Wait, did hell just freeze over? Maybe a couple of degrees cooler? Rumors of a mini version of the iPad had been laughed at, dodged and denied - not necessarily in that order and often all at once. But here it is - the iPad mini is finally a reality.

Compact body: 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm, 7.9" LED-backlit IPS LCD touchscreen, 768 x 1024 pixels; scratch-resistant, oleophobic coating, Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity, carrier-dependent hotspot support, Optional 2G/3G GSM, CDMA, LTE connectivity (data only, separate models, Optional GPS...

More expensive than 7" Android tablets; only $70 cheaper than iPad 2; No Retina display; 162ppi only; Same chipset as iPad 2; now two generations old; iTunes still required for most of the content uploads; Reflective screen struggles outdoors; No standard USB port; Lightning accessories still rare...

When I was testing the iPad mini this weekend, I pitted it against my 11-inch MacBook Air and third-generation iPad to see what device I would use more around the house and would take out on the road to do some work on. The clear winner was the iPad mini.

Excellent Form Factor; design and build quality; Fantastic battery life; Very portable and practical

Lack of Retina display and lower resolution will be a deal breaker for some; Price higher than anticipated; First-generation device; lots to improve on

It wasn't exactly the best kept secret. For weeks the rumour mills churned out tidbit after tidbit with supposed details of a smaller, more compact iPad. Speculation swirled and finally on October 23rd Apple unveiled the mythical iPad Mini, just as the rumours suggested.

pricey compared to 7-inch tablets; no Retina display; no HDR or panorama options for camera; beautiful design; great battery life; fits in one hand

pricey compared to 7-inch tablets; no Retina display; no HDR or panorama options for camera

Forget the headlines and exit the hype train at the next station. The iPad mini is here and it's not the shining beacon we all expected it to be, but it damn-well got close.

This smaller tablet plugs the gap between the iPod Touch and the iPad.

While Apple hasn't officially pulled the wraps off the pricing yet, the latest rumors suggest a starting price of Rs 21,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version. If this actually turns out to be true then it actually makes it a very good buy and inadvertently, makes the iPod touch and the iPad 2 a bit...