The iPad Mini-The iPad Enterprises Have Been Waiting For
Summary: The much-rumored 7.85-inch iPad could be the one that CIOs finally, wholeheartedly embrace. Here's why.
Bigger ain't always better. Ask anyone who's watched the world's greatest soccer player, the 5'7" Lionel Messi. Or anyone who's regretted snarfing down a Supersized meal.
Despite Steve Jobs' public trashing of smaller-than-10-inch tablets, an iPad Mini seems, based on the history of Apple rumors and my own reporting, to be not only inevitable, but a likely hit, too, especially with big businesses.
(Here's my 'reporting,' by the way: the driver who took me to the San Francisco Airport a few weeks ago told me his previous passenger was an Apple executive who told him - and this was before the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg articles came out - that an iPad Mini was definitely coming. By the way, the driver's wife works at Google. Only in Silicon Valley...)
As we've all had beaten into our skulls by now, form factor is key with mobile devices. Partly, this is due to how it affects weight and whether or not it can fit into a lady's purse. But mostly it's because of how it crucially it affects the usability of touch-based screen interfaces.
Supersize my tablet? No thanks.
Credit: Shutterstock
So I do buy the argument that the iPad Mini creates a new category, distinct from 7-inch Android tablets and 10-inch iPads. As pointed out by Twitter user, trojankitten, a 7.85-inch iPad Mini would be 30 square inches. That's 40% larger than a Google Nexus or Amazon Kindle Fire, and 33% smaller than a full iPad.
That screen will likely be the 1024x768 resolution of the iPad 2, and, here's my guess, use the iPad 2's dual-core A5 processor.
Why? The new iPad's faster A5X with quad-core graphics is overkill for a 1024x768 screen.
Going with older components also lowers power usage and heat emission, and boosts battery life.
It would probably also allow Apple to match the Google Nexus and the rest of the Nvidia Kai-based tablets on price. Though knowing Apple, it will start at $249 for 16 GB of storage, instead of $199 for 8 GB.
In this way, Apple is copying what it's done successfully with the iPhone in the last 2 years: sell what are essentially older versions to the price-sensitive mass market and avoid cannibalizing its high-end while stealing away users from Android.
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Mini Ipad
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Cady SEO
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Dear Cady SEO
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Apple Corporation - Marketing & Corporate Brand Advertising
Yes!
Not Apple Vaporware
Dear fanbois,
You have it all wrong hater
Why would they copy the Note when they want a real hit product.
There will be no Ipad Mini
1. A 7" ipad would be just a toy and media device, not for any serious work like a 10" tablet. Apple already makes an ipod touch for this purpose, which is perfectly useful for games and media. A 10' tablet has the potential for getting real work done such as word processing or making slides. You can type reasonably fast on it, too, without an external keyboard.
2. Apple has always focused on making great products in a small product line. They don't like to spread themselves too thin, just to compete with every possible product. Why aren't they making printers? or large screen TVs?
3. Steve Jobs made his opinion clear on the matter, and I don't see any reason that they would switch directions. In my humble opinion, 7" tablets are a fad-- too big to put in your pocket, but too small to create content or really enjoying browsing the internet. For reading books, a sub-$100 e-reader is fine.
4. Samsung has a lineup of ipod touch clones of various sizes-- 4 and 5 inches, and I don't see too many of those around.
5. I own an Ipad. I can't see any situation where it being smaller would be an advantage. I also own an ipod touch, which is good to carry with me in all situations. The 7" would satisfy neither situation.
Agree, but there is a bigger reason.
On the other hand, if you don't already have a smartphone at all then a 7" tablet may be an economical entry into the tablet market. But i'm not sure the econo-line is the market Apple should be going after.
incorrect size
Awkward size
Obviously an 8" tablet would be better then a 7" tablet, just as a 10" tablet would be better than the 8". Did you follow the link to the source of the 7.85" size? Most of that larger size is in the width of the tablet rather than it's length. That raises the question about portability. How easy is it to hold in one hand and can you fit a squarish 8" tablet in a pocket too? That's one big pocket.
I agree with your assessment but not all of your points.
Really?
I thought Apple was being pretty arrogan and bullheaded when they announce
What they h$%#! ZDnet, fix your flippin' site!
Growing pains
I actually read a lot of the down voted posts...
You are right on an argument standing on its merit but the down vote, up vote system allowed the readers to democratically vote on its merit. Only allowing up voting allows for invalid comments to be elevated by swarms of fanboys with no recourse for anyone else to vote the comment back down where the majority are against it.
Frankly, having a voting system at all means that comments won't stand on their own merit but will be ranked according to popularity of the ideas expressed. So I ask again, What is the point of a voting system at all if users aren't allowed to both vote for and against comments?
Try this
A 3.5" screen is not nearly as good as a 7" screen!!
Who will buy?
iPad is nothing but a toy, get over it.
Agree
It would be the height of folly for enterprise to take the iPad Mini over a Surface tablet / hybrid - built specifically with mobile enterprise applications and functionality in mind.