I’ve been using an iPad mini with Retina display for almost six months now. The Mini itself is old news, but I wanted to write down some notes from using it.<\/p>\r\n
I upgraded from a first-generation iPad and a third-generation Kindle. Not surprisingly, the Mini blows away the original iPad in every way. I think it’s actually the speed that I notice most. I had never really liked using the iPad because it seemed so inefficient compared with my Mac. In retrospect, I don’t think I appreciated how much this was due to the (lack of) processor speed and RAM, rather than inherent limitations of the touch interface (though those certainly still exist).<\/p>\r\n
For basic reading, the Kindle’s low-resolution E Ink screen is easier on the eyes than the Retina display. But it’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make because the iPad is so much faster and more versatile. Screen aside, the Kindle iOS app is nicer than the Kindle’s own software. I used to read Instapaper<\/a> on my Kindle, but that feature stopped working<\/a> for me, and of course the app makes it easier to read articles out of order.<\/p>\r\n Others have reported problems with the iPad mini’s color gamut<\/a>. The screen may not be as nice as the iPad Air’s, but the colors look great to me. What I notice more is that when the room is dark, and I’m looking at a dark background, I can see that the backlight is uneven. I see the image retention<\/a> problem, but it goes away after a few seconds. It’s nowhere near as bad as on the MacBook Pro<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n I have a smart cover<\/a>, but I’m not very happy with it. It’s unstable when folded back and makes the iPad even thicker. But if I remove the cover, there often isn’t a good place to put it. The cover does work OK as a stand, and it’s good for wiping fingerprints off. I like the STM Jacket D7 Padded Case<\/a>. It’s small enough for protecting the iPad within a larger bag and also works standalone.<\/p>\r\n