Specs make the iPad Mini look REALLY crap.
It was bad enough before, with specs from 2011, but the mini is now REALLY dated and REALLY overpriced.
Asus has confirmed the UK release date of the new Nexus 7 tablet, or 7 2 as it has become known, the latest Android 4.3 fondleslab it makes for Google. The quad-core, full HD 7in slab will be available from 28 August in both 16GB and 32GB capacities at £199 and £239 respectively. Google Nexus 7 2 flanked by the Asus MeMo Pad …
Perhaps iPad users run things other than benchmarking software and as a result are blisfully unaware that their device is "slow". In fact, perhaps the iPad isn't slow at all, hence the lack of complaints of slowness from their users. Perhaps the obsession with benchmarking on Android has stemmed from a feeling of sluggishness on these devices?
The screen of the iPad mini is slightly bigger, but the higher resolution of the Nexus is the biggest difference here.
Of course, the iPad mini is almost one year old, and the soon-to-come new one will undoubtedly have a retina screen (and cost a lot more, too).
Pity the Nexus has the wrong aspect ratio.
Arcade shooters all use 3:4 which works great with the ipad not so much with anything else.
I own a fair few Android tablets but have come to the conclusion for the Apps I want they are better on the ipad so I will get one as soon as the controller support is fleshed out.
16:9 is useless for anything other than video (Which I would never want to watch on a tablet).
I own: an iPad 3 and a new Nexus 7.
The 7's user experience still isn't quite as smooth as the iPad, for technical reasons that are fairly easy to understand: iOS has Core Animation, which handles 60fps user interface transitions in a separate thread with all the tricky main thread interaction stuff handled for you, and has essentially programmatic layout where writers need optimise for only three screen layouts. Android is declarative and people can't reasonably optimise for every device out there.
If there's a reason the iPads feel more responsive then it's probably that, but it's a very shallow impression. If I actually do things like time how long it takes an application to launch, how long it takes a web page to appear, etc, then the Nexus wins — and it does so for half the price.
"If I actually do things like time how long it takes an application to launch, how long it takes a web page to appear, etc, then the Nexus wins — and it does so for half the price."
So what you're saying in effect is that the iPad seems faster and more pleasant to use and that Android only wins when you sit there timing it or running benchmarks to prove it actually is faster? I think I'll stick to the one that seems nicer in use :)
> 16:9 is useless for anything other than video
Then avoid the Windows tablets by all means since AFAIK that's their aspect ratio. Most Androids and indeed the Nexus 7 and 10 are 16:10 which is bearable, though I have to agree 4:3 or at least 3:2 like the Chromebook Pixel are preferable. But ever since Apple had me pay EUR 89 for a laptop charger when mine died I've gone elsewhere for my computing needs, so no iPad sale to be made over here.
"Arcade shooters all use 3:4"
Since when? Different games use different resolutions, and Android games will be more optimised for wider aspect ratios.
Being a portable video player is surely when of a few things a tablet does well. Whilst having higher depth can be useful for productivity, it's not like a keyboard-less device will do that well anyway.
And there are 4:3 Android tablets, anyway, as well as lots of other ratios - that's the good thing about Android, you have the choice, unlike Apple. Even if you went for a costly low-spec ipad mini because it had the aspect ratio you liked, what if the next version isn't 4:3 (Apple has changed the aspect ratio of their devices, e.g., iphones)? You'd be stuffed, and have to switch platform when you want to buy a new device. With Android, you can keep buying whichever aspect ratio you want.
Perhaps iPad users run things other than benchmarking software and as a result are blisfully unaware that their device is "slow".
I don't believe anyone has accused the iPad, mini or otherwise, of being slow. They're not. Well my iPad 1 never recovered from the update to iOS 5, which slowed it to a crawl sometimes...
Anyway, the problem with the iPad Mini is that it's got a pretty low resolution screen by modern standards. Lower res than the much smaller iPhone. And it's very expensive in comparison to Android tablets at nearly half the price, which have better screens (the most important bit of any tablet).
Personally I'm starting to think disloyal thoughts. I'm not planning to upgrade my iPad 3 this year, maybe I'll get tempted next. But I'm rather tempted by a Samsung Galaxy Note of some description. Sadly they seem to be marketing them as premium - and matching iPad prices. But I think the pen is mightier than the (bluetooth) keyboard. I find handwriting recognition is so much nicer than an onscreen keyboad.
The problem is that there is no way of doing a product comparison that does not take marketing spend, market presence and other externalities into account. Ford sell a lot of Fiestas. Would they sell so many if they had a different badge?
What is needed is human factor benchmarks, but they are pretty hard to design because people are so influenced by familiarity and peer pressure.
Ah yes, it's the appeal to popularity fallacy. I don't know about you, but when I buy, I care what I want, not want a bunch of Apple fans want.
I guess we're agreed that Android phones (and Symbian before that) are much better than iphones, and Windows PCs are much better than Macs, by your logic? Oh, and Android tablets are now outselling ios ones - the ipad mini just has the advantage that there's just one device of that size, whilst there are hundreds of Android tablets.
If you don't care about specs, and are happy with low resolution, 512MB RAM etc, that's fine - but you can get that with a budget £100 Android tablet. But why not get the Nexus 7 - you get something better, and you save around £60 (or £100 for the 2012 version). But, the moment Apple bring out something that beats other devices on some contrived spec, you'll be first in line claiming how it's the most important thing ever (e.g., "PPI! PPI!" for 2010).
Sluggishnesh? I don't have any problems on my 18 month old Galaxy Nexus - but even that has better specs that than much larger and newer ipad mini.
Yes and maybe the next ipad mini will make the Nexus look dated. The longest race in the world and the lead changes day by day, the end is not even in sight.
As to bench marks, they ALL cheat. The bottom line is this,
does your tablet work smoothly?
does your tablet freeze?
does your tablet require regular re-booting?
does your tablet require an anti-virus program?
does the anti-virus slow it down?
does it take ages to get hold of the newest operating system?
does the manufacturer withdraw support for older models?
If you answer YES to the majority of the questions you know what you need to buy to end your frustration.
Android doing what it does with the controls is stupid. (Nothing should ever cater to sloppy devs).
The way it works on my Xoom means you cannot connect to something at 1280x768 even. (On a 1280x800 screen).
3rd parties manage it to a point using the power button to turn it on and off but they don't fix the way the OS reports the resolution so it is of no benefit.