Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaKing
As for the iPad Mini, it is surprising that that particular equipment isn't better. In my opinion, they could have spent an extra $50 and charged $500 for the device, and just said it was to fill that size niche.
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The choices they have made are very clearly to reduce costs, rather than make the best device possible.
The display is the size it is (7.9") because that is the intersection of keeping exactly the same pixel density as the pre-retina iPhones on the one hand (so they can reuse the technology and production capacity), and keeping exactly the same resolution as the iPad 1/2 on the other (so all existing apps will work).
It is likely that in 6 months to a year we will see a retina iPad Mini with the same resolution as the iPad 3, but even greater pixel density, and that is a device that would truly earn a price premium over the competition.
I'm in the market for a map-pocket device to take out walking, and am probably going to go with the new Nexus 7 32G over the iPad Mini. I'd actually prefer the Mini, the screen format is more suitable for what I want to use it for, and I could reuse all my software, but I can't justify spending twice the price. If it had been a retina display, I'd have been happy to pay more for it.