It's a Phone...No, It's an iPad...No, Its an iPad Mini

There is a negative connotation that associates middle children with being neglected; they are not the first born, nor are they the baby. They are a well rounded combination of the two: They have pressing expectations to be a good example, but they are also given mercy, and a share of the gos, and gawks from being one of the babies. I suppose the invention of the iPad mini is a desperate stretch to find middle ground. It is not a phone, not a laptop, and it certainty is not an iPad.   

The iPad mini is "as thin as a pencil and weighs 0.68 pounds, half as much as the full-size iPad with its 9.7-inch screen"(Svensson). In comparison, to other devices, the Ipad mini is "0.5 inch[es] larger than most full-size mainstream tablets and 0.9 inch larger than the iPad's screen" (RT Review).

I do not have an iPad Mini, a tablet, or an iPad. I think they are practical, and I understand why they sell as well as they do; personally, I would prefer to put money into building a computer that is capable of holding raw footage, and hosting film editing software. Also, when I go on a trip, I like having the excuse that I did not have access to the internet. I do not like having one foot plugged in, and the other out. I think having iPads, and even mini laptops obligate us to check Facebook, email, twitter, and blogs.

Granted, I think unlike the stereotype of the middle child, these mini's are doing quite well for themselves:
"Apple has sold more than 100 million iPads since their debut in April 2010. Analysts expect Apple to sell 5 million to 10 million iPad Minis before the year is out" (Svensson).

They are definitely striking some consumer interest. As stated in a Microsoft review "If you're an early adopter willing to forget everything you know about navigating a computer, the Surface tablet could replace your laptop. Everyone else: wait for more apps" (RT review).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121024/us-tec-apple-ipad-mini/

http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/microsoft-surface-rt/4505-3126_7-35332494.html