madhouse – Member
Can’t see the value of an iPad mini, in fact I can’t really see the point of it.

Funny, those are the exact same things people said about the iPad when it was introduced!

Not completely accurate. That used disk space is not just the OS. It is also a recovery partition. Plus that looks like a specific device you are looking at ie the Surface. There are lots of other devices that may well be configured differently. Although the Surface itself is actually a very nice device having seen and played with one.

True, but then I’ve not seen reviews of anything else. This is the Surface Pro, the most recent model I’ve seen a review of. Engadget said this:

There’s only one CPU on offer, the 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U, and only a single RAM config, that being 4GB. Really, then, the only choice is how much integrated flash storage you want — but this, too, is an easy decision. For $899 you can get the 64GB model, but there’s only 23GB available thanks to the recovery partition and, of course, the OS itself. If you’re looking to buy, we’d highly recommend stepping up to the 128GB model, which has a far more livable 83GB free. (Note that you can delete the 8GB recovery partition, which helps a bit.)

83Gb, out of 128! 🙄
http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/05/microsoft-surface-pro-review/
There’s nothing that could persuade me to use anything with Windows as an OS. I use a PC at work with Windows on it, admittedly an old OS; XP, I think, but I absolutely hate it.

I have a 32gig windows surface Rt and iPad retina (4th gen). For general browsing and apps I use the iPad, for multitasking and proper work I use the surface, keyboard is much better and interface a bit more work friendly.

Can’t see the value of an iPad mini, in fact I can’t really see the point of it.

I’ve a retina iPad and it’s quite frankly brilliant,

Well, it’s pretty uch exactly the same as yours, but smaller and lighter (So more portable and convenient) and a lot cheaper (So you don’t spend as much money)

🙂

I’ve no experience of the surface but I would point out that you can plug in a SD card to get more storage, and if you’re blowing 600 quid on one another 20 quid on a 64gb card is hardly going to break the bank. Can’t do that with a iPad or a nexus.

That said I’m typing this out on a nexus 10 which I absolutely love. Only 16 gig but you can plug a USB stick in pretty easily if you need a load of videos on hand. My wife has a nexus 7 which is also ace – the choice between the two comes down to the use case really. Taking it on the train get the nexus 7, sofa surfing get the 10.

Android has impressed me to the degree where I’m thinking of ditching the iPhone when the time comes and getting a nexus 4 (or whatever).

Well, it’s pretty uch exactly the same as yours, but smaller and lighter (So more portable and convenient) and a lot cheaper (So you don’t spend as much money)

The screen is pretty low res tho. Which means you may as well just get an mobile phone – there is about 100px in it. The retenia one is much higher res so you can fit more on the screen without constantly pinch zooming.

Except retina costs more.

And most phones have a smaller screen size.

It’s all a compromise, something that the individual buyer needs to weigh up.

Mag content is fine on the mini, screen res is also fine. If you want the best, then pay more, if you don’t then pay less.

Or get a nexus 7…. Cheaper and higher res.

I had a similar decision.

Wanted to read PDF’s, books (technical ones, not novels) and magazines so went with the bigger screen. it is quite large and heavyish, definitely get the smaller one if you’re taking it out with you on a regular basis.

The resolution on the iPad mini seemed fine to me, though a retina on its way http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tablet-pcs/1297756/ipad-mini-2-release-date-features-and-price-rumours

If you can wait a wee while the ipad5 is going to be sized between the retina and mini models, check out mac rumours web site they have some info

if you can wait x time, the apple y will solve the Middle East conflict according to the Mac rumours websites!

[/quote]Ewan – Member
Or get a nexus 7…. Cheaper and higher res.

POSTED 1 HOUR AGO #

Looked at the mini, nexus, and kindle fire. For my purposes the mini was the best of the three options.

Nexus as a user experience, and entirely from my perspective came a poor second to the mini. Just didn’t like it at all.

Like I’ve said, the res on the mini (for me) is absolutely fine. If I was forced to choose from the kindle fire or nexus I’d go with the kindle. If I used these things for games, that might change.

The screen is pretty low res tho

I know.. I have one. I’m posting this from it right now! It’s really not any sort of problem!

. Which means you may as well just get an mobile phone

Well, no. I’ve also got an iPhone 5 with a retina screen. It’s good, but the iPad mini is better because the screen is bigger. Totally different animals. I think the iPhone is more in need of the retina screen than the iPad to be honest.
I’m very happy with my mini. It’s been in constant use since I bought it a few weeks after they were launched. I like its size, the light weight and the price. It’s also a beautifully made little thing. 🙂

Android has impressed me to the degree where I’m thinking of ditching the iPhone when the time comes and getting a nexus 4 (or whatever).

I’ve done just that and bought a nexus 4 which arrived yesterday. Android has done a fair bit of catching up on apple since my brief venture with a froyo HTC desire.

The current iPad mini is 2 generations of iPad out of date and for this they charge £350 for the 32gb model. Hardly what I’d call value for money.
I will happily buy apple products (or any other companies) when they spec their devices with the components that the price tag deserves.

Well went to look at the iPad Mini today. Nicer than I expected but I couldn’t get past the lack of retina.
And the answer to my “are mags readable without zooming in?” question is a clear “no”.

(Sent from my iPad 3… from soft play 🙂 )

Went in apple today with the intention of buying a iPad mini.
Could not bring myself to do it after comparing it to the retina iPad.
Nice enough but in a different league.
Will wait and see if they release the mini retina in March.

my “are mags readable without zooming in?” question is a clear “no”.

You need glasses.

There’s nothing that could persuade me to use anything with Windows as an OS. I use a PC at work with Windows on it, admittedly an old OS; XP, I think, but I absolutely hate it.

Fair enough – we all are free to choose what we want. Having said that XP is now pretty old (over 10 years) but at the time was a very good OS. Times have changed and moved on since then. Windows 7 was overall a very good release – quite possibly the best Windows version ever. Windows 8 has changed the Microsoft game by going fully touch which has enabled a lot of potential in the device market giving lots of choice across a spread of prices. I can’t help nodding admiringly in the direction of Apple and what they have achieved over the last 15 years from a company that was almost dead and buried. However, having spent some time looking at their devices I’m not so sure they as good or as far ahead of the competition as popular opinion would suggest. And their products do come at a cost.

> my “are mags readable without zooming in?” question is a clear “no”.
You need glasses.

Well, I tried looking at the “PDF High” version of Issue 79 on the iPad Mini in the Apple store and I found I couldn’t read the article text without having to zoom in. Can you?

Seems fair enough because the ipad mini is about half the size of the magazine page and has a much lower res than print.

On the Retina display on my full-blown iPad I can comfortably read it. Which is also fair enough as it is almost the same size as the magazine page and near print resolution.

Different people with different requirements have different preferences shocker!!!

83Gb, out of 128!
http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/05/microsoft-surface-pro-review/
There’s nothing that could persuade me to use anything with Windows as an OS. I use a PC at work with Windows on it, admittedly an old OS; XP, I think, but I absolutely hate it.

Thing is, a Surface Pro is a proper computer, with a proper OS. Not just a tablet. If you really want to compare it to an Apple product, try comparing it to a Macbook Air – get past the fact that Apple uses base 10 to report disk sizes (a cheap sleight of hand to make them look bigger), and the difference is minimal. http://www.zdnet.com/surface-pro-versus-macbook-air-whos-being-dishonest-with-storage-space-7000011009/

To the OP: I’ve been living with a 7″ tablet for over a year now, and while it’s ideal for Twitter and email over breakfast (which is what I wanted it for, basically), it’s not great for extended web browsing. You have to use the zoom too much. It is, of course, a lot lighter which is nice on the odd occasion I’ve used it while travelling.