Here is disagree with Troy. Time will tell who is/was right but I think overall experience of iPad mini will well make it worth $80 premium over comparable Google Nexus 7 tablet. Overall experience includes both hardware form factor (apple factor + 30% more real estate) and software ecosystem. On top of it, it will make lot more sense for families to buy iPad mini and continue to take advantage in the investments in Apps and games they already bought for iPad/iPhone. With huge customer base, here Apple has big advantage over Nexus 7.
If I am existing iPad/iPhone user at home, and if I have to buy extra tablet for my kids so they can leave my iPad/iPhone then I am better of spending $80 more and get iPad mini instead of buying Nexus 7 where I will have to spend another 10-20-30-40 bucks on games and apps.. Well.. that is my logic..It could be flawed.. or may be it is just another lame excuse to spend another few hundred bucks on Apple..
However, event was pleasantly surprising from iMac's perspective. It was looking real cool.. though I am kind of against Apple for keep on removing DVD drive and not offering blu-ray drive.. but then, I am in minority any how on that aspect. more and more people are moving away from discs and slowly DVD is going to get status of what floppy drive have today. As long as internet access speed keeps on growing and service providers don't discriminate against Netflix traffic and impose unnecessary monthly limits/caps on download I am fine.. Coming back to iMac again, despite all the beauty and cleanliness, I am still not going to buy anytime soon as I still feel that performance to price ratio is really poor. moreover... there is very little expand-ability..
I would have appreciated higher resolution for regular 13 inch mac book pro. 13 inch MBP is still my favorite except for it's screen resolution. I really can't understand why can't Apple make is same as Mac Book Air.
I am big fan of mac mini and love its form factor. Though price/performance ratio is still high but still, it I love it and worth all the dollars being asked for it. It is portable enough that you can carry it with you in your laptop bag as long as you get lcd screen to connect it to.
Finally, I was more or less disappointed by sudden out of turn upgrade of iPad.. It suddenly reduced value of my iPad from 3rd generation.. Though, from Apple's perspective it makes sense to upgrade it and more importantly change upgrade cycle to align with pre-holiday season. Though, current shortage of accessories for lightning connector might be risk for Apple.. very minor though..
KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES
The iPad Mini, left, is a little less than half the weight of the fourth-generation iPad; both were unveiled Tuesday in San Jose.
TROY WOLVERTON
TECH FILES
Better yet, despite its lighter weight, it feels much more solid. The Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus 7 have plastic cases; the iPad Mini’s is aluminum. You might worry about scuffing the iPad Mini’s case, but not about breaking it. It feels great in the hand; I didn’t want to put it down.
Another great feature of the iPad Mini is that it will run all of the apps available for the larger iPad, a big advantage over rivals. Users can choose from some 275,000 apps that have been customized for the iPad, far more than you’ll find for Android- based tablets such as the Nexus 7, not to mention the Kindle Fire.
Here’s a good example of that advantage. Mini-tablets are great e-readers. On the iPad Mini, you’ll be able to read e-books sold by Amazon’s Kindle store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook store or Apple’s iBook store.
On the Kindle Fire, you can choose from Amazon’s e-books — and that’s about it, unless you want to go to the trouble to play with your settings so the device can install apps from outside the Amazon app store.
One other advantage of the iPad Mini: versions with 4G radios so you can access the Internet in far more places. You’ll pay a cool $130 extra, but at least you have the option.
Like the latest iPhones, iPod Touches and the bigger iPad, the iPad Mini includes Siri, Apple’s speech command system, can make video calls, runs the latest version of Apple’s iOS software and appears to include all the same apps as the larger iPad.
Still, as much as there is to like about the Mini, I’m not willing to say it’s worth the premium price. Partly that’s because it has some shortcomings compared with its rivals and the bigger iPad.
The display’s resolution, for example, is lower than not only the larger iPad but also the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire. Thanks to that difference, text and video on the Mini’s screen are likely to be less sharp than on its rivals. If I were a betting man, I would put a lot of money on Apple upgrading the display of the Mini to Retina quality within two years.
One other way the iPad Mini comes up short is that its chip is the same one that came with last year’s iPad 2, not the ultrafast nextgeneration one that’s in the newer iPad. I didn’t notice much of a difference — the game “Real Racing HD” ran smoothly on the iPad Mini and the device seemed plenty responsive — but the slower processor could matter when Apple upgrades iOS and adds new features that require more power.
And while the iPad Mini is a great device, it’s not so much better than its rivals that it’s worth a more than 50 percent premium. The Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire may not be built of aluminum or as lightweight as the iPad Mini, but they are well-built, easy-to-use devices that offer consumers a reasonably large selection of apps, movies and music. For $200, they look like bargains compared with the Mini.
If you’ve been itching to get an iPad, but couldn’t swallow the $500 price, $330 for the Mini will look pretty tempting. But if what you really want is a mini tablet, and it doesn’t have to be the iPad, the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire HD are much better deals.
Which is too bad. I like the iPad Mini a lot. But I would have loved it at a better price.
KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the new iPad Mini at the California Theatre in San Jose on Tuesday. The fourth-generation iPad was also unveiled at the event, along with updates for the iMac and MacBook Pro.
If I am existing iPad/iPhone user at home, and if I have to buy extra tablet for my kids so they can leave my iPad/iPhone then I am better of spending $80 more and get iPad mini instead of buying Nexus 7 where I will have to spend another 10-20-30-40 bucks on games and apps.. Well.. that is my logic..It could be flawed.. or may be it is just another lame excuse to spend another few hundred bucks on Apple..
However, event was pleasantly surprising from iMac's perspective. It was looking real cool.. though I am kind of against Apple for keep on removing DVD drive and not offering blu-ray drive.. but then, I am in minority any how on that aspect. more and more people are moving away from discs and slowly DVD is going to get status of what floppy drive have today. As long as internet access speed keeps on growing and service providers don't discriminate against Netflix traffic and impose unnecessary monthly limits/caps on download I am fine.. Coming back to iMac again, despite all the beauty and cleanliness, I am still not going to buy anytime soon as I still feel that performance to price ratio is really poor. moreover... there is very little expand-ability..
I would have appreciated higher resolution for regular 13 inch mac book pro. 13 inch MBP is still my favorite except for it's screen resolution. I really can't understand why can't Apple make is same as Mac Book Air.
I am big fan of mac mini and love its form factor. Though price/performance ratio is still high but still, it I love it and worth all the dollars being asked for it. It is portable enough that you can carry it with you in your laptop bag as long as you get lcd screen to connect it to.
Finally, I was more or less disappointed by sudden out of turn upgrade of iPad.. It suddenly reduced value of my iPad from 3rd generation.. Though, from Apple's perspective it makes sense to upgrade it and more importantly change upgrade cycle to align with pre-holiday season. Though, current shortage of accessories for lightning connector might be risk for Apple.. very minor though..
APPLE’S SMALL TABLET
A maxi price kinda spoils the iPad Mini
SAN JOSE — In many ways, the iPad Mini is an amazing device. If it were $200 or even $250, it would be a steal.
But at $330? Not so much.
I briefly tested one at Apple’s event here Tuesday. I was blown away by the physical design of the Mini, which consumers can pre-order beginning Friday.
I really like the original iPad, but it can be tough to hold for extended periods. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve liked some of the smaller tablets that have hit the market over the past year — they’re much more portable than the iPad and more comfortable for reading or watching movies.
But the design of the iPad Mini puts even the latest rival mini-tablets to shame. Despite a screen that is a third larger than those of its nearest rivals, Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, the iPad is lighter and about half as thick. Amazingly, it’s also narrower than the Kindle Fire HD.
A maxi price kinda spoils the iPad Mini
SAN JOSE — In many ways, the iPad Mini is an amazing device. If it were $200 or even $250, it would be a steal.
But at $330? Not so much.
I briefly tested one at Apple’s event here Tuesday. I was blown away by the physical design of the Mini, which consumers can pre-order beginning Friday.
I really like the original iPad, but it can be tough to hold for extended periods. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve liked some of the smaller tablets that have hit the market over the past year — they’re much more portable than the iPad and more comfortable for reading or watching movies.
But the design of the iPad Mini puts even the latest rival mini-tablets to shame. Despite a screen that is a third larger than those of its nearest rivals, Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, the iPad is lighter and about half as thick. Amazingly, it’s also narrower than the Kindle Fire HD.
KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES
The iPad Mini, left, is a little less than half the weight of the fourth-generation iPad; both were unveiled Tuesday in San Jose.
TROY WOLVERTON
TECH FILES
Better yet, despite its lighter weight, it feels much more solid. The Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus 7 have plastic cases; the iPad Mini’s is aluminum. You might worry about scuffing the iPad Mini’s case, but not about breaking it. It feels great in the hand; I didn’t want to put it down.
Another great feature of the iPad Mini is that it will run all of the apps available for the larger iPad, a big advantage over rivals. Users can choose from some 275,000 apps that have been customized for the iPad, far more than you’ll find for Android- based tablets such as the Nexus 7, not to mention the Kindle Fire.
Here’s a good example of that advantage. Mini-tablets are great e-readers. On the iPad Mini, you’ll be able to read e-books sold by Amazon’s Kindle store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook store or Apple’s iBook store.
On the Kindle Fire, you can choose from Amazon’s e-books — and that’s about it, unless you want to go to the trouble to play with your settings so the device can install apps from outside the Amazon app store.
One other advantage of the iPad Mini: versions with 4G radios so you can access the Internet in far more places. You’ll pay a cool $130 extra, but at least you have the option.
Like the latest iPhones, iPod Touches and the bigger iPad, the iPad Mini includes Siri, Apple’s speech command system, can make video calls, runs the latest version of Apple’s iOS software and appears to include all the same apps as the larger iPad.
Still, as much as there is to like about the Mini, I’m not willing to say it’s worth the premium price. Partly that’s because it has some shortcomings compared with its rivals and the bigger iPad.
The display’s resolution, for example, is lower than not only the larger iPad but also the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire. Thanks to that difference, text and video on the Mini’s screen are likely to be less sharp than on its rivals. If I were a betting man, I would put a lot of money on Apple upgrading the display of the Mini to Retina quality within two years.
One other way the iPad Mini comes up short is that its chip is the same one that came with last year’s iPad 2, not the ultrafast nextgeneration one that’s in the newer iPad. I didn’t notice much of a difference — the game “Real Racing HD” ran smoothly on the iPad Mini and the device seemed plenty responsive — but the slower processor could matter when Apple upgrades iOS and adds new features that require more power.
And while the iPad Mini is a great device, it’s not so much better than its rivals that it’s worth a more than 50 percent premium. The Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire may not be built of aluminum or as lightweight as the iPad Mini, but they are well-built, easy-to-use devices that offer consumers a reasonably large selection of apps, movies and music. For $200, they look like bargains compared with the Mini.
If you’ve been itching to get an iPad, but couldn’t swallow the $500 price, $330 for the Mini will look pretty tempting. But if what you really want is a mini tablet, and it doesn’t have to be the iPad, the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire HD are much better deals.
Which is too bad. I like the iPad Mini a lot. But I would have loved it at a better price.
KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the new iPad Mini at the California Theatre in San Jose on Tuesday. The fourth-generation iPad was also unveiled at the event, along with updates for the iMac and MacBook Pro.
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