I ask because I found the standard sized Ipad to be slightly heavy for bedtime and commute reading, whereas the small Ipad (no retina) was more pleasant experience.
I would really love a Retina quality smaller sized Ipad as long as it maintains battery life quality but considering just going Kindle for day to day and full sized Ipad as textbook / video replacement.
You would think the quality of the product already would accommodate a remote scenario, it's a really worthwhile addition even for casual consumers who do not actively participate in discussion.