I got to spend 20 minutes with an iPad Air today in the Apple Store. Wow. The reduced weight and sleeker form factor really make the iPad Air feel as if it is in a different class than the prior generation large iPad. The comparison between the iPad Air and the iPad mini, in terms of size and weight, is now a lot closer than it was with the prior generation hardware. Where before I was absolutely ready to upgrade to the mini and small screen size for the significantly reduced weight, now that I’ve driven an iPad Air, the call is much tougher. The iPad Air isn’t that much heavier and isn’t that much bigger.

The mini still isn’t small enough to fit in my pocket so if I bring an iPad with me (mini or Air), I’ll need a bag. Where it was clear to me before that I’d certainly want a mini, now I’m not so sure. I’m almost leaning toward the iPad Air. I don’t think I’m alone on this. I raised the question today on Twitter and was suprised to find how many people said they’d chosen the Air over the mini. I’ll probably wait until after the retina iPad mini releases to decide.

Either way, I’d love to see what the sales numbers are for the split between the iPad mini and iPad Air after the holidays. After seeing how far they’ve come with the iPad Air, I think the numbers for relative sales are going to be a lot closer than I originally thought.