The Mini has arrived and it's a big leap forward.
Having used some of the other 7-inch tablets on the market I wasn't really excited when I heard Apple had decided to crowd the market with their version.
Thankfully I ordered one anyway and I'm very impressed by what they’ve accomplished. Ever since the very first iPhone, I’ve been underwhelmed by Apple’s annoucement presentations, but overwhelmed when I finally got each new device in my hand.
It is so light that you don't even think you are holding anything. This makes it so much easier to be the “around-the-house” iPad. Laying outside typing an article like I'm doing now, surfing the web, or reading in bed are perfect activities for this new device.
For daily work I'd still stick with my 9-inch iPad but I can see where this will fit perfectly in my life.
Thanks to the advances of iCloud in the last year, you can easily swap between devices and let the cloud keep everything in sync. It really has grown exponentially in the last year. When I first opened safari it showed a cloud icon which lists all the open tabs on my work Mac, home laptop, iPhone and big iPad. Forgot to bookmark that article you found at work? No problem.
As always with Apple, the software and hardware work together seamlessly and that is what sets them apart from all the other players in the market. Others might claim a better screen or more battery life but when it comes down to it I need integration and elegance. No one else comes close to offering that.
Dave Dinsmore is an IT professional with an obsession for high tech toys, especially ones from Apple. When he's not researching and installing the latest gadgets, he's at his day job at Dreamworks Animation.