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Whether working, surfing, cooking, or gaming, we help you decide which iDevice is right for you.
ByChandra Steele Chandra Steele Senior Features Writer My Experience My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme. Read Full Bio
October 22, 2012
"The 7-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad," Steve Jobs once said, dismissing the form factor. Tweeners have proven to be a powerful market, though, whether it's in the leagues of Justin Bieber fans or the aforementioned tablets.
The 7-inch tablet space is small but filling up—and selling out—quickly. The Nexus 7 could reach sales of 8 million units this year, according to Tech-thoughts.net, and Amazon's recently released Kindle Fire HD is set to blaze through the holidays.
Though Steve Jobs called the form factor "dead on arrival," the Apple versus Samsung trial shows that his feelings about that weren't as strong as his words. With product decisions now left to Tim Cook, who as a former supply guy also knows an opportunity when he sees it, a 7-inch iPad "mini" is likely.
Despite its presupposed popularity, is the iPad mini necessary? That depends entirely on the user. Given a choice between what's essentially the same device in three different screen sizes: the iPad (ten inches), the iPad mini (seven inches), and the iPod touch (three inches), customers would do well to estimate how they'll ration out the time they spend on it before they rationalize their purchase decision.
They should also consider processor power. The iPad mini is not anticipated to match the capability of whatever new iPad is released along with it or even the current iPad. In all likelihood, the iPad mini's internal specs will be closest to those of the iPad 2.
Then there's price. There will be market pressure for the iPad mini to stay near the $200 mark of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire, yet the 8GB iPod touch costs $299; so it remains to be seen how Apple will balance and justify the prices of its lineup.
Also, connectivity should be taken into account. The iPod touch is Wi-Fi-only, while the iPad can also be had in 3G. The iPad mini will probably come in Wi-Fi and 3G versions.
With that in mind, take a look at the gallery for the top tablet uses and our picks for what iDevice is best for each.
1.Movies
Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, and other apps that let users stream movies and TV shows have shrunk expectations about acceptable sizes for movie and television screens. Bigger is still better, though, making the iPad the best bet. Additionally, the iPad has a faster processor and it comes in 3G-enabled models, letting users stream away from Wi-Fi hotspots (say, on a commute). iPod touch users have to wait for Wi-Fi but they can watch content downloaded to their devices or take out their iPhones and lose some valuable battery life while edging toward their data cap. The iPad mini would, presumably, have the optional 3G arrangement its bigger brother has, making it the choice for those who want to watch on the go, while the iPad would be more of a homebody.
2.Music
Apple's renaissance began with the iPod, and the device is still the most popular music player out there. But is the iPod touch necessarily the top option for music aficionados? Undisputedly, if the device in question is often going to be used like an MP3 player to play stored songs wherever its user roams. Music streaming apps, such as Spotify and Pandora need either Wi-Fi or 3G to work, so listeners heavily dependent on those services while on the road would have to rely on their iPhone. If the device is mostly going to reside at home or at work and primarily perform other functions, then it's not a consideration. There's little to virtually no difference in speaker systems or in using AirPort Express.
3.Reading
For reading of any type, an iPod touch is the poorest choice, though all three choices have (or in the case of the iPad mini, would have) ereading apps in the form of iBooks, Nook, Kindle, and others. An iPod mini would make for the most natural ereader, given its assumed size, since many ereaders have 7-inch screens. Still, it's not an optimal size for reading full digital editions of magazines (like PCMag's). While magazine-reading apps such as Zinio will work on all devices and have different viewing options, the iPad is the clear winner for the new (Retina-enhanced) glossies.
4.Gaming
The games users like to play are the determining factor in what size screen suits them. Board game aficionados would do well to choose the iPad, as would those who like strategy games and shooters like DoDonPachi Resurrection, according to PCMag.com Software Analyst Jeff Wilson. Wilson says that with driving games, the virtual controls are often too far apart on the iPad and too close together on the iPod touch, making an iPad mini the comfiest ride.
5.Shopping
The larger the window, the more fun window shopping can be. So it's no surprise that the iPad wins out for shopping. While there are plenty of shopping apps (ShopStyle, Gilt, and Fab, among them) that are superb at any size, it's nice not to have to pinch to zoom to see details on items. iPad users spend more time and money shopping, with iPhone and iPod touch users trailing but still ahead of other tablets.
6.Cooking
The iPad is not only a good size for use in the kitchen, but there are also plenty of accessories to enhance its usefulness (like the Belkin Chef Stand + Stylus and the Chef Sleeve) and keep it safe. The same isn't true for the iPod touch. However, the touch is the perfect companion for consulting shopping lists on supermarket trips, a feature that many apps have built in. If an iPad mini steps in to offer up its services as a sous chef, it would be hired on the spot since it could go from market to kitchen.
7.Web Surfing
While mobile-friendly sites have become far more common since the iPad's popularity has taken off, they're still best viewed on an iPad. Surfing sites on a touch range from fairly pleasant to painful, eye-straining experiences. That makes the iPad the big kahuna and the iPad mini and iPod touch mere recreational surfers.
8.Work
Microsoft, maker of the most-used work applications, has now brought its creations to the iPad. Even before that, though, iPad owners had iWork at their disposal. The iPad, with its many keyboard accessories and large screen viewable without squinting, is the most work-friendly choice. The iPad mini and iPod touch are best left to checking up on work emails.
9.Photos
Photo fiends will have to choose between looking ridiculous or taking sharper photos. Wielding an iPad or even an iPad mini for a shot is largely impractical but the camera. An iPod touch, on the other hand, is palm-size and can always be handy. One advantage of both iPads is that they can update digital photo frames, serving up photo slideshows anywhere they go.
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My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme.
I strive to explain topics that you might come across in the news but not fully understand, such as NFTs and meme stocks. I’ve had the pleasure of talking tech with Jeff Goldblum, Ang Lee, and other celebrities who have brought a different perspective to it. I put great care into writing gift guides and am always touched by the notes I get from people who’ve used them to choose presents that have been well-received. Though I love that I get to write about the tech industry every day, it’s touched by gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequality and I try to bring these topics to light.
Outside of PCMag, I write fiction, poetry, humor, and essays on culture.
Read Chandra's full bio
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