iPad iPad mini vs ipad air

[donnaw]

We've gotten so lazy that the idea of carrying around an iPad the size of a notebook seems like a burden. :x

It has nothing to do with being lazy. Try slugging through several airports for hours and even a couple of pounds get really heavy after a bit. I'm retired now and travel a lot but when I was working it would be the same. I actually had the first windows tablets back in 2004 to carry to meetings because it was lighter than carrying a note pad and all the supporting docs I needed. And taking notes in OneNote saved me hours and hours of time by not having to type out notes to circulate.

It's all about what you need to have with you and the lack of weight means a lot at the end of a long day.

 

[iCarabma]

We have both in our house, what do I do?!

Good question.

You're going to have to burn your house down. Sit in the living room and when the flames are too hot and you must flee: pick one iPad to save.

That's your team.

Raise the chosen iPad above your head and scream "This is the only device anyone should buy, my opinions are your facts, I have spoken."

Best of luck.

 

[JGWolven]

It has nothing to do with being lazy. Try slugging through several airports for hours and even a couple of pounds get really heavy after a bit. I'm retired now and travel a lot but when I was working it would be the same. I actually had the first windows tablets back in 2004 to carry to meetings because it was lighter than carrying a note pad and all the supporting docs I needed. And taking notes in OneNote saved me hours and hours of time by not having to type out notes to circulate.

It's all about what you need to have with you and the lack of weight means a lot at the end of a long day.

I've done all that and more. If anyone were to read your post off the street, one would most likely imagine you're referring to a desktop, MAYBE even a laptop.. We are talking about a device that's slimmer than (insert object here) and weighs a whopping.. one pound.

 

[rkuo]

I can lug an extra pound or two all day in a backpack. It's the carrying around of something that is a little unwieldy in one hand (like the air) vs something that is easily one handed and fits into my jacket pocket. I don't take my backpack to lunch or shopping. But the mini can come along in my jacket or pretty easily in hand.

 

[addictzz]

5 years ago I carried a laptop every where I went so when the first iPad came out I was in heaven. Having the air now to me is so portable it's ridiculous.

Laptop might still be needed though. Macbook air & retina Macbook Pro have just nice weight to lug around.

 

[ZBoater]

Laugh this off if you must, but a war is coming.

Sure, you could say that different people have different needs and tastes, but we all know that is a bowl of hot malarkey.

Pick a side, Team Mini or Team Air, and get ready to fight for what you believe in!!!

To the death!

Attica! Freedom! Donna Martin Graduates!!

This sounds prophetic.

 

[StephenAndrew]

The mini fits in most of my sport coat pockets, my winter coat pockets, cargo shorts pockets, and even in the back pocket of my jeans (snugly). The Air wouldn't fit in any of those places. I rarely carry a bag or briefcase, so the mini really works better for me. If I had an Air, it probably wouldn't leave the house much because I'd have to carry it around in hand.

 

[KPOM]

I've done all that and more. If anyone were to read your post off the street, one would most likely imagine you're referring to a desktop, MAYBE even a laptop.. We are talking about a device that's slimmer than (insert object here) and weighs a whopping.. one pound.

The mini is still noticeably lighter and more compact than the Air. Let's face it. If we settled for "light enough" we'd still be using 8lb 3" thick "notebooks" or 14 lb "portables."

The Air isn't as easy to hold in a single hand. Plus, the mini can fit into some jacket pockets. Don't get me wrong. The iPad Air is a great device. But there's a reason Apple sells two different size iPads.

 

[cababah]

The mini is still noticeably lighter and more compact than the Air. Let's face it. If we settled for "light enough" we'd still be using 8lb 3" thick "notebooks" or 14 lb "portables."

The Air isn't as easy to hold in a single hand. Plus, the mini can fit into some jacket pockets. Don't get me wrong. The iPad Air is a great device. But there's a reason Apple sells two different size iPads.

If 1lb is too heavy, you have bigger problems to worry about lol

 

[richardbb85]

The mini fits in most of my sport coat pockets, my winter coat pockets, cargo shorts pockets, and even in the back pocket of my jeans (snugly). The Air wouldn't fit in any of those places. I rarely carry a bag or briefcase, so the mini really works better for me. If I had an Air, it probably wouldn't leave the house much because I'd have to carry it around in hand.

Is call the iPhone if I want sth to fit in my pockets on the go

 

[KPOM]

If 1lb is too heavy, you have bigger problems to worry about lol

If something that weighs .75lbs does the job for me as well as something that weighs 1lb, why not go for the lighter one? Remember when a 1lb cellular phone was considered small?

 

[kashirat]

Realistically, the weight of either iPad in a bag is negligible.

Where it makes a huge difference is in the hand:

The iPad is meant to be held. The sheer size of the iPad air makes it feel a bit unwieldy to hold in one hand. You can hold it in one hand for short periods of time, but it's that sort of grip where you feel you could drop it. There's more mass, farther away from your fingers, and thus you must exert more force with your fingers to keep it upright.

Comparatively, the iPad mini is smaller, exerts less force in your hand and is quite a bit more comfortable to hold in one hand. It's still a bit heavy to hold above your head while lying down (I can do it for short periods of time, but it becomes uncomfortable quickly).

I dream of the iPad in 5 or 10 years that weights a quarter pound or a half pound and feels like the equivalent of a notebook in hand.

 

[AudiFan]

Realistically, the weight of either iPad in a bag is negligible.

Where it makes a huge difference is in the hand:

The iPad is meant to be held. The sheer size of the iPad air makes it feel a bit unwieldy to hold in one hand. You can hold it in one hand for short periods of time, but it's that sort of grip where you feel you could drop it. There's more mass, farther away from your fingers, and thus you must exert more force with your fingers to keep it upright.

Comparatively, the iPad mini is smaller, exerts less force in your hand and is quite a bit more comfortable to hold in one hand. It's still a bit heavy to hold above your head while lying down (I can do it for short periods of time, but it becomes uncomfortable quickly).

This is the reason why I'm at a dilemma. i prefer the size of the rMini and how the weight is distributed in a smaller footprint when holding with one hand compared to the taller and wider Air. But I think the bigger screen of the Air makes reading easier on the eyes and the overall experience better..

 

[Aetherhole]

"Unwieldy" is pretty subjective, don't you think? I'm not saying it shouldn't cumbersome at all, but for me, I have no problem holding the Air for lengthy periods of times. The new edge design, plus the drop in weight compared to the iPad 4 makes it pretty comfortable to hold, even one-handed.

When I owned the rMini, was it easier to hold? Sure, but, the difference in weight, while easily noticeable, isn't an unwieldy amount as many people are suggesting.

It's just a form of buyer justification. People have different uses for both; both are great products; both are light products. People are going to want to justify their purchases or desires to purchase any way they can, that includes me also.

 

[ozbilge10]

My main thing is. It fits in one hand, and more importantly it fits in your pocket!

who the hell does that???

 

[ZBoater]

who the hell does that???

Is that an iPad in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

 

[StephenAndrew]

Is call the iPhone if I want sth to fit in my pockets on the go

Showing a portfolio of photographs to clients doesn't work well on an iPhone sized screen.

 

[mrgossett]

This is the reason why I'm at a dilemma. i prefer the size of the rMini and how the weight is distributed in a smaller footprint when holding with one hand compared to the taller and wider Air. But I think the bigger screen of the Air makes reading easier on the eyes and the overall experience better..

I had the first gen Mini and loved the lighter weight and easy handling. I had pretty definitely decided that I would get a retina Mini when they were released. However, when the smaller/lighter Air was released, I began to think about the downsides of the Mini for me. I subscribe to a few magazines that I download, and these have really tiny text on the Mini without zooming in all the time. Even if it's retina sharp, it's still just as tiny. I also love photography and enjoy looking at photos on my iPad as I travel. Photos will simply look better on the Air. Web surfing, clickable icons and links are easier on the Air. I finally decided that the .25 lb. weight advantage of the Mini just didn't make up for the downsides of the Mini for me and how I would use it, so I bought the Air, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I'm using it more than I ever used the Mini. And with the supposed color gamut difference on the Mini, I think I made the best choice for me. But others' usage and needs may be different.

 

[ZBoater]

This is the reason why I'm at a dilemma. i prefer the size of the rMini and how the weight is distributed in a smaller footprint when holding with one hand compared to the taller and wider Air. But I think the bigger screen of the Air makes reading easier on the eyes and the overall experience better..

I had the exact same dilemma. I'm trying both and can't still decide.

 

[rkuo]

"Unwieldy" is pretty subjective, don't you think? I'm not saying it shouldn't cumbersome at all, but for me, I have no problem holding the Air for lengthy periods of times. The new edge design, plus the drop in weight compared to the iPad 4 makes it pretty comfortable to hold, even one-handed.

When I owned the rMini, was it easier to hold? Sure, but, the difference in weight, while easily noticeable, isn't an unwieldy amount as many people are suggesting.

It's just a form of buyer justification. People have different uses for both; both are great products; both are light products. People are going to want to justify their purchases or desires to purchase any way they can, that includes me also.

Nah, there are real differences there. It's almost not so much the weight now as it is just the form factor. My girlfriend can hold the mini in one hand and tap it with the other. I can carry it in my jacket pocket. it's also just less obtrusive to use in public ... like the difference between whipping out a clipboard vs a paperback book. I travel a decent amount and run errands with her all the time, so these things make a big difference.

Sure, if my iPad sat on the coffee table all the time ... I'd probably get the iPad Air.

 

[Aetherhole]

Nah, there are real differences there. It's almost not so much the weight now as it is just the form factor. My girlfriend can hold the mini in one hand and tap it with the other. I can carry it in my jacket pocket. it's also just less obtrusive to use in public ... like the difference between whipping out a clipboard vs a paperback book. I travel a decent amount and run errands with her all the time, so these things make a big difference.

Sure, if my iPad sat on the coffee table all the time ... I'd probably get the iPad Air.

Again, it's subjective justification. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, though! Just as you are completely content taking your mini around with you everywhere, I have absolutely no problem carrying my Air (or even previous generations) with me everywhere. Just as you said your girlfriend can hold the mini with one hand and tap with the other, I have absolutely no problems doing that with the Air. Just like your girlfriend can toss it in her bag, I can toss it in my "murse" and have the very same portability.

The mini might be obtrusive in some ways, but I guarantee that you still will get the same amount of people looking your way if you busted out the iPad Mini versus the iPad Air. Both are, and aren't, obtrusive in their own way.

 

[rkuo]

Again, it's subjective justification. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, though! Just as you are completely content taking your mini around with you everywhere, I have absolutely no problem carrying my Air (or even previous generations) with me everywhere. Just as you said your girlfriend can hold the mini with one hand and tap with the other, I have absolutely no problems doing that with the Air. Just like your girlfriend can toss it in her bag, I can toss it in my "murse" and have the very same portability.

The mini might be obtrusive in some ways, but I guarantee that you still will get the same amount of people looking your way if you busted out the iPad Mini versus the iPad Air. Both are, and aren't, obtrusive in their own way.

Yes subjective in some ways, but coming down from the iPad 3 to the mini meant I started carrying the mini around a whole lot more. No way can I one hand an air, and I don't have a "murse" so only the ipad mini fits in my jacket.