The iPad Mini vs. the iPad Biggie

There's trouble in Pixeltown.

The reviewers, non-reviewers, and Mac pundits are embroiled in an intense debate: is the Apple iPad Mini better than the regular Apple iPad?

The iPad Mini is a perfect form-factor, they all agree. The iPad Biggie, the larger version with the retina display, is the perfect screen resolution. But is it better to wait for the Mini to get the screen of the Biggie? That, dear reader, is the question.

It's O.K. Take a deep breath, we'll get through this together.

Dave Winer, who has been covering the tech business since before devices began with the letter “i,” argued on Gizmodo that the Apple Mini is a failure - a travesty, if you will. He thinks that the screen, with its low resolution pixel density, signifies one thing: Apple's decline.

“I believe it's not only not a winner, but it signals a new Apple that's no longer beyond compare,” Mr. Winer wrote.

But others disagree. (Go figure.)

John Gruber , the author of the Apple blog Daring Fireball, unsurprisingly loves his iPad Mini more than chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles on top.

“I completely stand behind mine, and still have barely even used the iPad 4 I have on loan from Apple,” Mr. Gruber wrote. “In the meantime, we have to choose: big iPad with sharp retina display, or small iPad with a fuzzy one. I've gone small and fuzzy.”

So what do mere mortals decide in a debate worthy of Revenge of the Nerds?

I've used them both and I have to say, the iPad Mini, although fuzzier than the retina display variety, is incomparable to the larger iPad. Picking them both up together feels like picking up a feather and a dumbbell. And as any geek who hasn't been to the gym in a while knows, lighter is usually better.

I never felt like the original iPad was a portable device. Its size was too close to the Macbook Air to be different. Frankly, it was just too heavy to tote around.

The iPad Mi ni, which now fits in my jacket pockets, is the perfect size. Sure, it doesn't have a screen that allows me to zoom into see a grain of sand, or a pimple, but the weight and shape instantly negate that. 

I've gone warm and fuzzy, too.