Target & Best Buy: iPad Mini $199.99 In Store Only, iPad 4th Gen $329 @ BB

I'd rather get the iPad Mini with Retina Display. From what I can tell, Apple has a way to make older model iPhones obsolete by upgrading iOS, so while it can function when you upgrade it does get slower and less compatible with newer apps with each release. I would assume the same is true for iPads too. The first Mini has an A5 chip while the Mini with Retina has an A7 chip inside. I have no idea why they skipped the A6 (it's in the iPad released before the iPad Air).

If anyone who is more into Apple's ways can explain to me how my thinking is wrong and an older Mini is worth it I'd like to know while this deal is active. 

 
the iPad Mini (1st gen) was just a shrunken down iPad 2. The iPad 2 is still pretty well supported, so the Mini is as well. But with the 2 being three years old, and a new iPad coming out this fall, I wouldn't be surprised if its days are numbed and the iPad 3 or 4 becomes the bare minimum that developers support. 

If you're interested in a cheap entry to the iOS ecosystem, the iPad Mini at $199 isn't a bad choice. 

 
Hmmm, I have enough for one and have been interested in getting a tablet. Any reason not to jump on this?
With the ridiculous frequency Apple updates products (see iPad 3 to 4 update--only 7 months), I generally recommend people follow the Macrumors Buyer's Guide and only buy when it's "safe" to do so. For people really on a budget, I guess it's not so bad going back one generation. I'd avoid going back two or more though unless you're just using it for email, browsing, etc.

My biggest reservation against this deal, though, is that it's not a retina version. My first iPad was the 3rd one (retina). At the time my brother had the iPad 2 (non-retina). As bratty as it sounds, I couldn't use his because it looked so terrible, comparatively.

If you're looking for a deal, I suggest waiting until the new version comes out and getting a deal on the first retina version. It'll be far worth the extra $50 or so (complete guess) compared to this deal, IMO. Also note that Target gives decent gift cards with iPads occasionally, sometimes also with a slight break on the price. I assume it'll be even better on the current version as the new ones are released.
 
Not that bad of a price and I wanted to waste my gift cards from triple trade in

Paid $160 after tax

Smh if I wasn't lazy to trade in black ops II and kingdom hearts HD or my paper Mario getting rejected, would have been another $70 off
 
I am thinking of trading in my iPad 2 for this. For one it has better speakers,two it has Siri and lastly it has lighting cable which is better than the original charging cable plus it does run quite better than my iPad 2 even though it has the same specs.

 
I know a lot of you guys have GCs from that trade in deal several weeks ago :D/

I ended up ordering a white one with two gift cards. I hope Hearthstone runs decent on it.

 
Thanks OP for posting this.  I had some Target credit i need to move as well and i was in the market for a Ipad.   Good thing is i still have enough credit left over to get a Wii U.  Now to wait till they have a sale with a free $50 GC when getting a Wii U.

 
This is tempting. I wanted an apple device to play iOS version of 999 and all those Cave shmups.

How long do temporary price cuts usually last? 

And if I can pick it up in-store, does that mean it is in-stock at that particular store?  Website says both models are sold out.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
There's a good chance this gets dropped from iOS9 or starts missing out on major features.

It may be worth buying at this price if it's seen as a throw away device, but the Retina will likely be supported for 3+ years. If you plan to keep a tablet for awhile, it'll be worth it to wait for a decent deal on the Retina instead.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Question for everyone: I've been looking at the Surface Pro for a while and am thinking of buying one through the $100 off when purchasing from a XP device, but this price is pretty tempting for an iPad Mini.

What sort of advantages would an iPad Mini have over the Surface Pro, if the main reason I'm getting the Surface is basically to have a more portable laptop (mainly to use Word, Excel, and some web surfing)?  

Does the iPad Mini come with any sort of software pre-loaded like Microsoft Office?  I realize that I could just go online and use Google Docs, but I'm not always going to be connected to the internet when I travel.

 
Question for everyone: I've been looking at the Surface Pro for a while and am thinking of buying one through the $100 off when purchasing from a XP device, but this price is pretty tempting for an iPad Mini.

What sort of advantages would an iPad Mini have over the Surface Pro, if the main reason I'm getting the Surface is basically to have a more portable laptop (mainly to use Word, Excel, and some web surfing)?

Does the iPad Mini come with any sort of software pre-loaded like Microsoft Office? I realize that I could just go online and use Google Docs, but I'm not always going to be connected to the internet when I travel.
They're very, very different devices. The Surface is large for a tablet and it's at its best as a laptop replacement. The Mini is small, light device that's great for app-centric computing, but I wouldn't use it as a laptop replacement. It's a bit too cramped--keyboard cases are available, but you're not going to get a full size board. I find mini boards hard to type on and wouldn't be as productive with a mini as a Surface or larger iPad for office/productivity work.
 
There's a good chance this gets dropped from iOS9 or starts missing out on major features.
I'm not saying this is the best deal or anything, but ios8 was just announced last week. iOS 9 is probably at least a year and a half away. In a year and a half this will still be worth 100 used. Seems like a reasonable deal for now.
 
If I do store pickup can I pick it up today? Or should I try to price match at a Best Buy in store?

Post Script: I bit on this, seems like a good deal in my opinion. They aren't going to release a new iPad Mini till the earliest September and honestly I don't think they will. They're going to go hard on the iWatch and iPhone 6 for this Christmas season. Save the iPad stuff for early spring 2015. That's the Spring Roll predication anyways and I may or may not be an Apple head. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I just looked up the Ipad mini on gamestops trade in page.  I notice with everything included they are giving $145 credit base.  With the xbox trade in bonus going on today you could actually trade this in with the 50% bonus and get $217 credit.  Now this isn't really a big profit or anything but if you don't really want target credit i guess this would be a way to convert target credit over to GS credit.  

Link to trade in page on GS.

http://www.gamestop.com/recommerce/web/ProductCondition.aspx?producttitle=Apple+iPad+Mini+WiFi+16GB++-+A1432

 
They're very, very different devices. The Surface is large for a tablet and it's at its best as a laptop replacement. The Mini is small, light device that's great for app-centric computing, but I wouldn't use it as a laptop replacement. It's a bit too cramped--keyboard cases are available, but you're not going to get a full size board. I find mini boards hard to type on and wouldn't be as productive with a mini as a Surface or larger iPad for office/productivity work.
Thanks. I guess I'll hold off on getting the iPad Mini... unless I think I might be able to make some sort of profit off of this.

Decisions, decisions...

 
I'd rather get the iPad Mini with Retina Display. From what I can tell, Apple has a way to make older model iPhones obsolete by upgrading iOS, so while it can function when you upgrade it does get slower and less compatible with newer apps with each release. I would assume the same is true for iPads too. The first Mini has an A5 chip while the Mini with Retina has an A7 chip inside. I have no idea why they skipped the A6 (it's in the iPad released before the iPad Air).

If anyone who is more into Apple's ways can explain to me how my thinking is wrong and an older Mini is worth it I'd like to know while this deal is active.

The iPad mini with retina is a shrunken down iPad Air. It absolutely flies! I can vouch for it because I had both. I always wanted the iPad mini with retina but when the announcement happened last year and they couldn't give a release date (because of screen shortages) I decided to buy the iPad Air (which I loved!). One week later the iPad mini with retina magically appeared on store shelves with no announcement from apple. So I returned the air and got the mini retina (with money back). I absolutely LOVE my mini retina. (Typing on it now) As good of a deal the $199 mini sounds (first gen), I still wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Being that it's just a shrunken down iPad 2, it's getting pretty prehistoric.

I am thinking of trading in my iPad 2 for this. For one it has better speakers,two it has Siri and lastly it has lighting cable which is better than the original charging cable plus it does run quite better than my iPad 2 even though it has the same specs.
It doesn't run better, it's all in your head. It's only a shrunken down iPad 2. Trust me, if you want a mini you want the mini with retina.
 
With the ridiculous frequency Apple updates products (see iPad 3 to 4 update--only 7 months), I generally recommend people follow the Macrumors Buyer's Guide and only buy when it's "safe" to do so. For people really on a budget, I guess it's not so bad going back one generation. I'd avoid going back two or more though unless you're just using it for email, browsing, etc.
This. I got a brand new, top-of-the-line 128GB 4G GSM iPad 4 for the same price as a 32GB iPad Air. Though to be honest, you can honestly only save on the high capacity models, 32GB and up, since Apple is still only supporting the 16GB model. Apparently the iPad 4 is the new iPad 2.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'd rather get the iPad Mini with Retina Display. From what I can tell, Apple has a way to make older model iPhones obsolete by upgrading iOS, so while it can function when you upgrade it does get slower and less compatible with newer apps with each release. I would assume the same is true for iPads too. The first Mini has an A5 chip while the Mini with Retina has an A7 chip inside. I have no idea why they skipped the A6 (it's in the iPad released before the iPad Air).

If anyone who is more into Apple's ways can explain to me how my thinking is wrong and an older Mini is worth it I'd like to know while this deal is active.
Wtf, iOS updates for years lol, the iPad 2 is getting iOS 8. That thing is 3 years old. I'd love to see many android devices that are that old that even got JB
 
Wtf, iOS updates for years lol, the iPad 2 is getting iOS 8. That thing is 3 years old. I'd love to see many android devices that are that old that even got JB
I didn't say the iPad 2 wouldn't work with iOS 8, just that each new iOS update brings the model closer to obsolescence. I am saying that going out and buying an iPad 2 wouldn't be wise, and someone else claims on here that the iPad Mini is just a shrunk down iPad 2, which is why I suggest waiting for a good deal on the Mini with Retina.

 
I didn't say the iPad 2 wouldn't work with iOS 8, just that each new iOS update brings the model closer to obsolescence. I am saying that going out and buying an iPad 2 wouldn't be wise, and someone else claims on here that the iPad Mini is just a shrunk down iPad 2, which is why I suggest waiting for a good deal on the Mini with Retina.
Gotcha. Well it kind of is a shrunk down iPad 2, kinda not. It's got a lightning connector, and while the screen isn't retina on the smaller screen it looks better than an iPad 2. Also, not sure why but the iPad mini runs flawlessly on iOS 7, it's quite smooth. The iPad 2 was laggy.

And it's only $200, even if it doesn't get iOS 9 support, apple products have insane resale value. Even 1st gen iPads sell for $100-125.
 
Gotcha. Well it kind of is a shrunk down iPad 2, kinda not. It's got a lightning connector, and while the screen isn't retina on the smaller screen it looks better than an iPad 2. Also, not sure why but the iPad mini runs flawlessly on iOS 7, it's quite smooth. The iPad 2 was laggy.

And it's only $200, even if it doesn't get iOS 9 support, apple products have insane resale value. Even 1st gen iPads sell for $100-125.
Oh, thanks for the heads up. If it can survive past iOS 9, and it sounds like it could judging by your experience, then $200 would be an even better deal. However, my local Target has neither color so I'm still waiting on a Mini with Retina deal because I have no choice.

 
Oh, thanks for the heads up. If it can survive past iOS 9, and it sounds like it could judging by your experience, then $200 would be an even better deal. However, my local Target has neither color so I'm still waiting on a Mini with Retina deal because I have no choice.
Best buy will PM and someone said staples will PM with a $20 off coupon.

Unless you've just got Target credit, then that's completely understandable. You will most certainly get a retina deal around Black Friday I would think.
 
So tempted. Thanks OP for this price I may get this over a nexus 7
My mom has a Nexus7 FHD. Those things are really slick. My top 2 choices for that form factor would be an iPad mini and N7. It really boils down to which OS you prefer, because if you like Android, you can't do any better on a 7" tablet IMO. I prefer iOS, simply because I'm vested in that ecosystem and prefer OS X.
 
It doesn't run better, it's all in your head. It's only a shrunken down iPad 2. Trust me, if you want a mini you want the mini with retina.
It probably does run better than an original iPad 2, but not the late model / recently discontinued iPad 2. There was a die shrink along the way that improved battery life and increased operating time before the APU is heat throttled. That said, the non-Retina mini's internals are still ancient by mobile device standards. It's a hard sell for me even at $199.

 
Lol dozed off while looking up info on these and every store sold out. Decision made for me.

Guess I'll save up for something newer
 
Lol dozed off while looking up info on these and every store sold out. Decision made for me.

Guess I'll save up for something newer
Did you check locally? Same thing happened to me with the Best Buy B2G1 free deal. I waited a half hour on the deal for sexy time with my girlfriend, I check back and every game I wanted is sold out. :wall:

sex was good though

 
Did you check locally? Same thing happened to me with the Best Buy B2G1 free deal. I waited a half hour on the deal for sexy time with my girlfriend, I check back and every game I wanted is sold out. :wall:

sex was good though
Nah, in retrospect it doesnt seem like THAT great of a deal for outdated tech. Not too upset I missed out, I'm sure Ill be getting something better in the future

 
I remember having seen cowboom sell a 32GB iPad mini for $199 during one of their daily sales. At least these are brand new and not have to worry about any possible defect. The non-retina display should not be that bad and it does come in handy if watching lots of SD shows and videos.
 
I was planning on getting my girl this iPad Mini for our anniversary next week but all these comments about them going obsolete soon have scared me. I'm not hip enough on Apple products to know myself. Now I feel as though I should get her the one with retina but that's a tad out of my price range.

Would Apple people recommend just not eating for a week to afford the one with retina for her? I don't want to get her an iPad she can only use for a year before the iOS makes it a brick. 

 
This fall a new model will come out and this model will no longer be sold. However the A5 chip is in the Iphone 4s so it's got at least a full year of support after the new models come out in the fall.
 
I was planning on getting my girl this iPad Mini for our anniversary next week but all these comments about them going obsolete soon have scared me. I'm not hip enough on Apple products to know myself. Now I feel as though I should get her the one with retina but that's a tad out of my price range.

Would Apple people recommend just not eating for a week to afford the one with retina for her? I don't want to get her an iPad she can only use for a year before the iOS makes it a brick.
Well..honestly they've been supporting the iPad 2 for a long time because many businesses and schools use them, it was a huge improvement on the first iPad. The 3rd gen was great with retina but it was laggy out of the gate because it didn't have the hardware to keep up with that screen.

The 4th gen was the true retina model in that it had a nice internal boost. The iPad 2 was better than the 3rd gen except for the screen. Had a lighter weight better battery life and the 3rd gen got ridiculously hot.

As for your question. If you can afford the retina mini it's a pretty big jump from the original iPad. What's she going to use it for? My wife uses her mini for Pinterest and web browsing. She also has a 5S, she never once said anything about the screen and loves her mini.

My point being if money is tight and she's gonna be happy with a mini, then this is a good deal. If she needs a better product, then get her the retina.
 
bread's done
Back
Top