iPad Going from a Mini to an Air

[LSUtigers03]

For those of you that had a Mini and now have an Air how are you liking it? I use my Mini for gaming and reading mostly which means I'm holding it for an extended period at times. My wife likes the full sized iPad so I'm looking to get an Air that we both use. My last full size iPad was the 2 which is twice the weight of the Mini which is why I switched. Now that the Air is slimmer and lighter my decision is tougher. I'm on my way to Best Buy but in the mean time I was looking for some first hand comments from people who made the switch.

 

[AdonisSMU]

For those of you that had a Mini and now have an Air how are you liking it? I use my Mini for gaming and reading mostly which means I'm holding it for an extended period at times. My wife likes the full sized iPad so I'm looking to get an Air that we both use. My last full size iPad was the 2 which is twice the weight of the Mini which is why I switched. Now that the Air is slimmer and lighter my decision is tougher. I'm on my way to Best Buy but in the mean time I was looking for some first hand comments from people who made the switch.

For your case get the mini. I use my Air as an eReader and for websites and some other basic stuff. I love the bigger screen but part of me feels like the 16gb mini is all I need so I bought one but now Im having some trouble deciding which one to keep. The Air is really light but not as light as the mini and its noticeable. Also the footprint should be taken into consideration.

 

[shadowjeff]

I would recommend the mini for your uses; you will be used to reading on the mini except that it's a lot clearer now. Gaming on the mini is still amazing due to the form factor. It's slightly heavier than the previous gen, you should try it out first.

Or you can go all out and just get the air since the rMini is already heavier. And your wife likes it more haha.

 

[MacChinoNyc]

I recommend you go to the store and view content on both devices, well at least the best you can as they don't let you download apps to the devices in the store. Let your eyes decide. I got the air because my content looked much better on it, but that doesn't mean I didn't like the rMini. May consider the next iteration though.

 

[ZacUSNYR]

Can't go wrong with either. I have both and they both have benefits.

 

[thelookingglass]

OP, which one did you end up getting?

 

[LSUtigers03]

I'm using the Air right now because the Best Buy I went to didn't have any retina mini's in stock and none on display. I've enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I've been playing a lot of Dead Trigger 2 and the Air isn't bad to hold at all while playing a game. Much better than the iPad 2 which was my last full size iPad. I'm going to keep using it for now. Then after I get a chance to use the mini I'll make my decision but as of right now I'm really liking the Air.

 

[AppleRobert]

I currently have the 1st gen Mini with cellular. I bought the Air on release day and really liked it. I was at a BB store when they received a shipment of rMinis so impulsively I bought it.

The rMini will be returned. I don't know how much I'll use my 1st gen Mini except where I might have to hold it for a long period of time versus doing whatever it is with the Air instead. I don't see that happening much though to tell the truth. I stand the Air up mostly with the Smart Cover or have it on my lap.

For me, doing everything I want to do on an Ipad is so much of a better experience now with the Air than the Mini.

 

[comatose81]

The Air is not a replacement for the mini. No matter how much thinner and lighter it may be, if you replaced a full-size iPad for the mini last year because it was too big/heavy/whatever, nothing is going to change your mind this year.