# Which iPad for you: the Air, the new retina display Mini or both?



## ayuryogini

I have been waiting impatiently for the new retina display iPad Mini. I didn't buy one of the original mini's because it didn't have retina display, never thinking that I would have to wait so long for it to come out.  Prior to that, I had purchased every new iPad incarnation through iPad3, and then decided that I was pretty happy with mine (plus I couldn't see any reason to keep updating after I supplied my kids with my hand-me-downs).

So I was certain I was done purchasing the larger iPad and was really looking forward to the new mini.  But today I read that the new iPad Air is kind of between the iPad and the mini in size (sort of a larger mini), not to mention almost 1/2 pound lighter than the iPad, and now I'm not sure which way I want to go with this. 

I'd love to hear some of your thoughts, which one you may or may not be getting and why.


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## gdae23

I have a second generation iPad, and I decided this year was the time to upgrade. So far, I like what I'm seeing about the iPad Air, and I think I'll be getting that. I am curious to see the early reviews.  Since I'm using the iPad more than my regular computer these days, I really want the larger screen, so that's my first choice. 

However...I have played with the mini in the Apple store, and I just need to think of an excuse to justify getting one! (Feel free to be an enabler. ) I'll get the larger one first, and I think it's too much money for me to get both at once. But I may get a mini at some later date. 

I just found this online about the size of the iPad air: "the iPad Air has maintained its screen size while still slimming down from 9.4mm to 7.4mm. It also gets lighter, dropping to just 453g from 662g." 

iPad 4:  241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 (mm)            iPad Air:  241.2 x 185.7 x 7.4  (mm)

So, iPad Air length and width (and screen size) are apparently the same as the regular iPad 4. But the iPad Air is thinner in depth, and has thinner bezels surrounding the screen. And lighter, of course!

Another consideration is where you'll mainly be using the iPad. I use mine mostly at home, so the larger size isn't an issue. When I do carry it around, it's heavier than I would like on a regular basis. So for everyday portability, I'd vote for the mini. At the moment, I carry around my Kindle and iPhone, and that works for me. I do know someone who sold his iPhone and Kindle, got a very cheap pre-pay phone and then bought an iPad mini to carry around. That served his purposes. But I don't want to give up reading on my eInk Kindle, or the long battery life, and I also don't want to carry both a Kindle and an iPad mini around at the same time. So there's my dilemma!


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## teralpar

Definitely the iPad Mini w/Retina! I can't wait! I love the portability since I keep my current iPad Mini with me at all times.

I do carry my Kindle Paperwhite in my handbag as well...


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## rittsi

I'm probably going to get the mini with retina. The portability is a major factor for me, but I also want the retina display, which is why I skipped the first mini. I currently have an Ipad 2, which I bought on release day and have probably used every day since then. It actually still works fine, but I would love to have a smaller ipad for my daily commute on the train. 

Most likely I will still check out the air before making my final decision. I also started having some doubts when Apple announced the ipad air would weigh less, but if it keeps the same dimensions I'm probably going to go with the mini. 

The only thing I wonder about is the availibility of the mini 2 when it's released, what with the holidays coming up. I predict being put on a waiting list if I want the mini 2.


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## gdae23

I think I need to change something I wrote in my prior comment. Now I've found a reference to the fact that the iPad Air is not exactly the same size as the iPad 4, but is actually slightly narrower overall. Since the side bezels are visibly narrower, I guess it has to be one or the other - either the Air really is narrower overall, or there's more screen available. But I've also seen references to the screen staying the same size, so likely the Air is overall a bit narrower. I'll have to check on that further when I have more time. 

I also have to comment that, by choice, I have a fairly heavy case on my iPad2. (It has other features that were more important to me than the weight.) But that also has colored my opinion about carrying the larger iPad on a regular basis.


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## Toby

I wasn't going to get either as I have the iPad 2 & the Mini. I was planning to wait until next year to upgrade, but now I see that T-Mobile has a free cell plan for 200MB of data. I am currently paying AT&T $14.99 a month for 250MB. Now I want to upgrade. I was planning to order the Mini 2, but someone talked me into getting the iPad Air instead since my IPad 2 is older.


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## kwajkat

I do was debating on which one I would prefer. In looking closer at the specs and reading the reviews, I think the mini is worth waiting for. The retina display has a tighter PPI (screen pixels per inch) of 326 whereas the Air has a PPI of 264. Which means the images are going to be sharper on the mini than on the Air even though the resolution is the same on both devices.  Also the mini is still smaller and lighter than the Air which would make it easier to carry around or fit in a purse etc.  

I think it would boil down to weight and size which is a bit lighter and smaller for the mini; the screen sharpness on the mini and the $100 difference and finally what size screen you prefer.  I have found with the 1st gen mini that it was a great size to read with and even watch movies. Putting it in a case with a hand strap made it much easier to hold in one hand or in general. 

PCMag. com has a good article on helping you decide which one to get.


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## Toby

Thanks for your thoughts & for your research on this - for posting the specs. I only have the retina on my iphone 5. I was starting to wobble back to the mini again before reading what you said. I do like reading on the larger size at home, but like the smaller, lighter size to take out. I could get the mini this year & the larger size for next year. We will see. I'm still thinking about this.


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## maries

I want to get DH an iPad fir Christmas.  I like these size of the Air. It's the size of my 8.9 Fire which is IMO the perfect size. But I think he'd like the mini since he borrows mine. 

I think they are going to be hard to find although I want the one with cellular capability (but not a commitment) to a plan.  Any suggestions on the least stressful and most likely to be successful way to get one?  I don't see that Aaple is letting people pre-order.  Any suggestions

Thanks.


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## Toby

I got AT&T for 250 MB for $14.99 per month last year on my mini 1. I ordered mine from the apple store online. This year, T-Mobile has free data for 200 MB. Don't know when they will show up in the retail stores.


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## mooshie78

I may get an Air eventually.  My iPad 2 is getting a bit long in the tooth.  Gets some image retention on the screen (goes away but can see the Safari address bar, text after reading etc. for a few minutes when going to a new app) and is a lot more sluggish after the iOS 7 update.  Money is a tad tight after some other big purchases and a lot of travel this fall, so it's not a priority to upgrade anytime soon though.

No interest in a mini as a main use of my iPad is reading and marking up PDFs of scholarly journal articles and the mini screen is way to small for that given the larger page size of many journals, combined with full page tables/figures that need to be viewed in their entirety (i.e. not 1/2 page at a time).  Portablilty isn't an issue for me.  iPad is super light IMO, and I don't carry it everywhere with me--my iPhone 5s is always in my pocket.  So the iPad just goes back and forth to the office and on out of town trips, and is barely noticeable weight wise in my attache case.


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## mlewis78

I'm interested in the new ipad mini, but since it won't be available until late November, I might wait until after the New Year to buy it.  I have an ipad 2 and a kindle fire HD 7".  I use them both more for watching videos than anything else (Amazon prime instant and ITV player for current British TV series (with Tunnelbear)).  I would like the new mini for portability and higher screen resolution.  I want to see it in the Apple store before I decide for sure whether to buy.  I will look at the ipad air as well.  Disappointing that the mini is up in price and only $100 less than the ipad air.


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## mistyd107

I'm debating the mini or the fire hdx and really torn since I'll mainly use it to read and as a backup for internet since my connection is not that reliable.  I do also have a mac & iPhone if you have any advice please feel free to share


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## maries

mistyd107 said:


> I'm debating the mini or the fire hdx and really torn since I'll mainly use it to read and as a backup for internet since my connection is not that reliable. I do also have a mac & iPhone if you have any advice please feel free to share


Since you have a mac and iphone you are firmly rooted with apple so you could go that way to be consistent or with the HDX for some variety. You could go to Best Buy to play with both. The mini will be more expensive but a little bigger than the 7" HDX. Or you could go with the 8.9" HDX which is still going to be a little cheaper than the mini. I really like the 8.9" size and looking forward to the lighter weight of the new HDX. I think the mini is faster for internet searching than the HD but I don't have the HDX to compare it too but it still works fine. Only thing is not having Flash on the Fire.


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## The Hooded Claw

I use my iPad a LOT when I travel, so weight is a concern. but I've never really liked the seven inch screen size for tablets. Smaller than I prefer to look at, and my fat clumsy fingers have trouble clicking on the right spot on a web page. Because of the smaller size and lower weight,I am finding my attention caught by the iPad Air. Even though it is totally unjustifiable, I will probably buy a 4G iPad Air. Making it slightly less nutty, I will sell my existing iPad to mute the financial damage.

Incidentally, there are detailed reviews of the Air up on many websites tonight, notably CNET and Engadget. For me, main takeaway is that despite the lower weight, battery life has not suffered, and the ipad Air meets or exceeds Apple's battery life claims.


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## Rick Gualtieri

I'm definitely upgrading to the iPad Air.  Made the mistake of upgrading my iPad 2 to the 3 when it came out.  The retina display was nice, but I didn't like the added bulk and the battery life wasn't quite as good.  Also there was no processor power bump associated with a new model, so anything that was sluggish on the 2 was still sluggish on the 3.  The iPad Air seems to be a major step back in the right direction for me: lighter, much more powerful, and better battery life.  Looking forward to it as I use my iPad quite a bit both for consumption and creation (writing).


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## Holly

Will be in the line up for the ipad mini w/retina 128GB.  Waiting for the retina model to come out for the last year.  Ended up with a new Nexus 7 2 in the meantime for reading.


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## The Hooded Claw

I have ordered a 4G iPad Air for in store pickup today! I won't really settle down till the order is ready and I have it in my hot little hands,


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## The Hooded Claw

Toby said:


> I wasn't going to get either as I have the iPad 2 & the Mini. I was planning to wait until next year to upgrade, but now I see that T-Mobile has a free cell plan for 200MB of data. I am currently paying AT&T $14.99 a month for 250MB. Now I want to upgrade. I was planning to order the Mini 2, but someone talked me into getting the iPad Air instead since my IPad 2 is older.


I've got my iPad Air, the Apple store was deserted this morning, and bought a TMobile model. I took it to the TMobile store to be activated and caused some consternation since this is a new program starting today. My intent was to get the 200 meg free plan, plus a short-term one time data pass since I'll be traveling this month. It ended up that despite the claims of totally free for the 200 meg plan,at this point you have to buy an initial data pass (or sign up for at least one month on a regular data plan) to get an account for them to assign the200 meg plan to. It took over an hour of the reps calling to other stores and technical support to figure this out and accomplish it. I wouldn't be shocked to discover that there is a way to get the 200 meg without the data pass after a day or so of this, but they didn't know a way as of this morning. Since I'd intended to buy a data pass for next week's work trip and for thanksgiving! I didn't mind. They have data passes as low as ten dollars, so it is not a huge imposition.

The TMobile store was also deserted, and the employees said that they didn't expect much of a stir or rush, as they hadn't been getting phone calls inquiring about the 200 meg promotion.


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## maries

The Hooded Claw said:


> I've got my iPad Air, the Apple store was deserted this morning, and bought a TMobile model. I took it to the TMobile store to be activated and caused some consternation since this is a new program starting today. My intent was to get the 200 meg free plan, plus a short-term one time data pass since I'll be traveling this month. It ended up that despite the claims of totally free for the 200 meg plan,at this point you have to buy an initial data pass (or sign up for at least one month on a regular data plan) to get an account for them to assign the200 meg plan to. It took over an hour of the reps calling to other stores and technical support to figure this out and accomplish it. I wouldn't be shocked to discover that there is a way to get the 200 meg without the data pass after a day or so of this, but they didn't know a way as of this morning. Since I'd intended to buy a data pass for next week's work trip and for thanksgiving! I didn't mind. They have data passes as low as ten dollars, so it is not a huge imposition.
> 
> The TMobile store was also deserted, and the employees said that they didn't expect much of a stir or rush, as they hadn't been getting phone calls inquiring about the 200 meg promotion.


Have you had T-mobile before or is this new? Wondering how they are..


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## The Hooded Claw

maries said:


> Have you had T-mobile before or is this new? Wondering how they are..


This is new for me. I used to have Sprint and I have had Verizon for about 18 months. I've been seduced by the promise of 200 MB per month of free data, which I think will be convenient if I just need to use the Internet occasionally. It will also be a way for me to see how the T-Mobile coverage works, and if I want to consider switching some of their very attractive plans when my Verizon contract runs out in six months.

Based on news reports I've seen and A twitter message from the Tmobile President I saw mentioned in the news reports, it appears I was given bogus information. The TMobile stores did not have the 200 megabyte plan set up properly for the customers, and I should not have been required to buy the data pass this morning. Since I'm going to be traveling and can use the data pass anyway I don't mind much. But it doesn't make Tmobile look good.


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## maries

The Hooded Claw said:


> This is new for me. Are you still have Sprint and it had Verizon for about 18 months. I've been seduced by the promise of 200 MB per month of free data, which I think will be convenient if I just need to use the Internet occasionally. It will also be a way for me to see how the T-Mobile coverage works, and if I want to consider switching some of their very attractive plans when my Verizon contract runs out in six months.
> 
> Based on news reports I've seen and A twitter message from the Tmobile President I saw mentioned in the news reports, it appears I was given bogus information. The TMobile stores did not have the 200 megabyte plan set up properly for the customers, and I should not have been required to buy the data pass this morning. Since I'm going to be traveling and can use the data pass anyway I don't mind much. But it doesn't make Tmobile look good.


That was exactly the same reason I was thinking to check them out. I have At&T and service is fine but price keeps going up.


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## Toby

Thanks for letting me know this. I would have been very upset if I had to pay anything when I did not expect to. I have T-Mobile on my iPhone 5. The phone cost over $500, but I have unlimited data as I am on my father's business plan. So far, I don't have any problems. I have AT&T on my original Mini. Let us know how you the the iPad Air.


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## ayuryogini

The Hooded Claw said:


> I've got my iPad Air, the Apple store was deserted this morning,
> The TMobile store was also deserted, and the employees said that they didn't expect much of a stir or rush, as they hadn't been getting phone calls inquiring about the 200 meg promotion.


The Apple store near me was packed!. They had most models available at around 5pm but not the one I wanted ; however, the closest store (25mi) DID have it, so the sales asst had me order it online to pick up at that store, and by the time I had completed the transaction, it had already been sold, so I will be waiting till Wed or Thursday for it to arrive.

The iPad Air is gorgeous and SO light. I was still really torn, as I had been waiting for the mini to come out with retina display, and I really like the smaller screen of my Fire HDX, but I also like the option of a larger screen, especially for movies and magazines. Maybe Santa will think I need the mini for a combined birthday/Christmas present 

*Hooded Claw*, how do you like your new iPad Air?


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## etexlady

I'm so disappointed. I was all set to buy the new iPad Air on the T-Mobile website on Friday morning but found it impossible to order without contracting to pay $10 for the "free" data plan.  Nope, not gonna do that. Might as well go over to ATT and pay $14 for the minimal data plan and get the iPad immediately. Then the T-Mobile CEO comes out and says it was a mistake.  Here it is two days later and the website is still asking for $10.  I have an iPad 3 WiFi only which I use daily at home and it has been fine for my purposes.  I would like to have one that is cellular capable for travel over the holidays but I suppose I'll manage with my iPhone.


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## VictoriaP

etexlady said:


> I'm so disappointed. I was all set to buy the new iPad Air on the T-Mobile website on Friday morning but found it impossible to order without contracting to pay $10 for the "free" data plan. Nope, not gonna do that. Might as well go over to ATT and pay $14 for the minimal data plan and get the iPad immediately. Then the T-Mobile CEO comes out and says it was a mistake. Here it is two days later and the website is still asking for $10. I have an iPad 3 WiFi only which I use daily at home and it has been fine for my purposes. I would like to have one that is cellular capable for travel over the holidays but I suppose I'll manage with my iPhone.


RE: TMobile--If you purchase an Air from the Apple store with the TMobile SIM already installed, it's merely a matter of registering, directly from the iPad. Hubby ordered his at 12:01 AM Friday for in store pickup, and had it that afternoon with virtually no wait. He made the dual mistake of calling TMobile and going into a TMobile store, and got the same "$10" runaround statement everyone else heard.

He brought the Air back home, and I finally convinced him to hand it to me. I turned off wifi, turned on cellular, and had him on the TMobile network in under five minutes. No charge card, nothing. Account shows a 200 MB allotment for 30 days.

This parallels the experience of many users on the MacRumors forum. Ignore the TMobile site and their sales/support folks. The information they've been providing isn't correct.

RE: Air versus Mini. I have a first gen Mini. The Mini is almost exactly the same size as a K2. The plus to it versus the Air is that it will fit in most purses, even relatively small ones; the Air is still a bit too big for that. If that's not a concern...the new Air is a gorgeous, lightweight piece of hardware. I love my Mini, I really do, but I'll admit the Air is pretty tempting!


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## etexlady

Appreciate the info, VictoriaP.  Instead of buying the iPad outright from Apple or whomever, I was wanting to buy the iPad directly from T-Mobile to get their special, no interest pricing and the free data. They have now clarified that if one wants the special pricing they are required to also purchase a monthly data plan.  Then they get the "free data" as has been advertised.  If one owns their ipad outright (like your husband) then they can get the free data for free.  Still sounds a little underhanded to me.  What it comes down to is there are "strings attached" to the free data depending on how you obtain your ipad


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## The Hooded Claw

ayuryogini said:


> *Hooded Claw*, how do you like your new iPad Air?


I'm happy with it, though not enthralled. I like the lighter form factor and can definitely tell a difference in hand holding it. It does work as a one hand hold for awhile, but not indefinitely like my kindles or the Nexus 7 tablet.

I don't do high powered gaming, but I can tell a speed difference in web browsing, especially in reloading tabs if I have a bunch of tabs open and switch between them.

The 4g of tmobile works fine, though is unsurprisingly is slower than my wifi at home. I have measured wifi speed with speedtest, and despit the hype about antenna improvements, see no difference in speed vs my ipad 4. My wifi is a couple of years old, and I have good cable internet but didn't pay extra for high speed, so may not be testing the iPad's limits.

Something I didn't expect is that the speakers are a LOT better on the Air than previous iPads.

I like it, though I objectively have to doubt it was worth upgrading from the ipad 4. Other than fron factor the difference isn't that great for my use. I can afford it, and will like the size when traveling or using the ipad away from home where the ipad mostly sits on my Peeramid pillow stand. so I don't feel bad about buying it. Versus an ipad 2 or 3 the difference would be a LOT more noticeable, though.


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## Toby

Thanks for your review. I have an iPad 2 & might upgrade next year.


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## Tia K

i have an ipad4 the retina display is great. but that's as far as it goes. i looked at ipad mini, but the display screen was not as good as ipad4, unfortunately you can't do anything else with these ipads in general, cant even use a external usb flash disk  to be able to share files with your ipad. unless you have a computer with itunes which is to much hassle compared to other tablets in the market. ipad mini is the same afaik. so i dont think i ever gonna upgrade my ipad, not worth it, just my opinion


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## kltmom

I want both! It really isn't in my budget to get both, though, so I have to decide soon which one I really want.  Currently in my family my husband has an iPad2 (that was originally mine but passed on to him; he decided to go back to college for a different career path and I knew he'd greatly benefit from having one on campus--he didn't want the bulk of a whole laptop) and an iPad3 that's primarily my 10-yr old daughter's (but used a _lot_ by me, as well as her little 2-yr old sister). I also have an iPhone5. I _really_ wanted the iPad mini last year but decided to wait until they added Retina. When I switch between our iPad2 and iPad3 I can really, really tell the difference between the non-Retina and Retina displays so I didn't want the original iPad mini.

I went to Best Buy to see the iPad Air and it is SO light and SO thin and the display is incredible. I am very tempted to get it instead of the iPad mini with Retina display but I really want the smaller form factor and I've decided that I need a 32gb version; our iPad2 and 3 each have only 16gb and we've found that 16gb just isn't enough, so I vowed I'd get a 32gb the next time around. So that's an extra $100 to contend with when deciding...I am probably going to get the Retina iPad mini because I will still have access to and use of our iPad3 if for some reason I want to use a bigger screen sometimes, but I'm planning on solely using the mini for myself (not letting the kids use it) because I don't want to get any type of cover for it except for a smartcover (not smartcase), and a sleeve. We have somewhat bulky covers on our iPad2 & 3 but they've saved our iPads several times over when our kids have dropped them.

So in answer to the original question, which iPad for me....I'd like to say both but in reality it will (hopefully) be the iPad Mini with Retina display. I say hopefully because I'm a bit apprehensive about the supposed delays and predicted supply issues. It will be my x-mas present from hubby and the kids  (Just as the PW2 was my b-day present from hubby and the kids  )


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## Toby

As long as you still have the iPad 3 to use, you might as well get the iPad Mini 2. That way it will be more portable to take with you, since it's smaller & lighter. I have the original Mini, but that's coming from the iPad 2, so in my case, the Mini was an improvement in darkness of text.


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## mooshie78

Toby said:


> Thanks for your review. I have an iPad 2 & might upgrade next year.


Ditto. Glad to hear its nice. Will probably upgrade from my iPad 2 next year as well.



Tia K said:


> ....unfortunately you can't do anything else with these ipads in general, cant even use a external usb flash disk to be able to share files with your ipad. unless you have a computer with itunes which is to much hassle compared to other tablets in the market.


Dropbox is the way to go for getting files onto the ipad. I don't even use flash drives for my pcs anymore as it's just a gazillion times easier to just use Dropbox and have all my work file synced between all my machines automatically.


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## nico

I went to the local Apple store today to mess around with them. I still have not bought my first tablet...unless you count my iPad nano, aka iPod Touch. I'm very tempted by the iPad Air as i was waiting until they made it thinner and lighter. Probably still wait until after the holidays so i can play around with the retina mini and compare and contrast. I would DEFINITELY go with the Air if it weren't for the $100 difference, but the price might push me down to the smaller retina mini. Or no iPad at all. I still can't figure out how i'd end up using it.


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## ayuryogini

Tia K said:


> i have an ipad4 the retina display is great. but that's as far as it goes. i looked at ipad mini, but the display screen was not as good as ipad4, unfortunately you can't do anything else with these ipads in general, cant even use a external usb flash disk to be able to share files with your ipad. unless you have a computer with itunes which is to much hassle compared to other tablets in the market. ipad mini is the same afaik. so i dont think i ever gonna upgrade my ipad, not worth it, just my opinion


AirDrop and iCloud make file sharing really easy, as well as DropBox that *mooshie78* mentioned.

*kimom*, you pretty much echoed my experience. I have the iPad 3, which is really heavy, but I like the retina display. 
I did buy the iPad Air, it was delivered a few days ago and I haven't even opened it. I really think I might hold out for the new mini; I wish they had come out at the same time. I spent a lot of time comparing the speed of the new iPad Air with the mini, and then realized I was comparing it to the old one, it took me a while to realize it, too. Like you, I REALLY want both, but it's really not that practical, or necessary. I don't even think I can rationalize this one


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## Christopher Hunter

Toby said:


> Thanks for your review. I have an iPad 2 & might upgrade next year.


Yep, iPad 2's seem to have reached their time limit about now. My screen keeps doing things on its own. The poor thing has got computer Alzheimer's.


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## Cardinal

I have been waiting so long for the new iPads! Since the Air has come out I have spent alot of time at the Apple store deciding between the Air and the retina Mini.

Earlier this year I bought the 1st gen Mini and ended up returning it because I couldn't get used to the non-retina display but I loved how light and portable it is. The Mini retina really tempts me, especially every time I hold a Mini at Apple.

After a lot of looking, I am 99% sure I'm going to get the Air for the larger screen which I think will make magazine reading, comics, PDFs, technical books and web surfing easier to read.

I will probably get this case for it:
http://www.amazon.com/Devicewear-Detour-Rotating-Leather-Switches/dp/B00G4EBA4Q/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I'm still deciding on storage size or cellular vs wifi only. I would like to have a lot video on it.


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## mooshie78

Bigger screen of the Air is definitely the way to go for PDFs, magazines etc.

As for Wifi/4G, do you have a smartphone with wifi hot spot ability? I have a iPhone 5s, and the share everything dataplan from Verizon includes using it as a hot spot.  So I just do that with my iPad 2, and will stay wifi only whenever I upgrade.  Doesn't make sense to pay more for a 4G model and also pay $20 a month (+taxes and fees) to add it to my share everything plan when I can just use my phone as a hot spot.


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## Cardinal

mooshie78 said:


> Bigger screen of the Air is definitely the way to go for PDFs, magazines etc.
> 
> As for Wifi/4G, do you have a smartphone with wifi hot spot ability? I have a iPhone 5s, and the share everything dataplan from Verizon includes using it as a hot spot. So I just do that with my iPad 2, and will stay wifi only whenever I upgrade. Doesn't make sense to pay more for a 4G model and also pay $20 a month (+taxes and fees) to add it to my share everything plan when I can just use my phone as a hot spot.


Out and about, there is not very much wifi at places that I go to frequently. I've never tethered before, I'm not sure if it is convenient or not, but I have read that it will quickly drain the iPhone battery.


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## The Hooded Claw

I haven't tried tethering on my current Verizon plan (I have to pay extra, it isn't included) but I tethered on my old Sprintplan and found it to really suck the battery on the phone. I didn't like it. I chose to buy a TMobile ipad when I bought my Air, and will have the free 200 MB per month which will cover minor web surfing if I go away overnight, and can get a short term pass with more data if I need it. This month I traveled out of state for a week, and will spend time at relatives during thanksgiving, and bought a 2.5 gig pass good for the month at a cost of $30. It will more than cover my needs, and I've been happy with the data service (though I have been in big cities, haven't tested it out in the country yet!)  

If I needed significant data every month, I might do differently, but I don't need data on my ipad more than a few times a year.


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## mooshie78

I haven't found tethering to drain my iPhone 5s (or 4s previously) all that fast.  I never used it for long stretches though, probably never more than 30 minutes or so.  Even if it drained battery I'd rather just take my iPhone charger than pay $130 or whatever more they charge for a 4g capable iPad, and then another $20 + taxes and fees on my Verizon plan to add it to the share everything pool.

Obviously moot if you're not on a plan that includes tethering for no extra fees.


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## nico

After much consternation over retina mini vs air vs retina MBP, i ordered the retina mini. I spent a bunch of time playing with all of them in the Apple Store, and while i think i really would like the MBP, i couldn't justify the expense since we have two perfectly functional Macs at home already. Since it came down to the iPads, i decided that portability trumped screen size in most of my use cases. 

I used the $100 savings between the two iPads to get a 64GB model (with LTE). Now i just have to wait for it to ship! Argh!


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## ayuryogini

*nico*, what is MBP? Oh, I think I figured it out. MacBook Pro?

I just returned my iPad Air (never opened) and ordered the new mini. I can hardly wait. I ordered the 64 and 128 4G and can't decide which one to cancel. My current iPad is 64 and I often run out of space and have to delete stuff so it makes sense to get the 128, but I guess I have a psychological block; it just seems so excessive.

They had the wi-fi available in store today. The woman helping me said the cellular models should be available in-store in about a week.


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## nico

I should be able to pick mine up tomorrow in-store. This will be my first iPad, so i'm pretty excited. Still don't know what i'm going to use it for other than digital comics and web browsing. Seems a bit excessive for that, but whatever. It's soooo shiny!


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## Cardinal

I just compared Mini Retina to the Air at the Apple store.  I loaded up the digital sample of the magazine I get and the print was very small on the Mini Retina.  After surfing the same websites with them both, I decided to go with the Air.

Still deciding wifi vs cell and storage size...


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## Meemo

DH was torn between the two and leaning towards the Air. But then he watched a couple of streaming shows, one on his iPad 3, one on his Mini, and realized his Mini was just more comfortable to use the way he wanted to (where he could comfortably set it on his lap, etc). And he tends to pick up the Mini more often, even though he prefers the Retina screen. So when he saw a few days ago that the new Minis had quietly shown up in some Best Buys, he called our local one and sure enough they had the one he wanted (black, 128 gb) so he beat feet out there and got one. And loves it. And I may be asking for one for Christmas. Thought I'd just take over his 64 gb Mini, but that retina screen sure is nice...


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## chilady1

I really didn't have any dilemma between the Air and mini.  I ended up getting an Air this weekend and I absolutely love it!  I was able to get a really good price for my iPad2 and quite honestly it was time. I love Apple products but I am NOT that person that has each new item as it comes out. Personally I can't afford it.  

This iPad is so light.  I never really considered my 2 heavy but compared to this Air, it feels like a brick.  The display is amazing and very clear.  Overall I am extremely pleased with the tablet. My only other upcoming Apple purchase is the iPhone 5s (upgrading from a 4, so again, it's time).  That will be next month so I can buy it outright and keep my unlimited plan. I do like the form factor of the minis but not for me.


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## VictoriaP

The text on the mini is its only real drawback. I do find that I use my original Mini more in the horizontal orientation than I ever did the full size iPad, and I use the Reader function in Safari almost every time it's available.

However--having handled DH's iPad Air a couple of times, I still wouldn't trade my Mini for the larger screen. Even the Air feels heavy by comparison.

For the record, DH LOVES it. Coming from an iPad 1, I'm not surprised. LOL But while he said before the upgrade that he didn't care if it was smaller/lighter, he's commented since on how much easier it is to hold, carry around, and generally handle. I've seen him use it one handed a lot more than he used the original iPad. It does look like a very sweet upgrade for anyone coming from an iPad 3 or earlier model.


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## nico

So, if anyone cares, i picked up a retina iPad mini on Friday morning, took it home, ran an image retention test (it failed), and decided after about 15 minutes that i didn't like how small the mini was. So i returned it to the Apple Store and walked out with an Air instead. Used it all weekend, reading comics, playing video games, web browsing, etc. Here are some quick first impressions.

* Love the bigger screen for reading books, video games, and especially COMICS. I can't believe how great the comic reading experience is. I don't think i'll ever buy a paper comic again!

* While the Air is pretty light and easy enough to use one handed for a while, i still wish it were half as heavy as it is. I realize there are physical and technological limits to battery density, etc, but if i could create a magical device that defied physics, i would want it to be about 1/2 pound instead of 1 pound. 

* Some of the iOS apps really suck on the iPad. Especially Mail. I just can't get used to always having a message open. Still dislike Safari on iOS 7 too.

* While the screen is nice, the screen on my iPod Touch is still better. The process Apple uses to fuse the display to the glass really makes the images pop. On the iPad, i can really notice the distance between the glass and the display; it looks like there's a window between me and the content that just isn't there on the iPod. A small nit, but none are too small for me to pick. 

* I like reading books in landscape mode. Feels natural, closest experience to reading a paper book i've had on an electronic device so far. 

That's it. I may report back if i have more impressions later on. Cheers!


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## mistyd107

is there a way to make text larger on the mini?


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## nico

mistyd107 said:


> is there a way to make text larger on the mini?


Yeah, iOS 7 has a text size slider under Settings > General. iBooks has one that is independent of the Settings preference.


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## Toby

Thanks for the review. I plan on updating my iPad 2 to the Air.


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## buckerine

I tried out both and settled on the Air. The mini's text is just too small. I typically use tablets in portrait mode. Surfing the web on the mini demands landscape mode, otherwise you're always pinching and zooming. I didn't want to change the way I use tablets.


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## nico

buckerine said:


> I tried out both and settled on the Air. The mini's text is just too small. I typically use tablets in portrait mode. Surfing the web on the mini demands landscape mode, otherwise you're always pinching and zooming. I didn't want to change the way I use tablets.


You can change the default text size in iOS 7 for apps that support it, but i'm not sure if that applies to Safari and the web pages it renders. This might be of help to some who are considering a mini, but are concerned about readability of the small text.

Note: I still happily stand by my ultimate decision to go with the Air, unrelated to text size.


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## Cuechick

I went with a 1st G mini... I just did not see enough of a difference with the rentina to pay an extra $100. I am upgrading from a 1st G iPad and love the size!


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## luvmykindle3

I have the iPad 3, which has retina display, and original mini. Considered upgrading to air, so all my devices would have the same cords, but decided it wasn't that big a deal. The mini is fine, so I didn't feel I needed the retina display. It's great for my use. I usually only upgrade every other cycle, unless there are drastically big changes.


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## scottmarlowe

I can't really speak to the Mini since I don't own one, but I upgraded from an iPad 2 to an iPad Air the weekend the Air came out. In comparison, the Air is faster, lighter, thinner, has the Retina display so obviously has a much crisper display, and I've seen no real difference in battery life. If anything, it seems better on battery usage.

I went with the smart cover from Apple, which has done the job nicely for me.

My wife inherited my iPad 2, so everyone wins.


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## Meemo

DH got his retina Mini and I inherited his 64gb Mini (I had and loved a 32gb Mini). It appears now that I've also inherited his iPad 3 - he loved the form factor of the original Mini but missed the retina screen. Now that he has his retina Mini he never uses the iPad 3 so he's said it's "mine" now. I'm slowly reconfiguring it & will mostly use it for magazines and videos - I still prefer my Mini for everything else. He offered to buy me a retina Mini but I didn't really see the point this year. Maybe in another generation or two.


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## maries

DH had a mini but didn't use it that much because of the text size so this year I got him the iPad Air.  I set it up for him yesterday.  I like the size of this one - never a fan of the squarer ipads.    It is heavier than the mini but it didn't feel like it to me.  I tried a mini retina and noticed the weight difference with that but not with the Air.  He is really happy with it!  I'm happy with my original mini other than the Safari changes with ios7 but maybe next year I will get an Air while still hanging on to the mini for carrying around.


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## mooshie78

Finally upgraded my iPad 2 to an Air.  Amazing difference with the Retina screen and things being fast again!  My iPad 2 had been very slow and clunky in a lot of apps since the iOS7 update.  Screen was starting to get some image retention issues as well.  It still works, and my finace will use it now, but the Air is definitely a nice upgrade.  Should have taken the plunge sooner as the slowness as driving me nuts working in Goodreader with PDFs etc.


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## Toby

Mooshie78, Congrates! I guess you answered my question that I posted in another thread here, where you mentioned that you got an iPad Air. Right now, I think I will upgrade from the iPad2 to the Mini instead of the iPad Air, because it will cost less to get more memory & I'd like to get the limited data with T-Mobile. I'm trying to hold out for the next holiday season so I can get the 3rd Generation. I still don't know if I should get the 64GB or the 128 GB. I currently have 32GB. How much memory did you get?


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## mooshie78

I just got the 32.  I never came close to filling it on my iPad 2.


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## Toby

Wow, I would have thought that you would have filled that up. Thanks for letting me know. I did fill up my memory on my original Mini a few times & had to delete some stuff. I have the 32GB on both my original Mini & iPad2. On the iPad2, I have not run out of space yet. Both have the same software. Both are not retina. Maybe I have an app or something only on my Mini, taking up more memory.


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## Shaun Dowdall

I have an Air and absolutely love it. I had a mini before that but I missed the larger screen of the normal iPads. The mini is fantastic for media consumption on the go, but apart from that I found it relatively limiting.

The iPad Air is a great size for most things, and combined with the right apps it can become a really helpful tool. I work in retail and use the iPad on the shop floor all the time. It saves me getting stuck in the back office at the work PC. Now I can work on the shop floor along side my team


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## mooshie78

Toby said:


> Wow, I would have thought that you would have filled that up. Thanks for letting me know. I did fill up my memory on my original Mini a few times & had to delete some stuff. I have the 32GB on both my original Mini & iPad2. On the iPad2, I have not run out of space yet. Both have the same software. Both are not retina. Maybe I have an app or something only on my Mini, taking up more memory.


I don't put any videos, music or photos in my iPad so space doesn't go that fast. Just PDFs and apps.


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## Toby

Shaun, that's wonderful. I really want both, but will get 1 at a time.  

Mooshie78, thanks for explaining what you use. I have photos & photo apps, podcasts, & audio books either on or off my iThings & other various apps. No movies as I use the Fire for that. I just deleted 2 game apps that I had on my 16 GB iPhone 5 today when I saw how much memory they took up, to leave more GB's available. I think I will have more than enough memory if I get the 64GB for my next iPad. I also love to bookmark various sites by adding them to the homescreen. This is 1 of my favorite features of using an iThing.


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