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Questions about Apple iPad Mini
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FIFA1966
10-01-2014
1. Is it really worth getting the iPad Mini if I have a notebook PC?


2. Is it possible to connect an external hard drive to the iPad Mini?


3. Does the iPad Mini has a USB socket?


4. What can you do on an iPad mini or any other tablet PC that you cannot do on a notebook PC?
kidspud
10-01-2014
Originally Posted by FIFA1966:
“1. Is it really worth getting the iPad Mini if I have a notebook PC?


2. Is it possible to connect an external hard drive to the iPad Mini?


3. Does the iPad Mini has a USB socket?


4. What can you do on an iPad mini or any other tablet PC that you cannot do on a notebook PC?”

In simple terms

1) only you can decide. I bought an iPad mini to compliment my NetBook PC. For 99% of the time it has replaced it.

2) not via a cable, but wirelessly, yes.

3) the iPad mini does not have a USB socket

4) I expect there is nothing. However, there ease of use, availability of apps and portability set them well apart from NetBook/notebook PCs.
muchly
10-01-2014
I don't think you know until you try it. I understand that if you buy it from the Apple store you have 14 days to try and then you can just return it. That way you can see if it would be useful for you or not.
grumpyoldbat
10-01-2014
A couple of things to consider (and this would apply to most small tablets, not just the iPad Mini):

Tablets are more often for consumption of media/data than for creation. Whilst there are a number of things you can do to create media on a tablet, if you need keyboard/mouse - for example long documents - then a netbook/laptop is better.

A small tablet can usually fit into a coat pocket or small bag, making them much more portable than a netbook or laptop, which means you can get online wherever you have a connection. If you buy a wi-fi only version you're restricted to places where there's open wifi. If you get one with a SIM card, you'll have a connection wherever there's signal. Personally, I find this to be incredibly useful because you can browse the web, connect into work cloud services, watch TV, browse the web, and more pretty much anywhere.

I have a small laptop at home, which I still use a lot, especially where a lot of typing is involved, but I also carry my tablet with me most of the time, and I use them both for different things.

You should also get more hours of battery life from a small tablet than you would from a netbook without the need to take along a charger.
thedrewser
10-01-2014
Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat:
“ If you buy a wi-fi only version you're restricted to places where there's open wifi. If you get one with a SIM card, you'll have a connection wherever there's signal. Personally, I find this to be incredibly useful because you can browse the web, connect into work cloud services, watch TV, browse the web, and more pretty much anywhere.”

Or you can tether your wifi ipad to your smartphone (if you've got a data plan that allows tethering). I can testify that doing this is very easy to do.
grumpyoldbat
10-01-2014
Originally Posted by thedrewser:
“Or you can tether your wifi ipad to your smartphone (if you've got a data plan that allows tethering). I can testify that doing this is very easy to do.”

Provided you have a data plan with your smartphone which permits tethering. Not all of them do.
kidspud
10-01-2014
Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat:
“A couple of things to consider (and this would apply to most small tablets, not just the iPad Mini):

Tablets are more often for consumption of media/data than for creation. Whilst there are a number of things you can do to create media on a tablet, if you need keyboard/mouse - for example long documents - then a netbook/laptop is better.

A small tablet can usually fit into a coat pocket or small bag, making them much more portable than a netbook or laptop, which means you can get online wherever you have a connection. If you buy a wi-fi only version you're restricted to places where there's open wifi. If you get one with a SIM card, you'll have a connection wherever there's signal. Personally, I find this to be incredibly useful because you can browse the web, connect into work cloud services, watch TV, browse the web, and more pretty much anywhere.

I have a small laptop at home, which I still use a lot, especially where a lot of typing is involved, but I also carry my tablet with me most of the time, and I use them both for different things.

You should also get more hours of battery life from a small tablet than you would from a netbook without the need to take along a charger.”

This is very true, although I recently got a keyboard for my iPad because I needed to type up a lot of notes. It was actually really useful.
jsmith99
10-01-2014
There are, for me, a couple of big advantages in having an iPad mimi :

1. For looking up things at the last minute, which I meant to check earlier. Like bus times at local stops. Just open the cover, input passcode, open the Bus Times app. far quicker than logging in on a laptop.

2. For obeying a list of complex instructions. No need to print them out, just open the instructions on the iPad, and obey them on the laptop. Or vice versa.
TeeGee
10-01-2014
Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat:
“Provided you have a data plan with your smartphone which permits tethering. Not all of them do.”

Is this in the "small print" or a case of suck it and see? This would be useful for a relative with a Vodafone monthly iPhone contract.
alanwarwic
10-01-2014
Originally Posted by FIFA1966:
“4. What can you do on an iPad mini or any other tablet PC that you cannot do on a notebook PC?”

A different set of games, and if buy the SIM enabled iPad or have an iPhone you then get to have a big screened GPS system.

A tablet is a travel companion, often for when the notebook would be left at home.
grumpyoldbat
10-01-2014
Originally Posted by TeeGee:
“Is this in the "small print" or a case of suck it and see? This would be useful for a relative with a Vodafone monthly iPhone contract.”

It should be in the small print on the website for your particular tariff, but for the majority (especially the cheaper tariffs) it's not usually included.
FIFA1966
11-01-2014
Originally Posted by kidspud:
“In simple terms

1) only you can decide. I bought an iPad mini to compliment my NetBook PC. For 99% of the time it has replaced it.

2) not via a cable, but wirelessly, yes.

3) the iPad mini does not have a USB socket

4) I expect there is nothing. However, there ease of use, availability of apps and portability set them well apart from NetBook/notebook PCs.”


How do I connect the external hard drive wirelessly to the iPad Mini?
FIFA1966
11-01-2014
Will the 16gb version be enough or do I need the 32gb?

I'm looking to download TV shows and general web browsing.
kidspud
11-01-2014
Originally Posted by FIFA1966:
“How do I connect the external hard drive wirelessly to the iPad Mini?”

Sorry, I should have been clearer. If it is just a standalone hard drive, you can't.

If it is a hard drive you can put on a network (NAS, or PC) then there are apps to allow you to access the drive.

There are also portable wifi drives available which can also be accessed to give you mass storage.

Originally Posted by FIFA1966:
“Will the 16gb version be enough or do I need the 32gb?

I'm looking to download TV shows and general web browsing.”

It's alway tricky to judge. Get the highest you are happy to pay for.
grumpyoldbat
11-01-2014
Originally Posted by FIFA1966:
“Will the 16gb version be enough or do I need the 32gb?

I'm looking to download TV shows and general web browsing.”

If you're looking to download TV shows and keep them on the device, then I'd suggest getting the 32 if you can. I've recently upgraded from 16GB to 64GB because I had to keep taking shows and movies off the 16GB to make space. That said, if you're buying from iTunes, you can leave your purchases in iCloud and just download them when you want to watch.
Anika Hanson
11-01-2014
Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat:
“If you're looking to download TV shows and keep them on the device, then I'd suggest getting the 32 if you can. I've recently upgraded from 16GB to 64GB because I had to keep taking shows and movies off the 16GB to make space. That said, if you're buying from iTunes, you can leave your purchases in iCloud and just download them when you want to watch.”

I'd agree with this. I have the 16GB version and I can just about make it work, but only because I have a 64GB iPod touch and now a 64GB iPhone 5S. So I share the video content between both devices and I've got enough space. My iPhone/iPod touch are more on the go than my iPad mini so I figured that I needed more storage space for those devices. The ability to stream iTunes purchases in ios7 from the cloud has really helped with storage. Now I just load a few things on the iPad for when I'm out and about. However if I were buying my iPad mini again I'd get the 32GB version just to save myself some work.
alanwarwic
11-01-2014
Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat:
“.. but for the majority (especially the cheaper tariffs) it's not usually included.”

Is it not with the iPhones that if tethering is not paid for then the option is disabled?
Anika Hanson
11-01-2014
Originally Posted by alanwarwic:
“Is it not with the iPhones that if tethering is not paid for then the option is disabled?”

I'm allowed to tether on my tariff (I don't pay any extra for it). I've been able to tether my ipione to my iPad this week without any problems.
grumpyoldbat
11-01-2014
Originally Posted by alanwarwic:
“Is it not with the iPhones that if tethering is not paid for then the option is disabled?”

No, not necessarily. My iPhone is unlocked, my tariff doesn't include tethering. The option to create a personal hotspot is there, and works. That said, I'm pretty sure that if I did it much, I'd get a message from Three saying tethering is not allowed on my account.
victor mel
11-01-2014
I am also interested in the mini. But I feel angry that just an extra 16gb of memory costing about £20 costs an extra £130 in the mini.
coachtrip_fan99
11-01-2014
Originally Posted by victor mel:
“I am also interested in the mini. But I feel angry that just an extra 16gb of memory costing about £20 costs an extra £130 in the mini.”

Yep.... Welcome to the apple ecosystem!
john176bramley
12-01-2014
Originally Posted by victor mel:
“I am also interested in the mini. But I feel angry that just an extra 16gb of memory costing about £20 costs an extra £130 in the mini.”

I had a nexus 7 but fancied a slightly bigger screen so had a look at the ipad mini. In the end I went for a galaxy tab 3 8", same screen size as the mini but the 16gb was only £150 and came with a free 16gb sd card.

Great little tablet.
ASIFZED
12-01-2014
Originally Posted by john176bramley:
“I had a nexus 7 but fancied a slightly bigger screen so had a look at the ipad mini. In the end I went for a galaxy tab 3 8", same screen size as the mini but the 16gb was only £150 and came with a free 16gb sd card.

Great little tablet.”

I'd second that. Got it for £150 too. Slim, fast and great screen, even if the resolution isn't cutting edge.

Tad annoyed that movies I download via the (convoluted) Ultraviolet and Flixster system, aren't transferable to an external SD card. Can only squeeze a couple of movies on, before I'm up to the internal memory max. Bit of a downer...
RichmondBlue
12-01-2014
Originally Posted by FIFA1966:
“1. Is it really worth getting the iPad Mini if I have a notebook PC?


2. Is it possible to connect an external hard drive to the iPad Mini?


3. Does the iPad Mini has a USB socket?


4. What can you do on an iPad mini or any other tablet PC that you cannot do on a notebook PC?”

I've never had anything as small as a notebook, but I would say the difference in sheer convenience between a tablet and a regular laptop is considerable. My iPad goes everywhere with me, both my wife and myself have tablets and it's now difficult to imagine life without them. It's become one of those bits of modern technology that if it suddenly stopped working I'd have to replace it immediately.
Why ? Thinking about it, it's difficult to explain..except to repeat that they are so damned convenient.
FIFA1966
13-01-2014
Is the following hard drive recommended for use with the iPad Mini?


http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search...ch:harddrive44
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