Apple Event on 23 October 2012 Could Announce Smaller iPad
As we approach the last few months of the year, the holiday season looms large — not just because decorations start to appear early in stores, but because companies like Apple need to release the products they hope people will buy in vast quantities as gifts. Unlike last year, where the iPhone was the last push for the calendar, Apple is following up the iPhone 5 release with a media event on Tuesday, 23 October 2012, where a smaller “iPad mini” is expected to be announced.
We don’t focus on rumors at TidBITS, but the murmurs of a new iPad model have been hard to miss over the past several weeks. My guess is that we’ll see a 7-inch or 8-inch iPad that’s designed to compete with devices such as Amazon’s Kindle models and most Android tablets, emphasizing a lightweight design and Apple’s app and media ecosystem. Other rumors also suggest revisions to the Mac mini and possibly the introduction of a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display.
We’ll know for sure on Tuesday. I’m flying down for the event and will offer hands-on impressions, while the rest of the TidBITS staff will follow various liveblogs and write up the news as it happens.
Ready to buy it. It will be hot
I think that the iPad Mini, if it comes out, will be absolutely fantastic for vertical markets including retail - these would be much less of a block between sales person and customer than the current iPads. Will be big for Apple in the Enterprise space as well. Just hope that the price is low enough so that it's a no-brainer to get one for every family member!!
Maybe Apple will FINALLY release iTunes 11. After all, there are only 8 days left in October.
They didn't. But they DID kill the iPad 3 after only 6 months and release an iPad 4
Why are people angry that they bought a perfectly good device that continues to function as promised when it was purchased?
I think it is the short time frame; you should read all the invective up on Apple Discussions. It'll be interesting if the iPad 5 is released in the Spring of 2013.
Kinda reminds me of the uproar when something similar happened to a Macintosh II model.