This NOT a iPad gaming vs Vita gaming or which is better for games comparison. I am showing the comparison as further support for my argument on why Vita should have been a smarthone.

Please read the text below the table for better understanding.

Take a real good look at those differences. The new iPad is releasing a mere couple of months after Sony's premier handheld and its pretty much at par with every spec if not better in some areas. Overall the only real difference in relation to gaming is iPad's lack of controls and its $200 higher price tag. However, given its far wider mass appeal and capabilities, people will spend the money on it FAR more than they will on the Vita.

Now, taking this into consideration. My THREAD ON VITA SHOULD BE A SMARTPHONE makes a lot more sense doesn't it?

Think about it. Vita with FULL smartphone/tablet capabilites also running Android with its apps AND the even better pricing due to carrier contracts or same price off contract... it would be flying off shelves right now and selling for a profit without any accessories. Hell, they could have built in 16GB of storage and used regular SD cards for expansion as security could be handled on the units storage.

Sony fucked up and only the 3DS will be long-term success this time around due to far cheaper price and Nintendo software.

iPad because you can do 1000x more on it for 2x the price!

Probably PS Vita. I expect it to crumble a few months after release like the 3DS. The PS Vita would be good for around... $100?

Without a good control scheme and without a decent game library it still cannot be considered a proper competitor to a dedicated gaming device.

In the ipad's defense I spent way more time in Jetpack than in all my PSP games combined... and I've owned the PSP on and off since it was released 

Plus it has Minecraft 

I fully agree and I'm not saying it really is .... to core gamers. However, Sony is a company and as a company they should strive for mass market appeal while maintianing core customers. Following my flexible definition in the thread I linked in the OP, Sony could have put out a great phone/media device with real controls and satified both demands. I know I would have gotten on whereas now I have no interest.

Vita never really felt like it was aimed at the mass market, nor did the PSP.

Won't the iPad not be optimized for game playing though? I thought even though the specs are almost as good as Vita, that it's actual ability would show a definite difference, since all of Vita's horsepower is focused on one thing, games.

I don't think so rol.

4.5" and 5" phones are selling like crazy.

Gamers who are buying Vita now would still buy the phone or wifi only model Vita of my design by at least 90%.

Then you add to it all those like me who don't want to carry a 2nd device beyond our phones and you'll snag nearlly all of us.

Hell, the gimped Sony Play sold pretty decently and that thing has no game library.

I don't think casuals really care about hardware capabilities, look at the Wii. Price, games, and features (not necessarily dependent upon hardware) are what's important.