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Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

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Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#21

Post by LnxPrgr3 »

illicium wrote: post #12
droithomme wrote: post #2

So now, with full screen interfaces only, we need to create artwork and a UI scaled and designed separately for: 1. iPhone/iPod 640×960 at 326ppi 2. iPad dimensions 1024x768 at 132PPI 3. Retina iPad 2048×1536 at 264PPI 4. iPad mini at 1024x768, but smaller pixels and yet expected same physical size controls, so interface has to be redone again specific for this one. 5. Whatever is after that. That's a lot of design v…

What about earlier-gen 320x240 iPhones (3GS; still in production!) and iPod touches? Does anyone develop with these screen sizes in mind? Reminds me of the "Android is fragmented" cliche.

The only thing you have to provide is low-resolution versions of your graphics, assuming you don't need the newer hardware for some reason. The layout's still exactly the same.

iOS has two screen sizes, with a third rumored. Apps on that second size are usually designed differently anyway, to take advantage of the larger screen on the iPad.

Such fragmentation! And this is over how many years?

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#22

Post by stevenj »

nirvana wrote: post #16
stevenj wrote: post #14

Honestly, I don't know why Apple would create an iPad mini. I have an iPad 2 and absolutely love it. There isn't another tablet I'd trade it in for (other than an iPad 3). I surely wouldn't trade it in for an iPad mini. Paul Buchheit once said: "If your product is great, it doesn't need to be good." To me, the iPad is a great product. Focus on making it better. As Steve Jobs has said: "It's what you don't do that mat…

I have a Retina iPad and I would trade it for an iPad mini. The iPhone is small enough to use every day, but it compromises in its smallness. The iPad is great- probably the best web browsing experience anywhere, and with apps like Flipboard and iBooks, etc, I just love it. But the iPad is too big. I use it a lot less because it is too cumbersome. An iPad mini might give me the greatness of the iPad in a smaller pack…

Interesting.

Why and how is it cumbersome for you?

I agree that reading a book on it isn't the best experience. But I personally just don't read many books anymore. I'm very selective as to the books I read now, as oppose to even 3 - 5 years earlier. And the ones I choose to read, I still prefer them in a physical copy. And I think, generally, people will continue reading (and buying) less books going forward, so trying to create an ebook reader would be a mistake.

>I don't know if it will be small enough to go with me all the time or not.

For me, the thing that'll always go with me (in addition to an iPhone) is a MacBook Air.

>I can say one thing for certain: If it is under $400, I will buy one, no question.

But will you buy a second and third one at some point? Or will you mostly be buying it for novelty reasons? I just don't see an iPad mini being a hit product that generates repeat customers.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#23

Post by stevenj »

mrtron wrote: post #20
stevenj wrote: post #14

Honestly, I don't know why Apple would create an iPad mini. I have an iPad 2 and absolutely love it. There isn't another tablet I'd trade it in for (other than an iPad 3). I surely wouldn't trade it in for an iPad mini. Paul Buchheit once said: "If your product is great, it doesn't need to be good." To me, the iPad is a great product. Focus on making it better. As Steve Jobs has said: "It's what you don't do that mat…

Apple is just getting back to its roots of success - multiple product versions. Obviously an iPod was amazing, but they captured a huge chunk of the market when they came out with the lesser Nano. I think tablets are hitting the phase where it is less about the features and more about true mass market adoption. The key to this is grabbing the huge chunk of the more price sensitive buyers - who appear to be quickly ru…

>Obviously an iPod was amazing, but they captured a huge chunk of the market when they came out with the lesser Nano.

Why haven't we seen an iPhone Nano yet? Do you think we will? If so, why?

>I think tablets are hitting the phase where it is less about the features and more about true mass market adoption. The key to this is grabbing the huge chunk of the more price sensitive buyers - who appear to be quickly running to the Nexus 7.

Hm, you may be right about that. But my question then is what will the iPad Mini not have that the iPad does have, other than a smaller screen and less storage space?

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#24

Post by guelo »

I like how BS marketing and lying to your customers is somehow seen as a good thing when viewed from inside the Apple bubble. Steve Jobs wasn't lying and playing you for chumps, it was apparently a wonderful gift that he could change his mind from one day to the next. And all the Apple faithful will vehemently spit the old gospel at you until the new pronouncement comes down from on-high and then they will all immediately change their tune. Just last week we were getting rabid comments on HN about how awful the idea of a 7-inch tablet is. We've always been at war with Eastasia.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#25

Post by mrtron »

stevenj wrote: post #23
mrtron wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is just getting back to its roots of success - multiple product versions. Obviously an iPod was amazing, but they captured a huge chunk of the market when they came out with the lesser Nano. I think tablets are hitting the phase where it is less about the features and more about true mass market adoption. The key to this is grabbing the huge chunk of the more price sensitive buyers - who appear to be quickly ru…

>Obviously an iPod was amazing, but they captured a huge chunk of the market when they came out with the lesser Nano. Why haven't we seen an iPhone Nano yet? Do you think we will? If so, why? >I think tablets are hitting the phase where it is less about the features and more about true mass market adoption. The key to this is grabbing the huge chunk of the more price sensitive buyers - who appear to be quickly runnin…

I believe the reason we don't have an iPhone Nano is battery life. The minimum size you can make the iPhone with acceptable battery life is the current form factor.

Given the current rate of improvement for batteries I would wager we don't see an iPhone Nano for quite a while. It took a long time for iPods to shrink for similar reasons.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#26

Post by michaelpinto »

You know i wish someone would design a product that's really a different size: Imagine a device that's half the size of an iPhone or double the size of an iPad so it's like a big newspaper. Yeah I get the 7" form factor but I've already seen so many of those on the Android side that I'd like Apple to "Think Different".

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#27

Post by alexqgb »

mturmon wrote: post #13
wiredfool wrote: post #8

I think that in time, there will be an array of iOS devices at all price points from the ca. $100 to the laptop like $1k. (with some adjustments for carrier subsidies). They did it before with the iPod, from $99, add $50 for more storage, add $50 for a different form factor, and so on, for every price point between $100 and $400. Right now, the iPod touch is at $200, the iPad at 400, and 500-800. Phones are 400-700 w…

Sounds reasonable. This idea is in Gruber's article, when he quotes Tim Cook saying (about iPhone) that Apple did not want to leave a "price umbrella" -- an open price range leaving a niche in which competitors could flourish.

$300 for a 7.85" with a Retina display would be outstanding. I say that as someone who loves the idea of the iPad, but has not gotten one because they're too cumbersome for extended reading.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#28

Post by drivebyacct2 »

Good thing it's safe to use pixel-precise layouts and only Android is where you have to worry about variably sized displays.

I really don't get all of the comments applauding (or rather, excusing) the idea that we just keep developing iOS apps to support iPhone vs iPad resolution, when there are a myriad of devices that operate at different resolutions. It feels lazy and it feels like an easy excuse of out not having a different UI mindset from the get-go.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#29

Post by [deleted] »

r00fus wrote: post #10
pkaler wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope. iOS 6 adds auto layout to Interface Builder and Core Layout to the runtime. You'll either start at the largest resolution and setup constraints as the screen size shrinks or at the smallest resolution and do the opposite.

Isn't this how it's done in the Android world (and chastised by iOS developers)? Really, I'd like to know.

[deleted]

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#30

Post by kamechan »

r00fus wrote: post #10
pkaler wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope. iOS 6 adds auto layout to Interface Builder and Core Layout to the runtime. You'll either start at the largest resolution and setup constraints as the screen size shrinks or at the smallest resolution and do the opposite.

Isn't this how it's done in the Android world (and chastised by iOS developers)? Really, I'd like to know.

in android, one provides four different density-specific resources.

  ldpi:  low-density screens (~120dpi)
  mdpi:  medium-density (~160dpi) [baseline]
  hdpi:  high-density (~240dpi)
  xhdpi: extra high-density (~320dpi)
there is a nodpi qualifier which is intended for density-independent resources.

there are also screen size qualifiers, small, normal, large, extra large.

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