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- Review count26
- Helpfulness votes27
- First reviewMay 25, 2013
- Last reviewJanuary 31, 2018
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.7
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- Answer count4
- Helpfulness votes12
- First answerJuly 26, 2016
- Last answerNovember 30, 2016
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iPad~ mini 2 has a stunning 7.9-inch Retina display with over 3.1 million pixels. It also comes with the A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, ultrafast wireless, iSight and FaceTime HD cameras, powerful apps, and up to 10 hours of battery life.1 Yet it still fits easily in one hand.
Customer Rating
4
Great Battery Life, Decent OS, Ok Performance
on October 4, 2014
Posted by: aarondr
from Richmond, VA
Verified Purchase:Yes
Coming from the Android world - my wife kept suggesting that I get an iPad as she loves her iPad Air. I don't like the size of the Air, but the iPad Mini is just the ticket. I was an iPhone 4 user when it came out, and I finally left the Apple ecosystem after becoming disillusioned with features and progress. I went Google Nexus for my phones and haven't looked back (it's been a rocky road for sure, but Apple was at times too). I've owned a Samsung tablet, and Nexus 7 before, but always found I never really used them for much.
Anyways, now that you have my background, let's talk iPad Mini Retina! First of all physical size - this is perfect, like a small book. 4:3 aspect ratio is just perfect for a small tablet, as it leaves it feeling like a book. The screen is a wonderful pixel density, and the default DPI settings of the OS never leave controls feeling too big or small. You can adjust text size and quite a bit more in the accessibility menus than you could back in the iOS 4/5 days. The cameras are more than adequate for a tablet, and I find myself occasionally snapping shots of the pets when they're being cute. The physical home button is a bit of a throwback for me (have used software buttons since 2011), but it's tactile and feels nice (while increasing the bezel size unnecessarily). Battery life amazes me. I thought my Android tablets did well - the iPad appears to decimate them when it comes to standby - which is perfect since I use the tablet in spurts.
iOS 7.1.2 was pretty stable - and I jailbroke it. Once jailbroken, I realized that on a tablet, there were just a few tweaks that were worth it, but software piracy was the main scene. So when iOS 8 came out, I simple backed up and did a full restore - which turned out pretty good. I've found that WiFi appears to be not nearly as solid as it should be. At home, I run OpenWRT on WNDR3700's and it works much better than when I'm at random locations out and about. iOS 7 seemed to do a better job with random wifi, so a bit of a ding there (although I'm certain it will be addressed by Apple).
App selection is of course excellent, and a majority of the titles I desired were available. The whole iPhone/iPad native apps bugs me as an Android user. Frankly on Android it's much simpler, as all UI's are made to scale out. Some do it better than others, but on an iPad, the iPhone app scaling is just horrid. Really - this is the solution? To use 75% or 25% of the screen real estate and make it look like really sucky? Sorry, but that's just not being forward thinking in your OS design. Even the jailbroken community had better scaling solutions available.
The 16GB size, now that we're firmly planted in the middle of the teens years of the 21st century, feels quite tight. I immediately downloaded and installed the 'recommended apple apps', then I downloaded the few meager purchases I had made during my iPhone 4 stent. I proceeded to see the graphics prowess by downloading Asphault 8, and then all of a sudden, I had 200MB free, no photos, no videos, no music - just apps. 16GB was plenty back in 2009 (iPhone 4), but 5 years later, with larger textures, multiple formats, etc, apps have grown. It's time to just add that 1 or 2 dollars in parts and push the iPad up to 32GB minimum. Here that industry? We know flash is cheap!! We buy 32GB flash drives at best buy for $15 retail prices - give me a break!
The same goes for radios. Really - does cell hardware have to be so 'optional' and expensive? I went with the base model (probably like many people) because it's priced appropriately. You can do a lot with an iPad, and people might even do more if they could say add a SIM to it without a 2 year contract to make it affordable.
The CPU - which I was salivating to try - the A7! It's pretty good. At first glance, everything appears snappy. There's a lot to like about the CPU's speed. However I've become disappointed with the performance of certain activities, and I'm not sure if it's CPU, GPU, or RAM related. Apps like Chrome (I know - I should use Safari) shudder and lag horribly on large pages. Almost any modern ARM A8 or A15 based 32-bit CPU can easily smooth out Chrome on Android (even at high resolutions). First party apps fly with the best of them though - with Safari being very smooth. My biggest complaint is with the 1GB of RAM. I swear Apple knows that RAM is always the limiting factor when it comes to longevity of a device. My Nexus 4 had 2GB of RAM - 2 years after purchasing it, performance was more than adequate for any task. Where will the iPad be in 2-3 years time? I'm worried that 1GB of RAM will eventually catch up with developers and Apple. The fact that their new phones have 1GB of RAM just seems silly. OS's can be efficient, but the more you do, the more RAM you need - and for premium devices like this, I really want more.
Lastly - I almost brought this back. Between the 16GB limitation and the few OS bugs I ran into (that corrected themselves with iOS 8) I was frustrated. I had some horrible slow downs that I couldn't explain, and simply, the OS wouldn't tell me what was wrong. iOS 8 mostly fixed my problems, and I've found that I simple should just consume media via streaming on this, and avoid large apps. I mostly use it for reading and browsing - both which it does well. I bought it on sale, and at this point in it's lifecycle, I'd probably recommend waiting for the 'new' one that is sure to be due out soon. The iPad Mini Retina is a wonderful device in many ways, but Apple's starting to show it's age (and it's focus on high margins) in it's devices.
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Expand the storage of your compatible device with this SanDisk Ultra Plus microSDHC memory card, which features a 32GB capacity to provide ample space for your media collection. The Class 10 UHS-1 speed enables high-fidelity video recording.
Customer Rating
5
Great card.
on August 27, 2014
Posted by: aarondr
from Richmond, VA
Verified Purchase:Yes
Decent transfer rates, and a good price. Highly recommended!
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
Mobile Submission: True
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![X-Men and the Wolverine Collection [6 Discs] [Blu-ray]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/304b2327-370a-41e7-956a-951dd4939472.png)
This collection of a half-dozen films that transpire in the universe of the X-Men includes X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class, and The Wolverine.
Customer Rating
5
Good Collection
on July 9, 2014
Posted by: aarondr
from Richmond, VA
Verified Purchase:Yes
I picked this up after seeing days of future past because I really enjoyed that movie. My wife and spent a weekend watching all these movies and we really enjoyed them. I had seen most of them, but not "The Wolverine" which is the one I ended up enjoy almost the most. There are some semi-dud movies here, but honestly, they're not that bad. I'd recommend the collection if it's on sale. You'll be glad you added it to your Blu-ray collection.
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
What's great about it: Great Select, Decent quality, Lots of entertainment
What's not so great: There is still more movies to buy
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Posted by: aarondr
from Richmond, VA
Verified Purchase:Yes
Great movie for it's day, and great action scenes. It is a bit dated when you watch it almost 20 years later. Some very classic moments, and the environmental overtones are muted and presented as opinion of one of the lead actors (instead being hammered into your head like so many of today's movies). A fun ride.
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
What's great about it: Kicking Alien Butt
What's not so great: Dated
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
3
Good Move Semi-bad disk
on March 28, 2014
Posted by: aarondr
from Richmond, VA
Verified Purchase:Yes
The disk I received wasn't visibly damaged, but my Sony BD-S590 had trouble reading it. I haven't tried it in another player, but some scenes had issues in the middle of the disk. Nothing horrible, and I'm sure it's an anomaly.
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
What's great about it: Batman!
What's not so great: Stutters and misses some scenes
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This Hoover SteamVac features a SpinScrub multiple brush system for outstanding cleaning performance. The translucent tank makes it easy to view water levels.
Customer Rating
5
Great buy, great item
on May 25, 2013
Posted by: aarondr
from Richmond, VA
Gender:Male
Age:25-34
Verified Purchase:Yes
Its good - especially if you get a good deal. I don't expect it to last a decade, but it generally feels solid. Quickly shipped to me!
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
My Best Buy number: 0741131094
What's great about it: does what it is intended to do
What's not so great: none so far
I would recommend this to a friend!
Quality
5
Features
4
Performance
4
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aarondr's Answers
Work, game or browse with this HP Pavilion LED LCD monitor. The 32-inch display brings movies and video games to life, and the widescreen setup lets you view multiple windows simultaneously. Featuring an anti-glare screen, this HP Pavilion LED LCD screen offers crisp viewing quality in virtually any lighting conditions.
Will an AMD Radeon rx 480 graphics card be able to handle this 1440p monitor? Not necessarily for gaming, but to have multiple tabs open, programs running in the background, watching video in high quality, etc....
When building on a budget, the EVGA 600W 80 PLUS is a great choice at a low cost. Supporting 49A on a single +12V rail provides more options without having to reduce your component requirements. Save space with the 600W's compact design, well~placed power switch and fully sleeved cables. The 600W offers the connections and protections needed for basic system builds. With a standard 3 year warranty and ultra quiet fan design the 600W will be a great asset for your next build on a budget.
my current motherboard has a 20 pin plug. my new power supply has a 24 pin plug. how do I get it to fit
This PSU has a removable 4 pin addition. If yours doesn't, the easy solution is to just plug it in (it's keyed) with the 4 pins unhooked. Baring that, you can google "20-Pin Male to 24-Pin Female ATX adapter".
9 years, 10 months ago
by
aarondr
When building on a budget, the EVGA 600W 80 PLUS is a great choice at a low cost. Supporting 49A on a single +12V rail provides more options without having to reduce your component requirements. Save space with the 600W's compact design, well~placed power switch and fully sleeved cables. The 600W offers the connections and protections needed for basic system builds. With a standard 3 year warranty and ultra quiet fan design the 600W will be a great asset for your next build on a budget.
Can this fit in a Dell inspiration case?
With no specific model number, I can't tell you for sure, but there's a pretty high chance that it will. Every normal sized and mini tower Dell I've seen in the past 15 years has used a standard form factor ATX PSU.
9 years, 10 months ago
by
aarondr
When building on a budget, the EVGA 600W 80 PLUS is a great choice at a low cost. Supporting 49A on a single +12V rail provides more options without having to reduce your component requirements. Save space with the 600W's compact design, well~placed power switch and fully sleeved cables. The 600W offers the connections and protections needed for basic system builds. With a standard 3 year warranty and ultra quiet fan design the 600W will be a great asset for your next build on a budget.
Is this power supply fully modular?
Nope - this PSU isn't even semi-modular. It's quite easy to work with though.
9 years, 10 months ago
by
aarondr