If you disguised the two iPads so that you only saw the screen and placed them apart where you could not see both at the same time, at lot of people would not notice the difference.
With all of that said, if I were in the market for a new iPad, I would not hesitate to purchase the best available at the time so I would have the fastest processor and nicest display to stave off obsolescence as long as possible. You know apps are only going to get more complex requiring the extra processing power and the graphics are going to be geared for the higher resolution screens.
Thanks guys. That's the kind of thing I needed. Yep, looking at the mini. Looks like I'll go with the newer one.In my experience, the difference is enormous and very obvious. I could not go back to a low-res display even if I wanted to... it's extremely noticeable to me.
Agreed. Additionally, I assume the original poster was talking about the Mini since that's where the $100 difference applies. In that case, there is a huge difference in hardware between the two aside from the display. The iPad Mini has iPad 2 guts, if you will, while the iPad Retina Mini has iPad 5 (Air) guts. That Retina Mini is going to top-of-the-line for some time, while the regular Mini could see support discontinued much earlier, and will definitely feel slower if you use them side-by-side.
I'm also of the opinion that the retina on a full-sized iPad is unquestionably clearer than the standard display. After using an iPad Air, my iPad 2 looks very pixelated and jaggied.
One thing to take note of though is that ForeFlight charts are not displayed at retina resolution.
Frankly, the issue isn't so much the display is that Apple is killing off support for the older (non-retina) iPads. I can't put the latest FF on the iPad I fly with because the blasted thing isn't supported by the latest iOS releases. Eventually it will need to be upgraded and the current one will end up as a wine cellar inventory control system (soon as I finish the app).
Frankly, the issue isn't so much the display is that Apple is killing off support for the older (non-retina) iPads. I can't put the latest FF on the iPad I fly with because the blasted thing isn't supported by the latest iOS releases. Eventually it will need to be upgraded and the current one will end up as a wine cellar inventory control system (soon as I finish the app).