Rather late in the day Apple released a smaller screened version of its iPad, probably in response to competition from Google, Samsung and Amazon.

If you want the official specs, go to Apple’s website . In this review I am going to look at real life usage, screen quality and comparisons to the full size iPad.

The full size iPad is the ultimate tablet. Powerful, large screened and does everything beautifully. Having used both, the real life differences are the retina screen and increased weight. The retina screen makes everything crispier but being honest after using the iPad Mini for a while it is forgotten. But what is not forgotten is the extra weight of the full size iPad. It feels heavier after a while, whereas the Mini is delightfully light and a joy to use for longer periods. In fact the Mini becomes more engaging for media activities like gaming, music and videos. Even reading in bed is easier. So does the full size iPad offer any advantages. It sure does. Web browsing on the Mini is lovely but go back to the full size iPad and the extra real estate provides an even better web cinema like browsing experience. Also the larger screen makes it superior for serious office type duties. Even so, I wouldn’t go back to the full size iPad. I find the Mini is just more portable, and better to carry around.

My real life thoughts of the iPad Mini is it a fun but useful tablet. It is also built to look incredible and at the same time to be strong and desirable. It simply blows other tablets out the water. And then there is the 275,000 iPad apps. No other platform gets anywhere near that.

The iPad Mini experience is enhanced by the iOS Eco system. Add an Apple TV and start playing around with AirPlay and mirroring. Again Apple provide a seamless experience here. You can safely backup the iPad Mini to your pc via iTunes or iCloud and then do a full restore anytime. No geek knowledge needed. And if you have other Apple devices the experience gets better. Buy an app, song or book on your iPhone and it pops up on your iPad. Take a photo on either device and you can view it on any Apple device via photostream including the Apple TV. There is more slick options available using iOS too.

Other aspects of the iPad Mini that are overlooked are the iSight camera. The Mini takes reasonable photos. And the Smart Cover is another neat accessory. Again if you have friends with Apple products you can use iMessage and FaceTime on the Mini. Apple really makes this easy.

There is rumours that the next Mini will have a retina screen. But will it be as light and as thin, and have the same running time on the battery?

The iPad Mini is a device you would buy and keep for a long time, and in the time use daily with considerable joy!