iPad Mini with Retina Display Now on Sale

[JMcEntegart]

Apple's newly announced iPad Mini 2 is now on sale.

iPad Mini with Retina Display Now on Sale : Read more

 

[stevejnb]

Eh, obviously, unless you *really* want iOS on your tablet, this is a bum deal for hardware. But, iOS offers a distinct experience that some people really value so, for those people, Apple can name their price.

 

[house70]

Too expensive for something that is trying to catch up with Nexus 7. For a screen that is 0.9 " larger one would have to pay twice the price? The fact that you're stuck with an inferior OS doesn't help, either.
I guess we'll find out pretty soon whether Apple is using the same borked sensors as in iPhone5S or not.

 

[stevejnb]

House, I'm not exactly an iOS fan, but "inferior OS" is kind of in the eye of the beholder. As someone who considers Windows RT a better tablet OS than either of them, I hear people going on and on about "ZOMG but it only has 100,000 apps LOL" - if you consider this sound reasoning, well, iOS DOES have more apps than Android. What's more, Apple does have a remarkably well integrated system along with a bunch of services that are Apple only that people have invested a lot of money and hours into.

Apple is my #3 choice for a lot of reasons, but I don't actually believe it's an inferior OS. Android has a good host of issues that make it less than ideal for a lot of people.

 

[house70]

House, I'm not exactly an iOS fan, but "inferior OS" is kind of in the eye of the beholder. As someone who considers Windows RT a better tablet OS than either of them, I hear people going on and on about "ZOMG but it only has 100,000 apps LOL" - if you consider this sound reasoning, well, iOS DOES have more apps than Android. What's more, Apple does have a remarkably well integrated system along with a bunch of services that are Apple only that people have invested a lot of money and hours into.

Apple is my #3 choice for a lot of reasons, but I don't actually believe it's an inferior OS. Android has a good host of issues that make it less than ideal for a lot of people.

I don't consider the number of apps. Rather, I take into account the opinion of a whole host of users that have migrated from iOS due to it's inherent limitations, as well as the fact that lately the only significant advancements made were copied straight from Android (because, you know, they were out in the open and free for grabs, so to speak). There are plenty of people that quit iOS after they "upgraded" to version 7, so this is not only my opinion.
As far as the integration goes, I'll give it that, and I can certainly understand why someone who has invested rather heavily into it will be reluctant to switch to anything else and start all over. That being, said, I think the numbers of deserters has never been greater.
I have said it before: if Apple could prove me wrong, I would give them another chance; so far they've tailed to do so. Just as likely (or even more likely) would be for me to switch to Windows Phone, provided they had the few important professional apps I use (which used to be supported in Win Mobile, but not anymore in WinPhone, for some reason).

 

[stevejnb]

House, anecdotal evidence isn't worth much, and I actually know of the phenomenon you're saying with the migration from iOS to Android. The problem is, I was an Android user for years - heck, I'm actually listening to a book being read to me on my trusty old Le Pan II tablet as I type this - and I convinced more than a few previously iOS user to give Android a try with their next phone. More than a few of them aren't thanking me for it. Simply put, a lot of people like the fire-and-forget nature of Apple and that it, far ahead of Android, spoon-feeds you your experience so you don't have to think about it much. This is, for a lot of people who don't really like having to wrestle with their machines even at the cost of notably superior functionality, is a huge selling point. Honestly, for me, if I were recommending a tablet or phone to my grandmother, it would be an iPhone/iPad. The greater potential functionality isn't worth the greater potential headache for some people.

It's a big like comparing a Windows PC to a Mac. Windows is a far more capable platform when looking at complete potential, but you're far more likely to run into hardware/software issues on a Windows machine compared to a Mac. Choose your poison. Most people prefer the Windows experience, but, I know more than a few people who are well aware of what using Windows is like, but they prefer Mac computers. Android vs iOS, same deal.

And yeah, I agree - the number of apps doesn't really matter if it has what you want. The thing is, just take a look around this forum when someone mentions Windows RT and you'll immediately see people crawling out of the woodwork to proclaim "BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE AS MANY APPS AS ANDROID OR IOS LOLZORS!." Evidently, the app-number p!$$ing contest does matter to a lot of people.

 

[house70]

House, anecdotal evidence isn't worth much, and I actually know of the phenomenon you're saying with the migration from iOS to Android. The problem is, I was an Android user for years - heck, I'm actually listening to a book being read to me on my trusty old Le Pan II tablet as I type this - and I convinced more than a few previously iOS user to give Android a try with their next phone. More than a few of them aren't thanking me for it. Simply put, a lot of people like the fire-and-forget nature of Apple and that it, far ahead of Android, spoon-feeds you your experience so you don't have to think about it much. This is, for a lot of people who don't really like having to wrestle with their machines even at the cost of notably superior functionality, is a huge selling point. Honestly, for me, if I were recommending a tablet or phone to my grandmother, it would be an iPhone/iPad. The greater potential functionality isn't worth the greater potential headache for some people.

It's a big like comparing a Windows PC to a Mac. Windows is a far more capable platform when looking at complete potential, but you're far more likely to run into hardware/software issues on a Windows machine compared to a Mac. Choose your poison. Most people prefer the Windows experience, but, I know more than a few people who are well aware of what using Windows is like, but they prefer Mac computers. Android vs iOS, same deal.

And yeah, I agree - the number of apps doesn't really matter if it has what you want. The thing is, just take a look around this forum when someone mentions Windows RT and you'll immediately see people crawling out of the woodwork to proclaim "BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE AS MANY APPS AS ANDROID OR IOS LOLZORS!." Evidently, the app-number p!$$ing contest does matter to a lot of people.

I see your point; basically, there are people that prefer to be able to choose their configurations/devices to their liking, even if it entails some thinking, and there are people that prefer to just be enrolled in the look-alike cohorts. I would not have much against that, because not everyone is technically oriented, but when the OS upgrades come tainted by usability problems (bad sensors, headache-inducing rendering, even BSODs), I can also understand the ones that have decided to switch.
Given the fact that the majority of people still prefer to have a choice when it comes to how they use/setup their computers (be it PCs, smartphones etc.), I still have some faith in mankind ( I guess searching for options/solutions is what differentiates us from other species).

And all that still does not change the fact that the iPad Mini is way overpriced, and it gets away with it simply because it represents a monopolistic technology, so to speak. Lack of options forces users to pay whatever price for the (only) device on the market.

 

[COLGeek]

Love it, or hate it, but it will likely sell by the bucket load.

 

[ericburnby]

No desire to use Android. My iPad can do per-app VPN and single sign on (along with other Enterprise features) that Android can't unless I'm willing to give up my freedom.

My daughters would also shoot me. Right now they can mix down 48 tracks of digital audio on the iPad or connect their MIDI keyboards to play along with pre-recorded tracks. Android can't because it's useless at handling audio or MIDI.

But hey, it has widgets and other amazing features. It just can't do the heavy lifting my iPad can.

 

[eddieroolz]

This tablet has a A7 processor, a lean OS and display that outclasses other competing tablets out there. I doubt the sanity of someone that claims this hardware is a ripoff for $400, especially considering the iOS7 + A7 results in the fastest mobile SoC so far.

Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-iPhone-5s-performance-review-CPU-and-GPU-speed-compared-to-top-Android-phones-benchmarks_id47739#trex2

 

[house70]

... or shut your pie hole.

Not gonna happen. Now run back to your mommy and cry a bit because grownups won't listen to you, lololol.

 

[zubikov]

Got the 128gb last night, absolutely loving it. That screen is sick! Forget the resolution comparisons vs other tablets...they're all high density, they all display accurate colors, 7" vs the 7.9" is a matter of preference. The iPad mini retina screen has very little touch lag/delay; it's very responsive. I played with the nexus and it's like night and day, the nexus responsiveness is about half the speed. The retina mini also feels like it has either a nicer coating on the screen, or just feels better to the touch. In short, the iPad mini retina as a touch screen is a pleasure to use.

This will be used for work within a hospital, reading and searching many PDFs, journals, photos and lots of browsing, as well as an email client. It does everything I want it to very fast, looks great, it's light. Love it.

As a note, I researched memory expansion via micro SD for Android tablets and discovered that i/o on expanded memory is limited to the SD card bus speed of about 20-30 MB/s. Lots of fast storage is important to me and R/W speeds on integrated flash memory have to be much higher than those of micro SD expansion. So while yes, most tablets to have expansion slots, how much will expanded memory hinder your overall experience?

 

[stevejnb]

As a note, I researched memory expansion via micro SD for Android tablets and discovered that i/o on expanded memory is limited to the SD card bus speed of about 20-30 MB/s. Lots of fast storage is important to me and R/W speeds on integrated flash memory have to be much higher than those of micro SD expansion. So while yes, most tablets to have expansion slots, how much will expanded memory hinder your overall experience?

Got to give this a response... How much will it hinder one's overall experience? Probably not as much as hitting one's limit on one's tablet storage and realizing that there is no way to get more on there. What's more, keep in mind, this is optional storage - as in, if you feel it will hinder your experience, you don't have to use the capability. The thing is, there are plenty of tablets that offer multiple sizes of SSD's AND still offer expandable storage - so you can pay a premium for your big 128gb SSD if you want to and then expand it more if you want.

A tablet not having an SD card slot isn't the end of the world. A tablet at the price of an iPad not having one raises an eyebrow. A fan who tries to paint having a slot for an SD card as some sort of a negative is drinking a bit much of Apple's Kool-Aid.

 

[stevejnb]

I see your point; basically, there are people that prefer to be able to choose their configurations/devices to their liking, even if it entails some thinking, and there are people that prefer to just be enrolled in the look-alike cohorts. I would not have much against that, because not everyone is technically oriented, but when the OS upgrades come tainted by usability problems (bad sensors, headache-inducing rendering, even BSODs), I can also understand the ones that have decided to switch.
Given the fact that the majority of people still prefer to have a choice when it comes to how they use/setup their computers (be it PCs, smartphones etc.), I still have some faith in mankind ( I guess searching for options/solutions is what differentiates us from other species).

And all that still does not change the fact that the iPad Mini is way overpriced, and it gets away with it simply because it represents a monopolistic technology, so to speak. Lack of options forces users to pay whatever price for the (only) device on the market.

Generally in agreement, but your choice of terms still denotes a pretty strong negative judgement here that I think is unnecessary. You say this:

" basically, there are people that prefer to be able to choose their configurations/devices to their liking, even if it entails some thinking, and there are people that prefer to just be enrolled in the look-alike cohorts. "

This makes it sound like anyone who likes Apple is some mindless drone or lazy ignoramus who won't put in the time and thought into the *true* path of Android. The thing is, we all do precisely this in many walks of life. Did you know there are people out there who can fix and tweak their cars who laugh at most people along the same lines as you are doing? People who can do renos on their houses, do their plumbing, can build nice looking furniture if they want to? People who can cook amazing meals better than you'd get in a restaurant? Well, let's put it this way - if you can't reno your house, fix/customize your car, cook a gourmet meal, grow your own garden, etc/etc/etc and instead rely on others to do these services for you, you are someone who needs someone else to do "your thinking for you" because you're just too lazy to learn these skills and develop this level of control over things which are important to your life.

You might laugh at a mechanic for using an Apple computer/tablet/phone because he doesn't want the hassle of more fiddling and a less controlled computer experience - just as he will laugh at you every time you bring your car in for a basic checkup that you could do at home easily if you'd just bothered to take a bit of time to learn how. All of us, in some walk or life or another, decide "I'm not going to be hassled to learn this - I just want it to work and forget about it" and we load some of the burden on to other people/services/institutions to do things for us. These are all things we could learn to do ourselves. Apple is a very good solution for people who just want this because you generally run into more hitches with Windows and Android than you do with Apple, even if it does cost you some potential functionality for someone just willing to learn a bit and put time into it. If people were willing to just put a bit of time into learning a few things, we'd all be cooking near-gourmet meals, doing gads of renovations in our own houses, and fixing our own cars - but most of us don't. Even extremely creative, active, and intelligent individuals. And yes, a lot of people who fit that description willingly use Apple because they don't care to piss around on their computers.

 

[stevejnb]

This is an extension of my most recent post directed at House. For some reason, Tom's isn't letting me update...


So, my conclusion... The terms of your "faith in mankind" being linked to people's use of Apple products to avoid hassle are likely hypocritical tripe. Simply put, the person who tunes up your car, does your plumbing, builds your furniture, or cooks the fancy meal for you and your girlfriend on your anniversary is laughing their head off at that stupid automaton who hasn't taken the time to learn to do it themselves. Their faith in humanity is probably quite limited too, since people like you don't take the time to learn to do (insert task of your choice her) and instead get someone else to do it for you. Or maybe, just maybe, you just don't want to spend all your time in that area because you have other things that you'd rather spend your time doing/learning... Right? Remember that next time you want to blast an Apple user because they say it "just works" and they "don't want to worry about getting malware from the app store" or some such.

 

[house70]

This is an extension of my most recent post directed at House. For some reason, Tom's isn't letting me update...


So, my conclusion... The terms of your "faith in mankind" being linked to people's use of Apple products to avoid hassle are likely hypocritical tripe. Simply put, the person who tunes up your car, does your plumbing, builds your furniture, or cooks the fancy meal for you and your girlfriend on your anniversary is laughing their head off at that stupid automaton who hasn't taken the time to learn to do it themselves. Their faith in humanity is probably quite limited too, since people like you don't take the time to learn to do (insert task of your choice her) and instead get someone else to do it for you. Or maybe, just maybe, you just don't want to spend all your time in that area because you have other things that you'd rather spend your time doing/learning... Right? Remember that next time you want to blast an Apple user because they say it "just works" and they "don't want to worry about getting malware from the app store" or some such.

Since I appreciate the length of your reply and the effort put in it, I will answer in a last attempt to make my point. The "mechanic" analogy approaches it closely but does not define it. I will use one word : curiosity. This is something that enriches us and propelled human evolution. Granted, I am not a mechanic ( and honestly I could not care less if one laughed at me for not being able to fix my own car, that only proves that he's not really respecting his own job, since his ability to do that for me and others feeds his family), but I try to improve myself by understanding things that I didn't know before, and yes, that activity sometimes involves messing around (or pissing around, as you put it) things that I didn't know before. I know perfectly that I will become a mechanic by doing that, but at the end of the day I learned something more just by being curious and messing with it.
A better example: we owe a LOT of our progress to something called reverse-engineering, which entailed a bunch of different (and often separate people) taking something apart, and then trying to figure out a way to make it better. This was/is also fueled by curiosity, and because there are still a bunch of people that have that trait, I have faith in mankind. I would not want to live in a monotonous world, would you?
Why Apple as the bad apple? Because, despite the fact that they're a tech company, they are the antithesis of what that should represent (freedom of knowledge and most importantly freedom of choice). You like iOS? Fine. License it out to others so they can make better devices that run it. Stop telling your customers how/what they should run on their phones and what they shouldn't. License out OSX instead of threatening to sue into oblivion any potential PC manufacturer that would try to install it on their hardware (this actually happened a few years ago). You believe your stuff is the best there is? License it out there and help make a good thing even better by letting other people work on improving it.

Last but not least, since you accuse me of implying that iOS users have no imagination and are enrolled in some "drone" army, I could easily say that your comparison implies that Android users are constantly struggling to modify/tweak/recompile their devices in order to make them functional. My faith in mankind may be good, but even I would not really believe that about 80% of smartphone users are THAT motivated by their curiosity and will of bettering themselves in Android OS. I mean, come on, really, if there were that many people capable of tweaking their phones to that extent, the whole world would be a much better place. I can bet the vast majority are just happy to press icons, widgets, set up home screens (if that much) and then use the device the way it was manufactured. I know quite a few people that have no idea how to unlock the developer options under settings, yet they are happy with their phones. And don't tell me that you have never encountered any iOS users that are (not so) secretly wishing their phones had this or that feature they're missing....
I believe each and every OS has it's advantages and it's disadvantages, and at the moment Android OS is the most convenient compromise for me (the other two would mean more compromises and less features), and the fact there is a plethora of handsets to choose from is only one advantage (albeit a great one).

Respect.

PS. Try using the "quick edit" button instead of the "update this". It worked for me, I wished Tom's would introduce this feature (and others) in their Tom's Guide Forum. That place is a ghost town as far as webmaster's involvement.

 

[cats_Paw]

More and more apple products that look the same work the same and cost more.
I think ill pass, again.