Downsize and Upgrade: the iPad Mini

By Shea Garner

Downsizing anything seems to cause people to lose their shit. The recession hit, jobs were cut, and we bore witness to Occupy Wall Street and possibly the most entertaining presidential election in decades. DirecTV shrunk down a giraffe to lap-size and accomplished a ridiculously successful viral marketing campaign. So what was Apple’s next move after the launch of the iPhone 5? Miniaturize the iPad, obviously.

Last week, Apple introduced the 7.9-inch iPad mini. Somewhere between the size of your iPhone and the original iPad, the mini is clearly a product introduced to compete with Amazon’s fairly successful Kindle Fire line of e-readers. Available in both Wi-Fi and 3G models, the iPad mini is priced significantly lower than its full-size counterpart.

But what gives? Why would anyone buy an iPad mini if they already own an iPhone or even an iPad? Essentially, Apple just has the “cool kid” factor on their side. Whenever they introduce a new product, it’s all anyone seems to talk about on this side of the blogosphere. The mini boasts a gorgeous display with HD video capability, even over FaceTime. Its size is a lot easier to handle with one hand than that of the original iPad, which can be clunky and rather heavy at times.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I fucking love my iPad. It’s like holding the entire web in your hand (or in the big boy iPad’s case, hands). But, in all fairness, I’m a fanboy too, and I’ll be damned to not admit that the iPad mini doesn’t look cool as shit. My advice? If you’re looking to purchase a tablet and want something a bit more capable than your iPhone, get the mini. You’ll be the coolest kid in the libarary. Or, erm, the iBook store. What do you think of the iPad mini? Tweet us at @jerkmagazine and let us know.