Wendi, no one knows for sure when the Mini 2 will be released or for that matter what its changes/enhancements will be (compared to the current iPad Mini). Apple is very secretive about pending new models and everything you read are rumors! As you need the tablet by May why not hold-up on your purchase for as long as you can and if the Mini 2 is not released in time, just get the current version. Even if the iPad Mini 2 is released on time, you may find that the reduced price of the iPad Mini makes it a better deal.
Shadow, thanks for your sound advice. Since I never 'played with' an iPad I want to get the Mini no later than mid April so that I can familiarize myself with it before leaving on my trip. I'll just patiently wait and see if Apple releases a new model in that time-frame. Wendi
I'd say it's a 50/50 chance that the iPad Mini 2 will be released within your timeframe, so with a little luck it might just happen
I had to replace my iPad 1, it was becoming too slow plus compatibility with newer apps became a problem, I replaced it with an iPad Mini.
No, and I don't like the locked-down nature of such devices, so I've no intent to buy one. If x86 BIOS rootkits become widespread I might change my tune though.
Nah, I'd rather take capsules. Seriously though, I don't get the point of this flatty easy to drop half smartphone half laptop yet not as good as even one of them uh..., gadget. It won't fit in my pocket at all. My brother has one and he mostly just keep it in his bag. =V I probably will need a drawing tablet though.
I had some brief experience with them, but eventually realized they don't suit my usage. No Flash is an absolute killer on a web where, whether Steve Jobs liked it or not, Flash is omnipresent. Why Adobe ever ceased supporting it is a question to which I don't think I'll ever find a good enough answer. If some folks want HTML5 to kill off Flash, they better do a hell of a lot more than just kill Flash on mobile first and hope the web at large will say "Well damn, guess we better re-design everything to support these guys". That's not what is happening. There were workarounds if you wanted to mess with an alternative browser and install an out of date Flash APK file, but past a certain point, even that stopped working (Jellybean as an example). Many tablets also are not pleasant to operate without small fingers. I spent a lot of time opening up new tabs in a browser instead of closing them because the "x" was smaller than a gnats nose. I've said it plenty of times, but tablets/smartphones just aren't going to be replacing desktops and notebooks anytime in the near future. The web has some growing to do and usage is often enough just not comfortable for anything other than a quick search or checking emails/posts.
I actually would love to have one, mainly for size, reading and 3G/4G connection anywhere. Speaking of which a friend of mine told me of an option available on my smartphone, that can provide 3G connectivity to any netbook/laptop anywhere 3G is available: on the smartphone (I suppose they are all similar with android) touch open Setting/System/Wireless & Networks/Tethering & portable hotspot/(activate) Portable Wi-Fi hotspot. Within 30 seconds my laptop or netbook is connected to the Internet with a strong signal via my smartphone 3G (the phone should be reasonably close to the machine of course). Obviously the limitation is the smartphone battery, but inside a building with the phone connected to a battery charger one can have even hours of use. I was never really fond of my smartphone but now that I can use it as an Internet Wi-Fi source I think it's great!
One thing to watvh if you use your phone as portable hotspot a lot is that it causes a lot of wear on your battery, and you will find that your battery does not last as long as it used to. This is more of an issue for phones such as the iPhone which don't have a user replaceable battery.
I have always used this feature whenever i don't have a Wi-Fi signal for my laptop. (College) As you said, the problem is the battery life, it drains the battery extremely fast.
