Why I’ve switched to the iPad Air from the iPad Mini

It was almost a year ago that I made the switch to the iPad Mini. I did that for the following reasons:

• It was perfect for the middle seat on an airplane (i.e. for crowded situations). And I was traveling. A lot.
• The non-retina screen didn’t bother me as much as I thought.
• Typing was better than on the bigger iPad (in portrait).
• Battery life was great.
• It was better for reading due to the handy size and weight.

However this weekend I changed to the iPad Air and I realized that there are significant reasons why I made this change.

1. I’ve started using a larger phone. My Samsung S4 has a significantly larger screen than the iPhone that I was using back when I switched to the Mini. Because of this the Mini feels redundant at times. I LOVE reading books on the S4, for instance. So having two screens that close in size no longer made as much sense to me.

2. The iPad Air is significantly thinner and lighter than the previous iPad. Not quite as light and thin as the Mini, but it’s getting close and holding the Air to read is a much more pleasant experience.

3. I’m gaming more (one of the fun side benefits of starting a mobile gaming studio) and most of the time the Mini is substantial enough but not always.

4. I can once again try to use my iPad as a laptop replacement. I won’t do this often but I like the ability to do that. At my previous company I was constantly having to use programs like Word, Powerpoint and Keynote, which are next to impossible to effectively use on an iPad. However, at Dragon Army, we’re all Google apps and I rarely have to create a presentation or a document these days. I’m going to take moment and just appreciate that new change :)

5. I almost never have to travel anymore! That’s been one of the bigger changes going from Engauge to Dragon Army, actually. So I don’t need a tablet that will be easy to use when on a cramped airplane. Now when I travel I’ll be hoping to bring the iPad Air and a bluetooth keyboard and that’s it.

What about you? Getting either the iPad Mini or iPad Air?