If it’s only difference is size, look to Apple to do what they did with the original iPad… price it lower than expectations.

There is a CHANCE that the iPad mini will sell for $199, but that is the same price as the previous generation iPod touch… so they would likely discontinue the previous generation touch and make the new iPad Mini 8GB the iOS entry-level device. I don’t see it happening, personally.

I am tired of debating iPhone display size. I am glad that Apple does not have two dozen different models of the iPhone with crazy names. However, if Apple wants to release a 4.5″ iPhone (BLN edition) in parallel to the 4″ model, then maybe the debate would end. People with big hands could bet the big iPhone, etc.

Apple would much rather sell a customer an iPhone than an iPod touch, because a single iPhone 5 sale probably brings in more profit than the sale of FOUR iPod touches. That’s why the new A5 iPod touch is priced at $299 (and why Apple did no upgrade the iPod touch to A5 when the iPhone 4S came out last year), to encourage customers to consider buying an iPhone instead for the $199 upfront cost.

> People are not buying iPod touches at $199, what makes you think they will buy more units at $299?

What makes you think Apple wants to sell more iPod touch units…? Apple wants to sell more iPhone units. The iPod touch is there for people who want the “iPhone experience” without the monthly phone bill. It does not matter as much to Apple, if iPod touch sales go up or down, as long as iPhone is meeting or exceeding sales goals.

An iPhone sale probably generate (at least) four time the total profit of selling an iPod touch. So, that’s yet another reason iPod touch will not be priced lower, and iPad mini will not be priced at $299.

And an iPad mini that is equal (or better) in performance compared to the current iPad 2 (but 20% smaller and 40% lighter) is TOTALLY worth $399.

An iPhone sale probably generate (at least) four time the total profit of selling an iPod touch. So, that’s yet another reason iPod touch will not be priced lower, and iPad mini will not be priced at $299.

And iPad mini that is equal (or better) in performance compared to the current iPad 2 is (but 20% smaller and 40% lighter) is TOTALLY worth $399.

And Cook did say we should expect releases pretty much across the board in 2012….

Long in the tooth: Apple Cinema Display (380 days), iMac (515 days), Mac Mini (437 days), Mac Pro (well they called it an update 3 months ago and made promises for likely next year when they got blowback)

Do you think that a new iPod touch priced higher than the older generation initial price of $199 is going to arrest the decline? People are not buying iPod touches at $199, what makes you think they will buy more units at $299? I don’t think so.

They have to rejuvenate the iPod touch line by bringing out an entirely new class of product altogether, one with a proven sales record, and that logically is the iPad mini at $299.

I don’t understand… Apple DID bring out a replacement for the iPod touch priced starting at $299.

The fact that Apple set the price tag for the new iPod touch at $299 means to me that the starting price of an iPad mini will be higher, probably $399. There is already an iPad at $399 (last year’s iPad 2), so the iPad mini will replace it at that price point.

And I don’t think it will happen until next year’s usual iPad refresh time because right now, for this holiday season, Apple wants to sell as many Retina Display iPads as possible at $499 (and up). Apple does NOT want to disrupt sales of a very popular highly profitable product by introducing an “unknown” into the mix, that will mainly serve to cannibalize existing iPad sales, not draw sales away from the competing products.

With the existing iPad models, Apple can make a good estimate of expected sales for the holiday quarter and plan production accordingly. Throw a brand new iPad mini into the mix, and there is total chaos. There is no way to guess at the proper sales mix of iPads. Apple is smart and plans very carefully… I think they will go with the existing iPads for this holiday quarter, and add the new “mini” model early next year.

Headphones on the bottom, preference but I like it. Nothing like having it plugged into power on one end… And having the headphone jack used on top.

Granted things like the Square card reader may need some work, or change to Bluetooth etc.

iPad mini, not even going to look at one. I have an iPad.

The iPhone 5 was released and the most that was made of it was mainly a horrible Map app. The iPhone 5 itself got lost in the media shuffle.

@sparkw: I bought about 10 MacPro mid 2010 for my company earlier this year after I was sure that we would not get a serious update for a longer period of time.

Them I put in 16 GB of RAM replacing the odd 3 GB. Also a 512 GB SSD replacing the stupid 1 TB harddrive. And finally I plugged in 4 x 3 TB of harddrives.

This was not really cheap, but since I could order all parts at Amazon for fairly low prices, it was worth the effort. Upgrading the MacPro is so simple that everybody, even me, can do it by himself.

Now we have really really fast machines for InDesign, Final Cut Pro X, Photoshop etc. I am truly sad that pro users like you and me get no USB 3.0 and no Thunderbolt.

Apple should feel ashamed how they treat pro users. It would be no big deal to put USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt as an extension card into the MacPro, if Apple does not want to create a new Mac Pro from scratch. I like the form factor and the size it as it is, but the missing USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt is ridiculous.

In the Powerbooks I’m sure there must be a way to be innovative by making a battery light and thin AND easily replaceable. It’s in the consumer’s best interest for Apple to create products that are easily maintainable/upgradable software and hardware-wise, too.

Things that should be upgradable in all Mac OS devices:
Ram, Graphics Card, Hard Drives, Processor (along with the battery for all versions of Powerbooks.) For portable iOS devices the battery should be easily upgradable.

This is the kind of innovation I’d like to see from Apple along with everything else that they do so well. They have reasons for not being able to but I’m saying from a consumer’s perspective a Steve Job’s quote: “This is shit!” Go fix it.

The iPad mini is going to be a big seller when (if?) it comes out. Can’t wait

Since the NEW iPod touch starts at $299 and it was just released a few weeks ago, I don’t see how Apple can release an “iPad mini” for anything at or below $299.

My prediction, whenever it is released, is that the iPad mini replaces the “last year’s model” iPad 2 at $399. And I don’t think it will happen until next year’s regular new iPad release time.

If Apple was having a difficult time selling the current iPads due to competing smaller tablets, I can understand why Apple would want to release an iPad mini sooner. But that’s not the case at all. Apple has a higher market share now compared to last year. Why release a new lower-profit product that essentially competes with (cannibalizes) the higher-profit existing iPads, especially if the price is going to the $299 (or even $249)? That makes no sense… Apple can sell as many $399 (and up) iPads as they care to produce.

Whenever the smaller iPad does arrive, I will welcome it. I’d love an iPad with the same screen resolution of the iPad 2, scaled down about 20% with a weight reduction of about 40%.

Two things I don’t like about the new iPhone stand out.

- The screen is too small & too narrow. Needs to go up to 4.3″ with a 4:3 aspect ratio. I don’t need a 10′ high screen on a 1″ wide base.

- The headphone jack at the bottom bothers me no end.

The iPad mini fulfills all I need in a pocketable form factor. I’ll even use it as a phone if Apple puts in a 4G LTE radio.