Since its fall 2012 release, the iPad mini has been
a big hit. It quickly sold millions and was a top gift
item over the holiday season. People love the fact
that it’s thin, light, and more portable, yet still offers
the same user experience as the full-sized iPad.
The 7.9-inch display gives you a viewing space that’s two-thirds
the size of its larger sibling. It has the same screen resolution,
1024 x 768, as the iPad 2, which means, of course, that all current
iPad apps work on the iPad mini without needing to be
rewritten by developers.
It’s about as thick as a pencil—just over a quarter of an inch
thick. And it weighs 0.68 lbs—half the weight of the larger iPad.
Even though I’d read a lot about the iPad mini and had watched
the event during which Apple announced it, I was still astonished
when I received mine and felt how thin and light it was.
I have my iPad with me all the time, ever since I bought the first
model in 2010. But frankly, I got a bit tired of carrying my full-sized
iPad, even though I have a great STM bag with a shoulder strap
that perfectly suits my needs. So it’s a real convenience that the
iPad mini fits in my coat pocket—and that it’s so light I barely
notice it’s there. If I do need a shoulder bag, I use STM’s bag
for the mini, and again, it’s much less cumbersome than before.
The iPad mini includes Siri, a 5-megapixel camera that shoots
1080p video, and a front-facing 720p HD camera. It starts at
$329 for Wi-Fi-only and 16GB memory. Note that this model does not include GPS. For an additional $130, you can get a
mini that connects to the cellular data network and has GPS.
If you’re still undecided, and keep wondering whether a different
7-inch tablet might suit your needs better, let’s take a look at the
three that seem to be the most popular: those sold by Amazon,
Google, and Barnes & Noble.
by Jim Karpen
iPhone Life March-April 2013
