The iPad mini lets you run the best library of apps in the biz on a tablet you'll actually want to carry, but it's not the best small-screen tablet you can buy.

Apple managed to hold out for two years before deciding to enter the market for tablets under 8" in size. Faced with a groundswell of competition from Google and Amazon with the Nexus 7 and the Kindle...

The power of an iPad 2 in a more easily portable device; Battery life / Good sleep mode; Great design; first-rate finish; Responsiveness / Feature-rich iOS 6 interface with over 700,000 apps; Grip/handling greatly improved by intelligent Multitouch pressure-point recognition (so you can rest your

Screen def isn't exactly high-end; Onscreen readability isn't on par with the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire HD; Proprietary connector; Internal memory can't be expanded

The iPad Mini is a decent tablet that is almost affordable by Apple's standards, making it a good choice for anyone already comitted to the Apple ecosystem.

Decent build quality; good battery life; iOS 6

Screen isn't as good as other Apple devices; A5 processor doesn't offer top end performance

The iPad mini is a 7.9-inch version of Apple's popular iPad, and offers a polished tablet experience in a smaller package. It's too expensive however, and its display resolution doesn't measure up to competing tablets, or other iOS devices.

Ultra-thin and light; Handles ebooks and iPad apps well; Camera; storage and optional 4G make for a full iPad experience

Over £100 more expensive than rivals; Low-resolution display; A5 processor isn't particularly quick

The iPad mini is a premium small tablet, with a price to match. It's a shame Apple couldn't have included a Retina screen and newer processor - expect the iPad mini 2 to get those updates when it launches later this year. This Wi-Fi only model also lacks GPS.

The iPad mini doesn't arrive in stores until November 2, but our US colleagues got to spend some time with one after Apple's media event at the California Theater in San Jose. Their conclusion: Yes, it's a small iPad-but there's more (and less) to it than that. Here are their hands-on impressions.

This is the tablet I wanted, couldn't be happier. I usually get 10hrs of wifi use and about 7 hrs on 3g. This is really good because I use my mini constantly for streaming media,apps,music and various things I look up. i only have to charge the tablet once a day.

Would recommend to those working on the go

Quick; easy

Poor connection and battery life

The Ipad mini is one of the latest additions to Apples tablets, not forgetting the upgraded model with retina display. I don't own an Ipad mini but I have borrowed my friends for the last week to give it a try.

fast; portable; amazing operating system; stylish; robust

too small; app screen size isn't accurate

There has been some initial discussion here at TMO whether the iPad mini would, at some point, be a better seller than the standard size iPads. Others have also speculated about this. At first, I thought it might do so over the next year.

Very thin, very light, easy to hold in one hand, 10 hour battery life, awesome fit and finish; Beautiful, magical to handle.

No Retina display; iSight camera suspect; Corners cut on power adapter; Some iPhone apps at 2x may not look great.