How I Was Wrong About the iPad Mini 7 (And Why It’s Now My Favorite Tablet for Everything—Except Plain Ebooks)

Caption: iPad Mini 7th Gen, The Lenovo m8 and the Nook Simple Touch going through a shell change operation.

A while back, I was on a mission to find the perfect comic book reader. My search took me through e-readers, Android tablets, and everything in between. Eventually, I convinced myself that the iPad Mini 7 A17 Pro would be the ultimate choice—a small, distraction-free device dedicated solely to reading comics.

I was so wrong. 🤦‍♂️

But not in the way I expected.

📱 Not Just for Comics—The iPad Mini 7 Is the Perfect All-Around Tablet

When I first got the iPad Mini 7, I thought it would be the device for comics—portable, sharp display, great battery life. And while it’s excellent for that, it turns out to be even better for everything else.

✨ Why I Love the iPad Mini 7 A17 Pro

✅ It’s the perfect middle ground between my Fold (which is too small for some things) and a larger tablet (which is too bulky for everyday use).

✅ It lets me avoid my primary phone, meaning I can still stay connected without getting sucked into endless distractions.

✅ It’s amazing for creative work—whether I’m brainstorming, writing, or sketching with the Pencil Pro.

✅ Typing on the on-screen keyboard is surprisingly comfortable, and I’m getting really fast at thumb typing.

I originally wanted a separate, distraction-free device just for comics. But what I really needed was a perfect secondary tablet that lets me work, read, and create—without pulling me back into my main phone’s distractions. And that’s exactly what the iPad Mini 7 turned out to be.

📖 What About My Old Nook Simple Touch?

Even though the iPad Mini 7 is my go-to for everything else, I still have a soft spot for my old Nook Simple Touch. It’s dying, but I’m not ready to let it go.

🛠 The Problem With the Nook: The Sticky Back

If you’ve ever owned an older Nook Simple Touch, you know the struggle. The rubbery back melts over time, especially if you try cleaning it with alcohol. I’ve seen this happen with older Kindles and some Motorola phones (remember those self-repairing ones? Yeah, they also turned sticky).

🔧 The Solution? A Full Rebuild

Instead of tossing it, I’m rebuilding the Nook:

🟢 New Battery – Ordered and ready.

🟢 Wireless Charging Mod – Adding a Qi charger with a switch to disconnect when needed.

🟢 New Custom Case – I 3D-printed a prototype case, and it fits! Once I finalize the design, I’ll make a better, cleaner version and transfer all the components over.

It’s a side project, but I love the idea of keeping this e-paper reader alive for as long as possible. 📚

🕌 One More Side Project: Fixing the Azaan Clock Problem

With Ramadhan around the corner, I’ve also been tackling another issue—our non-smart Azaan clocks.

❌ The Problem

• My wife has these old-school Azaan clocks, and they are a nightmare to set up.
  
• Every time the batteries die, or it resets, I have to relearn the whole setup process.
  
• I wanted an easier, smarter way to have Azaan play in our home.
  

✅ The Solution: A Smart Azaan Player

🔹 I have a Lenovo ThinkView Smart for Teams lying around.

🔹 Plan: Root it, install a custom Android OS, and put it in kiosk mode.

🔹 Final step? Call one of the many Azaan websites or PWA, or maybe even build something I can host locally.

If this works, it’ll be a huge upgrade over the frustrating traditional Azaan clocks.

BONUS: turn all useless smartphones and tablets into smart azaan kiosk. Would this be the perfect gift for friends and family this year?

🌙 Final Thoughts: Wrapping Up the Weekend, Gearing Up for Monday

I started this whole journey thinking I needed a dedicated comic reader, but I ended up finding the perfect all-around tablet in the iPad Mini 7 A17 Pro. It’s not just a great device for reading—it’s the ideal secondary screen when I need something bigger than my Fold but don’t want the constant distractions of my primary phone.

Meanwhile, my old Nook Simple Touch is still kicking, but barely. The sticky back and dying battery need fixing, and I’m determined to keep it alive for as long as I can. And then there’s my smart Azaan player project—I’ve got the hardware, I’ve got the plan, now I just need to set it up to pull Azaan times from a PWA or a local server.

📅 Can’t wait to get back to these projects this coming Saturday morning. Yeah, I’ve got a full-time job and a family, so weekdays are mostly a blur—hardly any time for side projects. But weekends? That’s where the magic happens.

And just like that, Sunday night rolls around, and it’s time to shift gears back to work mode. Monday morning, professional mode ON.

😴 Good night, folks.

-M