I am looking to purchase a new iPad for me since I may want to give my older iPad3 as a Christmas gift.  I'm looking at new iPad Air and iPad Mini.  I don't use the iPad often - mostly only for testing FMGo and accessing my Developer files or quick responses on the forums.  I have an Apple wireless keyboard so the keyboard size on the iPad doesn't matter to me (not that I've used the keyboard much anyway).

 

What matters is testing and designing for the iPad.  Does it matter which I purchase?  Recommendations appreciated.  :-)

I'm not a fan of the Mini screen size especially for displaying FileMaker layout which can be large and complex. On the other hand, I'm typing on an iPad 1 which won't go beyond FMGo 12. Go figure.

I agree on the mini screen size. OTOH if you are developing for Go and expect users to be using a mini, it would be a good idea to have one so you can size to suit.

We have no apple store close for me to test compare them.  Here are the display spec comparisons:

 

Diagonal

Air Retina:  9.7 inch

Mini Retina: 7.9 inch

 

Resolution

Air:  2048-by-1536 at 264 pixels per inch

Mini:  2048-by-1536 at 326 pixels per inch

 

 

From that, I couldn't tell if the resulting FMGo layout size would fit the same for Air or even iPad3.  With more pixels per inch, it sounded like the size of the image would decrease so it all still displays the same or whether I'll have to test for the version and design layouts for each like we do iPhone.

 

Thank you both so much!  :-)

Yes, it all displays the same. But (1) can you and your users still read it all and (2) can they accurately tap the physically tinier buttons and menus. Perhaps some of your users have older eyes and fatter clumsier fingers than your youthful self. I really have a problem with the Safari browser for instance, clicking the drop down menu choices on the mini but no problem at all on my iPad Air.

Other stores have display models. If you have a Best Buy (Costco too I think)? You can buy one and try it out, they have a 30 day return policy. However, I’ll bet you won’t because you will fall in love with it.

Ah Bruce!  That puts everything in proper perspective!  

 

Good to know Lee!! Why did I think new Apple products must be purchased from Apple?  Rockin!!!  :-)

so the bottomline for the oldman getting his first iPad device for deveoping

..for its larger screen   bigger is better

     ...and my poor eye site,

     ...  and fatter fingers

 

  .. is not the mini

 

I thought air meant gps... really means thin and lite

 

Connectivity 

GPS option  or Wifi the default

gps model cost some more,

and add another $15 bucks/month to  my AT&T carrier

Not exactly.

 

I guess you could call the model with cell network connection the GPS model; because the WiFi-only model doesn't have that.

But Apple calls it the WiFi + Cellular model.

 

Also note that the cellular model is month to month billing; and you do not need to sign up for a plan immediately.

If at some point, you want to connect to the internet (or remotely connect to your FileMaker files) then, if you have purchased the Cellular model, you can "turn on" the network plan and connect.

In the rare cases that wifi is not available, I just use my iPhone as a hotspot.