I played with the 4th gen iPad today and although it felt a bit smoother (might be a placebo effect), it really is heavy. The 3rd gen's weight you could live with when it first came out because you convinced yourself that it was an acceptable trade off due to the brilliant Retina display. I went back to using the iPad 2 and that is the maximum weight for enjoyability (less is better).
The 4th gen seems more like a "S" upgrade since it still has the same design and weight and doesn't look like the current design of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Though admittedly I feel a little burned as a 3rd gen owner, I feel like this is the cycle to be on (just like how the iPhone 3G, 4, and 5 is the best cycle to be on).
Next year we will most likely see an iPad mini-like design which will also be much thinner and lighter.
The 4th gen seems more like a "S" upgrade since it still has the same design and weight and doesn't look like the current design of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Though admittedly I feel a little burned as a 3rd gen owner, I feel like this is the cycle to be on (just like how the iPhone 3G, 4, and 5 is the best cycle to be on).
Next year we will most likely see an iPad mini-like design which will also be much thinner and lighter.