MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - iPad Thinking about exchanging iPad 3 for iPad mini

robinson · 01-23-2013, 08:40 AM

The Best Buy test that I observed used the New York Times in portrait mode—I specifically asked them to test that as I read it regularly. Most customers and even the Best Buy sales people could *not* tell the difference between a Retina and non-Retina iPad!

This is hardly the difference between a horse-and-buggy and the automobile. That analogy might be apt if the change had been from the old 16-pound “portable” Kaypro word processor to today’s iPad—but that’s *not* what we’re comparing!

Certainly, many people could never go back to using a non-retina screen—but that doesn't mean that *everyone* or even *most* people see that great a difference in the screens. The question then, is why? I can think of three reasons.

The size of the screen.
How close people hold the screen to their eyeballs.
To borrow a phrase from Jane Austen, differences in visual sense--and sensibilities.

01-23-2013, 08:40 AM	#85
robinson Zealot Posts: 142 Karma: 997293 Join Date: Jan 2003	Retina vs. non-retina; many do not see it The Best Buy test that I observed used the New York Times in portrait mode—I specifically asked them to test that as I read it regularly. Most customers and even the Best Buy sales people could *not* tell the difference between a Retina and non-Retina iPad! This is hardly the difference between a horse-and-buggy and the automobile. That analogy might be apt if the change had been from the old 16-pound “portable” Kaypro word processor to today’s iPad—but that’s *not* what we’re comparing! Certainly, many people could never go back to using a non-retina screen—but that doesn't mean that *everyone* or even *most* people see that great a difference in the screens. The question then, is why? I can think of three reasons. The size of the screen. How close people hold the screen to their eyeballs. To borrow a phrase from Jane Austen, differences in visual sense--and sensibilities.