Apple has found themselves on somewhat of a product release spree in the last two months, with a new iPhone, a new range of iPods and two new iPads being released to the public. Put that together with the launch of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and the imminent release of refreshed Macs and you have a very packed Apple hardware refresh. With all of this new technology coming out, the jailbreak world may have taken a public backseat recently, but legendary iPhone Dev Team member MuscleNerd has just updated his Twitter feed to make sure are all aware that things are still bubbling away in the background.
With the iPad mini now officially available in the first wave of supported territories, it is inevitable that the reviews will start pouring in from every angle as early adopters inspect every nook and cranny of the gorgeous little tablet. One of the most talked about areas of Apple's new mini creation will undoubtedly be the 7.9-inch display, a screen that already seems to have split opinions right down the middle. In an attempt to add some clarity to the display debate, RepairLabs have put the company's iPad range under the microscope to compare the received screen quality.
In line with the Steve Jobs vision, many of us hold our smartphones and tablets in the same regard as our cars, and as some of us have specially adapted our automobiles for compatibility with our iPhones, some companies have already been installing the iPad mini into the dashboards of cars.
Any new device worth talking about is, as a matter of protocol, subject to numerous public tests, with the drop test being by far the most popular. As well as enjoying the perverse pleasure that is watching a brand-new device sustain serious damage, viewing such a test does have its practical benefits, since if a gadget performs particularly poorly, perhaps we'll think twice before parting with our cash.
Whenever Apple pushes out a new piece of hardware to the marketplace, we invariably also see an accompanying comprehensive teardown of the device courtesy of the guys over at iFixit. The stripping down of the device and taking a peek inside has become almost as exciting as the launch of the product itself, with attention being currently paid to inspecting how the new iPad mini has been put together with Apple's new engineering and manufacturing processes.
The new Apple iPad mini is set to hit shelves this coming Friday and with the majority of pre-order models already sold out, it looks like the company has another early commercial success on their hands. Although consumers seem to have reacted positively to the new mid-range tablet, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the likes of Amazon have acted quickly in attempting to convince customers that they would be much better off buying the new Kindle Fire.
It may be overpriced according to some, and others may claim that its lack of a Retina display makes it a poor excuse for a tablet, but it's fast becoming clear that the doubters amongst us will not stop Apple's iPad mini from being a resounding success. At least, that's the conclusion that is easy to draw when you look at the state of pre-orders around the globe.
As soon as Apple entered the small tablet market with its recently announced iPad mini, plenty of people understandably suggested that the game was up for the competition. Can the likes of Google, Amazon and the rest compete when the 800lb gorilla that is Apple comes knocking? Well, turns out Amazon for one, can.
Although not all of this Fall's tablet releases have arrived just yet, there's already enough on the table for consumers to begin making some big decisions. The iPad 4 and iPad mini, which were announced earlier this week, were closely followed by the Surface RT from Microsoft, and of all the Android tablets currently available, the Nexus 7 is unarguably the most popular. With that in mind, we'll be advising you on which of the above four devices you should consider, depending on your requirements and budget.
The iPad mini, which was announced earlier this week by Apple at a special event in San Jose, has received decidedly negative reviews from consumers and bloggers alike. Microsoft exec has, perhaps unsurprisingly given today's release of the Surface tablet, waded into the iPad mini debate, and even less shockingly, he's not a big fan of Apple's slightly smaller slate.

