The iPad "Mini" soon to be a reality?

The iPad "Mini", which is what a lot of people are calling the rumored 7.xx" iPad, seems to be shaping up to be a reality.  When Steve Jobs was still living, any and all rumors about a smaller iPad I took with a grain of salt since he believed that the 9.7" screen was the absolute minimum size for anyone to browse the WWW without any loss of productivity.  Now that he's gone, the equation has changed.

According to iMore, not only will an iPhone 5 be announced on the 12th of September and released on the 21st, but that the iPad "Mini" will also be announced.  Release date for the latter though has not been reported yet, but speculations put it at the start of the Christmas season.

These reports seem to be confirmed by other sources such as Digitimes who reported that Apple's supply chain in China is ramping up production of 7.85" iPad parts.

What does this mean for us iOS addicts?  I do know for a fact that many people would really like to have a 7" iPad.  Many of whom have already bit the bullet and got themselves a similarly sized Android tablet but have complained about a more confusing interface, some lag or choppiness in the touch screen response, and less intuitiveness.  Not to judge them, but I daresay an Android user who switches to iOS would probably have the same issues.  Many iPad users would welcome a smaller form factor, especially those in the medical community who wear lab or smock gowns to work daily in whose pockets a 7" device would fit perfectly.

Reading or watching a 7" device for an extended period is also better in a lighter device... although eyestrain could be a new problem especially for the more senior and presbyopic fans.

Mockup of the 7"iPad by iMore

For myself, the 9.7" iPad serves my needs.  One of my most common uses for my iPad is to read eComics and eMagazines.  Compared to a real comic book or graphic novel, the 9.7" screen is actually slightly small, but is still a reasonable compromise.  Going down to 7.85" may be unacceptable for this use.

In any case, it would seem to me to be overkill to own an iPhone 5, an iPad "Mini", an iPad, and a Macbook (Air/Pro).  Owning three devices already shows bit of Apple FanBoy madness, but owning all four?  That's a tad overkill.

For practical purposes, and probably most people, will have to choose between the 7" and the 9".  The advantage for Apple is that it will keep their fans who prefer the 7" from "biting-the-bullet" and switching to Android but then how high a number is this?  One drawback is that t may also scavenge sales from the 9".  Thus as far as total sales are concerned, the total sales of the 7" and the 9" may not be as far from the 9" was when it was the only size iPad you can get.

One interesting scenario, which my daughter would love, is to get rid of the iPhone and switch to a normal T9 keyboard feature phone with basic telephony and SMS features then use a 7" iPad with a persistent 3G/HSDPA/4G/LTE microsim with an unlimited data account, that you carry around. Skip the iPad 9", then use a Macbook of any flavor.  When you have a need for iOS touchscreen goodness, a less conspicuous and lighter weight device is what you pull out.  It's like going back to the days when you had a Nokia phone and a Palm OS device (Yup, been there!).

I'll probably have a more definite picture IF (and that's a BIG IF) and when the 7" iPad does come out and I am able to get my mitts on it in the store.