Apple’s insanely popular iPad has become the cockpit digital tool of choice for the pilot masses, but not without complaint. It’s a little too big and a little too heavy for convenient cockpit mounting and wouldn’t it be nice if it were a tad smaller? And that’s what the new iPad mini is—a smaller, more cockpit friendly version of the iPad.
But does that make it the perfect digital co-pilot? Maybe. But the answer really depends on what apps you prefer, how much you want to spend on this kind of technology and what you else you do with tablet computers. In our view, the mini is an improvement over the full-blown iPad, but there are enough what-if variables here to rule it out as a no-brainer purchase for everyone.