Why I Returned My iPad Mini

Because it was too expensive.
Is that fair to say? Maybe not. Maybe I should have known what I was getting into when I purchased it in the first place. But here’s the deal: the 16GB model was sold out (I actually walked to the store and picked it up the first day it was available) and I purchased the 32GB option which, after taxes, set me back a cool $468.15 from Best Buy in New York City.
I loved the iPad mini, don’t get me wrong… I just felt that I spent too much on it.
I found that I spent most of my evenings reading news on Flipboard, browsing Reddit and finishing The New York Times crossword puzzle (as best as I could, anyway). But I kept having this annoying feeling in my stomach that I had spent a lot of money on something that I didn’t really need. Did I really need to spend almost $500 on a device that helps me read the news and do the crossword? Why don’t I just walk down the street in the morning and pick up a paper? It comes with the daily crossword, after all. And I can browse Reddit and play games on my iPhone, Android or Windows Phone devices.
I guess what kept nagging at me was knowing that I spent twice what I could have had I purchased a Kindle Fire HD, a Nexus 7 or a Barnes & Noble Nook HD. All three offer better displays, in my opinion, but the eco-systems aren’t as vibrant as Apple’s. With those devices, however, I could have spent $199, plus taxes, and had more than $200 left over for buying books, music, movies and apps.
I don’t know what I’m going to do with my refund just yet. I may head back to Best Buy and pick up the 16GB iPad mini when it’s back in stock, since I found that I really don’t need that much space on a tablet (my smartphone is a different story). Or I may gravitate towards the cheaper options available on the market and stock up on media instead.
I miss the iPad mini already, but sometimes I have to admit to myself when gadget purchases are too expensive and when there might be better ways to spend my money. Sandy just hit New York, maybe I’ll put it to charity instead.