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Comment by memossy | Hacker News Reader

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memossy·

Kindle HDX 8.9" a similar size, but 0.82 lbs (20% lighter)

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The display area is significantly smaller in Kindle. Try to calculate. I get 45 sq in for iPad, 36 sq in for Kindle.

But that's hardly revolutionary, given that the HDX is ~20% smaller.

I'm impressed that Apple got the weight down to 1lb, but shrinking the size of a consumer electronics device is par for the course, not really something that I would consider "revolutionary."

Yeah, and my Hyundai Santa Fe is 20% larger than a Honda Civic, which clearly makes it better.

And if anyone had said the Kindle was better, this snark would be relevant. But this is clearly a discussion of tablets' weight and whether the iPad Air's weight is a significant advance.

The weight does not exist in a vacuum. It has to be evaluated in light of not just the other specs, but also the user experience.

Think about this: if the Honda Civic was upgraded to be able to do everything my SUV can, including towing, off-roading, cargo capacity, and overall comfort, but its size AND price stayed the same, would that not be considered revolutionary?

I guess that is a reasonable argument, but it was not at all what I got from your original post. Obviously all the features must be considered in concert under the umbrella of "user experience" but that is also nearly impossible to discuss as everyone's experience is personal and difficult to express. I don't think the iPad shaving off 200g is anywhere near upgrading a Civic to be able to do everything my SUV can for the same price and size, but I can see someone thinking that.

Weight clearly exists in a vacuum. Weight doesn't exist without gravity, because weight is mass times 9.8 m/s^2.

Signed, Physics pedant.

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