Prior to owning the 12.9” iPad Pro that I own now, my journey with owning iPads has varied over the years. My first purchase was the iPad 2. At the time I used it as my “travel” computer because it was much lighter than my 15” MBP (generation before the touch bar came on the scene). Shortly after I bought the first generation iPad Mini (unusual for me as I typically prefer to wait for the second gen of an Apple product before committing). I found that mini to be…too small? So, I gave it to my mother who used it for most of her Asian soap opera watching. I still own my iPad 2 in its original box (somewhere in my house) and I wonder if it would still power on? I’m sure I don’t have that wide-prong charger I’d need! Who does??
Several years went by before I even thought about iPads. I was too busy using my MBP and my very first iMac from Apple. If you didn’t know this by now, I’m a bit of an Apple fanatic, though I can’t afford to buy every single thing they come out with every year (my wallet and wife are both grateful). Then, the very first 12.9” iPad Pro came on the scene and I wanted it! The touch ID version. I had it for a few years before I decided to trade it in for the newer looking (love those flat edges and no more touch ID) version. But with the pandemic and the sudden work from home dynamic I found myself in, the excuse of using the iPad as my travel computer to work just ceased to exist for me. I had planned for quite some time to get rid of my iPad Pro as I find I hardly ever use it. I just travel upstairs and downstairs with my new 15” MBP (the touch bar version). Though, I do plan on getting a more permanent desktop so I can stop lugging it around as well. So, what better time than now for the iPad Mini to make a comeback and in such an amazing way?!
I can honestly see more use-cases for the ipad mini than I ever could for the pro. Of course, I could be wrong. But it can’t hurt to give it a try. And by trading in my iPad Pro I’m basically getting the new iPad Mini 256GB Starlight for just the cost of tax! Pretty sweet deal!
Only downside is the delay in delivery. My guess is it’s due to shipment delays worldwide and devices still being made overseas in China. Side note: When is Apple going to bring production to the US so I don’t have to wait 6 weeks for delivery?? I know, I know, I’m talking about 1st world problems.
WHY THE SWITCH?
Mainly the size is what I’m looking at when I drool over the 6th generation mini. The iPad Pro, as amazing as the size is, and as amazing as the Magic Keyboard is (up for sale BTW as I will no longer need it pretty soon), If I want to work on a “laptop” I already have one for that. Honestly, I don’t understand people who say their laptop is an iPad, especially if they always have a laptop?! I’ve always seen the iPad as an accessory to a desktop or laptop. There are likely very few people who just own an iPad and don’t also own some other computer device. Why? Because unless you are going to insist on proving some point that an iPad can take the place of a computer, we all know its intention is to be an addition. Granted, a pretty freaking expensive addition. But would we expect anything less from Apple? They don’t call it an ecosystem for nothing.
BENEFITS VS DRAWBACKS
I’ve watched countless YT videos on the subject of the iPad Mini 6 and comparing it to the “new” iPad Pro line with the M1 chip. Now, I’m not such a computer-file that I have even the slightest understanding about M1 chips and Pros and Max, etc. I won’t pretend to know so don’t ask me. If you want to hear more about it from those who profess the tech knowledge to explain it, just search in YouTube and prepare for the rabbit hole you’ll quickly find yourself down. Whether or not having an M1 chip is a drawback or having a display that isn’t the most “liquidiest” is one I really can’t speak to. And that’s probably because the majority of the things I’ll be using my mini for will have little to do with what most pro users use their iPads for?
I’m not a photo editor. I don’t record audio and video to then create an awesome YouTube video to upload. I’m not transferring large GB sized files. I mean, I might be with my writing, but they aren’t typically that large. I’m a pro user in the sense that everything I do on a computer I will do on my iPad and here are some of those things listed here:
Safari - I love the new tab organization feature and I currently have 4 groups where each has about 5 - 7 tabs. Great organization.
Google Drive - Writing my blog posts and keeping track of my writing word counts, among other things, I have been known to do on my iPhone (the middle of the night seems to be when ideas hit me) and I think the iPad Mini will allow me to use a slightly larger screen that won’t be as difficult to hold up as the iPad Pro has been.
YouTube - I watch a lot of videos. I mean, a lot. I watch the majority of them on my iPhone actually and I can’t wait to do my watching on a larger but not as heavy a screen!
Social Media / Apps - (Discord, Instagram, Flipboard, iMDb, etc.) There are so many apps I love to have open and use simultaneously. This may be the one “draw back” of the mini because the screen will be smaller, so, even though I’ll still be able to take advantage of split screen, will I want to with less real estate than the 12.9” display?
SCREEN SIZE WORKFLOW
I hear everyone talking about screen size and how that factors into the way in which we all interact day-to-day with our Apple ecosystem of devices. From our Apple watch all the way to the monitor we use, each one is a different size and therefore, yes, it does dictate how, why and when we use it. Here are my current screen size options and I must say, aside from the slight additions I hope to be making in 2022, it’s the best options I have so far:
1.78” Apple Watch Series 5
6.7” iPhone 12 Pro Max
8.3” iPad Mini 6
15.4” MacBook Pro (Touch Bar version)
32” LG Monitor (connect my MBP via HDMI)
Future plans are to invest in a Mac Mini and perhaps get a 2nd 32” monitor to have alongside the one I currently own. This will allow me to keep my MBP as my “downstairs device” and use my iPad Mini as my “on the go/move” device. With WFH being a more permanent part of my life, the need to have a large travel device no longer exists which frees me up to care more about a desk set-up. So, Apple, hit me with your best Mac Mini (perhaps M2 chip?) in 2022 and the iPhone 14 (my next upgrade) cause I’m ready...
WHAT I DON’T CARE ABOUT
I’ve heard a lot of YouTube tech personalities complain about a few things that I honestly don’t really care about. And my guess is, the average person who is going to actually want this iPad Mini won’t care about those things either. It’s unfortunate that these personalities all chose to harp on these things that they praise for being included in the ‘larger’ iPads but missing from the mini. For me, personally, if I wanted any of these things, then yes, of course, I would (and should) be directing my attention to the larger iPads. So, if you care about the following points I’m going to list below, and insist the iPad you get has these things, then do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time on the iPad Mini. Just cough up the extra couple hundred bucks for the Air or any of the Pro models.
Screen size - 8.3” vs 10.9” vs 12.9”
M1 vs A15 (internal chips)
Display - liquid retina XDR vs just liquid retina
ProMotion vs no ProMotion
FaceID vs TouchID
Magic keyboard / smart connector vs bluetooth compatible
At the end of the day, if I want to do something that requires more memory, a larger screen, and a keyboard, I’ll just use my laptop or my desktop computer. The reasons I’ll reach for the iPad are rarely heavy-duty work related and more for relaxing. So, if you already have a computer there’s no need to want your iPad to do what your computer can already do. At least, that’s how I feel about it.
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