Apple iPad mini 2 ME276LL/A (16GB, Wi-Fi, Black with Space Gray)

The 7.9" Retina Display makes its debut on the iPad mini, maintaining its enormous 2048 x 1536 native resolution. At 326 pixels per inch, the Retina Display can show up to 3.1 million pixels at a time. The Retina Display is also a capacitive touchscreen so you'll be able to utilize all the multi-touch gestures of iOS 7. Its smaller form factor makes it easier to hold in one hand. The iPad mini comes in a silver finish.

User Experience : This is the Ipad to own, invest the extra $$$ you would have spent on the IPad Air into more memory, I bought the 32 gig, seems to be the sweet spot without breaking the bank, I find the screen size to be perfect, not cumbersome like its bigger brother, everything looks crisp and beautiful on the Retina display, performance is blazingly fast, I've owned the 9.7 inch IPads in the past and found myself less inclined to use it on a regular basis due to its size, with the mini you will want to use it more often, so to sum it up, same specs, retina display, lighter more portable design, more affordable

I got the very first Kindle when it came out because I LOVE to read. I upgraded it to a newer version a year later, and when the iPads came out I got one more out of curiosity than any real NEED. I use a laptop computer for everything at work and home, but I thought it would be fun to play with.

I got hooked on the iBooks program, and have used an iPad or my iPhone for reading ever since. I've gone through the iPad 1, 2, and 3, and now the new Retina Mini. Each time I upgrade, I pass my replaced one to my son, and his replaced one goes to my mom. So they love them as well.

Last summer when I was still using the iPad 3, I tried the Kindle Fire HD simply because I wanted something smaller to use since most of my reading I do in bed. I tried to like it, but I only used it for about two days before I got disgusted with the interface, the carousel, etc...

So this Christmas I decided to get myself a present.

It easily restored my backup from the iPad 3, and once all the apps were downloaded to it again it performed flawlessly. I love how much lighter it is, and how much easier it is to hold and use anywhere. I now carry it in my computer case with my Surface Pro so I have it handy if I have time to read somewhere during my day.

The performance is great, definitely an improvement over my iPad 3. The screen is flawless, the text is just mind bogglingly crisp and clear even for the smaller size. The games all perform great on it, but I got it mainly for reading and an easy way to check mail without having to go to my Surface Pro.

The only downside is the same downside all iPads have had - the slick back. I really loved the original Kindle for the rubberized back surface, which made it very easy to hold onto. This one is as slippery as any of them, but that's at least partially ameliorated after I got the smart cover, since it can fold back and gives some "traction" for the fingers.

I was going to give my brother in law the Kindle Fire HD but I can't even find it. It was so unimpressive that I just stuck it somewhere and forgot where I even put it, and it's not turned up in any of my searching. That's how much I preferred the iPads for my use.

Since I don't store music or photos on it, the 16GB version is all I needed so this is the cheapest version I've ever gotten (up to this point I always got the 32GB "just in case" and realized I never used more than half of the space anyway).

For me, worth every penny because as much as I was unhappy with the look and feel of IOS 7 (while loving the improvements in the interface itself, I hate the "50 shades of grey" color scheme they seemed to go with) it's still the interface I prefer for my light tablet use and ebook reading.

Very happy I gave myself this present.
 

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