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After almost four years at the top, some would argue that change was long overdue. Since the original iPad launched and single-handedly kickstarted the tablet revolution in 2010, the device has grown in technological stature but remained fairly constant as far as physical form is concerned. The fifth generation model - blessed with the "Air" suffix - marks something of a departure from what has gone before, looking more akin to its smaller sibling, the iPad mini. This is the lightest large-screen tablet device on the market right now, and you'd be surprised at how much of a difference that makes during regular usage.Indeed, it's the iPad Air's outer design that has more of an initial impact than the state of the art silicon that lies within. It's much thinner than the fourth generation model, and noticeably lighter too. The bezel that surrounds the screen has drastically changed; when held in portrait, the spaces at the top and bottom of the screen are much larger than those on either side. This might lead you to assume that fingers are more likely to creep onto the display when holding these reduced edges, but that isn't the case. By shaving excess space from the sides, Apple has fashioned a slate that feels more compact without reducing the screen size.
At just 7.5mm thick, the Air is the thinnest 9.7-inch iPad yet. This - combined with the reduced width when held in portrait - means that Apple has delivered the Holy Grail of this particular sector of consumer electronics: a large tablet which is comfortable to hold in one hand. You could argue that this is something of a first for a device of this size; certainly, supporting previous iPads with a single arm placed a considerable strain on the wrist. Smaller tablets - such as the aforementioned iPad mini and Google Nexus 7 - are traditionally favoured when it comes to single-handed operation, but Apple has finally managed to bring the same quality to a tablet with a big, roomy screen.
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