The Ipad Mini is a great option for people making an educated jump into the tablet industry. I got this after a lot of research into price trends and efficiency. I may have considered the surface as well

I wanted to buy an iPad mini to replace my old iPad 2. Initially, I purchased a maxed out iPad mini 3. After living with it for a week, and pairing it with a Bluetooth keyboard case, I realized it wasn't suitable as a full-fledged replacement for my iPad 2 (which I use as a barebones laptop when I travel) and returned it. But then I saw these iPad mini 2s on sale and decided to give this form factor another go. I certainly miss the Touch ID that the newer model had but everything else is identical. And, boy, does this thing feel good! Much easier to hold than the iPad 2. At first, I reacted negatively to the information on the screen (icons, text, etc.) displaying smaller than on my original iPad - iOS doesn't adjust for the different screen size so everything is just crammed into a smaller, higher resolution screen - but now I'm used to it and I think my initial reaction was due to the fact that I was using it like I used my old iPad, usually at an arm's length distance. This is small and light enough to hold almost like a phone, closer to your eyes, and, after a few days of use, this was the device that I was using the most, more than my old iPad, more than my phone, more than my desktop. And, despite running on Apple's 2013 chip technology, it is still extremely fast. I'll probably end up traveling with this more than my bigger iPad, despite it's limitations as a laptop replacement. Depending on the specs of the NEXT iPad mini, I may eventually upgrade to that, but for now, I'm perfectly happy having this model and not the newer iPad mini 3.

I managed to snag this for $400 on sale and am so glad i found it cause it's basically the same exact model as the 3rd generation besides having touch id which for me is not a deal breaker in a tablet. This has a nice retina display and virtually the same processor as the iPad Air so you know you are getting the specs to last you another few years max. I am all about the latest and greatest but if I see a great deal I will definitely grab it and not worry about the specs if the price is right! Make sure you get AT LEAST a 2nd generation iPad mini or a 4th generation iPad if you want to be able to run IOS without many hiccups. You HAVE to have at least 1gb of ram in order to run it smoothly so choose wisely...

I upgraded from the original Mini and am very pleased. It's fast, rarely glitches during gaming and just works. The only difference between this and the newer model is the touch ID. It is much easier to use your fingerprint, but not for $100. This is small enough to hold in one hand, even for a female, but large enough that you get the full tablet experience. It's great for reading and even better for photo editing and app usage on the go (where you can hold it with one hand securely while using the app). The best part is that iDevices have great resale value. If you are careful not to break it, you can sell/trade it for a decent return.

I purchased the model with cellular and wifi, but took advantage of the sale price that did not require a data plan or 2 yr contract. Works perfect on wifi alone. And at least I have the option for a data plan in the future if needed. 64 GB was a must! Don't bother with 16 GB, you'll quickly run out of memory (as I have on my 16GB iphone), spend a little extra to ensure you can use your ipad well into the future. Love the mini 2 ...perfect size!