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Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

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Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#141

Post by franciscop »

talldayo wrote: post #111
giancarlostoro wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lowkey wish their laptops would be as they used to be. Being able to swap RAM or hard drives is so basic but so useful.

Drives in particular. Let them solder the memory if they absolutely have to, but exposing even an empty NVMe slot should be standard for laptops. Unfortunately, Apple makes a pretty penny off the storage surcharge so I wouldn't really anticipate that anytime soon.

They no longer even have a "memory" chip anymore, it's all part of the same SOC AFAIK, so they cannot "solder" it.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#142

Post by dialup_sounds »

vjulian wrote: post #113

I have an older (but not old) Mini, and I find it almost unusable, as screen elements don’t scale up. For example, Safari browser buttons are stupidly small. Is that still an issue with the Mini?

The mini display is 326 PPI vs 264 PPI for larger iPads, but the same scale factor so things will always be smaller. (iPhones with even higher PPI use a 3x scale.)

That said, you can embiggen things like Safari browser buttons under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#143

Post by criddell »

wslh wrote: post #24

I love iPad minis, but a keyboard folio for this size would be great. I've used this form factor with the iPad Air for writing, and it's perfect for carrying in a small bag. I know this is an expensive toy, though. [*] For reference, the iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard is about as heavy as a 13" MacBook Air.

I bought and returned a 13" iPad Pro M4 because I couldn't get a Smart Keyboard Folio for it. Only the Magic Keyboard is available. I'm still using my 2018 iPad Pro.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#144

Post by hbn »

tommica wrote: post #6

Looks really nice, wish could afford it, but Apple products are so expensive... Commodity products for premium price

The iPad lineup starts at $350, and that's brand new, look used or refurbished and it becomes even cheaper. If that's too much for you, you'll be pressed to afford any computer.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#145

Post by accrual »

NotYourLawyer wrote: post #107
smileybarry wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking of screens, I wonder if they fixed the jelly scroll. It doesn’t bother me that much on my mini, but it would be ridiculous to keep that flaw as-is in the newer gen.

The what?

It's basically screen tearing, apparently because the top and bottom of the display (or left and right in other orientations) refresh at different rates. iFixit suggests its a controller issue.

> Update, 9/28/2021: In response to our inquiry, Apple has told us that the "jelly scroll" issue on the 6th-generation iPad mini is normal behavior for LCD screens.

> Update, 9/30/2021: An iFixit teardown suggests that the iPad mini's more noticeable scrolling issue is a byproduct of how the display controller is mounted.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/09/2021-ipad-mini-suffe...

FWIW, my 5th Gen Mini doesn't have this issue.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#146

Post by criddell »

marmaduke wrote: post #23

lol as if teachers have money to buy this to make their lessons plans.

This is the salary schedule for teacher in the district my kids were in:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BN_Q51d_wUFMs7ajdwI07ESmnmS...

Teachers get $55k-$72k depending on their qualifications. Not great, but not poverty levels either. If they want an iPad, they can probably get one.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#147

Post by rty32 »

mlajtos wrote: post #114

iPad mini 2024 with Pencil Pro and Math Notes is going to revolutionize math education.

I don't know which bubble you are in, but $499 + $129 for devices at MSRP is not going to revolutionize anything, especially just for maths.

A $200 Chromebook can do 10x. Guess what, that's exactly why schools buy Chromebooks.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#148

Post by hggigg »

bbor wrote: post #140
hggigg wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mathematician here. No it's really not. Having used it extensively it craps out all the time, fails to parse things properly, doesn't understand anything other than a very narrow undefined subset of anything that needs to be done and generally makes things harder. It sure looks like it would though. Noteful and a competent calculator with CAS functionality on the other hand might be a different outcome.

To be fair, “math education” usually refers to the millions that learn arithmetic, algebra, and geometry every year, not the (tens of?) thousands that take part graduate level courses in “real” mathematics. Although I’m curious; do you think it would handle basic calculus (aka as taught in Calc survey courses up through multivariate)? In other words: does it know how to evaluate integrals and derivatives? Because I’d…

It has no idea about calculus at all. Not only that it's a numeric not a symbolic calculator. So taking it even further back to basics, if you do sqrt(12) it should really crap out 2+sqrt(3) [as a surd] but it just dumps the evaluation out. My £10 Casio can handle that better.

As for education, you don't really need a calculator. We don't really use them that much. Pen, paper, ears.

As for computers, programmed randomised questions with deterministic answers and documented steps to solve the problems are the right way. LLMs can't do that even if they look like they can. some universities actually have tools which generate those. Those are truly enlightening as you can see the reasoning properly.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#149

Post by ClassyJacket »

hnburnsy wrote: post #51

Ugh, that bezel. Will full coverage screens with a software driven, virtual bezel every be a thing?

I was just thinking the same thing. Why couldn't they give it a tiny bezel, with a software option to put a virtual bezel if you want to hold it in a way it matters.

They could even give it only the virtual bezel on the left and right sides, in whichever orientation you're holding it, since you don't really hold it on the top or bottom.

Re: Apple introduces iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

#150

Post by glhaynes »

dialup_sounds wrote: post #142
vjulian wrote: post #113

I have an older (but not old) Mini, and I find it almost unusable, as screen elements don’t scale up. For example, Safari browser buttons are stupidly small. Is that still an issue with the Mini?

The mini display is 326 PPI vs 264 PPI for larger iPads, but the same scale factor so things will always be smaller. (iPhones with even higher PPI use a 3x scale.) That said, you can embiggen things like Safari browser buttons under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text.

I'd also suggest playing with the setting here if you just want everything to be scaled up a bit: Settings > Display & Brightness > Display Zoom > Larger Text.
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