An iPad Mini? I'd buy a few. What about you?

I’ve been reading the latest round of rumours-that-might-be-true about a possible iPad Mini.

AppleInsider quotes a Chinese portal that reckons Apple has placed an order for 6 million Mini iPads. Further speculation reckons that this ‘mini’ would run at the same resolution as iPad 1 & 2 (1024×768) so that existing apps would work without any updates.

Yada. Yada. Yada.

We really do have to be careful with these rumours — I found myself teling you that the Mini is rumoured to be 7.85″. But that’s from a completely different speculative report.

However, I wanted to point out that a smaller iPad would be very much welcome around the house and around the office. The ‘big’ one is certainly useful but a smaller one would just be nicer.

The difference between using an iPhone and using an iPad is quite dramatic. I do actually want a mid-sized iPad. Indeed I can see a 7″ iPad becoming more popular and more usable around the office and around the home.

When you consider all the different applications for iPad — from functioning as hotel check-in machines to swipe-brochures-in-store to managing passenger manifests on airplanes — there’s a whole load of possibilities crying out for a smaller device with the same general functions. Something that ISN’T an iPhone.

The iPad is a bit rubbish on the train.

It’s good. But it’s bad too.

You know what I mean if you regularly travel on a crowded commuter train. First, you need to use it sitting down. Standing up just doesn’t work. Second, everyone knows your business. It’s too visible. It’s too easy for folk to see your emails or the latest episode of Homeland playing on the device. It’s just too big. The screen is just too bright and easy to see!

And the iPhone is a weeeee bit small.

We’re splitting hairs here, we really are.

But I can see a market for an iPad Mini.

And when you consider that the price should be dramatically lower, a Mini could certainly fly off the shelves. Imagine a $199 price point? Or a $249? Or $169. Something like that.

I’d have one permanently on the sofa.

We already have an iPad 2 that only ever sits in the kitchen. I could see a Mini for the sofa, the bedside and another permanently in my suitcase/briefcase/’man bag’.

What about you?