, is actually the "iPad Pro" in hiding. IMO, it has the potential to be a far better iPad than the original iPad.
Before anyone was sure they were going to make a tablet at all and people were writing about what they expected, or what Apple seemed to be aiming for based on their patent applications, everyone seemed to think that the following was quite essential:
- thumb typing or some kind of ability to type while walking or standing up
- long periods of one handed operation or holding it in one hand
- easy portability without accessories like cases, straps, keyboards etc.
The iPad mini is actually the first tablet to cover all these "essentials." You can't do any of those things on the iPad, at least not easily. The average iPad with it's giant thick leather case, or keyboard case or whatever most people use, is practically a hybrid laptop by comparison. You have to put it down on a table top just to type an email. It's hardly a mobile device at all. With the iPad mini, I could see people (kids most likely) typing entire books on it while skateboarding down the street. I think it could easily replace a MacBook Air for a lot of people right now.
It seems to me that anyone using a tablet for serious purposes would gravitate towards the mini, whereas those just using it for casual uses would use the larger one. The big one is for seniors and the "slower," more "challenged" computer users, the mini is for the pros.
Couldn't agree more but don't let Tallest Skil hear you say this. By the way, he seems awfully quiet since the ipad mini has officially been announced, has he choked on his hat by any chance?!
Main reason for me in buying a smaller tablet is for putting it inside a pocket of a coat/jacket, - no check....
Why make it smaller but not to the point of where the size begins to matter. I use a tablet for business and 10" and 7" is the difference between bringing along a tablet versus having a tablet with you regardless of having to use it.
I agree with your points but not your conclusion of "iPad Pro in hiding." I think it's a mini but I think it could be a much bigger seller and profit center than the larger model, much like the Nano is to the iPod Classic.
Only problem is its getting tagged as a competitor to the low end Android and Amazon tablets vs just a smaller form factor iPad. Of course it didn't help that Phil Schiller spent so much time comparing it to the Nexus. :no:
Only problem is its getting tagged as a competitor to the low end Android and Amazon tablets vs just a smaller form factor iPad. Of course it didn't help that Phil Schiller spent so much time comparing it to the Nexus. :no:
It certainly seemed reactionary but I think it had to be because it will get compared to 7" tablets. It's in the 7 inch range after all. Doesn't matter what Schiller says the average person won't see that or know that at 16:9 the display area and usability is greatly reduced for most tasks. They'll have to see them side-by-side to get an idea. But even then they may only see how movies look on 16:9 as opposed to 4:3.
The iPad mini is actually thinner than my Kindle, by about a millimeter+...I guess Apple uses thinner pencils.
And, I love my Kindle, but, whether Apple is trying to kill other smaller formats or not, I believe
if I could move my 450 purchased books from Kindle format into iBooks,
I'd switch for the vastly greater functionality of the mini, higher price be damned...well worth it.
You can get the kindle App for the iPad and read your kindle books.
Thanks, yes, I could and do use those "Kindle for..." apps, but I have found them to be buggy and unreliable, and I can't seem to put all the books on all the devices I use - they tell me I've
I'm just speculating here. No right or wrong, just hypothesis and assumptions. Now, when I make an assertion as fact you'll know because I'll be very adamant about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boredumb
The iPad mini is actually thinner than my Kindle, by about a millimeter+...I guess Apple uses thinner pencils.
And, I love my Kindle, but, whether Apple is trying to kill other smaller formats or not, I believe
if I could move my 450 purchased books from Kindle format into iBooks,
I'd switch for the vastly greater functionality of the mini, higher price be damned...well worth it.
So at the same general size as the iPad mini the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is nearly twice as heavy. But hey, it's only $299¡
Lol! Thanks for the excruciating documentation! My Kindle (3 at the time, now known as
keyboard) if it is .34" is therefore 8.636 mm, so not quite 1.5mm thicker.
Not nitpicking at all, you are proving my point, that at this size the vastly greater performance & functionality is well worth the extra $ ($139 for my Kindle, which displays books AND anemic dictionary entries, won't search its own content if the battery is below half, and often freezes while I write notes...remind me again why I love it???).
Still wish I could put the ebooks I have now into iBooks natively, instead of on a kindle app, as the other respondent pointed out.
We can put music purchased on Amazon into iTunes, after all...
Lol! Thanks for the excruciating documentation! My Kindle (3 at the time, now known as
keyboard) if it is .34" is therefore 8.636 mm, so not quite 1.5mm thicker.
Not nitpicking at all, you are proving my point, that at this size the vastly greater performance & functionality is well worth the extra $ ($139 for my Kindle, which displays books AND anemic dictionary entries, won't search its own content if the battery is below half, and often freezes while I write notes...remind me again why I love it???).
One reason I like eReaders is that it's not the same distraction as you get with a complete device like a tablet. However, up until the Paperwhite I've hated the way the dark-grey text looks on the light-gray background. That might be the first eReader I'll purchase.
Still wish I could put the ebooks I have now into iBooks natively, instead of on a kindle app, as the other respondent pointed out.
We can put music purchased on Amazon into iTunes, after all...
There are ways to remove the DRM from much of their stuff. One issue may be that it's MOBI and not EPUB. MOBI won't load in iBooks so you'll have to use any number of poor apps to convert from MOBI to EPUB. From what I've seen it means converting to HTML and then to whatever format you desire. A lot seems to be lost with this method.
Comments
I agree with your points but not your conclusion of "iPad Pro in hiding." I think it's a mini but I think it could be a much bigger seller and profit center than the larger model, much like the Nano is to the iPod Classic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][
...
I read a rumor about some Android tablet supposedly coming out with a resolution that's greater than the iPad 3/4, but I have to ask, what's the point? Hardware specs mean nothing, if the software is not there to support it. Is that super-high resolution Android tablet going to run phone apps that are blown up?
...
As a side note, color is the most important factor for human perception, resolution is only second.
So natural colors with high dynamic range unchanged by the viewing angle make the most impression.
Keeping the glass thin and laminating the lcd also adds to the natural and lifelike impression because icons seem to float on the display and 3D effects look real.
J.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
I said this before and I guess no one agrees with me, but I think the mini, despite it's inauspicious start, is actually the "iPad Pro" in hiding. IMO, it has the potential to be a far better iPad than the original iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
I agree with your points but not your conclusion of "iPad Pro in hiding." I think it's a mini but I think it could be a much bigger seller and profit center than the larger model, much like the Nano is to the iPod Classic.
Or maybe it's just a matter of completing the set of three and letting the customers choose: iPod Touch at 4", iPad Mini at 7.9" and iPad at 9.7", just like they had the iPod, iPod Nano and Shuffle.
I think Apple did this not so much to fill a market gap but rather a gap in their own product line, to let a customer find what they need when they enter the Apple Store. They tend to look more inward than outward. Perhaps that's the right direction when you're atop the industry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
I said this before and I guess no one agrees with me, but I think the mini, despite it's inauspicious start, is actually the "iPad Pro" in hiding. IMO, it has the potential to be a far better iPad than the original iPad.
Before anyone was sure they were going to make a tablet at all and people were writing about what they expected, or what Apple seemed to be aiming for based on their patent applications, everyone seemed to think that the following was quite essential:
- thumb typing or some kind of ability to type while walking or standing up
- long periods of one handed operation or holding it in one hand
- easy portability without accessories like cases, straps, keyboards etc.
The iPad mini is actually the first tablet to cover all these "essentials." You can't do any of those things on the iPad, at least not easily. The average iPad with it's giant thick leather case, or keyboard case or whatever most people use, is practically a hybrid laptop by comparison. You have to put it down on a table top just to type an email. It's hardly a mobile device at all. With the iPad mini, I could see people (kids most likely) typing entire books on it while skateboarding down the street. I think it could easily replace a MacBook Air for a lot of people right now.
It seems to me that anyone using a tablet for serious purposes would gravitate towards the mini, whereas those just using it for casual uses would use the larger one. The big one is for seniors and the "slower," more "challenged" computer users, the mini is for the pros.
One handed operation of the iPad mini is impossible. You need two hands to do that.
(Unless you type with your nose.)
The iPad is easy to use standing up (or walking), even without smart cover.
Typing emails, browsing the web, etc, is all very easy to do.
(I even type while running up the stairs.)
J.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
I said this before and I guess no one agrees with me, but I think the mini, despite it's inauspicious start, is actually the "iPad Pro" in hiding. IMO, it has the potential to be a far better iPad than the original iPad.
Before anyone was sure they were going to make a tablet at all and people were writing about what they expected, or what Apple seemed to be aiming for based on their patent applications, everyone seemed to think that the following was quite essential:
- thumb typing or some kind of ability to type while walking or standing up
- long periods of one handed operation or holding it in one hand
- easy portability without accessories like cases, straps, keyboards etc.
The iPad mini is actually the first tablet to cover all these "essentials." You can't do any of those things on the iPad, at least not easily. The average iPad with it's giant thick leather case, or keyboard case or whatever most people use, is practically a hybrid laptop by comparison. You have to put it down on a table top just to type an email. It's hardly a mobile device at all. With the iPad mini, I could see people (kids most likely) typing entire books on it while skateboarding down the street. I think it could easily replace a MacBook Air for a lot of people right now.
It seems to me that anyone using a tablet for serious purposes would gravitate towards the mini, whereas those just using it for casual uses would use the larger one. The big one is for seniors and the "slower," more "challenged" computer users, the mini is for the pros.
Couldn't agree more but don't let Tallest Skil hear you say this. By the way, he seems awfully quiet since the ipad mini has officially been announced, has he choked on his hat by any chance?!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason98
So...
Thinner - check.
Lighter - check.
Cellular/LTE - check
Bluetooth - check
Carrier Internet-only cheap plans - check
Appstore VoIP apps - check
I will leave it for you to draw the conclusion.
Main reason for me in buying a smaller tablet is for putting it inside a pocket of a coat/jacket, - no check....
Why make it smaller but not to the point of where the size begins to matter. I use a tablet for business and 10" and 7" is the difference between bringing along a tablet versus having a tablet with you regardless of having to use it.
It certainly seemed reactionary but I think it had to be because it will get compared to 7" tablets. It's in the 7 inch range after all. Doesn't matter what Schiller says the average person won't see that or know that at 16:9 the display area and usability is greatly reduced for most tasks. They'll have to see them side-by-side to get an idea. But even then they may only see how movies look on 16:9 as opposed to 4:3.
Originally Posted by jason98
So...
Thinner - check.
Lighter - check.
Cellular/LTE - check
Bluetooth - check
Carrier Internet-only cheap plans - check
Appstore VoIP apps - check
I will leave it for you to draw the conclusion.
Looking completely ludicrous while using an 8" device as a phone - check
There is no speaker in mini so one with BT headset actually would not look as ridiculous as Note users without Bluetooth
Originally Posted by jason98
There is no speaker in mini so one with BT headset actually would not look as ridiculous as Note users without Bluetooth
Yes, there is.
I meant the low volume speaker for an ear of course.
Anyways I am going to buy the mini and use it as an experimental phone.
Originally Posted by jason98
I meant the low volume speaker for an ear of course.
Oh, yeah.
Well, just spin it around. The microphone is at the top of the device, so hold it upside down!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_CA
Quote:
Originally Posted by boredumb
The iPad mini is actually thinner than my Kindle, by about a millimeter+...I guess Apple uses thinner pencils.
And, I love my Kindle, but, whether Apple is trying to kill other smaller formats or not, I believe
if I could move my 450 purchased books from Kindle format into iBooks,
I'd switch for the vastly greater functionality of the mini, higher price be damned...well worth it.
You can get the kindle App for the iPad and read your kindle books.
Thanks, yes, I could and do use those "Kindle for..." apps, but I have found them to be buggy and unreliable, and I can't seem to put all the books on all the devices I use - they tell me I've
reached a limit they impose...
still, good point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
I'm just speculating here. No right or wrong, just hypothesis and assumptions. Now, when I make an assertion as fact you'll know because I'll be very adamant about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boredumb
The iPad mini is actually thinner than my Kindle, by about a millimeter+...I guess Apple uses thinner pencils.
And, I love my Kindle, but, whether Apple is trying to kill other smaller formats or not, I believe
if I could move my 450 purchased books from Kindle format into iBooks,
I'd switch for the vastly greater functionality of the mini, higher price be damned...well worth it.
So at the same general size as the iPad mini the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is nearly twice as heavy. But hey, it's only $299¡
Lol! Thanks for the excruciating documentation! My Kindle (3 at the time, now known as
keyboard) if it is .34" is therefore 8.636 mm, so not quite 1.5mm thicker.
Not nitpicking at all, you are proving my point, that at this size the vastly greater performance & functionality is well worth the extra $ ($139 for my Kindle, which displays books AND anemic dictionary entries, won't search its own content if the battery is below half, and often freezes while I write notes...remind me again why I love it???).
Still wish I could put the ebooks I have now into iBooks natively, instead of on a kindle app, as the other respondent pointed out.
We can put music purchased on Amazon into iTunes, after all...
One reason I like eReaders is that it's not the same distraction as you get with a complete device like a tablet. However, up until the Paperwhite I've hated the way the dark-grey text looks on the light-gray background. That might be the first eReader I'll purchase.
There are ways to remove the DRM from much of their stuff. One issue may be that it's MOBI and not EPUB. MOBI won't load in iBooks so you'll have to use any number of poor apps to convert from MOBI to EPUB. From what I've seen it means converting to HTML and then to whatever format you desire. A lot seems to be lost with this method.