Which iPad is the best option for myself?

Good evening my fellow Apple friends,

I come to you in a bout of my last hope. Since the release of the iPad mini, I've been debating constantly which one i should purchase. I've come to the point where a tablet is something that would be beneficial to my work. Here are some things about me and what I'm looking for:

- I'm a student at Columbia College Chicago, double majoring in graphic design and photography. Therefore, a tablet would be very helpful with portfolio presentation.
- Since I am a student, to carry my 15" MBP can be a pain from class to class. I take notes almost all through the cloud, so easy typing is good.
- just recently, I took my first bus ride home from Chicago to Ann Arbor. I spent the whole time reading on my iPhone because I forgot my pencils to sketch some project ideas and had to connect my iPhone to my laptop for battery, since we were on a charter bus with no outlets.
- I love to read, a lot, when I have the opportunity.
- I love drawing, but not physically (I make a lot of mistakes so computer drawing and the undo function has become my best friend)
- I play games occasionally
- I work almost always out of my bed.
- I'm pretty app heavy, mostly productivity apps.
- I write more of my papers on my iPhone than my computer because its just much more convent to get a head start on the train than wait until I get home to pull out my computer.

I travel a lot between classes in the city and I come home (to Michigan) when I can, which is most likely flying during non-holiday seasons. Reading that about myself, I would personally tell myself to get the larger iPad, but maybe someone else knows something that I don't that could benefit my journey. I lean toward the mini simply because I THINK I'll be able to sketch just fine on it, but I'm not sure. I also don't like how heavy the newest iPad is.

Sorry it's a lot!
Y'all are my last hope before I go crazy!

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2 Answers from the Community

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    I would say that you should get the iPad 4.

    -The iPad 4 has the retina display which would be more helpful with graphic design and editing photos.

    -The iPad mini would be best for carrying around, but the iPad 4 is under a pound heavier than the mini.

    -The mini and the 4 both have the same battery life. And the screen on the 4 is retina, better saturation, and bigger, so in my opinion would be better for reading.

    -The 4 would probably be better for sketching since the screen is bigger, however you may be able to sketch just fine on the mini. I would recommend going to an Apple store or Best Buy to test out sketching AND reading on the two different models. See which is more comfortable for you.

    -The 4 has better graphics and chips to make the gaming experience smoother.

    -The 4 is a good tablet for home use, whereas the mini is more for on the go, although I wouldn't really mind carrying around the 4.

    -Apps perform better on the 4 because of the A6X chip, the mini has the A5 chip. And the 4 has a bigger screen therefore a bigger keyboard than the mini.

    -For your extended train and bus rides, the 4 would be really good for watching movies because of the bigger screen and the retina display.

    From what I have read in your question, I personally believe the iPad 4 is best for you. Another thing to note is that the iPad mini is cheaper. But you are paying for the better features of the 4.

    Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy your experience and have no regrets. Either is a great tablet, but you need to think which is best for you. If money is not an issue the 4 would be the way to go.

    I recommend going to a store with both of them on display and playing around with them to get a feel for the differences and which one you like. That's what I am going to do to make up my mind on which model I buy (mini or 4).

    Enjoy your iPad!

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  • In this case for you, I recommend you to take a 64GB iPad mini. Looks like you need lots of apps. Good luck with the choice!

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