[Closed] iPad retina or iPad mini

Just got a retina - no regrets!

You gonna carry it around or use it at home? I would only buy the mini if I were going to be carrying it around a lot.

I've got the Retina Pad, and it's a terrific thing to use, but it's a bit heavy to carry around. The Mini hasn't got such a detailed screen, but for carrying around the Mini is a delight, it's so light and easy to handle.
All I can honestly suggest is try to find a store with both and play with them.
I will be getting a Mini when the next itteration comes out, for using with Viewranger and ereaders it's perfect.

My daughter got an iPad mini for Chrimbo and the screen is perfectly fine. Not as sharp as retina but not obviously blocky like and early iPhone screen.

The Mini is easier to hold as well - I find the regular iPad a bit weighty to hold with one hand.

Nexus 7 FTW

I've just had to make the same decision. Went for the retina display as I've not gone for the 3g one, so wont be using it when out and about.

Not an Apple fan at all but was looking at both recently, thought the retina display was stunning, possibly best I've ever seen (not sure what full HD screens on new gen Android phones will be like, or even if worth it at all) but thought the screen on iPad mini poor, bit of a miss by Apple I think, sure they'll go retina on next gen.

I didn't want an iPad until I saw the mini. I've got an iMac and iPhone and couldn't really see the point in one for me. Then I saw the mini and really wanted one! It's big enough for home use for surfing etc and although I don't carry it around often when I do it's small enough to put in a big pocket or be unnoticeable in a bag. It's also less than half the weight of the full size iPad so ideal as en e-reader. I'm chuffed to bits with it.

I suspect there will be a Retina Mini iPad out in due course.

Personally I have the full-size retina iPad and I'm happy with it. I can't imagine trying to read Singletrack mags off a tiny non-retina screen. I don't think it would do it justice.

But... it depends on your intended usage. I read quite a few mags on mine so I like the big display and it is mainly house/couch bound so I don't worry about hoofing it about.

Went for the retina display as I've not gone for the 3g one, so wont be using it when out and about.

3G iPad is pointless unless you need GPS.

For 3G access you can just tether it to your phone and use your existing contract.

Retina screens are great, for home use the 10 is excellent - portable I'd probably go mini/nexus7 - I'm a platform whore I have a pad at home and a Nexus4, I love them both equally 🙂

I have the Mini 3G
It gets used mainly when I'm out and about, travelling with work etc. that's where it excels TBH, good wi-fi and an £11 3GB preloaded SIM card and it works just about everywhere.
I did try the full size one, put I preferred to be able to pop in in a pocket and carry it that way - I don't possess a man-bag and have no intention to ever do so 🙂

GrahamS so could I use my Three unlimited data iPhone 4?
Is this straight forward?

Ah jota, not even a [url= http://shop.ilsoigneur.cc/products/off-the-shelf ]Harris tweed Musette[/url]?

Especially a Harris Tweed muesli thing

I have an iPad mini and find it's excellent for more mobile use such as reading a book or watching films on a plane.

I find a full size iPad is just too big on a plane to handle properly, especially if you get stuck in a middle seat.

GrahamS so could I use my Three unlimited data iPhone 4?
Is this straight forward?

Yep - provided your contract allows it - it is very easy to do.

On your iPhone take a look in [i]Settings->General->Mobile Data->Personal Hotspot[/i]

[img] [/img]

You can share the connection as a wifi point, across Bluetooth, or using a USB cable. I generally just use Bluetooth.

(by the way, most smartphones let you do this, it doesn't have to be an iPhone)

See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4517 for more.

^ nice^

Nexus 7 FTW

What iPad model is that? What do you win?

Yep - provided your contract allows it

Three said it wasn't allowed on my contract but it works anyway with my iPad and I don't seem to get charged any extra. I wonder if iPad tethering and tethering to a laptop is considered a different thing.

Ipad mini here.

Only one advantage over the retina. Price. That's it. To be expected really. I wasn't that fussed about retina tbh, I'm a bit of an oaf so finer things need not apply.

Tried the Nexus7, it'll be up to the individual but I didn't like it at all.

Oh and a normal iPad is too big/too heavy? 😕

Depends on use, I have mini, wife has retina - both very happy. Mini is, well... smaller and more portable, retina is well...bigger. One thing to note though the iPad 4 has a much nicer processor

has a much nicer processor

Does it hold doors open for you and compliment your choice of shoes? 🙂

And for a bit of heresy - if you want a bit more flexibility and the ability to do your excel stuff why not look at one of the Windows based tablets? There are actually quite a few choices of device out there now including some that can switch between tablet and notebook (detachable screens). Some very nice devices to choose from.

If you can wait a wee while the ipad5 is going to be sized between the retina and mini models, check out mac rumours web site they have some info,
PJ.

I bought a nexus 7 as a stop gap until the iPad mini with the faster chip and retina display is released. Going from the screen on my iPad 2 to the nexus makes the pixels on the iPad seem huge!
I like the nexus so much now that I'm not so sure.

I bought a nexus 7 as a stop gap until the iPad mini with the faster chip and retina display is released

Surely you'd have been better buying the current iPmini then selling it on as they'll hold their value better?

Errr no. The ipad mini is £150 more for the 32gb model.

Ipad mini retina is out in march I beleive.

I've recently changed from an early iPad to the mini and I'm using the mini a lot more than I ever used the fullsize ipad.
If you're taking it out and about then the mini is a much more usable size. The retina display is nice, but there really isn't a lot wrong with the standard display on the mini.

And for a bit of heresy - if you want a bit more flexibility and the ability to do your excel stuff why not look at one of the Windows based tablets? There are actually quite a few choices of device out there now including some that can switch between tablet and notebook (detachable screens). Some very nice devices to choose from.

I bought my wife an iPad Mini for Christmas as she reckoned it was more handbag friendly that the big one.

The full-size iPad seems to big and heavy to me - I think the smaller ones make more sense.

The retina display is nice, but there really isn't a lot wrong with the standard display on the mini.

Can you read magazines (e.g. singletrack) on the mini display?

Can't see it coping well without zooming in to read the text, which is a pain.

Can't see the value of an iPad mini, in fact I can't really see the point of it.

I've a retina iPad and it's quite frankly brilliant, reading Singletrack mags is easy and they look amazing on the retina display too. Added bonus of tethering it to my phone when out and about meant I didn't have to shell out extra on the 3G model too.

I don't feel like adding to Apple's 87 billion dollar cash reserve.

I don't feel like adding to Apple's 87 billion dollar cash reserve.

😯
Maybe you fancy taking a punt on Nokia coming back from the doldrums and helping make them profitable?
Want to help boost HTC's share price back to the highs of May 2011?
Feel google need a bit more market share to make them pay a dividend?
🙄

buzz-lightyear - Member
I don't feel like adding to Apple's 87 billion dollar cash reserve.

87billion ?? More like 140billion now

Seen the reviews? Buy the 64Gb version, you get 24Gb of usable storage; the Windows OS on tablets is a classic example of BloatWare.

Not completely accurate. That used disk space is not just the OS. It is also a recovery partition. Plus that looks like a specific device you are looking at ie the Surface. There are lots of other devices that may well be configured differently. Although the Surface itself is actually a very nice device having seen and played with one.

madhouse - Member
Can't see the value of an iPad mini, in fact I can't really see the point of it.

Not completely accurate. That used disk space is not just the OS. It is also a recovery partition. Plus that looks like a specific device you are looking at ie the Surface. There are lots of other devices that may well be configured differently. Although the Surface itself is actually a very nice device having seen and played with one.

There's only one CPU on offer, the 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U, and only a single RAM config, that being 4GB. Really, then, the only choice is how much integrated flash storage you want -- but this, too, is an easy decision. For $899 you can get the 64GB model, but there's only 23GB available thanks to the recovery partition and, of course, the OS itself. If you're looking to buy, we'd highly recommend stepping up to the 128GB model, which has a far more livable 83GB free. (Note that you can delete the 8GB recovery partition, which helps a bit.)

I have a 32gig windows surface Rt and iPad retina (4th gen). For general browsing and apps I use the iPad, for multitasking and proper work I use the surface, keyboard is much better and interface a bit more work friendly.

Can't see the value of an iPad mini, in fact I can't really see the point of it.

I've a retina iPad and it's quite frankly brilliant,

Well, it's pretty uch exactly the same as yours, but smaller and lighter (So more portable and convenient) and a lot cheaper (So you don't spend as much money)

🙂

I've no experience of the surface but I would point out that you can plug in a SD card to get more storage, and if you're blowing 600 quid on one another 20 quid on a 64gb card is hardly going to break the bank. Can't do that with a iPad or a nexus.

That said I'm typing this out on a nexus 10 which I absolutely love. Only 16 gig but you can plug a USB stick in pretty easily if you need a load of videos on hand. My wife has a nexus 7 which is also ace - the choice between the two comes down to the use case really. Taking it on the train get the nexus 7, sofa surfing get the 10.

Android has impressed me to the degree where I'm thinking of ditching the iPhone when the time comes and getting a nexus 4 (or whatever).

Well, it's pretty uch exactly the same as yours, but smaller and lighter (So more portable and convenient) and a lot cheaper (So you don't spend as much money)

The screen is pretty low res tho. Which means you may as well just get an mobile phone - there is about 100px in it. The retenia one is much higher res so you can fit more on the screen without constantly pinch zooming.

Except retina costs more.

And most phones have a smaller screen size.

It's all a compromise, something that the individual buyer needs to weigh up.

Mag content is fine on the mini, screen res is also fine. If you want the best, then pay more, if you don't then pay less.

Or get a nexus 7.... Cheaper and higher res.

I had a similar decision.

Wanted to read PDF's, books (technical ones, not novels) and magazines so went with the bigger screen. it is quite large and heavyish, definitely get the smaller one if you're taking it out with you on a regular basis.

The resolution on the iPad mini seemed fine to me, though a retina on its way http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tablet-pcs/1297756/ipad-mini-2-release-date-features-and-price-rumours

If you can wait a wee while the ipad5 is going to be sized between the retina and mini models, check out mac rumours web site they have some info

Ewan - Member
Or get a nexus 7.... Cheaper and higher res.

POSTED 1 HOUR AGO #

Looked at the mini, nexus, and kindle fire. For my purposes the mini was the best of the three options.

Nexus as a user experience, and entirely from my perspective came a poor second to the mini. Just didn't like it at all.

Like I've said, the res on the mini (for me) is absolutely fine. If I was forced to choose from the kindle fire or nexus I'd go with the kindle. If I used these things for games, that might change.

 

The screen is pretty low res tho

I know.. I have one. I'm posting this from it right now! It's really not any sort of problem!

. Which means you may as well just get an mobile phone

Well, no. I've also got an iPhone 5 with a retina screen. It's good, but the iPad mini is better because the screen is bigger. Totally different animals. I think the iPhone is more in need of the retina screen than the iPad to be honest.
I'm very happy with my mini. It's been in constant use since I bought it a few weeks after they were launched. I like its size, the light weight and the price. It's also a beautifully made little thing. 🙂

Android has impressed me to the degree where I'm thinking of ditching the iPhone when the time comes and getting a nexus 4 (or whatever).

The current iPad mini is 2 generations of iPad out of date and for this they charge £350 for the 32gb model. Hardly what I'd call value for money.
I will happily buy apple products (or any other companies) when they spec their devices with the components that the price tag deserves.

Well went to look at the iPad Mini today. Nicer than I expected but I couldn't get past the lack of retina.
And the answer to my "are mags readable without zooming in?" question is a clear "no".

(Sent from my iPad 3... from soft play 🙂 )

Went in apple today with the intention of buying a iPad mini.
Could not bring myself to do it after comparing it to the retina iPad.
Nice enough but in a different league.
Will wait and see if they release the mini retina in March.

my "are mags readable without zooming in?" question is a clear "no".

You need glasses.

There's nothing that could persuade me to use anything with Windows as an OS. I use a PC at work with Windows on it, admittedly an old OS; XP, I think, but I absolutely hate it.

Fair enough - we all are free to choose what we want. Having said that XP is now pretty old (over 10 years) but at the time was a very good OS. Times have changed and moved on since then. Windows 7 was overall a very good release - quite possibly the best Windows version ever. Windows 8 has changed the Microsoft game by going fully touch which has enabled a lot of potential in the device market giving lots of choice across a spread of prices. I can't help nodding admiringly in the direction of Apple and what they have achieved over the last 15 years from a company that was almost dead and buried. However, having spent some time looking at their devices I'm not so sure they as good or as far ahead of the competition as popular opinion would suggest. And their products do come at a cost.

> my "are mags readable without zooming in?" question is a clear "no".
You need glasses.

Well, I tried looking at the "PDF High" version of Issue 79 on the iPad Mini in the Apple store and I found I couldn't read the article text without having to zoom in. Can you?

Seems fair enough because the ipad mini is about half the size of the magazine page and has a much lower res than print.

On the Retina display on my full-blown iPad I can comfortably read it. Which is also fair enough as it is almost the same size as the magazine page and near print resolution.

Different people with different requirements have different preferences shocker!!!

83Gb, out of 128!
http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/05/microsoft-surface-pro-review/
There's nothing that could persuade me to use anything with Windows as an OS. I use a PC at work with Windows on it, admittedly an old OS; XP, I think, but I absolutely hate it.

Thing is, a Surface Pro is a proper computer, with a proper OS. Not just a tablet. If you really want to compare it to an Apple product, try comparing it to a Macbook Air - get past the fact that Apple uses base 10 to report disk sizes (a cheap sleight of hand to make them look bigger), and the difference is minimal. http://www.zdnet.com/surface-pro-versus-macbook-air-whos-being-dishonest-with-storage-space-7000011009/

To the OP: I've been living with a 7" tablet for over a year now, and while it's ideal for Twitter and email over breakfast (which is what I wanted it for, basically), it's not great for extended web browsing. You have to use the zoom too much. It is, of course, a lot lighter which is nice on the odd occasion I've used it while travelling.