The iPad Mini and the (new) new iPad

Apple announced a bunch of product refreshes today and one completely new product at a special event at the California Theatre in San Jose, CA. Coming very shortly in the heels of the annual September event where they announced the new iPhone 5, updates to iPod Touch and iPod Nano, this event was expected to be all about the iPad Mini. It was that and some more. Read on for a quick review of what Apple announced today.iPad MiniAs expected and rumored for months now, Apple formally announced the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini is Apple's answer to Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7. Simply put, it is Apple's Mini-Me-Too product. Dont get me wrong. I dont think it is a bad thing. It is just what it is. Apple has a dominant position in the full size tablet segment. But it was obviously noticing that the same folks who got themselves an iPad were getting their kids a Kindle Fire or a Nexus 7. Apple didnt want to lose out that smaller but definitely growing segment of the business. So it decided to go against Steve's famous words and build a smaller tablet, the iPad Mini.The iPad Mini is a miniaturized version of the iPad 2. It bears the same processor, same screen resolution and probably much of the same innards. Where it differs is the size of the screen- 7.85 inches for the iPad Mini versus the 9.7 inches for the iPad 2. The Mini doesnt bear the Retina Display that is shipped with the bigger iPads. It comes in various capacities and with or without cellular connectivity. The biggest part of the presentation that people were cued in to was the price. The iPad Mini starts at $329 for a WiFi only version with 16 GB memory. In comparison, the Nexus 7 16 GB unit retails for $249 and the Kindle Fire HD 7 inch model with 16GB sells for $199. From a specs standpoint, the iPad Mini is thinner and lighter but the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD carry higher resolution screens.Within Apple's own portfolio which is getting increasingly crowded by the day, the iPad Mini sits between the new iPod Touch (4 inch screen - $299) and the iPad 2 (9.7 inch screen - $399). It is very much a budget device by Apple's standards- the dual-core A5 processor it bears is over 18 months old and the screen display is lower by Apple and competitor's standards. But it is an iPad and fits a sweet spot for a second iPad in most homes that currently own one. It is the device Apple wants parents to get for their kids. And given Apple's large userbase of iOS devices, it is another way to get folks locked into their ecosystem. The iPad Mini will also be a candidate for schools to consider as they move more and more towards using tablets in education. It will sell quite a bit come November and December. It will probably be in line for a Retina Display within the next two product refreshes when Apple manages to bring the cost of the display down.(New) new iPadApple curiously also refreshed its new iPad launched just 6 months ago. The 4th generation iPad retains everything as the 3rd generation one but swaps out the old connector with the new Lightning connector and also replaces the A5x processor with the new A6x found in iPhone 5. This could be for two reasons.1. Apple wanted to standardize all its products and more importantly the accesories with its Lightning connector. This rumoredly also favors them financially with their accesory licensing program.2. Apple wanted to move the iPad to also a Fall refresh cycle giving them a 1-2 punch with the iPhone for shopper's holiday purchases.Mac RefreshIn addition to the Mini and updated iPad, Apple also refreshed its 13 inch Macbook Pro, the Mac Mini and the iMac. The MacBook Pro received a Retina Display that was available only at the 15 inch level until now and the Mac Mini got a full spec refresh.The coolest update though was reserved for the iMac. The iMac has been languishing in a corner as Apple had focused on the iOS devices and the Macbook Pro line in recent years. It finally got a long awaited refresh with all the hardware stuff but more importantly a much thinner and sleeker profile than before. The new iMac is all of 5 mm thin at the edges and boasts a remarkable IPS LCD screen. Apple displays have always been some of the best in the PC business and this one takes it a step further. If there is one product Apple launched today that I cant wait to get my hands on, it is the iMac.SummaryApple will definitely be a huge factor going into the Christmas shopping season for a lot of buyers and thus, all other Android and Windows mobile and wireless device manufacturers. The iPad, iPad Mini, iPod Touch and iPhone will be a formidable force to reckon with. Critics and spec lovers will dismiss the iPad Mini as an overpriced tablet which offers much less for much more but Apple's cachet with the marketplace is such that the product will sell by the millions. The bigger question is if it starts eating into the iPad market which will take for a few quarters of sales numbers before it is evident.In addition to its iOS devices, Apple will also continue to gain marketshare in the PC business. The Macbook Pro line has been enjoying a resurgence for the last few quarters by basking in the glory of rapid iOS adoption. The refresh to the MBP line and the significantly updated iMac will only help that cause. With Windows 8 coming in with a vastly redesigned paradigm. there may be some users willing to consider a move from Windows to Mac and the new desktop/laptop products will definitely attract them quite a bit.