[programminggeek]

"The iPad Air is the most significant upgrade to the 9.7-inch iPad in its history." I would actually say the iPad to iPad 2 transition was a bigger jump, but maybe just because it's so easy to forget how much bigger and bulkier the original iPad was.

The iPad came out what 3 and a half years ago and it's faster, lighter, better resolution, and has gone from a "who would ever buy that" to one of the most popular computers in the world. It has completely upended PC sales and forced a radically different Windows experience on millions of users (for better or worse).

In all honesty, what is most remarkable about Apple is that they can take a industry leading (or defining) product like the iPad and make pretty significant improvements every year or two like clockwork and have those changes not just be superficial, but meaningful changes that make a difference to the end user.

[product50]

Have you tried/used the iPad Air? How can you pass a judgment on something based on reviews when the reviewer himself is asserting something opposite to you?

[Groxx]

How can you pass judgement on anything you haven't experienced yourself?

[uptown]

"How can you pass judgement on anything you haven't experienced yourself?"

People do this all the time. Have you no opinions on rape, child abuse, or murder? I realize judging a physical device is different than moral, ethical and legal issues - but people will have varying levels of experience on almost everything in this world - and the person with the most experience isn't always the most-qualified to pass judgement.

[Groxx]

That's my (apparently missed / poorly made) point, in broadening what they did to literally everything in life. People pass judgement by collecting info from multiple sources, from related things they've done, etc. So calling someone out for doing so without having experienced something is pretty naive / willfully ignorant of how they live their life.

Absolutely, argue, you might inform them of something new and swing their decision. But dismissing their opinion entirely is wrong in many ways.

[Tyrannosaurs]

Do you able to venture an opinion on whether it would be enjoyable or not to have your testicles slammed in the door of a car?

You can question the validity of the opinion but we all extrapolate on what we do know and fill the gaps in with views and information borrowed from others and reasonable assumptions.

[baddox]

Interesting. I would argue that the 3rd generation iPad is the biggest jump, simply because of the Retina display. All good arguments.

[wozniacki]

I would actually say the iPad to iPad 2 transition was a bigger jump, but maybe just because it's so easy to forget how much bigger and bulkier the original iPad was.

Are you trolling or are you simply a moron?

The dimensions and weight comparison table ( right smack on the first page [1] ) shows the iPad Air is a good 181 grams lighter than the previous version, the iPad 4.

The second generation iPad at 601 grams is only lighter by 79 grams over the first generation, which stood at 680 grams.

[1] http://i.imgur.com/J0XIVAX.jpg

[swombat]

Are you trolling or are you simply a moron?

If you don't learn to make your point in a more civilised manner, you'll end up hellbanned...

[Alterlife]

The perceived 'bulkiness' is more than just weight. Drawing from your own link, the original iPad is 13.4 mm thich, the iPad 2 is 8.8 mm.

If I remember right the original iPad 1 had no front camera (or was it no cameras at all?).

To me that's a huge upgrade.

[cmiles74]

The original iPad (1) had no camera at all.

[wozniacki]

Wrong again.

Considering only the dimensions, the second generation iPad managed a meager trimmings of 4 mm, 2 mm and 4.6 mm in length, width and thickness for a total of 10.6 mm.

That pales in comparison to a total of 18.9 mm in combined length + width + thickness savings, in the current iPad Air.

So your elusive measure of "perceived bulkiness" falls short of explaining how iPad Air is not the greatest leap in terms of portability over its previous version, over all of the other deltas of iPad generations.

[qq66]

The "combined length+width+height" metric you've invented is highly dubious. A 1mm reduction in a dimension means much more if it's the shortest dimension than if it's the longest.

[dmgd]

both manners and the concept of "volume" seem to have escaped you.

using figured from ohwp's response above:

  iPad    : 6186 cm3
  iPad 2  : 3944 cm3 = saving of 2242cm3
  iPad 3  : 4213 cm3
  iPad 4  : 4213 cm3
  iPad Air: 3060 cm3 = saving of 884cm3 (vs smallest other iPad, the iPad 2)

[pygy_]

In both cases a diminution of ~30% (35 and 27, respectively).