First look: iPad Mini

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- It only takes a few minutes playing with the iPad Mini, which starts at $329, to realize the scaled-down tablet computer will be a surefire hit with longtime Apple disciples and potential converts.

The iPad Mini is 7.87 inches tall and 5.3 inches wide, compared with the full-size iPad, which is 9.5 inches by 7.31 inches.

And the smaller tablet does just about everything its bigger brethren does.

Even though the Mini's 7.9-inch screen (measured on the diagonal) is 1.8 inches smaller than the standard iPad, the movie "The Avengers" looked lush in a side-by-side comparison

I didn't have to strain to see the text or pictures on the smaller screen.

A quick check of websites verified that the Mini's screen isn't so tiny that it's going to cause a lot of squinting.

After I took a very crisp picture of another reporter testing out a Mini, I decided to email it to her to test how easy it was to use the keyboard on the smaller screen. No problem there.

Best of all, the iPad Mini can be held in one hand and is about half the weight of the larger iPad.

The Mini worked much like my standard iPad 2

For various reasons, I didn't want a smartphone that would require a data plan, so before testing the Mini, I had my mind set on buying the latest iPod Touch with an iPhone-size screen and superb camera.

The iPad Mini is so mighty, I can't believe the iPad 2 will be on the market much longer.

Starting Friday, Apple will sell two versions of the larger iPad: The iPad 2 starting at $399 and a new fourth-generation iPad that will start at $499.

The iPad 2 still may hold some appeal for people who want a larger tablet, but I can't see too many consumers buying the iPad 2 now that the Mini is available.

Consumers who aren't set on buying one of Apple's devices will have even more choices to make. The iPad Mini is clearly aimed at siphoning sales away from the Nexus 7 tablet that Google Inc. began selling four months ago and the longer-established Kindle Fire from Amazon.com Inc. Figuring out which one is best-suited for you (or that special someone on your shopping list) will likely come down to weighing price against performance.

Amazon is sells a Kindle Fire HD with 16 gigabytes of storage and a 7-inch (diagonal) screen for $199 and a similarly sized Nexus 7 goes for $249. That means an iPad Mini will cost $80 to $130 more, a price that Apple believes is justified because it boasts more features, such as front and back cameras. The Mini's reliance on aluminum instead of plastic for its exterior also makes it look more stylish and more enjoyable to hold.

If the speculation on technology blogs pans out, Google could make things even more interesting -- and dizzying for holiday shoppers -- by introducing a $99 version of the Nexus 7 in the coming weeks.