Review: With the new Apple iPad Air, size now matters

Until now, size wasn't the deciding factor between the full-size Apple iPad Air and the iPad mini. There were marked differences between the two such as size, weight, speed and quality of display.

But the latest generation of tablets from Apple -- the iPad Air goes on sale this Friday, the Mini shortly thereafter -- are both best in class: same speed, same camera same ultrahigh definition Retina display. So when you're deciding between the two … size makes all the difference.

In my house, the kids are the real gadget testers. Since they take over any tablet or phone I bring home, we joined forces to put the new Air through the Morris Family paces for the last week.

In my house, the kids are the real gadget testers.

At 1 pound, the new iPad Air is impressively light, barely heavier than the iPad mini. My toddler can waddle around the house with it a lot more easily, and I can now use it in bed without worrying that it will smack me in the forehead if I doze off while reading Frank Miller’s "The Dark Knight Returns." Which has been known to happen with the previous generation iPad.

It’s hard to believe Apple managed to shave nearly a half-pound off last year’s fourth-generation iPad while still maintaining exceptional battery life, which in my all-day usage rarely dropped below 30 percent.

Battery life is an important feature in my house. My children like to play Wood Puzzles HD and then leave the game on for the music as background noise while they play. And I leave the house at 3:30 a.m. for FOX & Friends, iPad in tow, so I need it to last me all day. Like previous generations, the Air does just fine on this count.

Yet the Air is now a lot thinner -- 20 percent thinner than the previous generation, to be exact. It's great for travel in my own backpack, as well as in the diaper bag. You barely notice it’s there.

The Retina display does not fail to impress. I found it all the more impressive given my recent Lasik eye surgery. The screen resolution is crystal clear. Apple reduced the bezel around the sides to give the appearance of more "screen" even though the viewing area remains the same as last year’s iPad.