Apple unveils iPod mini

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APPLE has today surprised everybody by launching not only a new smaller version of its iPad, but a replacement for its third generation iPad launched earlier this year.

At an event held at the California Theatre in San Jose, Apple boss Tim Cook and senior vice president Phil Schiller also announced a new high definition resolution or retina display, 13-inch MacBook Pro, new 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs and an updated Mac Mini boxes.

The busy schedule of releases also includes software updates such as a new books application with continuous scrolling and new book authoring software designed for education use.

The star of the show was the iPad Mini, a 7.9-inch shrunken down version of Apple's famous iPad. At the launch Tim Cook announced that Apple had sold its 100 millionth iPad.

Apple stressed that the iPad Mini was a concentrated rather than reduced version of the larger iPad with the same 1024x768 screen resolution. Applications would appear exactly as they do on the larger iPad and not as blown up smartphone apps. Mr Schiller was keen to compare the difference in how apps displayed on the iPad Mini compared to other 7-inch displays in the market.


"This is iPad mini," Mr Schiller said as he displayed the new iPad at an Apple event in San Jose.

"This isn't just a shrunken down iPad," Mr Schiller said. "It is an entirely new design."

The iPad Mini features a dual core A5 chip, a 720p HD camera for video conferencing, is 7.2mm thick and weighs 300 grams. Importantly, cellular versions will be compatible with Australia's 4G LTE networks operated by Telstra and Optus.

Few however had predicted that Apple's third-generation iPad called the new iPad would be superceded in the same year as its launch, but Apple today announced a "4th generation iPad" that again would offer 4G LTE compatibility with a raft of 4th generation networks around the world, including Australia's.

Apple faced litigation in Australia when it released the 3rd generation iPad claiming the cellular version was "4G compatible" when it wasn't so in Australia. This newest iPad closes the argument on this.

But that wasn't the end of the event.

Apple also announced two new ultra-thin iMacs with 21.5-inch and 27-inch screens, that are 5mm thick - around 80 per cent thinner than current iMac models in the market.

Two new version of Apple's small 'computer in a box', the Mac Mini, were also showcased, one of which has a high capacity quad core processor and is designed for server use.

And Apple announced a new Fusion drive - an amalgam of flash memory and a regular hard disk drive. Its Mountain Lion operating system has the capacity to treat the two forms as a single drive. It stores the operating system on the Flash portion of the drive which operates around three times the speed of a regular HD. Programs and files used regularly also are stored in the faster flash portion of the fusion drive.

In Australia the WiFi version of the iPad Mini will go on sale on November 2 and will cost from $369 for the 16 gigabyte model. The 32 and 64 GB models will cost $479 and $589 respectively.

Cellular network models will be available "a couple of weeks" later and will cost $509, $619 and $729 for models with 16, 32 and 64 GB of storage respectively.

Cellular version of the 4th generation iPad meanwhile will cost $679, $789 and $899 for 16, 32 and 64 GB models respectively.

The iPad2 meanwhile is being discounted and will cost $429 and $529 for WiFi only and cellular 16GB versions.

Apple's decision to release a smaller version of the iPad had been prompted by the success of competitors such as Amazon and Google who have made the 7-inch form factor popular with devices such as the Amazon Kindle, which is sold in the US, and Google's Nexus 7 tablet computer.

It is the first time in the era of the iPhone and iPad that Apple has been forced to react to market pressures created by its competitors.

"What we're seeing is Apple wanting to differentiate themselves with that size - between a smartphone and a tablet," Telstye market analyst Foad Fadaghi said.

"The seven inch form factor is gaining in popularity a lot. With a smaller form factor people are interested in using it for reading e-books. It's a little easier to hold," he said.

While a 7.9-inch iPad may not fit in a pocket, it would fit in a handbag and in the current, tighter economic conditions, a cheaper iPad would be popular.

"They (Apple) had left that slot for competitors to fill. This is just as much about closing that gap. It's a reactive move by Apple."