I bought the original iPad on launch and of all the Apple products I have purchased over the years, it was made obsolete the quickest. After iOS 5 it is too slow to be useful for my needs, and the fact that Apple never pushed out an update to improve performance was really disconcerting. Some features in iOS 6 like iMessage unification with Apple ID, and some mail enhancements as well as improvements to core apps like Reminders could have been pushed out. Based on this experience alone I will definitely be skipping the iPad Mini for at least a year or two. I realize tech turns over and no one ever promised us updates, but the single biggest problem I have with the original iPad is that it doesn't do the things that I bought it for even close to as well as it did when I bought it. The lag and crashing is ridiculous. No amount of restoring has helped. I have bought first gen products before, but this was the first time I really got burned. I know that RAM was a limitation, but Apple should have left us on iOS 4 or have given us a method to rollback. In any case, until the iPad Mini has a Retina display, decent enough memory, and a processor close to par with the iPad maxi, I wouldn't even consider it.
I will buy my first iPod Touch (5th). I do not own a cell phone and like the idea of a small camera - note taking - book reading in line ups/waiting rooms, having measurements for projects at hand when shopping and stored maps to use when close to destination.
Maybe the itty bitty iPad would fit in purse - not as portable as a Touch. Found an old hard case glasses case that will hold the new iPod Touch protectively. Currently own an iPad and use it only a couple of times a week. I think I will use an iPod Touch (5) much more.
It may not be as teensy itty-bitty as you think it will be. If the current iPad @ 9.7 inches diagonally gives you a surface area of about, say 70sq. inches, then a 7.8 inch diagonal smaller iPad would yield a SA of about 43 sq. inches (about 60%). Compare that to the SA of the new iPhone/iPod Touch of about 8 sq. inches, and you can see that there may well be a market for people who not only want something a little less expensive but also a little easier to hold in one hand. People seem to be able to read and do stuff on their iP/iPT's just fine despite the small screen. The big question will be retinal display and camera quality at a lower price. Apple isn't in this game to lose money.
__________________
"I am disappointed and deeply concerned that there is no objective evidence to support my position. So far."
- Spock 
I bought the original iPad on launch and of all the Apple products I have purchased over the years, it was made obsolete the quickest. After iOS 5 it is too slow to be useful for my needs, and the fact that Apple never pushed out an update to improve performance was really disconcerting. Some features in iOS 6 like iMessage unification with Apple ID, and some mail enhancements as well as improvements to core apps like Reminders could have been pushed out. Based on this experience alone I will definitely be skipping the iPad Mini for at least a year or two. I realize tech turns over and no one ever promised us updates, but the single biggest problem I have with the original iPad is that it doesn't do the things that I bought it for even close to as well as it did when I bought it. The lag and crashing is ridiculous. No amount of restoring has helped. I have bought first gen products before, but this was the first time I really got burned. I know that RAM was a limitation, but Apple should have left us on iOS 4 or have given us a method to rollback. In any case, until the iPad Mini has a Retina display, decent enough memory, and a processor close to par with the iPad maxi, I wouldn't even consider it.
Interesting. My daughters both use their iPad 1's (purchased two and a half years ago) everyday all the time with no complaints. All depends what you're expecting, I guess.
__________________
"I am disappointed and deeply concerned that there is no objective evidence to support my position. So far."
- Spock 
@fjnusic, yeah it sounds like a rant but it has been a miserable experience. Based on just my experience though I will opt to wait. The mini will be a smash success, and despite what Steve said (I think he was just being coy), the market for it is going to be huge. No doubt Apple will marginalize this device carefully to lessen the blow of cannibalization of the larger sibling. For that reason alone, waiting for the Mini to mature is what I am going to do. It will eventually be irresistible.
If the current iPad @ 9.7 inches diagonally gives you a surface area of about, say 70sq. inches, then a 7.8 inch diagonal smaller iPad would yield a SA of about 43 sq. inches (about 60%).
... and this is why everything will be 40% smaller on the iPad mini (since they are both the same resolution, 1024 x 768), hopefully that won't be a problem as I would really like to get one.
If it's between the $200 to $250 range then yes, if it isn't then I might spend a bit more and get the regular iPad. I read on another forum it's suppose to be called iPad air.
__________________ Apple That I Own:
Macbook Pro 13" 250gb HD, 8gb Ram
Black iPhone 4 32GB
Black iPhone 5 32GB
Black iPad mini 16GB
I am a little conflicted on the mini. I will have to wait until everything is announced tomorrow before I make a decision. Given the aspect ratio I think the 7.85" screen would fit my usage better and it isn't that much of a trade off to the 9.7" screen of the original iPad.
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