iPad Mini... Hmmm

[Jindrax]

So my mum's work was giving them away for free as Christmas gifts. Last year I gave it to her, because her PC kinda really sucks . But this year I was thinking about holding on to it. But I was wondering... What do people actually use them for? What are the advantages? Is there anything they're really awesome for?

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

The only thing I've seen people use them as is an impromptu Apple console. Although, I did once see a man use one to give a powerpoint. He used it as a mouse.

 

[Melon Hunter]

I guess that depends on what you do in your life. As my lectures at university are a good 20 minute bike ride away and my laptop is too large and expensive for me to take it there and back every day, I use my iPad as a compromise for casual browsing and productivity while I'm at my lecture halls. The 7" form factor is more portable than the 10" form factor used by the regular iPad, so while a 10" tablet is good for browsing at home, it's kinda too big to practically take out with you unless you have a rucksack with you. A 7" tablet can, on the other hand, fit in a large pocket.

If you have other iOS devices, then the app crossover is nice. However, the resolution is a bit funny (I think it's 4:3 when the norm for tablets is 16:9 or 16:10) so be prepared to have black bars around the top and bottom if watching videos. So really, the best thing a iPad mini does is strike a nice compromise between the portability of the iPhone/iPod Touch and the screen real estate of the iPad. If you have one for free, then I'd hang on to it. You may find it comes in handy with apps or just for browsing on the go, and if it turns out you don't like it, you can get a pretty penny for it on Ebay.

 

[Jindrax]

I guess that depends on what you do in your life. As my lectures at university are a good 20 minute bike ride away and my laptop is too large and expensive for me to take it there and back every day, I use my iPad as a compromise for casual browsing and productivity while I'm at my lecture halls. The 7" form factor is more portable than the 10" form factor used by the regular iPad, so while a 10" tablet is good for browsing at home, it's kinda too big to practically take out with you unless you have a rucksack with you. A 7" tablet can, on the other hand, fit in a large pocket.

If you have other iOS devices, then the app crossover is nice. However, the resolution is a bit funny (I think it's 4:3 when the norm for tablets is 16:9 or 16:10) so be prepared to have black bars around the top and bottom if watching videos. So really, the best thing a iPad mini does is strike a nice compromise between the portability of the iPhone/iPod Touch and the screen real estate of the iPad. If you have one for free, then I'd hang on to it. You may find it comes in handy with apps or just for browsing on the go, and if it turns out you don't like it, you can get a pretty penny for it on Ebay.

Okay thanks for the input.

 

[Wadders]

S I was wondering... What do people actually use them for?

You and me both man...

Really don't understand the point of these. Do people really experience situations when an iPhone is just too small and an iPad is just too big? Do they really think, "'f only I had a product that is virtually identical to my iPad, just 3" smaller'? Come on now...

 

[Dags90]

You and me both man...

Really don't understand the point of these. Do people really experience situations when an iPhone is just too small and an iPad is just too big? Do they really think, "'f only I had a product that is virtually identical to my iPad, just 3" smaller'? Come on now...

Eh, they're reasonably cheaper ($70 less than an iPad 2), and come in more configurations than an iPad 2. So for someone just coming into the iPad market looking to get a low entry price, it could be worth it. It also weighs substantially less, at about half the weight. We plan on getting my grandmother an iPad mini because an iPad is probably to bulky for her to use much, as well as the price.

 

[Wadders]

You and me both man...

Really don't understand the point of these. Do people really experience situations when an iPhone is just too small and an iPad is just too big? Do they really think, "'f only I had a product that is virtually identical to my iPad, just 3" smaller'? Come on now...

Eh, they're reasonably cheaper ($70 less than an iPad 2), and come in more configurations than an iPad 2. So for someone just coming into the iPad market looking to get a low entry price, it could be worth it. It also weighs substantially less, at about half the weight. We plan on getting my grandmother an iPad mini because an iPad is probably to bulky for her to use much, as well as the price.

Fair one.

I can understand why people who don't already have an iPad/iPhone might want one, as in the case of your grandmother. I was just imagining Apple fanboys going out and buying them when they already own one of the above, for no conceivable reason. I wouldn't put it past some of them...

 

[Jindrax]

S I was wondering... What do people actually use them for?

You and me both man...

Really don't understand the point of these. Do people really experience situations when an iPhone is just too small and an iPad is just too big? Do they really think, "'f only I had a product that is virtually identical to my iPad, just 3" smaller'? Come on now...

Nono, I meant what to people use tablets in general for? I mean, my room isnt that big so going to my pc to google something isnt that far . What do people actually use them for? and don't say to play games I don't even have any installed on my android phone.

 

[Dags90]

Nono, I meant what to people use tablets in general for? I mean, my room isnt that big so going to my pc to google something isnt that far . What do people actually use them for? and don't say to play games I don't even have any installed on my android phone.

I use mine to play some games...Draw Something is a lot better on a 10" screen.

But mostly it's for travel. I travel with reasonable frequency, and it's nice to be able to watch TV or something on a long car ride/flight. I've also used it to watch cooking videos on Youtube right in my kitchen while I'm cooking.

 

[LordFish]

There's one in my desk draw at work at the moment since I'm mean to be supporting them so I got loaned one to get familiar with the interface.

I was very surprised how I was able to write a really long email on one and send it with relative ease, Has made me want to buy myself a tablet. However an Android tablet at 20% of the cost that has similar hardware is definitely the route I would go.

Yes the interface isn't as polished and the app store is a little dicky, however apple products aren't the miracle devices they are marketed as. Take it from someone who has to fix them

tl;dr
Sell the iPad and buy google nexus or similar - pocket several hundred bucks change.

 

[C4tt4nn4]

S I was wondering... What do people actually use them for?

You and me both man...

Really don't understand the point of these. Do people really experience situations when an iPhone is just too small and an iPad is just too big? Do they really think, "'f only I had a product that is virtually identical to my iPad, just 3" smaller'? Come on now...

Nono, I meant what to people use tablets in general for? I mean, my room isnt that big so going to my pc to google something isnt that far . What do people actually use them for? and don't say to play games I don't even have any installed on my android phone.

there are obviously a bunch of word processing apps (iWork is the one that springs to mind), and lots of games. but when i had an ipad (loaned for the year), i used mainly the drawing apps and the organization apps (evernote, bento, etc). itunes U isn't bad either, and although safari is a pain, it's nice to be able to look at non-mobile sits on a mobile platform, and can come in quite handy to google recipes or instructions.

 

[Athinira]

S I was wondering... What do people actually use them for?

You and me both man...

Really don't understand the point of these. Do people really experience situations when an iPhone is just too small and an iPad is just too big? Do they really think, "'f only I had a product that is virtually identical to my iPad, just 3" smaller'? Come on now...

The difference between a 9-10 inch tablet and a 7-8 inch tablet is actually astounding. The mere fact that you can have the latter in your pocket is simply just a huge bonus, and it's way better to hold in your hand due to the more reasonably sized screen and the drastically reduced weight.

This guy at VentureBeat who is a long time tablet owner (had 5 tablets before he bought his iPad Mini) gives a pretty good explanation of why he loves it.
Why I'm returning my iPad Mini [http://venturebeat.com/2012/11/07/why-im-returning-my-ipad-mini/]

I myself are rolling with the 16 gig Nexus 7, and I can't stress enough how great it is to have a 7 inch screen. It's perfect for writing, fits in my pocket, has a long battery life, it's perfect for reading. If you're an avid (e-Book or internet) reader, or if you write a lot you will understand the importance and blessing of having a tablet that you don't need to carry in a bag or under your arm. I practically have my Nexus 7 on me close to all the time - simply because i can.