Mini Blinds...When to use versus Symphony Shades

Mini blinds are best for dispersing light across a room and being able to take some control over glare while maintaining some of the view. Light hits the top of the slat, bounces off the ceiling and is spread well into the room. The product is relatively inexpensive and has its own attractive aesthetic.
 
The problem with mini blinds is in maintenance and repair. Don't place too much emphasis on what Dustguard will do for you, and once a slat is dog-eared it is a problem to fix. It may in fact be better to just buy a new blind. Minis do not do much for insulating your cold window or reducing your air conditioning costs. 

Usually you activate minis by just tilting the slat, without raising and lowering the blind. Therefore the blind is usually always in the window. When you do raise it the stack can be considerable. The advantages of Symphony over mini blinds are in low maintenance, insulation, soft filtered light control and when opened the window is totally uncluttered