Tag Archives: ipad mini

iPad

The latest and greatest must have iPad accessories

Image 01/14/2014 Macmint Leave a comment

Whether you spoiling someone with a new iPad for the holidays or you just can’t resist doing a little shopping for yourself, there is a wide range of must have iPad accessories on the market right now. Both incredibly practical and fun to use, these items are great additions for any iPad owner.

Twelve South’s “BookBook Travel Journal” – $100

This new take on the previous, and popular, Book Book cases isn’t necessarily for those who prefer their gadgets and accessories be sleek and streamlined. It is, however, very useful and well made. Designed to look like a big, old book it disguises its true contents ingeniously. Zip it open and you’ll find secure storage for your iPad and any related “bits and bobs” such as headphones, chargers and camera kits. The Book Book Travel Journal is ideal to take on an airplane, as it sits nicely and opens easily on the folding tray table. Have everything you need easily accessible, without worrying about smaller items falling on the floor and rolling into the aisles.

Logitech’s new Ultrathin cases for the iPad Air – $50 to $150

Logitech offers four different new cases designed specifically for the iPad Air, but they all have one thing in common. They’re fantastic. Three of them include keyboards, while one does not. The FabricSkin Keyboard Folio is the priciest investment, at $150. It is incredibly thin, water-repellent and features a built-in fabric keyboard. The Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, at $100, is also sleek. It’s comprised of an aluminum screen cover and built-in Bluetooth keyboard. The Ultrathin Keyboard Folio, also $100, is similar. However, it features a full folio case. And for just $50, the Folio Protective Case offers the same stylish protection for the iPad Air, sans-keyboard. Each of the keyboard-equipped cases charges via micro USB and is available to order in a variety of colours.

Adonit Jot Pro Fine Point Stylus for iPad – $75

If you’re similar to many iPad owners, you’d quite like to write on your tablet with a stylus but just haven’t found one that can truly duplicate the ease and comfort of traditional pen and paper. Wait no longer. This comfortable, streamlined stylus features a 1.9 mm tip. Writing with it mimics using a top-quality pen in the way no other stylus has been able to. The Adonit Jot Pro Fine Point Stylus is powered by AAA batteries and syncs with your tablet via Bluetooth 4.0.

Apple’s Camera Connection Kit – $30

While it’s not new to the market, it’s still as useful and popular as it was when it first came out. This handy kit comes with 2 dongles that connect to the dock connector port on your iPad. One allows you to upload photos via USB and the other by SD Card Reader. An ingenious idea for anyone who takes a lot of photos on holiday yet doesn’t want to store them all in their camera or pack along cables and a laptop for uploading.

Bose Soundlink Mini Bluetooth Speaker – $199

Don’t mistake “small” for “weak.” This little speaker certainly proves otherwise! At a mere 2.3 x 7.1 x 2 inches, it’s incredibly portable, yet delivers the rich, high-quality audio that Bose is famous for. It also packs up to seven hours of battery life, making it perfect for moving around the house or popping in your bad for impromptu dance parties wherever you may be.

iPad Mini Retina Smart Case – $79 and Cover $39

The greatest feature of the iPad Mini has to be its size. Large enough to read and type on with ease, yet small enough to fit in a handbag, it’s both extremely useful and popular. And because it is, by nature, so sleek, it would be a shame to add unnecessary bulk in the form of a chunky case. The smart case is thin and attaches to the front of the Mini with a magnetic hinge, offering sleek screen protection. In addition, the case has a leather outer shell with micro fibre lining that keeps the front and back safe.

iPad

Apple fans rejoice over iPad Mini display and new iPad Air

Image 10/30/2013 Macmint Leave a comment

Apple’s latest announcement event revealed many new developments, but none more prominent than the changes to the iPad and iPad Mini. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the tech giant has come out with a revamped, renamed full-size tablet as well as an upgraded miniature version.

The latest-generation iPad, now called the iPad Air, is thinner and lighter than ever. At a mere 7.5 mm thick it’s 20% more svelte than the previous model. For those who recall how compact the first iPad seemed, just a few years ago, the iPad Air makes it seem like a cinder block in comparison.

Other features that make it the iPad Air awesome on the outside include its brilliant 9.7-inch retina display and choice of colors – consumers can choose whether they want a silver and white model or a space grey and black one.

But it’s not just pretty to look at. The iPad Air is also, of course, faster and more powerful than the last iPad. Taking a cue from the stunning iPhone 5s, it features the incredible A7 chip and M7 co-processor with 64-bit architecture. Whether you commonly use your iPad to watch Netflix, play the new CSR Classics or edit iWork documents, this makes it the ultimate, portable media centre, gaming console and on-the-go work machine.

Other updates for the latest iPad include a 5 MP iSight camera, which can shoot 1080P quality video, and MIMO technology, which includes multiple antennae in the iPad Air for improved Wi-Fi reception.

At $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model, $629 for a 16GB Wi-Fi and cellular edition or $799 for the brand new 128GB one, the new iPad Air isn’t cheap. However, the updates increase its computing power and make it a realistic alternative to a laptop for ultra-portable computing.

Apple has overhauled the handy little iPad Mini, too. Though not as powerful as the iPad Air, or even the new iPhone 5s, it has been upgraded to feature a 64-bit A5 processor. Consequently, it’s four times faster than its predecessor. It also has eight times the graphics capabilities.

Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display — Apple iPad Mini now with Retina Display

With a 7.9-inch retina display, 5 MP, 1080P iSight camera and 10 hours of battery life, the iPad Mini is no slouch. In fact, it may become the common option for the average consumer who’s after a tablet to play games and check Facebook on but doesn’t require something as powerful and expensive as the iPad Air.

At $329 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model or $529 for one that also includes cellular, the iPad Mini is easier on the wallet than the iPad Air. With its upgraded technology and lower price point, it’s likely to become a hot seller this holiday season. Whether you have a technology fanatic in the family, or even just someone who’d appreciate an e-reader that can do more than just store and display books, the iPad Mini is a popular choice.

While the iPad updates that did come out of Apple’s latest event were certainly buzz-worthy, there were a few rumored announcements that never got made. Among them was the noticeable lack of a gold iPad to coordinate with the gold iPhone 5s. More importantly, however, there was no upgrade to fingerprint-sensing Touch ID on the iPads just like the new iPhone 5s. Furthermore, many tech experts expected Apple to come out with smart covers that contain keyboards, similar to the Surface tablet, but those were skipped over as well.

Perhaps Touch ID and other updates that were missed this time will be included in the next iteration of the iPad. Regardless, the iPad Air and new iPad Mini are sure to have people lining up outside Apple stores worldwide very soon.

iPad

iPad vs. iPad Mini

Image 08/26/2013 Macmint Leave a comment

If you’re considering buying an iPad, you’ve got quite a few options open to you. They range from simple – choosing between black and white – to more complicated – 16GB, 32GB or 64GB? Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi plus 3G? But perhaps the most thought provoking question for some is whether to pick a regular iPad or an iPad Mini. Both have their advantages, so, which one might suit you best?

The current “regular” iPad model is 9.7 inches and comes at a starting price of $499.00. In contrast, the iPad Mini is just 7.9 inches and starts at $329.00. Size and price are two of the biggest factors in deciding which to go for.

The iPad Mini, being smaller, is also lighter and much more portable. It can easily fit into the pocket of a knapsack or even a handbag and hardly be noticed. Its compact size makes it easy to use with one hand and ideal for reading on. That being said, the regular iPad is still thin, lightweight and portable.

It’s also worth noting that if size and price are your sticking points, the iPad Mini is still a fully featured iPad. It uses the same apps and offers the same features, just in a tinier package.

Or perhaps the technical specifications are more important to you than size or price? If that’s the case, it’s worth noting that the iPad has a faster processor than the Mini. It also boasts Apple’s new retina screen, which is sharper than the display on a 1080P television.

Another factor in determining which iPad to purchase is what you plan on using it for. If you’re after a portable entertainment device that is ideal for playing simple games, watching video and reading on, then the Mini is a great choice. It’s bigger than your iPhone, making it easier to see.

There are a few drawbacks to the iPad Mini, although they may not matter to some. It’s not as easy to type on as a full-sized iPad, although it is still completely capable if you choose to use iWork and type emails on it. Furthermore, since there are still websites in existence that aren’t optimized for mobile devices, you may encounter sites that require you to do a lot of scrolling in order to navigate them. If that doesn’t matter to you and you don’t see yourself using it to work on frequently, then an iPad Mini should be a perfect fit.

If you do intend to check email, use iWork and complete other work-related tasks on your iPad, you’ll like want to opt for the regular version. It’s ideal for productivity and in some ways can be used as a laptop replacement. It’s also much better for web browsing and offers greater visibility and clearer text size than the Mini.

Before you rush out and purchase your new gadget, carefully consider what you’ll use it for most often and how much you can afford to spend. With those questions answered, you’ll have an easier time picking between the iPad and the iPad Mini. There are certainly merits to both.

Apple How-to's, News & Technology Reviews