ipads

What's better: A $329 iPad Mini or $319 iPad 2?

As Ned Flanders would say: here's a dilly of a pickle!

You've probably heard that the iPad Mini went on sale today, with a price tag of $329 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model.

What you may not know is that the online Apple Store now sells the refurbished iPad 2 with Wi-Fi (16GB) for $319 shipped. (It's also available in white for that price.)

That begs a very interesting question: with a price difference of just $10, which is the smarter buy? (I know, I know: "The Kindle Fire!" Ba-dump-bump. We're here to compare … Read more

Best iPad Mini cases and covers

The iPad Mini isn't so new anymore, but new cases for it continue to arrive.

For now, anyway, a lot of case manufacturers have simply shrunken down the cases and covers they made for the standard-size iPad, which is now up to the fourth generation.

What's the best one? Very hard to say. The problem is that everybody has different tastes in cases. And, of course, some folks choose not to bother with them at all.

In doing this roundup I've tried to present a good selection of products, highlighting some of the top cases that have … Read more

Dear Apple, stop overcharging for extra iPad memory

First, an admission: I preordered an iPad Mini. But I wasn't happy about the price I was paying.

You see, I've been around iOS devices long enough to know that 16GB of storage space just doesn't cut it -- throw a couple of high-res games and an HD movie or two on the thing, and you're starting to hit the limit. That put me at $429 for the 32GB model. Tack on the extra dough for sales tax and suddenly I was over $450. And that doesn't include the $29 Apple wants for Lightning-to-30-pin adapter … Read more

iPad mini: $329, 7.9-inch screen

On November 2nd, Apple will release the iPad Mini Wi-fi model in three memory configurations. $329 for 16GB, $429 for 32GB, and $529 for 64GB. Two weeks later on November 16th, we'll see Wi-fi + 4G model hit the shelves at $459 for 16GB, $559 for 32GB, and $659 for 64GB.

The new tablet is 7.2mm thick and weighs 0.68 pounds. It comes in white and black and kind of looks like a larger iPod Touch at first glance.

Apple: Lower margins on iPad Mini, iPhone 5 to dampen profits

Apple's decision to introduce new lineups for its phones, tablets and computers will result in lower earnings per share in the holiday quarter, CEO Tim Cook told analysts today.

Last year the company earned $13.87 per share in its first fiscal quarter. This year the company set its price target at $11.75.

The reason, executives said, is the high costs associated with producing a wide range of products at Apple's large scale.

"With each new product we see learning curves with ramping products," Cook said during a conference call with analysts. "The difference … Read more

iPad sales miss estimates as rate of adoption slowed

The rate at which consumers bought the iPad slowed for the quarter compared to expectations.

Apple said today that it had sold 14 million iPads in the most recent quarter, compared with 11.12 million iPads a year ago. That's a 26 percent increase on the year; in the same quarter in 2011, iPad sales increased by 166 percent.

That's significantly less than analysts expected, though.

Apple previewed its tablet sales during yesterday's iPad Mini unveiling, saying it has sold 100 million iPads to date. In a note this morning, Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu had noted … Read more

Get prepared for Windows 8

Thursday's CNET Update prepares for a new era:

Windows 8 arrives at 12:01 a.m. local time Friday -- are you ready? CNET has everything you need to prepare for the new system, including a buying guide, as well as tips and tricks to navigating the new interface.

Microsoft's Surface RT tablet also arrives Friday, but Surface is just the start of a new line of devices from Microsoft. CEO Steve Ballmer has said Microsoft will build more devices under its name. So maybe we'll see a Surface Mini someday, or even a Microsoft Phone.

Google … Read more

For some tablets, iPad Mini is a big threat in a little package

Apple's introduction of the iPad Mini this week generated two lines of thinking about competition in the tablet space.

The first, articulated by some analysts, holds that lower-cost tablets have nothing to worry about. Reuters collected their comments in an article giving shape to their general lack of concern. The reason? The entry-level Mini's $329 price, enough to give it distance from cheaper tablets on the market. A note from Nomura Equity Research indicated that "demand for Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire is unlikely to be much affected by the launch of the … Read more

The logic of Apple's premium-priced iPad Mini

On Tuesday, Apple unveiled its well-received holiday lineup of products and saw its stock continue to sink. Stock analysts are predicting that like Google, Apple will miss consensus estimates for the current quarter, mostly due to lower-than-expected iPhone sales and production delays for the iPhone 5. Apple reports its quarterly earnings after the bell tomorrow.

Read: Apple earnings preview: All eyes on iPhone, iPad

But now the analysts have some fresh meat, and are considering how the iPad Mini will impact Apple's fortunes, especially its pricing. The mini-tablet space is becoming a hot spot, one crowded with competitors. … Read more

iPad Mini Wi-Fi version lacks GPS found in similar tablets

The iPad Mini Wi-Fi version is missing one key feature found in many other 7-inch tablets -- GPS.

Looking at the Location specs for the iPad Mini on Apple's Web site, the cellular edition shows built-in GPS. But the Wi-Fi version doesn't include that feature.

At yesterday's iPad launch event, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller seemed to enjoy comparing the iPad Mini with Google's Nexus 7 tablet. Schiller proclaimed the iPad Mini the winner due in large part to its bigger 7.9-inch screen size.

But the Nexus 7 comes with GPS. I've used the … Read more