I love the idea of having an iPad mini. I have since the rumors first started to surface (no Microsoft reference intended). And since the announcement, I’ve been on the fence about buying one. I have a 32gb iPad 2 with Verizon service but the smaller form would fit into my workflow much better than the full-size version.
Amazon is willing to give me $500 for my “like new” iPad 2, and it is literally like new. That’s only $59 less than the price of the 32gb iPad mini with Verizon LTE service. Taxes and a new Smart Cover adds another $80 to the upgrade costs. Still, I would be tempted to pay the cost for the smaller device. I might even find someone to buy my 8gb Google Nexus 7 to further offset the cost.
But right now the deal breaker is the non-retina screen. Not because I think I need the higher resolution display. I don’t. In fact, the display is a non-issue for me. But I figure next year the iPad mini will be upgraded to a retina display, the 5th Generation iPad will be introduced, the 4th Generation will become the less expensive full-sized device, and there will no longer be any device being sold without a retina display. When that happens, how long until developers stop creating apps that will run on the lower resolution iPads?
For now, I think I’ll stick with my iPad 2 and Nexus 7 combo until I can afford the iPad mini 2 on Verizon LTE. Of course, there’s still time to change my mind.
