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Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

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Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#61

Post by r00fus »

thoughtsimple wrote: post #26
MattRogish wrote: post #9

Technology is all about tradeoffs, film at 11. But seriously, I held a Mini yesterday. As an iPad3 owner I can say I'd trade my retina and larger screen for the weight of the Mini any day. The weight of the 3 is really difficult to hold for long periods of time. Of course, I'd highly prefer a full-sized iPad that was as light as the Mini (or "proportionally light", like the iPhone5 vs 4). I'm not sure if battery tech…

>The weight of the 3 is really difficult to hold for long periods of time. I have to say I've never really understood this complaint. Do people use iPads standing up or something? I have the iPad in my lap or on my chest if reading in bed. The amount of time I spend using it while I have to hold it unsupported is minimal. The iPad 3&4 weigh about the same as a large hardcover book. Do people find the weight of hardco…

I have an iPad, Kindle3, iPad3 and an iPhone (really thinking about the Nexus 7 or iPad mini).

The Kindle and iPhone are the only devices that I use in bed. The problem with the iPad is that I have kids and it needs armor - increasing the weight significantly. I really don't care if my $130 Kindle gets dropped/thrown (it has, and it creaks now).

Hardcover books have a much better weight distribution than any tablet/ereader, and yes, I prefer paperbacks for bedtime reading over hardbacks.

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#62

Post by r00fus »

scott_meade wrote: post #59
scott_meade wrote: post #3

"even though the screen sucks" reminds me of Lewis C.K.'s "Everything is amazing and nobody is happy". How soon we feel anything less than retina sucks. Really? We're spoiled people when we look at a piece of technology like the iPad mini and our response is "this screen sucks!". Sheesh.

My point was what exactly sucks about it? That it's not as pretty? Even the article says "It’s not like visible pixels in any way diminish the functional experience... Text is still readable at that size, and the touchscreen isn’t any more difficult to use." So basically we're saying that if something's not as pretty as its predecessors that it sucks. That's what seems slightly wrong to me, in my humble opinion.

I'd say it's like turning off ClearType in Windows (this is forced on me when I webex)... it's jarring, and a bit painful. When the ClearType comes back on (after webex is ended), it just feels less annoying.

Another analogy is sometimes when eating at our dining room, whoever had cooked will forget to turn off the kitchen fan. It's not really that noticable. However, when one of us eventually remembers during dinner and goes and turns it off , all the sudden it feels much nicer.

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#63

Post by bryanlarsen »

r00fus wrote: post #60
mun2mun wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also there is a popular thinking among Apple apologists that Samsung is copying Apple and taking Apple's lunch. In reality Samsung single-handedly proved Apple wrong on various things. They created a market for "phablets", proved that stylus is still relevant in normal operation, content creation. If Apple have implemented half of the feature presented in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L930NbUKgJY Apple w…

Phablet, yes. Definitely a strong niche. Stylus No. I have 3 co workers who have Galaxy Notes (or Note II) and none of them use the stylus while I've seen them. They all say it's nice, but none admit to it being key or even useful. There is no killer app for the stylus, when an onscreen-keyboard or finger would do just as well. Even finger-based signatures are pretty easy with modern smartphones' capacative touchscre…

I assumed that the killer app for the stylus would be Chinese and Korean character entry. Any actual Asians want to validate or dispel my assumption?

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#64

Post by ShawnBird »

snuze wrote: post #43
topbanana wrote: post #30

Uh-oh, my bullshit buzzer went off at "Retina displays aren’t disruptive". Didn't read the rest of the article.

Agreed. I will never go back to a non-retina screen. I bought the Nexus 7 to see what the Android ecosystem is all about and I always reach for the iPad instead. The screen is the deciding factor. The 7" screen is too small. The text is not crisp. The colors are bland. My devices: iPad (3rd gen) iPhone 4S Nexus 7

The nexus 7 has a high density screen.

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#65

Post by hollerith »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #51
BryantD wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Nexus 7 isn't lighter. Check the specs.

It isn't even as much smaller as you'd expect. The two are so close in size/weight that the difference is not significant for most use cases. But the Nexus 7 wins one use case: fitting in pant packets. They both fit in some pant pockets, they both don't fit in others. The difference is the Nexus 7 fits in a lot more pant pockets than the iPad mini does. That use case probably doesn't outweigh the "does it have the ga…

>But the Nexus 7 wins one use case: fitting in pant packets

People with big hands can hold the Nexus 7 in what I will call the "beer-can grip". The mini's extra half inch or so of width makes the beer-can grip a lot less comfortable or a lot less reliable (secure).

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#66

Post by rdl »

thedufer wrote: post #35
jws wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm liking the mini precisely because I have it with me. It fits in my coat pockets. When spring comes around I'll probably have to start wearing clown pants.

This is one of the biggest advantage the Nexus 7 has over the mini. It fits, if a bit snugly, into the back pockets of my jeans.

Can you sit on it, though? I usually carry an iphone 5 in my back pocket, and it's small/durable enough that sitting on it isn't a big deal.

I actually have cargo pants which will fit an iPad 1 in the cargo pocket (barely). I used that a lot on military bases where you weren't allowed to take a bag into the cafeteria (for fear of bombs).

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#67

Post by twiceaday »

technoslut wrote: post #40
mtgx wrote: post #24

Wow. Look at every Apple user come out and say how much like they a smaller screen now, after downplaying all the 7" Android devices for being too small before the iPad Mini. And please don't tell me it makes such a big difference between a 7" and a 7.9", because in my mind the bigger display size is actually a disadvantage, as it's not a very comfortable one-handed device anymore. You can't use it like you would a s…

You obviously never held seen an iPsd mini or held it in comparison to an 7" tablet. There is a noticeable difference in screen size. >because in my mind the bigger display size is actually a disadvantage That's your opinion. The other opinion held is that, by the majority of consumers, the iPad 10" is more desirable than the iPad mini. You're giving some kind of ridiculous argument which misses the point. Average pe…

Indeed, its 7.9" @ 4:3 vs 7" @ 16:10 - android bar. World of difference.

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#68

Post by steele »

Simucal wrote: post #52
steele wrote: post #17

On every single flight I take, the main reason why everyone loves my iPad Mini is because it is a Nexus 7. Edit: People ask: "is that the mini?". I avoid being a jerk about it and just say "It's the google one. One of the Nexus products. The mini wasn't out when I bought this but I really like it. etc etc"

I could see how the average consumer would get confused between the two. It is kind of hard for a tablet devices to differentiate themselves in their looks when the entire face of the device is a glass display. I now own the iPad Mini and up until a week ago I also owned the Nexus 7. The build quality, weight, and battery life of the iPad Mini beats the Nexus 7 hands down. The frame of my Nexus 7 would "creak" along…

I'm a fan of sending myself chrome links I find on my phone to my tablet over NFC. There are other ways to do it... but that is by far the most gratifying.

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#69

Post by steele »

snuze wrote: post #43
topbanana wrote: post #30

Uh-oh, my bullshit buzzer went off at "Retina displays aren’t disruptive". Didn't read the rest of the article.

Agreed. I will never go back to a non-retina screen. I bought the Nexus 7 to see what the Android ecosystem is all about and I always reach for the iPad instead. The screen is the deciding factor. The 7" screen is too small. The text is not crisp. The colors are bland. My devices: iPad (3rd gen) iPhone 4S Nexus 7

So you're only buying Apple products using the "Retina" branding from here on out? That is a pretty bizarre claim when you think about it for a number of reasons.

Re: Why everyone loves the iPad mini (even though the screen sucks)

#70

Post by mikec3k »

mtgx wrote: post #24

Wow. Look at every Apple user come out and say how much like they a smaller screen now, after downplaying all the 7" Android devices for being too small before the iPad Mini. And please don't tell me it makes such a big difference between a 7" and a 7.9", because in my mind the bigger display size is actually a disadvantage, as it's not a very comfortable one-handed device anymore. You can't use it like you would a s…

When I got my Nexus 7 I thought it was the perfect size, but I hated Android since all of the apps look unfinished & rough compared to iOS apps. I immediately wanted something the same size but running iOS instead.
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