In January 2010, one significant event occurred: Apple introduced the iPad. This device was not the first tablet computer in history. The same Apple in the mid-90s of the 20th century produced the Newton Message Pad — interesting from a technical point of view, but not too easy to use and very expensive solution with a large touchscreen, which can also be classified as a "tablet". However, it was the iPad that was destined to literally blow up the tablet computer market. And all thanks to convenience.

At first, everything was simple — there was only one iPad model with a 9.7-inch screen. The company gradually increased its capabilities, improved its technical characteristics. To date, representatives of this line are the iPad Air and the more advanced iPad Air 2. In October 2012, a model with a 7.9-inch screen was introduced. Consumers liked the iPad mini. First of all, this line is designed for people who appreciate mobility and use a tablet as a "reader", for the Internet and other tasks that do not require the mandatory presence of a large screen.

At the end of 2013, the Internet began to be filled with rumors again. This time we were talking about an iPad with an enlarged screen, which was immediately dubbed the iPad Pro. The device appeared only in September 2015. This is a solution for professionals who just need a big screen. Together with the Apple Pencil stylus, this device opens up unique features for the user.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2015 32 GB

The most advanced and largest iPad model of all existing. It is distinguished not only by an impressive 12.9-inch screen, but also by the presence of the most advanced A9X processor to date. And thanks to the availability of accessories such as Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, the iPad Pro has come as close as possible to completely replacing a laptop in some cases. This is a great purchase for very demanding users who need not only high performance, but also a large screen. Apple itself positions the iPad Pro as a godsend for artists, designers and engineers. For ordinary home use, it does not make much sense to purchase such a tablet.

In 2007, Steve Jobs uttered the words that determined the development of mobile technology for years to come: — "Who needs a stylus?". The appearance of capacitive screens made it possible to abandon inconvenient "pokes", all it took was just to redesign the interface a little, to make it more suitable for finger control. However, there is a whole category of users for whom the stylus is something more than just an "intermediary" between a person and the operating system. We are talking about designers, artists, engineers. You can draw or draw with your finger, but it's not too convenient to do it, and the possibilities are still limited. Also, using a stylus, it is much more convenient to create notes "by hand".

However, Apple has not made the Apple Pencil a mandatory accessory, the stylus is sold separately. Whether the user needs such a purchase or not, he decides for himself. The company did not violate the precepts of its founder, the iOS interface still remained finger-oriented.

Apple Pencil has not become a revelation, but unlike simple styluses, it provides users with some additional features. You can draw from different angles, varying the thickness of the line, the accessory also reacts to the force of pressing, making the result lighter or darker. And special software allows you to use virtual rulers to draw straight lines. It doesn't make sense to describe all the features of Pencil, it's much better to just watch a demo video once.

It remains to add only that the Pencil uses a regular Lightning connector to charge the battery, the stylus can be recharged directly from the iPad itself. At the same time, it is stated that 15 seconds will be enough for the accessory to work for 30 minutes.

Apple iPad mini (with Retina) 2013 16 GB

The simplest and most affordable iPad to date, the release of which continues, unlike the later iPad mini 3 model, which has already been discontinued.

The performance of the A7 processor and 1 GB of RAM is more than enough for undemanding users who want to purchase a small device.

If you need a tablet computer to surf the Web, chat, watch movies and read books, then you can safely opt for this device.

Most likely, Apple will continue to release this model for several more years, as it has a good value-for-money ratio.

Apple iPad mini 2015 16 GB

Having dimensions similar to the iPad mini 2, the "four" is characterized by higher performance.

Equipped with an A8 processor and 2 GB of RAM, thanks to which the tablet's performance will be more than enough to satisfy the demands of demanding users (however, the iPad mini 4 is somewhat inferior to the iPad Air 2).

You should pay attention to this model if you need a fast, but at the same time compact tablet.

It should be noted that, despite the practically unchanged case sizes compared to previous generations, cases that fit previous models are not suitable for iPad mini 4. The new tablet has changed the position of the volume buttons and an additional microphone has appeared on the side.

Apple iPad Air 2013 16 GB

Despite the appearance of the next generation, this model continues to be produced.

Here the company uses the same approach as in the case of the iPad mini 2, offering the iPad Air as a more affordable device with good features. This is the choice of those who need a tablet with a large enough screen, but who are not too concerned about high performance and the most modern "bells and whistles".

The iPad Air is built on an A7 processor and has 1 GB of RAM. These parameters are more than enough to avoid experiencing any performance problems for several more years.

For reading, surfing the Web, watching movies and chatting, the iPad Air's capabilities will be more than enough.

Apple iPad Air 2014 16 GB

The most advanced iPad to date with a 9.7-inch screen.

The A8X processor and 2 GB of RAM are at the user's service here — not every application can really seriously load this tablet.

It is thanks to such parameters that Apple decided to extend the life of this generation without presenting a new model at the conference on September 9, 2015 (however, there are rumors on the Network that the iPad Air 3 should appear very soon).

This model can be recommended to users who need high performance and prefer to purchase the most advanced device of all possible.

 

The future of the iPad

Making predictions in the case of Apple is a thankless task. This company has always been famous for its ability to make unexpected "feints" that fundamentally destroy everything said by eminent analysts earlier. Nevertheless, we can assume that in the case of the iPad, nothing global will happen in the next couple of years. The company has already covered all categories, releasing devices with three screen sizes, from quite small to very large. All new models will appear, technical characteristics will improve. But global changes are not yet expected.

But meanwhile, rumors have been circulating on the Web for several months, according to which the recently introduced iPad mini 4 will be the last of the "mini" series. It should be noted here that all versions of the iPad have been selling worse over the past few years. The tablet market is jaded, users are not in too much of a hurry to update their existing models. And in the case of the "mini" iPad, they are also experiencing additional pressure from the iPhone 6/6S Plus with their impressive 5.5-inch screens. It may well happen that Apple considers sales of the iPad mini insufficient and simply curtails the series. But anyway, it will happen not earlier than in a year and a half. So if you want to buy a miniature model for yourself, then you have more than enough time.
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