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divdiv class=postBody txtWrap section=txt readability=27div class=cnet-image-div image-REGULAR float-none readability=1img class=cnet-image src=http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/11/27/mini-and-mini-retina-cnet.jpg alt=iPad Mini Retina. width=610 height=407/p class=image-captioniPad Mini Retina./pspan class=image-credit(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)/span/divpThe iPad Mini Retina's speed seals the deal. /ppA lot has been written about the Mini Retina's display. For good reason, of course. Take a display with 786,432 pixels (iPad Mini original) and put it up against one with over 3 million (iPad Retina) and you notice the difference. /ppBut I have been more impressed with the performance of the Mini Retina. After using it for two weeks, the speed is what has sold me. /ppThe best analogy I can think of is going from a circa 2009a href=http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/apple-macbook-air-13/4505-3121_7-35330106.html section=luke_topic MacBook Air/a to today's fastest a href=http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/vpro/core-processors-with-vpro-technology.htmlHaswell/a-based MacBook. /ppIt's that dramatic. Those numbers (below) don't lie. /ppThe reason is pretty easy to understand. Thea href=http://reviews.cnet.com/ipad/ section=luke_topic iPad/a Mini has a very old (in computer years) A5 chip -- that's the same chip that debuted in thea href=http://reviews.cnet.com/apple-ipad-2-review/ section=luke_topic iPad 2/a in March 2011. /p pThe Mini Retina has Apple's latest chip, a href=http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/design/the A7/a, with more RAM. /p pWhat does all of this speed add up to? With a tablet as good as the Mini Retina, it's another reason to use a laptop less. /p pOne of the greatest barriers to productivity (you know, doing actual work, not just browsing social media or watching movies) on a tablet is performance. a href=http://reviews.cnet.com/keyboards/logitech-ultrathin-keyboard-mini/4505-3134_7-35603073.htmlAdd a keyboard/a, and you're three quarters of the way to a laptop. /p pWhich leads me to a final thought. The A7, or its successor the A8, would work just fine in a newfangled future 64-bit Apple device. /p pPC makers are already doing this with Intel's new Bay Trail chip, a title=Apple's A7 chip makes a run at Intel -- Sunday, Sep 22, 2013 href=/8301-13579_3-57604070-37/apples-a7-chip-makes-a-run-at-intel/which is similar in performance to the A7/a. /p pTake Dell's a href=http://www.dell.com/us/p/dell-venue-11-pro/pdVenue 11 Pro/a high-end tablet. It can be converted into a professional productivity platform via its modular design. /p pI have to think Apple has bigger plans for the A series chips than just the iPhone and conventional iPads. /p pAn iPad Pro, anyone? /p div class=cnet-image-div image-REGULAR float-none readability=3img class=cnet-image src=http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/11/27/ipad-mini-v-retina-small.jpg alt=Geekbench scores for first-gen iPad Mini (top) and Retina Mini. Numbers are single core benchmark (left) and multi-core. And, yes, it actually feels that much faster. width=432 height=432/p class=image-captionGeekbench scores for first-gen iPad Mini (top) and Retina Mini. Numbers are single core benchmark (left) and multicore. And, yes, it actually feels that much faster./pspan class=image-credit(Credit:Brooke Crothers)/span/div /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center