The rumours about the iPad mini (or iPad air) were recently summarised by iTWire so we won't go over the same ground again.
The timing of the event is interesting, coming just a few days before Microsoft ships its Surface With Windows RT.
While the forthcoming iPad and the Surface will be in competition to a limited degree, they are really aimed at distinct markets.
The iPad mini makes sense for buyers that are already part of the Apple family but want a device that's more portable than the iPad (not that an iPad isn't portable, but a 10in tablet is bulkier than you want to carry to some events) yet with a bigger screen than an iPhone or iPod touch.
There's also the price advantage of a smaller device, especially when you start thinking in terms of a tablet that you keep in the lounge room or kitchen for anyone to use.
That said, Apple never competes with the low end of the market, so I don't see it trying to take on the sub-$100 7in Android tablet currently on offer at one of our major retailers. But somewhere around the $200 mark - say $229 to allow for GST - seems a possibility.
The Surface, on the other hand, is squarely positioned at people who want a Windows tablet. Sure, the first model runs Windows RT not Windows 8, but it does look and feel like Windows - well, Windows 8 or Windows Phone.
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But what else is Apple going to announce next week?
Tips circulating include a 13in MacBook Pro with Retina Display, a revamp of the Mac mini and possibly new or at least updated iMacs.
Normally, the big news at this time of year is the announcement of new iPods ahead of the Christmas shopping season, but Apple's September release of the latest iPod touch and iPod nano was overshadowed by the fuss over the iPhone 5.
