It looks like the pundits and the rumor sites got it mostly right.
Yesterday, Apple announced a Shrinky Dinked addition to their tablet family, the iPad mini (7.9-inch 1024 x 768 display versus the original’s 9.7-inch one, making for a pencil-thin form factor you can hold in one hand).
Apple also announced a new version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, this time with a 2560 x 1600 Retina display. And they previewed a Kate Moss-thin revamp of the iMac (say goodbye to built-in SuperDrive, and hello to faster Intel Core quad-core processors, Thunderbolt, and an innovative hybrid storage system Apple calls Fusion Drive).
That alone would have made for an economy-sized slide deck to present. But then Tim Cook and company went on to introduce an updated Mac mini (faster processors, including a model with a quad-core Core i7, plus Thunderbolt and USB 3.0), and enhancements to the current generation of full-sized iPads (think Lightning dock connector, A6X processor, and global LTE [AKA 4G] support).
Availability
So when can you grab a piece of this sweet, sweet new tech? According to the best information we can glean, availability goes something like this:
- Pre-orders for iPad mini begin October 26th; Wi-Fi models start shipping near the beginning of November, with cellular versions shipping around mid-month.
- The new 13-inch MacBook Pros (both the $1699 and $1999 versions), as well as the new Mac minis (both the $599 and $799 models), are already on their way to our loading docks. If you would like one, let us know. Soon.
- Unfortunately, we’re going to have to wait a while for the new iMacs. Current forecasts indicate early December (!) before they begin shipping.
Naturally, this information is subject to change, and we’ll be revising this page as we learn more. Check back often.
