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Small-Scale Question Sunday for December 25, 2022

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Has anyone used an iPad mini?

I currently have an Android tablet (10 inch screen) but it's a bit big for my liking. I'm considering getting the iPad due to its smaller size.

I would mainly be using it for reading ebooks and watching videos, so nothing requiring much power. I've previously tried a smaller Android tablet but it was so slow as to be useless.

I've been a user ever since I got my hands on the original iPad mini. IMO it's by far the best tablet out there: Large enough for web browsing, watching videos / youtube and reading, yet small enough to hold with one hand without growing tired and also fits a jacket pocket. I've always managed to break mine (who'd have thought glass displays are allergic to hard floor tiles / asphalt...) before they've gotten outdated enough to be too slow to use (generally requiring 5+ years or longer based on how well my original iPhone SE still works day to day).

Instead of going down the path of tablets I have switched to two in one laptops. I like the horsepower and relative flexibility of a full-fledged laptop but also enjoy the touch input and mobility of a tablet. The only downsides I've experienced so far is worse battery life than a dedicated tablet, the general jank of Windows 11, and the increased weight of having a full computer instead of just the tablet.

For my use case as musician, I've found it very effective with a pen for notating and using it for rehearsals without having to lug heavier and bulkier folders around and to keep music organized.

It's certainly serviceable, for your use case I can't think of any significant flaws except for how close it's priced to the base ipad, which isn't an issue since you put a premium on the smaller display anyway.

And these days you don't really need iTunes much either, or at least I haven't needed it in my year or two of owning an Air.