Apple on Pace to Ship 100 Million iPads in 2013 Despite Low Panel Yields

It's amazing that one company can ship out 100 million devices in just one year. Especially when we're only taking about a handful of products here. I wonder how many of those iPad users are also iPad mini users.

I don't understand the appeal of the iPad mini, it's literally an oversize iPod even more so than the original iPads were. The iPad mini literally shares a majority of internal components it uses with the latest iPod touch.

When compared to similar Android tablets you get the same form factor with hardware that's 2x's as capable for half the price. I seriously considered an iPad mini because of the fact I already own an iPhone but a side by side comparison to it's Android competitors just made it look like a waste of money.

OSunday:

I don't understand the appeal of the iPad mini, it's literally an oversize iPod even more so than the original iPads were. The iPad mini literally shares a majority of internal components it uses with the latest iPod touch.

When compared to similar Android tablets you get the same form factor with hardware that's 2x's as capable for half the price. I seriously considered an iPad mini because of the fact I already own an iPhone but a side by side comparison to it's Android competitors just made it look like a waste of money.

Well the appeal is the size.  I read an article a few months ago before it was released that spoke about sizes of tablets, and how certain companies owned their own niches depending on the size of the tablet.  Since Apple's iPad was on the bigger side of tablets, they made the move into the smaller tablets to capture that piece of the market as well.  Seeing how the iPad mini is over selling the iPad itself, I'd say that was a smart business move.  That puts Tim Cook at... -2?  He's almost breaking even!

Dorkstar hit the nail on the head -- it's the size that's the appeal. Steve Jobs was wrong about the 7-inch form factor, there is a market for smaller size tablets, which some prefer. The iPad mini fills that niche, and having played with one, I can say it's a sweet little tablet.

I think the Nexus 7 is still the best 7-inch tablet out there, but for someone who's already invested in the iOS ecosystem, the iPad mini is a solid product (albeit lacking features that will inevitable find their way onto the next version) that's well constructed and delivers the Apple experience (if that's what you're looking for).

Paul_Lilly:

Dorkstar hit the nail on the head -- it's the size that's the appeal. Steve Jobs was wrong about the 7-inch form factor, there is a market for smaller size tablets, which some prefer. The iPad mini fills that niche, and having played with one, I can say it's a sweet little tablet.

I think the Nexus 7 is still the best 7-inch tablet out there, but for someone who's already invested in the iOS ecosystem, the iPad mini is a solid product (albeit lacking features that will inevitable find their way onto the next version) that's well constructed and delivers the Apple experience (if that's what you're looking for).

Do you have the Nexus 7 Paul?  I just picked one up for the wife for Christmas, and plan on stealing it before new years.  After reading a bunch of reviews on them, and asking peoples personal opinion I felt confident in it.  Just curious if you had any experience with it.

Ah I see, but I feel like the iPad mini is outselling the iPad not because people prefer 7 inch tablets but first because it's less expensive and second it's apples latest released product. People always want to buy something that's "brand new" and the "cool" or "in" technology, which is the category the iPad mini really currently fits into

I just picked up a Nexus 7 that was used for only about 2 weeks!
I was originally planning on a Kindle Fire HD but someone at my school was selling a barely used like new one still with it's box etc. for $120 dollars so rather than ordering me the Kindle they sent me $120 to get the deal while it was there and save $80.

I haven't gotten to play with it yet because I'm keeping it in the box to try and preserve some holiday spirit for the gift, but I've been researching things for the Nexus 7 and this is by far one of the cooler things I've come across.

Apparently a modified bootloader that lets you use/switch between different OS's like Jellybean, Cyanogen Mod and Linux even side by side.
I don't know if this involves cutting up your internal storage into partitions or if you could have small partitions selectively for the operating system and they sort of share you're user data but it's cool to be able to dual or triple boot a tablet.

http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/nexus-7-multirom-allows-you-to-load-multiple-operating-systems-12-12-2012/ 

If you got a nexus 7 for $120 you got a awesome deal.  I tried searching the used market briefly but ran across the typical people who think their device is worth list cost because it's still "like new".