Sometimes a product grows so successful, its brand name becomes the noun for its whole category. This is called ""generecisation."

Back in the day, although Rollerblades were just one type of inline skate, you only ever went "rollerblading."

Sellotape is just what we call it in New Zealand, no matter who actually makes the sticky-tape we've bought.

Some generecisations have become so cemented in the lexicon, I didn't even realise they weren't the original things. Doesn't Chapstick just mean any lip balm? What else are you supposed to call a Thermos if it isn't a thermos?

And even though the company itself seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis right now, when you look something up online, you're still Googling it, no matter which combination of browser and search engine you happen to be using.

Often the phenomenon of genericisation develops because the brand in question was first. Sometimes it's because it's just so much better. When it comes to iPad, it's both.

Yes, more often than not, even non-Apple tablets get called iPads. There can't be too many other examples that have been quite this dominant for quite so long.

Now, thanks to Apple Intelligence, the iPad has evolved to another level again.

The new iPad mini has picked up the AI baton and run with it, transforming itself from one of those devices you thought would be pretty useful into a must-have productivity tool.

This year's mini comes in four colours; Starlight, Space Grey, Blue and Purple with accessories like the Smart Folio cover coloured to match.

The 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is excellent - bright, sharp and thanks to its anti-reflective coating it performs well both indoors and out. In fact, the screen is so good, I've been enjoying using the mini to watch some of my favourite shows. And it's not just the screen; the speaker array is surprisingly powerful and detailed for such a small device. When used in landscape, stereo effects are genuinely convincing.

Interestingly, although Apple has moved the selfie-cam onto the longer side for landscape use on its other, larger iPads, they've kept it at the centre of the short edge on the mini. This seems odd to me; for video chats and live vlogging don't you want the device in landscape? Perhaps the assumption is people are more likely to use the mini as a giant phone. Or at least a digital notepad.

If it's the latter, then you'll require a stylus like the Apple Pencil Pro. Just like the bigger models, the iPad mini is totally compatible, letting you magnetise the Apple Pencil Pro to its edge for wireless charging and utilising all the cool Pencil Pro features, like squeezing to open your shortcut palette and barrel-roll for adjusting the width of thicker pens and brushes.

More importantly, by combining iPad mini and Apple Pencil Pro you'll really capitalise on the new functionality offered by Apple Intelligence. Although the much-anticipated iPadOS 18.2 is still a few days away, I've been intrepidly trialling the Developer Beta version on your behalf and I can tell you, there's some pretty cool stuff on the way.

For starters, my handwriting is crude and illegible - worse than any doctor's. And yet, now thanks to Smart Script, the iPad mini takes my meaningless scrawl and converts it into something a bit tidier; still my writing but now more lined-up and evenly spaced. Of course, with the right pencil setting, you can convert script to text or use Scribble to handwrite your entries into the boxes on online forms and documents.

The Image Wand then takes that a step further still. Describe a drawing or illustration you'd like Apple Intelligence to create - maybe add a rough sketch of it too - circle it all using Image Wand (with either an Apple Pencil or just your finger) and within seconds you'll be presented with a selection of AI-generated images. You can choose one and fine-tune it even further by adding more words, perhaps a colour, an outfit or an environment.

Apart from Image Playground, Apple Intelligence stuffs plenty more tricks up the iPad mini's sleeve.

The new Calculator app can now work as a scientific calculator and it can also convert pretty much anything, different currencies, weights, distances - you name it. What's more, there's now a shortcut to Maths Notes, where you can write complex maths problems on screen and the mini will recognise and solve them for you. Kids may never need to learn how to do quadratic equations again. Brilliant.

Also, as you'd expect, there's a host of Writing Tools, starting with simple proofreading, then moving on to adjusting the tone of your messages and summarising any text you care to highlight.

And that's really only scratching the surface. Thanks to the combined power of the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence, the mini has truly grown into a creative powerhouse - and we haven't even discussed what a great little gaming device it is; wonderful screen, powerful chip, first-rate sound and a dedicated Game Mode - what more can you ask for?

At first, the 2024 iPad mini seems like a pretty good deal; starting from only NZ$949. However, that's just the 128GB model. I'm not even sure I'd feel comfortable buying a phone with only 128GB of storage these days, let alone a device like this that's more than capable of editing large video files.

So once you upgrade to the 512GB Wi-Fi + Cellular version I've been reviewing, then add the Apple Pencil Pro and the matching Smart Folio cover, you're looking at - wait for it - NZ$2,217.00. Ouch. You can pick up a MacBook Air for less. Hundreds less.

Still, despite its small size it never comes up short in terms of performance, which is probably why it's an essential accessory for so many professionals, from medics to engineers to airline pilots the world over.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro).