Don't get a Windows 8 Pro tablet. It doesn't work, especially if you need to use Windows programs, because those really need a mouse to use. MS Office is terrible using just a touchscreen. If all you are using are just the Modern UI apps, then you will be fine with the Surface RT.
Most people that buy an Air won't care about the RAM, they've been told it's all powerful and that's all that will matter. And by the sounds of the processor it is a bit of a beast, developers will spec to platform so while people won't see ultra high res textures or large open worlds, they should at least get speed and fancy shaders. But yes, it limits scope. Would I bother with it? Not likely. If I want power I'll just wait for a revision that brings something truly awe inspiring that I feel will last a couple of years, for now I'm happy with what I have and I'll put the money into a PS4, some games and a PSN subscription.
No, they won't care about the RAM because it doesn't matter. Certainly in terms of iOS gaming, as long as the overwhelming majority of mobile Apple devices are limited to a maximum of 1GB of memory (which will likely be until this time next year at the earliest), that's what developers will be working to, and the Air alone having 2GB of RAM wouldn't change that. Even if the Air did have 2GB, you still wouldn't be seeing massive console-equivalent or "open world" games that required that amount of memory (and thus an iPad Air) to function, because the playerbase of a costly Air-only game would be such a small subset of iOS users that the developers would actually lose less money by opening their windows and throwing the contents of their wallets at people in the street below instead of creating that game. The existing devices will already last you years, but you're never going to see a supercharged "future-proofed" iPad from Apple that is leaps and bounds ahead of the previous generation device and won't be superseded by another device the following year. It almost sounds as if you were expecting Apple to release something this year that could compete with the PS4, but that was never going to happen.
I think there's been a massive overreaction in this thread about the lack of a RAM upgrade. As others have pointed out, Apple's products work on a different scale. The geek tests don't agree with the spec numbers they're matched with. That's not to say that an extra gig of RAM couldn't be used (and there are certainly some documented cases of that necessity). The problem is, those cases are the vast minority at this point. For probably 99.9% of apps in total (not necessarily the ones "you" use), 1GB is going to be plenty. Granted, there are some developers who are pushing the limits, and sometimes exceeding them. They're the ones who will be held back, which is unfortunate. But for the overwhelming majority, the current RAM paired with the other components (mind you, components which exceed their predicted capabilities every single time when tested) is more than enough.
Well, I've just done something I may regret I planned on upgrading my ipad2 to an ipad4 but the shop I use only had 16gb and 32gb with cellular ipad 4's. A 16gb one is a no go for me and as I don't even own a mobile phone, I don't want to pay extra for a cellular ipad when I won't use that. So... I just ordered a 32gb wifi iPad Air!! It's arriving in 2-3 days and costing me a WHOPPING £599 (over $900) So yeah, now I'm thinking 'awesome!! A new ipad!!' But also thinking 'oh heck, it'll take me all year to pay for it. Haha! I just hope the retina screen update from an ipad2 is worth it
The above does not constitute an intelligent response, nor does it substitute for an intelligent response. I feel pretty safe in guaranteeing that you won't experience any buyer's remorse with your choice, and if you're moving from an iPad 2 to an Air, the difference in screen resolution (and the rest of the hardware) is going to be hugely noticeable. ^_^ You've mentioned before that you have trouble using the full-sized iPad with two hands because of a disability, so in that regard you'll probably also find the reduced size and weight to be a bonus the 4th-gen iPad wouldn't have provided.
Congratulations. Did you get it engraved? Apple offered free engraving when I ordered my second iPad 2 direct from them. iPadisWaitingForNovember21...
Hope you enjoy your air! I have to say the reduced weight is my number one improvement over the 4. The speed and everything is secondary. And once you go retina when you look back to the ipad 2 you're going to say what is this pixelated mess?
Can someone give me a sort of like real life equivalent object that weighs 1 pound? So I can get an understanding of how light the Air is. I'm not going to apple store or anywhere this weekend.
One pound is 453.59 grams; the iPad Air weighs 469g. A standard block of butter in the US is one pound (often divided into four sticks), while here in NZ it is 500g, which is actually heavier than the iPad Air. Basically, if you can imagine holding a block of butter (or can grab one from the fridge), you'll have a rough idea of the weight of the iPad Air. ^_-
Just drop by the supermarket and hold a bar of butter. By the way, weight itself might not be a good indicator here as how the iPad Air balances on your hands, depending on how you intend to hold it can also affect how heavy it feels.
That's dealt with easily enough: take a block of butter, smush it, mould it to the dimensions of an iPad Air, then stick it in the freezer. Voila, butterPad Air.
Lol, yea I'll do that tomorrow go to local shop. So how much does the mini weigh? Half block of butter?
The Retina mini weighs 331g or 0.73 pounds, so a mere 138g or 0.27 pounds lighter than the Air. For comparison, the 4th-gen iPad weighs 652g, or 1.44 pounds, so there's quite a difference there.
Yup, my dad who never used a tablet before was commenting on how the 4 felt quite a bit heavier than the air. Anyways weight aside, game performance has gone up across the board as expected. In riptide gp2 the frame rates used to stutter and felt like I was racing in sub 30 fps with everything turned on. Now it feels more like 40-50fps.
Poachin' comparison screenshots an iPad mini (both Retina and non-Retina versions have the same height and width) on top of an iPad Air:
