If you’ve already made up your mind about buying an iPad Mini and you want one sooner than later, you’ll probably want to pre-order it tonight (October 26) at midnight* Pacific Standard Time. Grabbing a pre-order insures that you’ll get the device on it’s official release date of November 2nd and won’t have to wait in any lines or wait for production to catch up to demand, assuming the iPad Mini sells out of course.
Pre-ordering can be done two ways, either through the web at store.apple.com or with the official Apple Store iOS app. We prefer the Apple Store iOS app because historically it has performed much better under initial pre-order sales rushes, while sometimes the Apple Store website remains down, and a lot of iPhone 5 pre-orderers missed their initial delivery window as a result. The same thing happened with the iPad 3 launch earlier in the year too.
Take the time now to fill in and save your billing and shipping information, before the rushes to order flood in
Set a reminder/alarm for 11:50 PM PST, fire up the App Store app around 11:58, find your iPad Mini at midnight, and checkout ASAP
Good luck, and enjoy your iPad Mini when it arrives a week later!
* Note: Apple hasn’t (yet) confirmed the midnight pre-order start time, this is everyones best guess based on recent Apple preorders which began at midnight on the day of. It’s always possible pre-orders won’t begin until the morning of October 26 too… we’ll update when we can confirm.
Apple has started to run a new TV commercial for the new Retina 13″ MacBook Pro titled “Colors”, embedded below. The ad follows the same theme set by the original Retina 15″ MacBook Pro commercial aired earlier in the year, and says the following:
Introducing the new thirteen inch MacBook Pro, with the stunning Retina display. For the pro, in all of us.
This is the second commercial Apple has released after the iPad Mini event, the first focused on the new iPad Mini’s optional Smart Cover.
Now that the iPad Mini has been added to Apple’s tablet lineup, you’re probably wondering which model you should buy. If you’re impatient and don’t want to read the justification, we’ll go ahead and suggest you should get the base model iPad Mini 16GB and probably in white. If you want more opinion as to why that model is generally the best, read on.
Color: Black or White?
Choosing the device color is probably the toughest decision. White devices are a pleasure to read on because the onscreen text seems to flow out of the borders, but black devices tend to emphasize whats on screen better and are better for watching video. Both devices look beautiful so some of this will be a matter of opinion, but due to the more scuff-prone nature of the black anodized iPhone 5, we’re going to assume the black anodized iPad Mini will be equally sensitive, making the white models appearance more durable. If you’re neurotic about a scratch here and there, get the white model, or get something like a ZAGG Shield.
Verdict: White if you care about scratches being less visible
Storage: Capacity Matters Less Than You Think
Here’s a little secret, I’m considered a power user and I have 10GB available on my 16GB iPad. In fact, with the exception of those who store a lot of movies on their iPads, I don’t know anyone who has used up the 16GB available on a base model iPad. The reasons are fairly simple; with the cloud, streaming services, and normal usage patterns, most users don’t need or use much storage on such devices. iPad is generally used more for media consumption than media storage, and the iPad Mini won’t be any different. Besides, most people use tablets for reading, whether that’s your favorite websites (osxdaily.com right?), saved articles in Pocket or Instapaper, or just tons of iBooks and ebooks, and none of that requires much of any storage capacity.
Verdict: 16GB is plenty
LTE: Don’t Pay for LTE Twice, Use Hotspot Tethering Instead
Question time: in this day and age, when do you not have your phone with you? Just about never, right? Well, your iPhone (or Android) already has 3G or LTE service, and all cell carriers offer Wi-Fi Hotspot tethering service to allow you to connect other devices to the phone and use it as a hotspot. Yes, that means the Wi-Fi only iPad Mini can get on the internet through your iPhone. As a result, there is very little reason to pay for LTE service twice, though there are exceptions to this rule for the data hungry, grandfathered unlimited plans, and some other situations.
Verdict: Skip it, use iPhone Hotspot instead
Resale: Base Models Hold Resale Value Best
If you ever plan on reselling the iPad Mini to upgrade down the road, the base models of iPads, iPhones, and iPods consistently hold the resale value the best. What initially costs $100 more to increase storage or $130 more to get LTE connectivity does not translate into equivalent price differences on the resale market, particularly for older hardware.
Verdict: Spend less now to save more long term
Wait: Do You Even Need an iPad Mini?
Let’s step back a minute, because this whole article assumes you’re in the market for an iPad Mini. Do you actually need one? Well, that probably depends on if you already own an iPad, what you use it for, what you want to use it for, and how many other people use it.
If you have a family who all fight over a single iPad, sure you could probably use an extra iPad and the iPad mini is a great choice.
If you already have an iPad and it only gets used by yourself, you probably don’t need an iPad Mini to go along with it unless the size difference is important.
If you don’t have an iPad at all, the Mini is a very compelling offering, but doesn’t yet offer the Retina display, which means there’s a chance the full sized iPad would be better for you instead (though we still recommend the base model). The retina vs non-retina decision is best made after seeing the screens in person so you can determine if the price and size difference is worth it, but generally speaking it’s hard to go back to a non-retina device after you’ve become accustomed to the ultra high resolution displays.
If you think you need an iPad Mini only because it’s the new shiny gadget, you probably don’t need one. Yet at least.
Finally, if you just bought an iPhone 5 and that excitement is still new, wait a few weeks, enjoy your new iPhone, and circle back on the idea.
The next time you need to quickly find a nearby hotspot with wireless internet access, grab your iPhone (or iPad) and just ask Siri. Try phrasing questions like the following:
“Where are the closest Wi-Fi hotspots” – finds locations with wireless internet nearest to current location
“Where are wi-fi hotspots in City Name, State” – finds wifi in the given city, very helpful for traveling
Siri’s wifi search has a strong preference for coffee shops, which is generally fine since coffee shops tend to be fairly comfortable and accustomed to people plopping down for a while with a laptop.
For those who don’t like working in coffee shops and cafes, you can also ask Siri to find nearby public libraries. Virtually all public libraries have free wi-fi to connect to, and they also tend to be much quieter than an average cafe hotspot. Note that Siri will sometimes find university libraries as well, and those typically require a university login to use making them inaccessible to the public.
“Where is the closest library” or “where is the closest public library” – each will find nearby libraries
This is an excellent trick for anyone who telecommutes, travels, or just needs to get online while out on the road.
Don’t forget that iPhones can also create their own Wi-Fi hotspot on the fly, though most carriers charge extra for the service and it quickly eats into your standard data usage as well if you’re not careful.
You can set unique names for how your Macs computer name appears locally, from file sharing and networking, and even Bonjour services, with the help of the scutil command. This allows you to have a custom hostname for Terminal and SSH, another friendlier name for what’s visible to others on local networks, and yet another name only visible to services like AirDrop. Here’s a brief look at each and how to set them from the command line.
Interested in the iPad Mini? Don’t miss Apple’s official “Introducing iPad Mini” video embedded below, which is nearly 5 minutes long and covers all aspects of the all new smaller iPad model.
Apple also has posted a much shorter 30 second video showing off the iPad Mini with the new smaller smart cover, this may end up a TV commercial but it’s unsure for now:
If you want to watch the official unveiling, don’t forget to watch the iPad Mini Keynote event video too, which also covers the new iMacs, new retina 13″ MacBook Pro, Mac Mini refresh, and the refreshed iPad 4.
If you missed the livestream of the iPad Mini Event today, Apple has placed the full video online for anyone to watch. There is much more to the keynote than just the iPad Mini, as Apple unleashed a barrage of new products and updates, including an all new beautiful iMac, new Retina 13″ MacBook Pro, and a refresh to the Mac Mini lineup and even launched iPad 4.
The hotly anticipated iPad mini has been released. It’s a thing of beauty, available in both black and white models, and just like the iPhone 5, the rear enclosure is also offered in black anodized or standard aluminum. The features are quite nice too:
iPad Mini Specs
7.9″ display
1024×768 resolution at 162PPI
A5 dual core CPU
5MP iSight camera
Black and white models available, much like iPhone 5
0.68lbs, light as a pad of paper
7.2mm thin, as thin as as pencil
10 hour battery
Pre-orders start October 26, and will be shipping on November 2nd. The base model starts at $329 and goes up from there, here is the pricing matrix:
iPad Mini Pricing
16GB – $329
32GB – $429
64GB – $529
LTE models cost an additional $130 each.
If you’re looking for a retina display you’ll want to stick with the bigger brother of the mini, the new iPad 4, which was just updated with a super-fast A6X CPU.
An all new iPad was released today, officially labeled as the 4th generation iPad. It’s basically a beefed up iPad 3 with an all new CPU, but it’s otherwise much the same, with the same aluminum enclosure, same great 10″ retina display, and available in both black and white with the standard 16Gb, 32GB, and 64GB configurations. Both Wi-Fi and LTE models are available of course, and there is faster networking with both. The major differences from the prior generation are really the following:
A6X CPU, 2x as fast as A5X
FaceTime HD camera
Wider LTE range
Pricing continues to start at $499 for the base 16GB model, LTE adds $130 to each model as usual.
In an event that unleashed a ton of new stuff, including the iPad mini, all new iMacs, all new retina 13″ MacBook Pro, and refreshed Mac minis, the 4th gen iPad was perhaps the least expected item and only real surprise for those who closely follow rumors.
An all new Retina version of the MacBook Pro 13″ has been released. Starting at $1699, it’s available beginning today, October 23, and it’s quite a powerhouse in a surprisingly lightweight package. Here are the base model specs:
Base Specs
13.3″ Retina IPS display at 2560×1600 resolution
2.5GHz Core i5 CPU or greater
8GB RAM, upgradeable to 16GB via build-to-order
128GB or larger SSD
Intel HD 4000 GPU
7 hour battery life
Unibody aluminum enclosure
HDMI, SD Card reader, USB 3.0 ports
FaceTime HD camera
Backlit keyboard
3.5lbs
0.75″ thin, 20% thinner than prior model
Of course there will be build-to-order options, and other variations will be available in the following configurations.
Retina MacBook Pro 13″ Models & Pricing
Base: 2.5GHz Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD – $1699
Mid: 2.5GHz Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Upper: 2.9GHz Core i7, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD
The original non-retina MacBook Pro 13″ still remains in Apple’s lineup, though it’s clear that the thinner, lighter, more powerful retina versions are the future of the MacBook Pro. If you’re in the market for a new Mac and can afford the difference in pricing, get the retina model.
An all new iMac has been released. It’s beautiful, has a ridiculously 80% thinner design, and it’s a whopper with specs. The 21″ model starts shipping in November, the 27″ arrives in December. Here are some of the details:
Do Not Disturb is one of the best features that came with modern versions of iOS, particularly for iPhone users. If you haven’t heard of it, basically it lets you put your iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) into Do Not Disturb mode, which effectively mutes the device for all incoming calls, messages, and alerts, giving you peace and quiet while it’s on.
Here’s how to use Do Not Disturb at it’s most basic level, but also and even better, to use the excellent iOS Do Not Disturb feature with time scheduling and contact exceptions.
As some of you undoubtedly noticed, OS X Mountain Lion removed the Displays menu bar item, which let you quickly change screen resolutions from a pull down menu available system wide in OS X. If you miss that function, you’ll be pleased to discover a freely available app is on the Mac App Store to provide the same feature again. Called Display Menu, it offers the ability to switch display resolutions on any screen connected to the Mac, including the built-in display. It also improves on the old Apple provided menu item by telling you what the aspect ratio is for each resolution, and by allowing you to quickly toggle Mirror Displays on and off.
Generally speaking, you’ll want to always keep your Mac screen at the optimal native resolution, but many designers, video producers, visually impaired individuals, and even parents of young kids, often find changing screen resolution an essential task. This app makes it quick and easy again like the good old days.
Why did Apple remove this feature from OS X 10.8? Who knows, it could be related to upcoming retina displays, but maybe it’s gone for the same reason the battery time indicator was removed, or for the same reason they erroneously removed Save As to only re-include it again later. For those wondering, the Displays menu bar item actually still ships in Mountain Lion tucked within /System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/ but it just doesn’t stay open, quickly crashing upon launch.
A recently discovered video of Steve Jobs at the early days of NeXT is making the rounds, it’s a great video and provides an interesting portrait of Jobs in 1987 as he was in between leading Apple. Whether you’re a fan of Jobs, interested in Apple history, or just a student of Jobs legendary thinking, the 20 minute clip embedded below is well worth watching.
The most simple screen saver in Mac OS X is just a floating grey Apple logo against a black background, but you can make that screen saver significantly better by attaching a customized message to it, which will be added along with the logo and move about the screen of the Mac.
You can add any message you want to the screen saver this way, we’ll offer a few great ideas below, like putting some identifying information, or perhaps a note, but first let’s cover how to set the custom message in the Mac screen saver.
One fun but easily overlooked feature of iOS are Emoji icons, and iOS 6 has added a ton of new incredibly detailed and often hilarious Emoji into the mix. To access the extra Emoji characters, you’ll need the Emoji keyboard enabled first if you haven’t done so yet. Once it’s on, you’ll be able to access the little emoticon graphics by tapping the globe on the virtual keys of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, where it’ll be accessible as an international keyboard. Here’s the basic process if you haven’t done this yet:
Enable the Emoji keyboard by opening Settings > General > Keyboard > Add New Keyboard > Emoji
Open any app with text entry abilities, tap on the little globe icon next to the spacebar to access the Emoji keyboard
Tap the various section icons at the bottom of the Emoji screen to access different types, and flip through different screens of Emoji with a left or right swipe gesture
The little pictures can make for hilarious additions to conversations, though the newest Emoji will only be viewable by other people who have upgraded to iOS 6 as well. They can also be used to communicate entirely on their own, and of course, they’re just plain fun, so enable the Emoji keyboard and enjoy.
Emoji has long been popular in Asia and is starting to gain more popularity in the United States and Europe, probably partially because of the iPhone’s support of the feature. Outside of bringing another dimension into conversations and comments, the icons can be added into folder names to customize the appearance of them, and Mac users can also access Emoji from OS X 10.7 and later.
Dragging files into the Mail Dock icon is a quick way to send out email attachments, but if you’re faster with the keyboard, try setting up a keyboard shortcut to perform the same task instead. This makes any selected file(s) from the Finder just a speedy keystroke away from being sent off in an email: Read more »
This weeks Mac setup comes to us from Chris C., an iOS and web app developer. Whether he’s writing code or designing a user interface, there’s plenty of great hardware in this beefy setup to get the job done:
Macbook Pro with 15″ Retina Display – Core i7 2.6GHz,16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GT650M 1GB
Having three displays is pretty amazing, and there’s obviously no shortage of disk space with a whopping 5.5TB of storage available. Not bad!
Do you have an interesting Mac setup you want featured here? Send a good picture or two, a list of hardware, and include a brief description of what the workstation is used for to osxdailycom@gmail.com
