• Where iPad Mini wins… according to Michael
• Where iPad Mini wins… According to Augusto:
• Where the ‘big’ iPad wins… according to Michael:
• Where the ‘big’ iPad wins… according to Augusto:
• Michael’s verdict: it depends but I take the big one.
• Augusto’s verdict: I prefer the Mini
• The Final Verdict:

We started working #iPadOnly before the iPad Mini was introduced. Now that some time has passed since the iPad Mini introduction, people constantly ask us whether they should choose the ‘big’ iPad or the ‘Mini’. In Michael’s household there are two iPads - the big one (Michael’s) and the Mini (Michael’s wife). In Augusto’s case there were two big ones, but in the process of writing this book he now has 1 big and 2 Minis. (It is actually Michael’s fault that the iPad situation changed in Augusto’s household).

Michael bought the iPad Mini just to test the Nozbe’s iPad application on the smaller screen. When his wife saw the Mini, she took it and asked Michael to configure it for her. She downloaded her favorite apps and completely ditched her touch-capable Kindle. Then, she asked for a pretty red cover. She loves the Mini! It travels with her to the same places her Kindle traveled. It fits in most of her purses and she literally takes it everywhere she goes. She uses the Kindle app, plays Solitaire, checks email, browses the web… and does everything she was able to do on the regular iPad.

After Augusto’s wife heard that story, the first iPad Mini arrived at their home to replace her trusty iPad 2. Augusto wanted to see if an iPad Mini could replace his big one but his wife wouldn’t give it back to him so he decided to get a Mini for himself… and at the end of the chapter you’ll learn what he thinks about it.

Where iPad Mini wins… according to Michael

”The iPad Mini has a cool form-factor and is a bit differently designed than its big brother. It weighs half of what the big one weighs and is significantly smaller (close to 8 inch vs. more than 10 inches). Because it’s so much lighter and just a little smaller, it’s definitely more portable than the big one. It still doesn’t fit the usual men’s jacket pocket but its size resembles that of a traditional book. This is why my wife loves her Mini so much. She loves the small form factor and its pretty look. Her Kindle is collecting dust somewhere in our house. My mentor and friend, Michael Hyatt, also swears by his Mini. He takes notes on it, reads on it, and carries it everywhere. He ditched the big iPad; it was too big for him, too clumsy. He simply loves his Mini. One thing to note here though is that iPad Air improved the “big” iPad’s situation significantly. The iPad Air weights only 50% more than the Mini which makes the Air a lot more compelling choice nowadays.”

Where iPad Mini wins… According to Augusto:

“It is not the cool form-factor but the weight. I remember when the iPad 2 came onto the market it was 2.72 ounces lighter (77.11 grams) than the original. The difference wasn’t big in numbers but it feels huge when you carry both devices. Lighter will be always be more portable. When we got our first Mini, the idea was that we were both going to test it before we made a decision. In the few opportunities that I have been able to grab it, and enjoy the difference of the weight, I really liked it. So much so, that I went ahead and got one for myself. To date, I have been using it as my main iPad. The small screen doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. The iPad Mini became my main machine. Even a year later, when I was hesitating between an iPad Mini with Retina display vs iPad Air, I went with the Mini. I just love its form factor so much.”

Where the ‘big’ iPad wins… according to Michael:

“The screen - it’s just bigger and better. Now that both iPads have a ‘Retina screen’ and the new Mini is powered by the same processor as the big iPad, the difference is not that significant. However, the sheer screen real estate of the bigger iPad is more comfortable for me. The iPad Mini has the same resolution as the big one, but everything is just bigger on the iPad Air. Again, not a deal breaker for a casual browser but for an #iPadOnly guy like me, it makes all the difference in the world. Especially for the apps that require note-taking, sketching, diagraming, mind-mapping and drawing. Bigger is just better.

The recent update of the iPad line to the iPad Air even makes my case stronger as the new big iPad is just so much lighter and smaller, while still maintaining the same screen real estate.”

Where the ‘big’ iPad wins… according to Augusto:

”Typing on the screen. I can type fast on the screen of the iPad thanks to an app called TapTyping. That allowed me to use the iPad without the external keyboard and to increase my productivity. On the iPad Mini’s screen the keyboard is just smaller and I at the beginning I couldn’t type as fast. Now that I improved with practice, I don’t type a lot slower on the Mini, but without a doubt it is one area where the bigger iPad wins.

After a year with the iPad Mini, I continue to believe that real estate is an important factor, but weight and portability are more important to me.”

Michael’s verdict: it depends but I take the big one.

“I’d say as a secondary device I’d go with the Mini. My wife works on a regular PC at work, on a MacBook Air at home and uses the Mini as a content-consumption device. As a primary device for #iPadOnly work I’d go with the original iPad - the big one (now called the iPad Air). To me cutting my screen real estate from 13 inches on the MacBook Air to 10 inches on the iPad was already a big deal… and as I work 8-10 hours a day on the iPad, I prefer the big screen of the big iPad.”

Augusto’s verdict: I prefer the Mini

“Before I got the iPad Mini, my answer was the “big” iPad. However after only a week of testing the Mini I started to change my mind. Now, after more than a year, I’m sold. My original plan was to have the “big” iPad as the main machine and the iPad Mini as a secondary device but the roles are reversed now. I use the Mini as my main #iPadOnly computer and I love its reduced size and weight.”

The Final Verdict:

The decision as you see comes to weight vs. screen size. From a capability point of view both machines will do the job. In the end it will depend on what you think it is more important to you.