Macworld Forums

Apple still hasn't officially announced that it is going to make a smaller iPad, but the word is that it will be arriving soon.

How much would you be willing to pay for an iPad mini?

Let us know here.

Ashleigh Allsopp,
about £279. As I expect the iPad mini to be based on iPad 2 components and tech to keep the price down to compete with the one trick pony Kindles and those silly toy Android thingies.

Ashleigh Allsopp,

My Guess for pricing will be about £100 less than the iPad 3

16GB £299
32GB £379
64GB £459

I can't see a need for one personally, but I think they will sell incredibly well. However, Apple will have very solid competition with the new Surface RT which I think will do well also because MS will price them at cost. And they do look good, even though the name sucks.

Apple will need to look at what they plan for the iPad 4 and iPad 4 mini and possibly think again.

Dragonfly,

Looks like quite a nice iPad, they've sort of muddied the waters by still selling the iPad 2, but the iPad 3 is now replaced with the 4th gen iPad.

Basically Apple should have dropped the '2' number and re-branded it as just iPad and iPad HD (perhaps with '2013 edition' on the back), they should have also given the iPad 2 a new lightening connector, and possibly upgraded the processor.

It would have been great if they did an iPad HD mini as well with the same processor and resolution as its bigger brother.

I can imagine there will be a lot of pi**ed off people who bought the 3rd gen version recently. I almost did, glad I didn't.

They've pitched the price of the mini quite well I think, but can't help thinking it's just a smaller version of the 2011 model.

Ashleigh

Well we have the new iPad mini and it's everything I feared it would be.

I was [and am] a huge enthusiast for Apple's original iPad - before its release I saw it as the game-changer it has proved to be, arguably signalling the future of mass-market computing.

But the Mini I find deeply troubling in what it signifies for Apple as a company. This is a category of device which is not in Apple's usual way leading the customer, but rather answering perceived demand and doing so at this stage as a 'me too' product. Worse still it makes that compromise in form factor that places it between two stools - too large to be pocketable, too small to virtual touch-type on.

Looked at against the Nexus, it's even less pocketable, has a lower resolution, arguably less powerful processing and weighs in at a heftier price point. I dare say Apple's iOS and its ecosystem are superior, but overall, I can't see much that is compelling about it.

Has Apple lost its nerve, or worse still, lost its vision? I don't doubt they'll sell a shed-load, but I can't help feeling troubled by this announcement.

Xhris2210,

I know what you mean but think you're overplaying it a little.

For some people the full iPad was too big for everyday use.

Having a product in-between a full ipad and iPod touch is just a logical step - like having 11", 13" & 15" laptops

Some would see one laptop size as the ideal but everyone has a potentially different need.

I was toying with the idea of getting an iPad mini on EE to use tethered instead of buying a 4G mifi but the costs of both the iPad mini and data on EE have put that idea to rest pretty sharpish

(I'll probably get an iPhone 5 instead as the old 3GS has some screen damage etc - maybe buy one full price and move to best network as and when... - prob Three on 3G as they seem to allow tethering and their 3G is v good)

nom,

I agree with you here. This is just like the iPods too - something for everyone. Plus the smaller iPad may be more popular with children as a lighter, more portable and (to them) not seen as a small device. Cheaper too. The 16GB WiFi model will likely be very popular this Christmas.

Dragonfly,

I'm with you on the iPad2. I can sort of see why they would want a cheaper full sized intermediate, but it is odd that it didn't get the new connector. Can only think that this is a temporary lineup and that it will either disappear or be replaced by a lightning version after Christmas.