iPad Size Vs. Utility

Federico has an interesting dialog with himself about the ridiculousness of prescribing utility based on screen size of the iPad Mini versus the iPad Air.

Judging the “creation” capabilities of the iPad by its screen size misses the point. The iPad mini is a great device for content creation – in fact, I’d argue that because of its smaller screen, lighter body, and higher portability, the iPad mini can be better than the full-size iPad Air for work and productivity tasks. And, because of the larger screen, I could argue that the iPad Air is more suited for activities that benefit from a larger viewing area, such as playing games, watching movies, or browsing photos.

My informal and unscientific poll of some crazy smart people indicates that many fanatical iPad Mini owners will be switching to the iPad Air. Previously, the most commonly cited reason for using the iPad Mini was “size.” But if you dig a little, it turns out “size” almost always meant “weight.” With comparable weights between the two devices most still prefer a larger screen.

Even with those few, potentially meaningless, data points, I’m still struck by one thought. Before tablets, no one really thought size was a limitation. I bet these chaps never thought their page size was a limitation.