Apple introduces the new iPad Mini, but is it worth the price?

Apple has unveiled the new iPad Mini, but I think it’s still priced too high for mass-market adoption. In my book, the Google Nexus is still the tablet to beat.

The iPad Mini is priced at $329 for the base model, though fancier versions will be more.

With a starting price that high, Apple is counting on price margins to continue to carry along the sales. But I think this is the day that Apple blinked when they could have, as true capitalists, used this as an opportunity to crush the competition by lowering the price.

No wonder then that Apple stock declined after the iPad Mini announcement. Investors know it’s too expensive and Apple is not being aggressive enough with pricing to capture more market share.

If you are price sensitive, consider looking at the Google Nexus ($199,) or even a Kindle tablet if you’re already in the Amazon ecosystem.

Meanwhile, unless the small size of the Mini appeals to you, you’d be better off sticking with a full-sized iPad 2 for $359 vs. $329 for the Mini’s base model with its 7.9-inch screen.

Sure, Apple fanatics will snatch up the Mini, but to move into the mass market, you’ve got hit the price points…and Apple hasn’t done that.

What they have done is built magnificent devices. I travel with a Mac Book Air and it’s incredible. If you go a generation back on the Air, you can buy it for about $700.