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The mini has always given me the impression that it exists simply to drive sales towards the more expensive models. Although I'm surprised they still make it considering they've axed the mini iphone a few generations ago.
Personally, I don't feel like any iPad is worth the cost though because of how limited iPadOS is.
I have the previous gen iPad mini (and iPhone mini as well…), and it’s a genuinely wonderful device. It’s the perfect size for idly reading the internet, PDFs, and books. Also, It’s great for propping up by my Mac at work to show me Mastodon, Lemmy, Messages, etc… that I can control with my Mac’s trackpad and keyboard.
But if I hadn’t got it as a present last year there’s no way I’d own one for what Apple are charging for it. It just is not worth £600+
Partly that’s because of iPadOS as a whole, but also because they’re charging in the region of iPad Air money for it while leaving out several iPadOS features that might make it a legitimately useful tool.
I never use Stage Manager on my Macs, but if I could access it on my iPad, then hook it up to a display and have it as a handy portable computer I’d be all over that. But Apple removed that from the mini, despite it having the guts to support it. Hell, even if activating it turned off the iPad’s display it would still be really handy. Nope, can’t even do that.
I have no idea why Apple keep selling the iPad mini, because they don’t really seem to give a shit about it, and it’s a shame.
Apple has fallen for the fanboys talking about how the android phones and android tablets are larger than the Apple devices, do that for 10 years and Apple now has continued to raise the minimum size of everything, all while, forgetting those that appreciate a light weight device, a small device, as well as a convenient tool that instead of taking up room can simply be connected to an external display or keyboard or other type of device to see those images larger The limitations of iPadOS is really less than people make it out to be, the point of a tablet device is for consumption and for viewing and for making that easily accessible and limiting what it provides to make the mobile experience optimum. What I mean by that is if they enabled iPadOS to have all of the macOS features, the simplicity of iPadOS would be lost.
But which is it to be; the simplicity of iPadOS, or cramming iPads with ultra-powerful processors that are hilariously overpowered for what the OS can achieve?
In the case of the iPad mini: it could be an excellent, simple computing device, a la Chromebook. Hook it up to a display, get a Stage Manager-led device that can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse and used to get on with simple computing tasks. The iWork suite would be perfect in that setup.
Instead, when you do that you get the regular 8” display blown up to the size of whatever display you have, which adds nothing. The Mini has the capability to be so much more without losing what makes it such a compelling device, but Apple don’t seem to care.
And it’s not like I’m asking for them to make it a Mac replacement. There’s no danger of it cutting in to iPad or Mac sales. It would become its own little niche. Hell, they could make iPhones do the same. But they won’t, because money.
iPads are great for digital drawing and painting. I bought an iPad just to be able to use Procreate.
It also serves as a Spotify player, couch browser, and to show photos to friends.
It’s perfect for kids and old folks.
I use mine from time to time as a reading device but it’s no match for my MacBook Pro.
I skipped the 2021 version, and while my 2019 is still holding strong, I don't know that it will make it to the mini 8 (if one is even made. Especially if that takes 3 more years.) This looks to be a solid upgrade from 2 gen back. Double the ram and storage, usbc.
I may not buy one tomorrow, but possibly soon.
No Mchip… No mini