Apple iPad Mini Review

iPad Mini – Sometimes smaller is better. Sometimes smaller truly is better! This is coming from someone that typically leans the other way. In fact, when it comes to new technology, so many of us early adopters really look at the stats; faster processor, bigger and brighter screens, etc. In this case, the iPad mini did not get any of these things. It has the same A5 processor as previous versions, it did not get the amazing Retina Display, and it has less screen real estate. Yet, it just works! So how did a self-described technophile end up falling in love with a so-called “lesser being”? First, let’s go back to the initial quest. It was time for a new iPad to replace my 2. Apple had announced a pair of new iPads. The first is the one deemed “4”; more speed, better Wi-Fi, and a brilliant screen. The 2nd is the baby brother with the same basic stats as the iPad I intended to replace. In fact, the mere idea of the Mini made me chuckle. It has no place in the market I said. It is just a silly idea I said. I will take the 64GB in slate I said! What? Yep, I took it home! For me, David beat Goliath! When I picked it up, all the “techno stats” seemed to melt away. This thing just felt right in my hands and it was amazingly light. All of a sudden, my old iPad suddenly felt like a brick. It really made me think about why I got a tablet in the first place; a small, light device that could travel easily and take on duties like eMail, document editing, and web-based applications when I was away from my laptop.

Lightbulb Moment

As I sat there playing with this thing, it all became clear, this was exactly what I wanted out of a tablet in the first place! I had the big benefit of the iOS/Apple/iCloud ecosystem in a package that I could simply slip into my portfolio! Not to mention, the new form factor was so easy to type on, it made eMail a breeze and I could hold it for hours with little ill-effect from the weight. Take that iPad Senior!

Apple A5 Processor

So what about the processor? No issue for me at all as the A5 was always as fast and responsive as I needed it to be. This little guys moves at a very brisk pace and can handle all I ask of it. No Retina screen? That has got to be a big problem, right? Oddly enough, “nope”, not at all. The Mini delivers a bright, legible display that is more than enough for any application that I need to tackle from the web to word processing. Simply put, the display still looks great.

Sleek Apple Design

Let’s face it, fan or not, Apple makes great products. It is not often that you come across the total package of design and function, living together in perfect balance and harmony. The iPad Mini is another sterling example of this principal. They have taken the power and simplicity that I have always loved about the iPad, and put it into a package that makes so much sense. Easy to transport, easy to hold, easy to use, and wonderful to live with! All that it is far trumps all that it is not. Just like the wonderful world of sports, stats do not always tell the whole story. The iPad Mini is proof positive of this. Give it a try, you might just grab onto the notion that smaller can be better.

Tags: Miscellaneous