Which ipad should I buy for my 10 year-old son?

[iMore Question]

My son earned an ipad but I do not know what makes sense to buy. I do not want to pay for monthly service. It should be used at home or at school for fun and for accessing school work. I don't want anything too big either - should be able to fit in a backpack and easily handled by a 10 year old. We are not big gamers and watch movies occasionally. Thank you.

 

[perttime]

Any iPad should fit nicely in a backpack. They are flat, after all. iPad Mini is a really handy size - but perhaps a little on the small size for really easy use, even for a 10 year old. The few inches more of a full size iPad make a big difference in "keyboard" size.

I'd avoid iPad 1 just because there's an increasing number of apps that require operating systems that cannot be installed on them. The screen resolution of iPad 3 and 4 is much easier on the eyes than what the earlier versions have.