I very much disliked the minipump I used for about a year. I guess I never was able to get the gist of holding the nozzle still, so I ended up damaging some stems. I eventually bought a Topeak Mountain Morph with a flexible hose. Not only does it not damage stems, it fills up the tire a lot faster (OK, a lot less slowly).

Obviously, there are trade offs and personal preferences to consider. Some like the much smaller size of the minipumps and are coordinated enought to use them right.