iPad Mini.. mixed reviews..

There are so many reviews of iPad mini. Mostly it seems great product, other than some dissatisfaction about display. I was happy with even original iPad and iPad so no personal complains. However, once you make your customers addicted to something better, it is difficult to reposition something older. There is/was bound to be that reaction.. Off-course.. Apple's product managers have to have jobs.. without roadmap of retina display in next release they will be out of job..

It will be interesting to see if they can continue to keep this price point. Especially, now Google Nexus 10 is almost in same price range.. Knowing Google, it has to be great product and it has potential to take away market share from both iPad and mini as well. $399 is really great price point for 10 inch tablet and within next one or two iterations it can easily be iPad killer.. We need it do well.. without that Apple is not going to reduce mini's price.. Though I have very strong feeling that Apple will do another refresh of iPad lineup sometime early next year. There is so much action in tablet area that they will have to abandon their yearly refresh cycle and move half yearly cycle..

As we can see with iPhone5 that Apple's quantum leap era is over. They have very few new and really innovative and disruptive ideas left. Apple is left with minor enhancements in processing power, speed and size/form-factor. Honestly, only difference between, iPhone 4S and 5 is screen size. Which, to be honest, I liked from 4S better. That doesn't mean that I am going back to 4S. I think it is just nostalgia.. I will get over soon. There were big differences between iPhone 4 and 4S.. but in my view nothing major between 4S and 5.

I think, iPad mini is going to be super hit any how.. or it is already.. but Apple really needs to work with major disruptive improvement in their current line ups. That includes everything.. Form factor is one aspect.. but they need another iPhone or iPad type of product. It could be software or hardware.. doesn't matter.. At the same time continue to focus on quality of their products and details of each aspect. They simply can't let that aspect go away.. I have been hearing and noticing a lot about quality degradation.. In short term it will not impact them, but if they continue this trend, they will soon become another microsoft..

Here is the best link from WSJ which summarizes most of the decent iPad mini review.. enjoy!!


This link summarizes iPad Mini's review:
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/10/31/ipad-mini-review-roundup/

iPad Mini Review Roundup

By Matthew Lynley

AFP/Getty Images

Does the iPad Mini outmatch the other smaller tablets?

The decision is in on the iPad Mini.

So far, reviewers across the Web have praised the size of the device, saying it is more comfortable to use and has an excellent build quality.

However, it comes at a price — a low-resolution screen that is more on par with the iPhone 3GS than the newer iPads, which pack a “retina” display.

“Ew, the screen is terrible,” Apple blogger John Gruber wrote, citing his wife — and saying his initial reaction matched hers.

Here’s the general consensus of reviewers around the Web:

Display

This is the chief complaint, but it’s to be expected given the downgrade from the current larger iPads. The iPad Mini has a 1,024 by 768-pixel display, compared to 2048-by-1536 pixel resolution in the larger iPads. “It feels like an iPhone 3GS display cut to iPad size, including the fact that the pixels seem deeper from the surface of the glass,” Gruber writes.

“Since Apple AAPL -1.44% is the company that’s gotten our eyes used to the hey-look-no-pixels trick of the Retina display, it’s hard to take a step back and not notice,”The Verge’s Josh Topolsky writes. “I don’t think the lower resolution is a deal-breaker in this product, but it is a compromise you have to be aware of. It simply doesn’t look as clear as other products on the market.”

“If you’re an obsessive over crisp text, you’ll notice the fuzziness,” CNET’s Scott Stein writes. “Yes, the non-Retina Display means text that’s less sharp. It feels like a disconnect on a device so clearly targeted at reading. Yet, hold the iPad Mini back a foot and increase the font size, and you probably won’t notice.”

Size

In contrast, the size — a few inches shorter than the traditional iPad — is cited as a massive strong point, making it feel more comfortable than the traditional iPad. “The Mini with the Smart Cover1 on is almost exactly as thick (or as thin, if you prefer) as an iPad 3 or 4 without a cover,” Gruber writes. “Combine that with the weight and it’s just plain fun to hold.”

In terms of app usage, ” 99 out of 100 times while using it, this wasn’t an issue, but it did take some getting used to in places,” Topolsky writes.

Still, the iPad Mini might be a bit too big to hold one-handed, writes Engadget’s Tim Stevens. “This editor, who wears XL gloves, had no problem palming the littler iPad, but when we handed it to other, dainty-fingered people they sometimes struggled to hold it securely. The scrawny bezels on either side actually exacerbate this issue to some degree, as those who must loop a thumb around the front of the device when holding it are forced to put that thumb right on the display.”

Build

“But the iPad Mini is a far classier, more attractive, thinner machine. It has two cameras instead of one,” writes The New York Times’ David Pogue. “Its fit and finish are far more refined. And above all, it offers that colossal app catalog, which Android tablet owners can only dream about.”

Still, the build of the device might be a little unwieldy with the Smart Cover built in, says Topolsky. “I actually had a little trouble holding onto the device when I wasn’t using the Smart Cover due to the back being as smooth as it is, and the frame being so thin.”

“Regardless of your feelings of the Mini’s price, or its A5 processor and non-Retina 7.9-inch display, here’s what you’ll notice when you pick it up: it’s really shockingly nice to hold,” Stein writes.

For reading

Given that it’s around the size of a Kindle, there will be some similarities drawn — especially when it comes to reading. “For reading, all of these apps work great on the iPad Mini. Font sizes on some websites can be a little small (tiny type that is legible on retina displays is just smudgy on non-retina ones), but most sites look just fine,” Gruber writes. “The Mini feels optimized for reading.”

Apps

While the price is a little steep, “The App Store is Apple’s great gold mine, and the iPad Mini’s price seems to be banking on you knowing that. And, in that sense, the iPad Mini may be worth its price,” Stein writes. This is pretty much what users should expect from Apple, since it’s a favorite among app developers.

Performance

The iPad Mini uses a chip that’s a couple generations old, and its specs are about on par with the iPad 2. Nevertheless, it still packs a punch, according to reviewers. “I’d say iPad 3-caliber performance in a $329 radically smaller device is pretty good,” Gruber writes. “I was not expecting iPad 3 performance in the Mini. But it’s there, and that makes the iPad Mini great for games.”

The trade-off is that it has a better battery life, though. “Apps do load more slowly but most are still up and running within a second or two and when it comes to general web surfing tasks the iPad mini easily kept up with our taps and swipes,” Stevens writes. “So, perhaps not the greatest performance in the Apple lineup, but there is one place where it bests the rest: battery life.”

The final verdict

Dan Gruber, Daring Fireball: For anyone else — those who own an older iPad 1 or 2, and those who have yet to buy their first iPad — the iPad Mini’s display will garner no complaints. I prefer the Mini over the full-size iPad in every single regard other than display resolution, and though I (and many of you) obsess over display resolution, it’s not an issue in the mass market.

Josh Topolsky, The Verge: The iPad mini hasn’t wrapped up the “cheapest tablet” market by any stretch of the imagination. But the “best small tablet” market? Consider it captured.

Scott Stein, CNET: If you want the full, polished Apple tablet experience in a smaller package, the iPad Mini is worth the premium price. Otherwise, good alternatives are available for less money… If the iPad Mini had a Retina Display, a newer A6 processor, and a slightly lower price, it would be the must-have Apple gadget of the year. Even without that, it’s still incredibly appealing. Its $329 price still makes it one of the least-expensive iOS gadgets Apple makes.

David Pogue, New York Times: Over all, the Mini gives you all the iPad goodness in a more manageable size, and it’s awesome. You could argue that the iPad Mini is what the iPad always wanted to be.

Walt Mossberg, WSJ: Every app that ran on my larger iPad ran perfectly on the Mini. I was able to use it one-handed and hold it for long periods of time without tiring. My only complaints were that it’s a tad too wide to fit in most of my pockets, and the screen resolution is a big step backwards from the Retina display on the current large iPad.

Tim Stevens, Engadget: This isn’t just an Apple tablet made to a budget. This isn’t just a shrunken-down iPad. This is, in many ways, Apple’s best tablet yet, an incredibly thin, remarkably light, obviously well-constructed device that offers phenomenal battery life.

Power of Internet - Free and Quality Education

These examples demonstrated real power of internet.. amazingly great classes and courses available from top schools and universities of world available for free.. If you only care about knowledge and don't care about piece of paper (degree) then you can literally do PhD.. You just need to have desire and passion and decent internet connection. off-course you need time as well (which is most common excuse for grown ups like  me ;-) )

UC Berkeley joining or I should say expanding the free courses available online. I think lot of courses from lot of great universities are already available online on different platforms and locations. I know MIT, Stanford and many other great schools have superb presence online. Now a days, with iTunesU kicking in more and more courses in its portfolio.. This is great for someone studying in remote engineering colleges in India where Professor and other resources availability could be challenge (that is the best decent political correct term I can think off). In-fact those type of kids can easily attend in group setting along with their Professor or lecturers.. This can simply revolutionize quality of education across the globe..

Good Job!!! Keep it up!!

UC BERKELEY

Courses by Cal going online

Some UC faculty are worried about diluting prestige

By Matt Krupnick

mkrupnick@bayareanewsgroup.com 

With some professors grumbling over the University of California’s expanding online presence, UC Berkeley is joining two of its top competitors to bring free college courses to the masses.

The university will offer two free online classes this fall as part of the edX collaboration, which also includes Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. UC Berkeley employees were told about the partnership Monday.

The edX venture is Berkeley’s latest foray into the MOOC, or massive open online course, arena. The school already offers classes with Coursera, another free program that also includes Stanford, Princeton and the University of Michigan. Together the two ventures have some 950,000 students.

Some educators have complained that free online classes could hurt UC Berkeley’s reputation. Participants are working hard to keep that from happening, said Armando Fox, a UC Berkeley computer science professor who has helped teach a Coursera class and will do the same with edX.

“We would not have agreed to do an online course if we did not think we could maintain that standard of quality,” he said. More than 100,000 students from around the world have enrolled in his Coursera classes, he said. 

The edX experiment comes as the 10-campus UC system works to expand its own online program. The university recently began offering a handful of credit classes online to UC students and will bring non-UC students into the mix this year at up to $2,100 a class. 

Faculty leaders have cautioned the university against moving too quickly with the online courses. The UC Academic Senate has said it worries about the quality and finances of the UC Online project. 

In contrast, some of those most concerned about UC’s plans say they support free projects like Coursera and edX. 

“I’m not at all opposed to the open-sourced courses,” said Wendy Brown, a UC Berkeley political-science professor who has criticized the university’s approach to online education. “The experiments need to happen to develop these technologies.” 

The different models — UC’s own versus edX and Coursera — provide disparate benefits to students. 

UC’s online program is meant to expand the reach of UC classes, and students gain college credits for completing the courses. The stakes, professors say, are higher when the UC brand on a class is so prominent. 

But Coursera and edX offer only certificates, so the risk to an individual school is not as high. The programs offer free education to people who might otherwise be shut out from elite universities, said John Wilton, a UC Berkeley vice chancellor who has helped develop the school’s online partnerships. 

“There’s a public-good component to this, which I think is very appealing to the universities involved,” Wilton said. Universities have an obligation to improve online education, he said. “It’s not like we cannot do this. We have to do this.” The free courses do have detractors, however. UC campuses should concentrate more on their own students, particularly in the midst of a budget crisis, before leaping into such partnerships, said Christopher Edley, the UC Berkeley law dean who has helped guide the university system’s online development. 

“I worry that jumping into what our private peer institutions are doing feels a little like me-tooism rather than a vision,” he said. “Our mission has to do more with figuring out how to serve the thousands of California students who won’t fit on a UC campus. 

“It risks being a distraction from the somewhat urgent need to figure this stuff out.” 

Contact Matt Krupnick at 510-208-6488.