iPad mini: What you need to know before buying

This morning (Singapore Time), Apple has just launched an avalanche of products. The biggest prize of the day is definitely the announcement of the long touted and long anticipated junior addition to the iPad family, that is none other than iPad mini. Despite the rampant leakage and rumors of iPad mini that has been swirling around for few months now, the unveiling of iPad mini certainly brought delights to millions of Apple fans around the world.

Unlike other tech makers out there, Apple is once again showing their operation and supply chain mastery. No other gadget makers out there have ever followed Apple's footstep quite closely. A device is unveiled today, pre-order starts days later and bingo! It reaches the consumers' hand less than 10 days later. Here, we are not talking about few thousand units, but millions of them sold at launch day.

This time round, decision to buy or not to buy an iPad mini is not a straight-forward one. Unlike iPhone where you know for certain that there is only going to be a single new model, today Apple has announced their 4th generation iPad in tandem with iPad mini. It might be confusing to some, but it is pretty straight-forward actually. First, if you have been holding back your decision to get an iPad, this is definitely the time to buy. Entry-level iPad mini starts with 16GB storage and WiFi-only. It is priced at SGD448. A decent price if you compared to unbelievably crappy Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet that Samsung has recently launched. But if you are a current iPad 2 owner, then it is advisable to hold your purse a little while. If there is anything we learn from today's press event, Apple has embarked on the fast lane. We saw the new (not so new) iPad launched in March this year and only to be replaced with more powerful iPad merely 6 months later. I expect them to continue at this pace. While I love the latest iPad with its Retina display, there is really not much else that I see as being superior to the iPad 2. Wait for another 6 months and you'll definitely get a slimmer and more power iPad.