The Ipad Mini

I received an email from a longtime reader wanting to know more about the Ipad Mini and what can be done with it.  
Well, since it is a tablet computer, it does pretty much everything any computer can do, within reason.  You can surf the Net and send and receive email.  That said, I would not want to give up my desktop.  Typing on any tablet can be slow and cumbersome. It's pretty much hunt-and-peck.  For some reason teenagers can send messages on phones and tablets at the speed of light, but not me.  
I have some music on my Ipad; I used to have my whole Itunes library on it, but they were taking up most of the 16 GB of space on the thing, and I realized I hardly ever listen to music on it.  Now I just have a select few songs.  If you plan to carry a lot of songs on your Ipad, you had better get a 32 GB.  Otherwise, 16 will probably be enough.  
If you get the wi-fi only version, no cellular, you'll save a hundred bucks.  I bought one with cellular because I enjoy having the Internet when I'm not at home.  Unlike a cell phone, you can buy a data plan for thirty days and then cancel if you don't think you'll be needing it for awhile.  You can read about the cellular model HERE.  
I can take pictures and videos with the Ipad.  I can talk to Siri.  Just today Siri told me where the nearest Applebees was, so I was able to use the $20 gift card I earned by taking surveys online.
I have books by the hundreds on my Ipad:  There are apps for Kindle, Nook, and Overdrive.  With Overdrive, I can visit my local library and check out e-books for two weeks at a time.  I used to be a big fan of the Nook e-reader mainly because I could get library books with it, whereas Kindle didn't allow me to do that.  All that has changed; Kindle also allows you to check out library books now.  In fact, I prefer Kindle now for the simple reason that every day there are dozens of free Kindle books listed at ereaderlove.com.  Not all of them are great books, but you can check the customer reviews at amazon.com and get an idea what's worth reading.   Freebies for Nook are few and far between.  The apps for Nook and Kindle are free, so you have the best of both worlds.  Honestly, I only use those for free books now; Overdrive is my favorite app for library books.        
You need to do some research, because other tablets may be just as good as the Ipad for all I know, and all of them are cheaper.  Some are MUCH cheaper.  I have no experience with them.  Thanks to the influence of a photographer in Kansas City, I was bitten by the Apple/Mac bug, and I can't seem to get over the disease; I only hope it isn't terminal.  Be very cautious or the same bug will bite you.  There's no rhyme or reason for it, it just happens, and the next thing you know you will be in the position of saying to your husband as he struggles with his Dell laptop, "I don't know how to help you; mine's a Mac, Baby!"  
There is a comparison of various tablets HERE.   
I hope this at least gives you some idea of what you can do with an Ipad or other tablet computer.  And thanks, Jan, for your email.