Apple's iPad Air is its fastest, thinnest and lightest 9.7-inch tablet yet. Picture: AP Photo. Source: AP
HOW do you review a product which distinguishes itself as "faster, lighter and thinner"?
The obvious thing is to begin by agreeing.
Whatever you think about whether Apple has displayed enough innovation in the evolution of the iPad range, this latest version undeniably meets all three claims.
With an A7 chip, it is clearly faster, something that is particularly noticeable if you're part of the nearly 40 per cent of iOS tablet owners who are still using an iPad 2.
One of the advantages that Apple has over its competitors in the tablet world is the high percentage of people who upgrade their operating system.
The flip side of that is the operating system and apps you can use on your iPad Air is the same iOS 7 operating system and apps you can use on the previous generations of Apple tablet.
It's hard to argue that the iPad Air lets you do more things with your Apple tablet although it's reasonable to argue you can do the same things faster, particularly when it comes to processing graphics.
Let's go from the subject of speed to that of size. The iPad Air is nearly 30 per cent lighter than the iPad 2 and 38 per cent lighter than the iPad 4.
Some of that weight saving comes in the 1.2mm Apple has shaved off when you compare the iPad Air to the previous generation iPad 4.
But a lot of it comes from the 16.2mm lost in reducing the bezel, or border, around the screen.
You probably have never picked up an iPad and cursed it for being such a heavy beast. If you have, then you really need to work out more.
But although its predecessors were never unmanageable, there are clear advantages with a tablet that is lighter and thinner and more comfortable to hold one handed.
If you use your iPad as your ebook reader, then you particularly will appreciate the lighter weight and the savings in width.
Other improvements in the new design are things you may not notice, particularly if you're comparing it with the iPad 3 or iPad 4 which have the Retina screen.
There are two microphones which will make your voice clearer when you make FaceTime or Skype calls or chat with Siri and two antennas which should boost your wi-fi reception.
One downside to the new iPad Air is that your favourite cover from your old iPad won't fit. If you really like using your 3rd party keyboard from the likes of Belkin or Logitech, then you can look forward to buying a new one to use with your iPad Air.
You can almost count the days I haven't taken a picture on my iPhone in the past three years probably on one hand. You can also count on one hand the number of days I've felt compelled to take a picture with an iPad.
Tablet photography, let's be honest, is for those people who don't know any better.
But if you feel compelled to use a 9.7-inch device as a camera, you might be disappointed that the camera in the iPad Air isn't a match for the one in the latest iPhone.
The iPad Air camera has a 5 megapixel, compared with the 8 megapixel camera that has been in the iPhone since the iPhone 5. The camera in the iPad Air also does not have the cool burst option or the slow-mo video features of the iPhone 5S.
Another area where the iPad Air suffers in comparison with the iPhone 5S is that the tablet does not have a fingerprint scanner built into the home button, a feature you would presume will be a given for the next version of the tablet.
We demand changes in each generation of our gadgets but there is a pain for every gain. The new shape means you'll need to buy a new cover or clip-on keyboard if you're into that sort of thing.
If you're looking for a 9.7-inch tablet from Apple, what you can currently buy is either the iPad 2 or the iPad Air, with the third and fourth generation tablets now dropped from the range.
One of the reasons must be the lack of features that distinguish the most recent generations.
When you look at the two iPads you can currently buy, the decision is easy. Forget about the iPad 2 and get yourself an iPad Air. The faster chip, better resolution screen and smaller size gives it a clear advantage, particularly when the price difference is $149.
But that is not the decision that you might be making.
The iPad Air is clearly the best iPad yet, but the things that make it so good are unlikely to be enough to make someone with an iPad 4 rush out and upgrade.
iPad Air
Apple, $598-$1049
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