Ordered a ipad Mini 2

[Benito]

I just ordered an ipad Mini 2, not much different from the latest Mini 3 but $100 less.

It's on backorder so I still have time to change my mind.

Those of you who know the market, do you think this is the wrong time to buy? Are there any Android alternatives that are worthy of consideration instead?

I'm very familiar with technology both Android & Apple. I wanted the 8 inch screen and since my main usage for the tablet will be watching movies, some browsing, reading email and some book reading, I thought the simplicity and cleanness of using Apple was better than Android in this case.

The only thing is that my current phone is Android so with my advancing age, I might end up getting confused when switching between the two.

It was interesting to find out that the ipad Mini has a substandard screen when compared to the Air as well as several Android competitors so would it be worth considering the Samsung Pro S 8.4 instead?

 

[Lawn_Care]

I just bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 - and love it.

Something about the features:1.9 GHz Exynos 5 Octa Processor (1.9 GHz Quad Core + 1.3 GHz Quad Core), 16 GB Flash Memory, 3 GB RAM Memory. The Super AMOLED Display with 2560x1600 WQXGA Resolution is a great looking dislpay! Plus I like having a Micro SD card slot for quick swapping of music, photos, 3-stooges episodes, etc.

It's updated to Android 5.0, and can bet setup as simple or as complex as you want it to be. The build-quality and battery life is what sold me on the Samsung, plus I prefer Android over IOS anyway.

Hope it works out for you. Remember - it's not too late.

P.S. - I mostly use mine for my business - calendar & reminder for lawn scheduling, maintenance reminders, payment reminders, general book keeping, etc.

 

[Benito]

Congrats and great to hear you're enjoying yours!

I was just wondering if other screens look dull after you've viewed stuff on the Samsung (black and white comedy aside)?

 

[cashmoney]

The ipad minis are pretty old technology at this point and will get a significant refresh in the next release. Mini 2 is inexpensive if you don;t need the latest technology. Buy a full size ipad air with 64gb if you want to get the most bang for your buck in terms of latest technology that you can use for many years. The form factor, weight, and screen resolution on the latest full size ipad is perfect for books and magazines.

 

[Lawn_Care]

Originally Posted By: Benito
I was just wondering if other screens look dull after you've viewed stuff on the Samsung (black and white comedy aside)?


Yes - the difference is quite noticable. Even on my Samsung, if I change the display output to 'Standard', it looks just like any other 8" tablet's display (except for the much higher resolution). A few minutes of that, and I end up switching it back. lol

It's not a day-and-night differnece until you play newer games, look at photos, or view art work. I have to admit, even most games (especially newer 3D) look so much better - it's worth the extra battery juice for the enhanced coloring features.

 

[expat]

I'm viewing this on my Samsung Galaxy tab 4 10.0
And love it.
50 gb free, in the cloud and 64 go on an SD card gives me lots of storage.

Prior to this I had a first generation Ipad,
I never did get to like the thing.

 

[tmorris1]

Originally Posted By: cashmoney
The ipad minis are pretty old technology at this point and will get a significant refresh in the next release. Mini 2 is inexpensive if you don;t need the latest technology. Buy a full size ipad air with 64gb if you want to get the most bang for your buck in terms of latest technology that you can use for many years. The form factor, weight, and screen resolution on the latest full size ipad is perfect for books and magazines.

I think the only difference between the iPad mini 2 and 3 is the touch sensor. I believe they have the same processor.

 

[JustinH]

We have a galaxy pro, and it has been flakey.

Had to take the thing apart to replace the internal battery, as it had very poor life.

Been ok for a year on the replacement battery.

Also it has crashed quite a bit.

I have an older ipad 2, and have done nothing to it and it works fine. I use it at home all the time.

I also have a kindle fire, and that is good for reading amazon content, and the washington post, but it is not nearly as fast as the ipad, but it is very reliable.

The mini is going to have a similar screen size to the kindle fire, which is a paperback book size.

I prefer the larger screen on the ipad, but the kindle is better for reading than the ipad.

 

[JHZR2]

For $100 Id go with the latest processing technology to make it more future proof.

Ipads have done well, I still use my first gen retina iPad (forget what they call it anymore with all the name changes) from 2012 or so, daily, with the latest iOS.

 

[Benito]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
For $100 Id go with the latest processing technology to make it more future proof.

Ipads have done well, I still use my first gen retina iPad (forget what they call it anymore with all the name changes) from 2012 or so, daily, with the latest iOS.


Yep the Ipad Mini 2 & 3 share the same processor. The 3 is not worth the $100 difference.

The Ipad Air 2 is defintely worth the $100 over the Ipad Air. The processor is next gen, it's slimmer overall and the screen is a huge improvement in terms of reflections.

 

[raytseng]

For that set of requirements, I'd push you to take a look at kindle fire offerings.

 

[Benito]

I cancelled the ipad mini 2 order. Ordered the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 for the same price.

The screen quality and 3GB ram make it worthwhile from a hardware perspective, especially since the mini retina screen is sub standard and I intend to watch movies / shows with this device.

The split screen capability will be a plus from a software point of view.

 

[Benito]

In my research I learnt that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S display is one of the few consumer displays that supports Adobe RGB.

My camera does as well so the Tab S will make an excellent device for viewing my amateur photographs.

In fact, I wonder if this means I can call myself a photography professional now!