The bottom line is, the 2012 melt season was stunning even in comparison to 2007. And 2007 was itself stunning in relation to the earlier melt seasons.
And folks, the ice *area* is not the most important thing, but the *volume* of ice is the most important. The area now is made up largely by very thin and fragile ice, and when the ice melts it has large effects in things like salinity - so it refreezes at higher temperatures than previously. But thin and fragile ice is prone to being broken up and broken ice tends to melt faster.
The volume of ice is ONE FIFTH of what it was in 1985:
(click on image for link)