Asus MeMO 7" or iPad Mini 1st Gen?

[dmk1974]

I just bought my son an Asus MeMO 7" (latest model) a couple weeks ago and it seems ok. Paid $130 for it and added a $15 case from Amazon.

Best Buy has the 1st gen iPad Mini on sale now for $200. Is it worth the extra $~60 to get him that older version? The MeMO has better PPI (216 vs 163) but the screen is 33% bigger on the iPad Mini. I'd assume a 3rd gen iPad Mini will come out in a month or so, but for his needs the old one may be ok. Not sure how the A5 processor in the Mini compares to the quad-core whatever in the Memo.

Here's some details on each. What do you think? Keep the MeMO or get the old Mini? Thanks!

MeMO:
http://www.gamestop.com/android/tablets/asus-memo-pad-hd-7-16gb-black/115252#productDetails

iPad Mini 1st Gen:
http://store.apple.com/us/buy-ipad/ipad-mini

 

[Apple blogger]

Wait for the 3rd gen or buy the iPad mini with retina display.. That's leaps ahead of 1st gen

 

[dmk1974]

Wait for the 3rd gen or buy the iPad mini with retina display.. That's leaps ahead of 1st gen

If the tablet is for me, then yes, I agree with you. But he's 10 and the retina Mini is considerably more. It should hold its value more of course, but still a far more expensive device.

 

[Apple blogger]

If the tablet is for me, then yes, I agree with you. But he's 10 and the retina Mini is considerably more. It should hold its value more of course, but still a far more expensive device.

Well I'm not asking you to buy it now.. Buy it once a new mini comes out probably in October november, the prices will go down to the current 1st gen level

 

[dmk1974]

Well I'm not asking you to buy it now.. Buy it once a new mini comes out probably in October november, the prices will go down to the current 1st gen level

I thought you were referencing the retina Mini as an option as well. I wonder realistically how much better the next iPad Mini will be (A8 and thumb sensor...anything else?). And how much less would the current retina Mini really drop past this $300 price.

The 1st gen started at $329 and somehow has been holding a high retail price after 2 years. Even with the special $200 price for that 16 GB version, only dropping that amount in that time is kinda amazing.

The retina Mini started at $400...would we expect that a year from now (after 2 years from launch) that a good deal on that one is still in the $250-$300 range?

 

[Rodster]

Apple kept the price on the 1st Mini because it dominates the market as we all know. Now every company including Apple has seen their tablet sales decline. Apple's not as much as the others but they too are beginning to feel over saturation play out.

I suspect we may see although it's not certain that the current rMini may replace the 1st gen Mini much like the iPad 4 recently replaced the iPad 2. If the rMini sells for $299 then it's not hard envisioning a $100 price drop when retailers like Best Buy needs to use them as loss leaders.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Out of those two I'd get the iPad mini. I've had an asus memo pad HD 7, not sure if you're referring to the newer model or the older one that I had. It wasn't bad but the original iPad mini was streets ahead. For a start at least the mini will be getting iOS 8, the memo pad will be stuck on whatever it's released with. Definitely worth the extra $60 IMO.

 

[dmk1974]

Out of those two I'd get the iPad mini. I've had an asus memo pad HD 7, not sure if you're referring to the newer model or the older one that I had. It wasn't bad but the original iPad mini was streets ahead. For a start at least the mini will be getting iOS 8, the memo pad will be stuck on whatever it's released with. Definitely worth the extra $60 IMO.

Thanks for your reply. The MeMO I am referencing is the latest version (Model: ME176CX). Price is great for the 1st gen, but just a little concerned about the older A5 and the lower resolution display. Hopefully iOS8 will be optimized a bit and not slow the original Mini to a crawl.

 

[Apple blogger]

I thought you were referencing the retina Mini as an option as well. I wonder realistically how much better the next iPad Mini will be (A8 and thumb sensor...anything else?). And how much less would the current retina Mini really drop past this $300 price.

The 1st gen started at $329 and somehow has been holding a high retail price after 2 years. Even with the special $200 price for that 16 GB version, only dropping that amount in that time is kinda amazing.

The retina Mini started at $400...would we expect that a year from now (after 2 years from launch) that a good deal on that one is still in the $250-$300 range?

As far as I follow, apple keeps almost the same price range every year, so I think apple will drop the current 399 to 299 for the mini for a 16 GB...

U should wait for some months , see how it goes and then buy the tablet that's the best because then the person can use it for 2-3 years