The iPad Mini: Why?

It's frustrating that Apple is more concerned with creating new products than keeping their old products (like the iPad 1) usable.

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umors are flying that on October 10, there will be an invitation sent out for another Apple event—one that will announce the much-talked-about iPad mini. And whether there's actually an event or not, and whether the iPad mini is happening or not, it makes us wonder one thing: why would Apple even think about making a slightly-smaller version of its already-successful tablet?

After all, isn't the iPhone sort of like a miniature iPad? Some say that Apple stands to benefit and profit from offering a product that could compete with Amazon's Kindle/Kindle Fire and the Google Nexus 7 tablet, but we're still scratching our heads. Wouldn't Apple fans prefer a little bit bigger screen?

This photo from venturebeat.com shows the projected size difference between the devices.

The current iPad model is nine-and-a-half inches tall, while the mini is rumored to be 7.85 inches. The mini is also rumored to have the smaller dock connector that the iPhone 5 has, which is also sort of annoying.

It's frustrating that Apple continues to push products that will be deemed obsolete sooner rather than later, especially with the news that the iPad 1 doesn't have iOS 6 capability. We can understand the desire for as much profit as possible, but we can't get on board with the "screw everyone who bought the product when it first came out" mindset.

That said, will the iPad mini be any sort of contender for the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7? Naturally, since it's got the Apple imprint, of course it is. People will buy anything from Apple, regardless if it's useful, necessary, or even the best product available.