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I tried it at the Apple Store three times, I spent a total of two hours writing and drawing using the Apple Pencil. I came out with the following conclusion:

• AI and hand writing recognition is a little on the slow side, but I can get used to it. I am sure it would be considerably faster with an M processor.
• Apple's Smart Script is great, but it still feels like it needs work, which is expected for a new feature.
• One of the biggest disadvantage for me was that Smart Script only works in Notes, for now. The problem with Notes is you can't pinch to zoom.
• The screen is very slippery for the Pencil (No surprises here since it's the same screen as the Air and Pro) but you end up writing very large letters and the small screen begins to feel smaller. Add the lack of pinch to zoom and you end up with a list of critical blockers.

If I were to use it for other than taking notes and drawing with the Apple Pencil, it would be a great little device. 

Can't it be powered on from the keyboard?

mike1 said:

This is all well and good until something better is developed and all manufacturers are stuck using the old version because the EU mandated a specific connector. Can't wait until the rest of the world moves on to something better/faster/smaller/cheaper and the EU countries are stuck with this.

Exactly! USB-C was Apple's design solution for Intel which was slow to changing. But now that the EU has put a barrier to connector innovations, companies will be forced to focus on cordless everything which carries security concerns.

slurpy said:

bloggerblog said:

StrangeDays said:

charlesn said:

Thank you, Apple--I guess--for saving me money again with another mediocre upgrade. STILL with the dated looking fat bezels? A bump to the near useless 6E when Wifi 7 is already here and supported by Apple in other products? No landscape camera? 

What on earth are you talking about? It's got the same processor as the iPhone 15 Pro, is 25-30% faster, will run Apple Intelligence, support for Pencil Pro, and double the storage. Plus TouchID and USB-C. It's a solid mini tablet. So what if it's not running Wifi 7? 

We don't know how long it will take for the A17 to become outdated in an iPad since the Air uses an M2. I for one was eagerly waiting for a new mini mainly because of SmartScript, but did not expect Apple to use an older gen iPhone processor, an M2 would've been ideal.
I'll try it at an Apple store but will likely end up with a reMarkable Pro this year.

The iPad and remarkable pro are completely different products. The A17 Pro likely completely wipes the floor with whatever CPU the remarkable is using, and basing your decision on the CPU alone seems pretty insane considering the other massive differences between the 2 products and their functionality. 

Obviously but speed is not my requirement, I don't play games or run process intensive tasks. I want a Mini but not one with a soon to be obsolete processor. Example, I have an iPhone 14 Pro I bought in 2022 and it's already not compatible with AI, just two years later. So for note taking I will go with reMarkable unless Apple decides to align the mini processor with Air, if they don't then I'll just stick with a reMarkable.

StrangeDays said:

charlesn said:

Thank you, Apple--I guess--for saving me money again with another mediocre upgrade. STILL with the dated looking fat bezels? A bump to the near useless 6E when Wifi 7 is already here and supported by Apple in other products? No landscape camera? 

What on earth are you talking about? It's got the same processor as the iPhone 15 Pro, is 25-30% faster, will run Apple Intelligence, support for Pencil Pro, and double the storage. Plus TouchID and USB-C. It's a solid mini tablet. So what if it's not running Wifi 7? 

We don't know how long it will take for the A17 to become outdated in an iPad since the Air uses an M2. I for one was eagerly waiting for a new mini mainly because of SmartScript, but did not expect Apple to use an older gen iPhone processor, an M2 would've been ideal.
I'll try it at an Apple store but will likely end up with a reMarkable Pro this year.