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I decided to plunge for the iPad mini today. I've had the first-gen iPad since they were first introduced and have long felt it was too heavy and a little on the large side. Since now it won't run iOS6 and is a little on the laggy side, I decided the time was right. I was on the fence about that vs the iPad 4. I really wanted a Retina display, but from the reviews I've read, the lightness of the iPad mini and the ability to hold it comfortably with one hand put that over the top for me. I don't expect there will be a Retina version of the mini for some time yet. Not without compromising the battery life or the weight.
I've been using it for a couple hours tonight amidst watching TV with my wife. Tomorrow, I'm returning the iPad mini. Although it certainly is much lighter than the full-size iPad, it's not so light that I can hold it indefinitely with one hand. Grasping it from the back (palming it, more or less) as some reviews have demonstrated isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I couldn't stand doing that for more than a couple minutes. And since it's not as comfortable holding with one hand as it's cracked up to be, I found myself wanting to hold it with both hands or by laying it on my knee while legs crossed. If I'm going to hold with both hands, it's just as well as if it was the larger iPad. In fact, it felt rather awkward holding it with two hands as opposed to the iPad 1. When resting/propped on my knee, the smaller size really becomes a negative due to the increased distance away. And finally, that narrow bezel on the long side really is a negative. Sometimes iOS is good at knowing you are just holding it, sometimes it's not. And sometimes when you are just holding it, the thumb is also in the way of what you are looking at. And finally, the display resolution just isn't going to cut it. I'm quite used to the Retina display on my iPhone 4S and the resolution on the iPad mini just sucks. It's poorer than really anything out there. The pixel density is higher than the iPad 1/2 so on paper it should look better than those. In practice, the smaller screen made for objects harder to see even if they were technically sharper. At least on my iPad 1, you can see objects better just by virtue of the larger screen size, even if they are a tad fuzzier than the iPad mini. Of course the iPad 3/4 would win on all accounts with the crisper and larger display.
I'll just keep holding on to my iPad 1 for a bit. If they are going to a 6-month cycle, then hopefully the iPad 5 will be a bit lighter/cooler and I'll be ready to pop for that.
I've been using it for a couple hours tonight amidst watching TV with my wife. Tomorrow, I'm returning the iPad mini. Although it certainly is much lighter than the full-size iPad, it's not so light that I can hold it indefinitely with one hand. Grasping it from the back (palming it, more or less) as some reviews have demonstrated isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I couldn't stand doing that for more than a couple minutes. And since it's not as comfortable holding with one hand as it's cracked up to be, I found myself wanting to hold it with both hands or by laying it on my knee while legs crossed. If I'm going to hold with both hands, it's just as well as if it was the larger iPad. In fact, it felt rather awkward holding it with two hands as opposed to the iPad 1. When resting/propped on my knee, the smaller size really becomes a negative due to the increased distance away. And finally, that narrow bezel on the long side really is a negative. Sometimes iOS is good at knowing you are just holding it, sometimes it's not. And sometimes when you are just holding it, the thumb is also in the way of what you are looking at. And finally, the display resolution just isn't going to cut it. I'm quite used to the Retina display on my iPhone 4S and the resolution on the iPad mini just sucks. It's poorer than really anything out there. The pixel density is higher than the iPad 1/2 so on paper it should look better than those. In practice, the smaller screen made for objects harder to see even if they were technically sharper. At least on my iPad 1, you can see objects better just by virtue of the larger screen size, even if they are a tad fuzzier than the iPad mini. Of course the iPad 3/4 would win on all accounts with the crisper and larger display.
I'll just keep holding on to my iPad 1 for a bit. If they are going to a 6-month cycle, then hopefully the iPad 5 will be a bit lighter/cooler and I'll be ready to pop for that.