by Emma Hing ’13

Ever since the iPad 2 came out there have been rumors of a smaller cousin. It was not until the middle of this past October that those rumors were confirmed at Apple’s keynote address, where it unveiled its latest creation: the iPad Mini.

This came as a surprise to those who believed that the small tablet market was a passing fad, or too small to be a serious profit maker. Steve Jobs himself, the former head of Apple Computers, thought any tablet smaller than the iPad was a waste of time and money. However, he was probably wrong. Today many people are more willing to buy a cheaper Kindle Fire, Nook, Nexus, or Galaxy tablet than they are to buy a full size iPad which, despite its merits, comes with a hefty price tag. The iPad Mini is Apple’s compromise. It is smaller than the iPad, with a 7.9 inch screen on the diagonal, lighter, and equipped with all the features that people have come to expect from Apple products.

The iPad Mini is the perfect size for me. I use it to read, surf the Internet, watch videos, listen to music, look at pictures, and check my email. With Wifi at school and at home, I never feel deprived of 3G capability and I find that the screen size is ideal for videos and pictures. Some people might find that the Mini is too small to use as an effective note-taking device, and I would have to agree that at the moment, with no external keyboard yet available, it is a bit small for that, but that is not what I bought it for. I bought the iPad Mini for entertainment and ease of use. It is light, fits easily in my bag, and is unobtrusive in class. I had an iPad for some time and I found it to be on the larger side and more cumbersome than I would have liked. In comparison the Mini is more convenient and mobile, and as a result I use it far more than I used my previous device. This, for me, is probably my best measure of the Mini: I use it every day.

I understand that many people view the iPad Mini as a waste of money, as it is more expensive than other 7 inch tablets, but that depends on what you want out of your device. With full synchronization to my iTunes material (photos, videos, and music), along with Apple’s unparalleled App Store, I could not have asked for more. If you are looking for a light, simple, and beautiful tablet, there are few that can compete with Apple’s iPad Mini. The price might be higher, but it is worth every cent.