Rumors about a smaller iPad have been popping up on the internet since 2010, the year that Apple's tablet was released. No one has yet managed to prove its existence, despite several publications on the subject. But, regardless of whether this story is true or not, John Gruber, of Daring Fireball, expressed his views on the design of a smaller iPad.
Mockup from the “iPad mini”, left.
According to Gruber, most journalists have been imagining a smaller iPad the wrong way. John believes that it will not be a reduced iPad 2, but more like a fermented iPod touch. He explains: each Apple device has its own proportions. The iPad, for example, has margins that follow the proportions of the screen; j iPod touch (and iPhone) have vertical margins that are much larger than horizontal, and this is due to the way we use each device.
An “iPad mini” would only make sense if it could be held comfortably with just one hand (from the back, as we do with iPhones / iPods touch), while the other interacts with the screen. The margin would not need to be as large as on the 9.7 ″ iPad, which “necessarily” needs.
So, Gruber puts his chips on an iPad the size of Google's Nexus 7, only 200x135mm. So, at the same size as its biggest competitor, the “iPad mini” would have even more advantage, since it should come with a 7.85 ″ screen.
And in the battle between seven-inch tablets, weight and thickness are key elements. Gruber bet on an iPad with only 265g and 7.2mm thickness of iPod touch! If the “iPad mini” really comes to the fray, its bigger screen (than other 7 ″ tablets), equal size and smaller weight will attract many consumers, taking the market share from Samsung and Google.
(via MacRumors)
