by Sean Devlin, Front Rush
So we have been using the iPad mini for the past week and yes it is my favorite iPad yet and yes we want to share with you why it is great for recruiting.
First off, it is budget friendly at $329 for the non-cellular version and rumored $459 for the cellular version. This compared to $499 and $629 respectfully is a huge cost difference…$170 to be exact to get all of the same functionality and more.
The biggest thing about the iPad mini is the size and weight (pun intended). The smaller version of the iPad feels great in your hand and walking around. The subtle change (compared to other iPads) is much more conducive to field/court recruiting because its less to carry around, its easier to type (thumb typing) and it fits in the front pocket of your backpack instead of the big pocket which leaves for more room for other stuff.
Even with the smaller size, there does not seem to be any loss in readability/intractability as compared to its bigger predecessor. In fact, all of your previous apps (if you have an iPad now) will continue to work on the mini. They are just a bit more compact. But again, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. There are a few exceptions where buttons feel too small, or text is a bit harder to read, but overall, this is more rare than common. Soon many app developers will catch up.
One of the negatives is that the screen is not a retina display. The screen is still nice and cool and looks pretty good. But, it’s not the retina display that you may be used to on your iPhone or iPad…this is a downgrade.
With that said, it is an IPS display. This means that it looks good from all angles, its just not as crisp. So what you lose in the display, you make up for in the typing. The typing is easier and very smooth. Because the device is not as wide, it is much easier to wrap your thumbs around and type. And because of the weight, it is much more comfortable.
It’s not as awkward as bigger tablets and is on the fringe of feeling like an iPhone. One last thing to throw out is that there are cameras on both the front and the back so you can take pictures, video, of yourself or others easily. This app is often found on phones, but other tablets don’t have it. Overall, we love the mini and highly recommend it.