Apple unveils redesigned iPad mini, base $329 iPad gets an upgrade

[Daniel Sims]

What just happened? The range of upgraded products Apple unveiled at its keynote this week includes an upgraded 10.2 inch iPad and the iPad mini's first major redesign. The new standard iPad has more storage, an improved camera, and a faster processor. The new iPad mini includes a smaller bezel for a bigger screen, among other upgrades.

Apple says its A13 Bionic processor should give the ninth generation standard iPad a 20 percent performance boost over the previous version of that model. While the screen is the same size as the previous generation's standard iPad, the new model will have Apple's True Tone screen to automatically adjust screen lighting according to the iPad's surroundings. Its front-facing camera has 10 times the resolution as the one on the previous model -- 12 megapixels.

Apple has doubled the minimum and maximum storage options for the new iPad, to 64GB and 256GB, respectively. The Wi-Fi versions of this iPad will be priced at $329 and $479, while the versions with Wi-Fi and 4G cellular will be $459 for the 64GB model and $609 for the 256GB model.

As had been speculated since earlier this summer, Apple unveiled an overhauled design for the iPad mini. The new sixth generation iPad mini has a smaller bezel which let Apple increase the screen size from 7.9 inches to 8.3 inches. Even though the original home button is gone, this new model still has Touch ID -- it's simply been moved to a button at the top of the iPad.

The new iPad mini comes with 5G wireless, and it now charges through USB-C instead of the Lightning connector. Its front camera resolution has been increased from seven megapixels to 12. The back camera is also now 12 megapixels. Apple says its new A15 Bionic processor should make it 80 percent faster than the previous iPad mini. The new model starts at $499.

Apple has brought Center Stage, a feature previously available on the iPad Pro, to the standard iPad and iPad mini, which both now have ultra-wide front cameras. Center Stage can automatically pan and zoom the front camera to match peoples' movements during video calls.

Pre-orders for both models are up now on Apple's website, and they'll be in stores on September 24.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91253-apple-unveils-ipad-upgrade-redesigned-ipad-mini.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

You ever sit back and watch someone try to actually "work" on an iPad, vs. someone working on a laptop?

 

[DZillaXx]

You ever sit back and watch someone try to actually "work" on an iPad, vs. someone working on a laptop?

I've seen people more productive on a Chromebook.

iPad is not a good tool for actual work. But a decent tool if you are used to one of their niche creativity apps, though many times the desktop version of said app is a lot quicker to work with if you are already a power user.

When it comes to doing work and needing to print, file share, etc. A laptop running windows or macOS is just going to do it quicker.

 

[Sausagemeat]

You ever sit back and watch someone try to actually "work" on an iPad, vs. someone working on a laptop?

Depends what you’re doing. When I was making diving videos I’d be plugged in at a desk with a laptop screeching away under the heat. With my iPad Pro I sit in a hammock and use my Apple Pencil and AirPods, unlike a laptop it doesn’t need to be plugged in to get max performance and it has no fans to deafen me. On top of all this video editing software runs much smoother and faster on the iPad.

 

[waclark]

When it comes to doing work and needing to print, file share, etc. A laptop running windows or macOS is just going to do it quicker.

I don't know about that. Maybe by a matter of seconds. Printing from an iPad is easy. Hit the share icon, select print, away you go. Likewise, instead of print, select Files and save to local storage or to any number of cloud services including DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive and iCloud.

iPads aren't perfect for everything but you can get a lot done on them.

 

[kapital98]

You ever sit back and watch someone try to actually "work" on an iPad, vs. someone working on a laptop?

Yeah. And after a few days that "Great!" purchase stopped being used and they sheepishly start looking for an actual computer.

 

[psycros]

Yeah. And after a few days that "Great!" purchase stopped being used and they sheepishly start looking for an actual computer.

What's sickening is how all the teachers moan and cry until they get cash-strapped school systems to blow millions so they (the teachers) can have new iPads. If they cared about the students they'd be getting cheap Windows machines configured for maximum privacy and security.

 

[Fearghast]

You ever sit back and watch someone try to actually "work" on an iPad, vs. someone working on a laptop?

I actually did, but it was really light "work" with keyboard case attached. Even as a iPad Pro owner since the first generation, I find it difficult to even imagine me, torturing myself with iPad OS for anything more than recording. I only used it for recording and edited it in Audacity on my PC later.

 

[DZillaXx]

I don't know about that. Maybe by a matter of seconds. Printing from an iPad is easy. Hit the share icon, select print, away you go. Likewise, instead of print, select Files and save to local storage or to any number of cloud services including DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive and iCloud.

iPads aren't perfect for everything but you can get a lot done on them.

Yeah simple printing is easy from a iPad. Just like simple file sharing.

Advanced Printing is a nightmare. And if a Printer doesn't support apple's printing protocol is just isn't going to work. We have iPads for all of our Forman, and in the office our printers support airprint. But we often deal with large excel docs full of information, where scaling options are needed for it to print correctly. Printing an entire workbook to 11x17 is a nightmare 50% of the time on a iPad. Honestly if it isn't a properly formatted PDF they tend to have issues.

AirPrint options are uttertrash, and I'd much rather have a real print driver with the entire control panel with printer options. It's a share I can't just integrate iPads onto our print server.

As for file sharing, it is just a more clunky user experience sharing files. It is not uncommon for a business to run their Filesystem on Sharepoint or Dropbox. It tends to be quicker to share things in a multi window environment like windows where those cloud services integrate directly into windows explorer. Hell just the act of getting photos from an iPad to a Sharepoint folder takes a lot longer than it needs too. Tapping on 20 different photos just to then jump through apple's clunky share menu.

 

[DZillaXx]

What's sickening is how all the teachers moan and cry until they get cash-strapped school systems to blow millions so they (the teachers) can have new iPads. If they cared about the students they'd be getting cheap Windows machines configured for maximum privacy and security.

Honestly the biggest issues with windows environment even to this day is you need a pretty competent IT group or person. Azure AD is starting become a great alt compare to the standard onsite AD setup, especially for remote users. But the entire setup is pretty complex and MS still has a ways to go until it can compete with Chromebooks on ease of use.

That being said 365 is by far a better setup, and even rocking windows laptops connected via Azure AD or a remote onsite AD server makes for a better setup than Chromebooks. But this is not a easy setup for a cash strapped school, and the Lead IT admin in these schools only gets paid around 70-80k. Which is pretty low for these roles, so anyone experienced enough to make this happen would jump ship.

Which is why Chromebooks have gained a following, Allows for IT Admins to manage much easier. Doesn't require all the experience the windows setups do. I've done complex AD setups from the ground up, it is not pretty.

iPads on the other hand are pretty garbage in terms of central management. I'm not sure how these devices are even allowing on these types of networks. These are pretty much single user devices with little ability to integrate into a managed network on the scale windows or chomebook admins are used to.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

What's sickening is how all the teachers moan and cry until they get cash-strapped school systems to blow millions so they (the teachers) can have new iPads. If they cared about the students they'd be getting cheap Windows machines configured for maximum privacy and security.

Oh you shoudl hear ours. They want desktops with dual monitors, laptops, AND chromebooks because "they cant do their job with just 1 PC".

Utterly rediculous. We didnt even learn with a computer, most of my classes sued the whiteboard, adn this was in the 2000s.

Honestly the biggest issues with windows environment even to this day is you need a pretty competent IT group or person. Azure AD is starting become a great alt compare to the standard onsite AD setup, especially for remote users. But the entire setup is pretty complex and MS still has a ways to go until it can compete with Chromebooks on ease of use.

That being said 365 is by far a better setup, and even rocking windows laptops connected via Azure AD or a remote onsite AD server makes for a better setup than Chromebooks. But this is not a easy setup for a cash strapped school, and the Lead IT admin in these schools only gets paid around 70-80k. Which is pretty low for these roles, so anyone experienced enough to make this happen would jump ship.

Which is why Chromebooks have gained a following, Allows for IT Admins to manage much easier. Doesn't require all the experience the windows setups do. I've done complex AD setups from the ground up, it is not pretty.

iPads on the other hand are pretty garbage in terms of central management. I'm not sure how these devices are even allowing on these types of networks. These are pretty much single user devices with little ability to integrate into a managed network on the scale windows or chomebook admins are used to.

Ipads are only used in schools because A) trendy and B) we have to test preschoolers and kindergartners now. They have to identify shapes and colors, and, well, inner city 3 year olds dont know how to type or use a mouse. In some cases the app only runs in iOS or android. For reasons.

The work around is to use a combination of MDM to track the device and only set them up on a specific, firewalled WiFi network, since manging said device is nearly impossible. Thanks Apple.

Chromebooks OTOH are dead simple to manage. One person can manage, track, and update tens of thousands of them with a day's training. It's not as feature rich as AD, but it does the job for student well enough.

 

[waclark]

Yeah simple printing is easy from a iPad. Just like simple file sharing.

Advanced Printing is a nightmare. And if a Printer doesn't support apple's printing protocol is just isn't going to work. We have iPads for all of our Forman, and in the office our printers support airprint. But we often deal with large excel docs full of information, where scaling options are needed for it to print correctly. Printing an entire workbook to 11x17 is a nightmare 50% of the time on a iPad. Honestly if it isn't a properly formatted PDF they tend to have issues.

AirPrint options are uttertrash, and I'd much rather have a real print driver with the entire control panel with printer options. It's a share I can't just integrate iPads onto our print server.

As for file sharing, it is just a more clunky user experience sharing files. It is not uncommon for a business to run their Filesystem on Sharepoint or Dropbox. It tends to be quicker to share things in a multi window environment like windows where those cloud services integrate directly into windows explorer. Hell just the act of getting photos from an iPad to a Sharepoint folder takes a lot longer than it needs too. Tapping on 20 different photos just to then jump through apple's clunky share menu.

It seems like you haven't used iPads in a while. I just opened an Excel spreadsheet and was give options in AirPrint for paper sizing and scaling. When I wanted to copy photos to Drop Box all I had to do was slide my finger across the screen and was able to select about 150 photos in about 2 secs.

So while you may have some unique printing and filing needs I stand by my assertion that the iPad can handle many, if not most, print jobs and file sharing that you're likely to have running the typical day-to-day office productivity tools. To your specific example, I opened a multi-sheet spreadsheet, selected Legal sized paper, Fit all Columns on a page and Print Entire Workbook. Seemed pretty easy to me.