Even though my first point of advantage could be about how the iOS itself is a lot smoother than Android, lets keep that out of the argument. We all know that Android will sooner or later remove the kinks in its OS and will be able to match up to Apple's offering. With that, here are my reasons on why I would prefer an iPad Mini still.
Processor Comparisons
Now before everyone starts shouting that Apple sucks in the matter of giving out spec upgrades also consider the fact that iOS and Android both run on different architectures. Think of the fact that an iPod touch having 128MB RAM and a single core can easily run high end games like Infinity Blade and N.O.V.A without any lag at all, while one of these is not available for Android, the other stutters and lags like crazy on a 1GB RAM dual core device. Looking at that comparison, is a device that has 512MB RAM and a dual core processor enough for anything the developers can throw at it? Yep. You can count on it.Build Quality of the Device
If you're buying a device that you want to last, you would obviously prefer one with a good build quality. Apple has always been far far ahead of its competitors in that field. I still have a six year-old iPod that works perfectly fine even today. They know they are the king of the ring when it comes to the build quality match. And if I want a device that will definitely last at least 2-3 years versus a device which creaks and bends when it is new, there is no contest on which one to pick.Upgrade Cycle
Apple has a yearly upgrade cycle (barring the iPhone 4S and the iPad 4) and maintains backward compatibility of at least up to two generations. I know many people are thinking of how the original iPad isn't even supported anymore even though its only three years old but then I can argue using the example of the iPhone 3GS... A device almost four years old and its still getting iOS updates. Whereas Android devices on the other hand fade out of memory when they reach the customer. Devices like the Nexus One which are slightly over two years old are already out of the loop of software updates. So if you need to buy a device that you will hold on to for the next three years, which one will you choose? One getting updates and slightly pricier or the one that doesn't guarantee updates and is cheaper?No Malware allowed
I don't think this one needs much explanation. Downloading an Android App these days seems like a game in itself... with the user thinking will it be another ad infested joke on an actual App or will it actually be fun to use as a daily means of consuming data and media while on the other hand every App submitted to the App Store is reviewed by Apple to see if it is up to their standards.Rich Ecosystem
And now for my biggest argument which is also sort of abstract in nature... I'm a sucker for aesthetics, and by that I don't mean just the beautiful hardware aesthetic. The Android Apps are always in a seemingly endless loop of playing catch-up to the iOS counterparts. And even then they're not as beautiful as the ones on iOS. Also add the fact that iOS has a lot of exclusives that are an absolute joy to use for example Garage Band, DJay, Bastion and Infinity Blade show off the marvelous capabilities of your device. Yes, Android seems to have a replacement app for everything out there but that doesn't mean its a good app. For instance, take the Facebook, one of the most popular ones on both platforms... and you will notice a difference between the two. More developers flock to iOS simply because its easier to develop and easier to sell on iOS. The SDK for iOS is by far Apple's biggest and most underrated achievement in my opinion. It allows amateur developers to produce beautiful Apps and makes it all look effortless. When you have to use a device day in and day out, after a while you wont care about what specs your device has and it wont matter if its a dual core or a quad core. What will matter is what you see on that big beautiful screen on yours. And so far Apple is winning.The use of the desktop has made us all so used to comparing RAM and processor speeds that we compare specs these days without even thinking of anything else, be it a different device altogether (Phone vs Tablet vs Desktop) or a different architecture (Android vs Windows Phone vs iOS). Its as if people just want to boast of having the biggest thing, be it the screen size or the hardware specifications. My huge rant may or may not have convinced you of my opinion, but just remember what we were taught when we were kids, good things often come in small packages... and with the iPad Mini I say we might even see the larger iPad become obsolete in favor of this little package.
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Even though my first point of advantage could be about how the iOS itself is a lot smoother than Android, lets keep that out of the argument. We all know that Android will sooner or later remove the kinks in its OS and will be able to match up to Apple's offering. With that, here are my reasons on why I would prefer an iPad Mini still.
Processor Comparisons
Now before everyone starts shouting that Apple sucks in the matter of giving out spec upgrades also consider the fact that iOS and Android both run on different architectures. Think of the fact that an iPod touch having 128MB RAM and a single core can easily run high end games like Infinity Blade and N.O.V.A without any lag at all, while one of these is not available for Android, the other stutters and lags like crazy on a 1GB RAM dual core device. Looking at that comparison, is a device that has 512MB RAM and a dual core processor enough for anything the developers can throw at it? Yep. You can count on it.Build Quality of the Device
If you're buying a device that you want to last, you would obviously prefer one with a good build quality. Apple has always been far far ahead of its competitors in that field. I still have a six year-old iPod that works perfectly fine even today. They know they are the king of the ring when it comes to the build quality match. And if I want a device that will definitely last at least 2-3 years versus a device which creaks and bends when it is new, there is no contest on which one to pick.Upgrade Cycle
Apple has a yearly upgrade cycle (barring the iPhone 4S and the iPad 4) and maintains backward compatibility of at least up to two generations. I know many people are thinking of how the original iPad isn't even supported anymore even though its only three years old but then I can argue using the example of the iPhone 3GS... A device almost four years old and its still getting iOS updates. Whereas Android devices on the other hand fade out of memory when they reach the customer. Devices like the Nexus One which are slightly over two years old are already out of the loop of software updates. So if you need to buy a device that you will hold on to for the next three years, which one will you choose? One getting updates and slightly pricier or the one that doesn't guarantee updates and is cheaper?No Malware allowed
I don't think this one needs much explanation. Downloading an Android App these days seems like a game in itself... with the user thinking will it be another ad infested joke on an actual App or will it actually be fun to use as a daily means of consuming data and media while on the other hand every App submitted to the App Store is reviewed by Apple to see if it is up to their standards.Rich Ecosystem
And now for my biggest argument which is also sort of abstract in nature... I'm a sucker for aesthetics, and by that I don't mean just the beautiful hardware aesthetic. The Android Apps are always in a seemingly endless loop of playing catch-up to the iOS counterparts. And even then they're not as beautiful as the ones on iOS. Also add the fact that iOS has a lot of exclusives that are an absolute joy to use for example Garage Band, DJay, Bastion and Infinity Blade show off the marvelous capabilities of your device. Yes, Android seems to have a replacement app for everything out there but that doesn't mean its a good app. For instance, take the Facebook, one of the most popular ones on both platforms... and you will notice a difference between the two. More developers flock to iOS simply because its easier to develop and easier to sell on iOS. The SDK for iOS is by far Apple's biggest and most underrated achievement in my opinion. It allows amateur developers to produce beautiful Apps and makes it all look effortless. When you have to use a device day in and day out, after a while you wont care about what specs your device has and it wont matter if its a dual core or a quad core. What will matter is what you see on that big beautiful screen on yours. And so far Apple is winning.The use of the desktop has made us all so used to comparing RAM and processor speeds that we compare specs these days without even thinking of anything else, be it a different device altogether (Phone vs Tablet vs Desktop) or a different architecture (Android vs Windows Phone vs iOS). Its as if people just want to boast of having the biggest thing, be it the screen size or the hardware specifications. My huge rant may or may not have convinced you of my opinion, but just remember what we were taught when we were kids, good things often come in small packages... and with the iPad Mini I say we might even see the larger iPad become obsolete in favor of this little package.
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