Vzzzbx said:
Everyone's calling it an 'iPad Mini', and assuming that it'll just be a small iPad, but it could be something completely out of the blue. All the buzz seems to be centred on what it looks like, without any knowledge (or consideration) of what it's designed to do. Remember when the original iPad was rumoured to be a Mac tablet?
Well, there could always be an introduction of completely unconsidered new feature for the machine (which would be nice). However, in a lot of ways, the description laid out in that link is just that. At least for me, the following was a surprise.
Screen - It looks like the screen will be a little smaller, but higher pixel density, and less waisted space due to thick bezels.
http://goo.gl/MgRQv
Weight - I find the iPad 2 ok, but put a protective cover on it, and its just kinda heavy. Holding it up in bed is a pain. iPad 2 = WiFi-only weighs 601 grams. But the rumor is that the new iPad might come in at 265g - 44% of the iPad 2.
Power - I am not a retina display fan because it's so power hungry (and my eyes are not so great). I understand the benefit of the display. However, I find the iPad 2's screen fine.
Now, not to get off on a tangent here, but consider the following battery capacity specifications:
- iPad 3 = 11,560 mAh
- iPad 2 = 6,944 mAh
- iPad Mini < 6,944 mAh (my guess)
- iPhone 4 = 1420 mAh
- Power Star = 12,000 mAh
Power Star is an external battery I use for the iOS devices (
http://goo.gl/yBpe0. I have not used it long, and have not tested its claim of 12,000 mAh. But suffice it to say it lasts a long time, easily fully charging my iPad 2 with room to spare.
If their claims are to believed, the external battery would increase the aggregate battery capacity of iPad 2 by (12,000+6,944)/6,944 = 2.7 times. Ten hours becomes 24+ hours. The same logic applied to the iPhone 4 puts the increase at 9.5 times. 6 hours becomes 50+ hours.
As for the iPad mini, it's power consumption I figure will be less than the iPad 2 (i.e., even longer battery life than the iPad 2).
Its not that I would use any of these things for that long, its just that I can. I am frequently on the move, and the external battery gets me over the goal line of never having to again worry about powering the devices.
character said:
My main concern with the smaller iPad is the rear camera - would really appreciate it if Apple put an OCR-capable camera on it, but the leaked thinness argues against it.
Yes, this is an issue. If they achieve this thinness, then maybe the camera is a problem. However, if the ends are not as tapered as much as an iPod Touch, maybe there is room for a better camera. Like everything else here, just more speculation.