The iPad Mini is light and has good battery life, but it is not a productivity device. For those who know how to use it, the Mini can fill a useful niche in your device portfolio.
Initially, this reviewer was torn between the Mini and its larger cousin, the iPad Retina (aka "iPad 4"). The Mini won out because the specter of carrying five pounds of metal, including a Macbook Air, was too much to handle. With the MBA and the smaller iPad, total combined weight is just under four pounds, which is tolerable for everyday travel.
There are many times when carrying a laptop bag through the mean streets of New York has caused a sore shoulder and aching back; with this combination of gadgets, the danger of soreness is decreased. No doubt, this is true for anyone who travels, regardless of the city. The Mini is lightweight.
After dragging my heels on the prospect of buying a tablet for many months, what finally tipped the scales in favor of buying was realizing what the device was good for. Simply, it could be used to consume books, and for light reading on the train. And perhaps to do other things as well. More on that in a moment.
To increase the usefulness of the Mini as a productivity device, I purchased a bluetooth keyboard to type on. It was a clumsy arrangement, and the keyboard layout began to change how I typed. However, I eventually got used to it, and the bluetooth keyboard is my preferred method of taking notes accurately. Without having to look at the on-screen keyboard, it makes typing that much faster and easier. Plus, not having to hover my hands over the virtual keyboard helps in long typing sessions.
One surprising usage that I came up with for the Mini was as a hotspot. I had purchased the device with 4G capabilities "just in case," and had agonized over whether it was a waste of money. One day it hit me - the device can be used as a hotspot for my laptop! Instead of draining the battery on my phone, which I need to save for calls, the Mini can power the internet during my commute and when I am traveling. Although I can't use it as a full-fledged computer as I had hoped at one time, it can power the internet for my full-powered laptop just fine.
And there you go. Reading, note-taking and hotspot. If this is what you need, plus you need something lighter than the iPad Retina, then the Mini is for you.
