Apple's iPad and Mac Event: Tune In on October 22

Apple has officially announced a special event that will be held next Tuesday, October 22. Rumors have been circulating that this event will most likely feature the 5th generation iPad, an iPad mini with Retina display, a Retina MacBook Pro with better battery life and hopefully, a ship date for the new Mac Pro.

The event will take place in San Francisco at 10am PDT (1pm EST). There should be a lot going on at this event, because as the image they released suggests, “We still have a lot to cover.” People might be most excited about the new design of 5th generation iPad, which is rumored to have a smaller bezel like the iPad mini and perhaps even a thinner and lighter housing.

Many are also hoping that they will finally announce the release date of Mavericks, which they said originally would be sometime this fall. Well, it’s fall already, so where the heck is it?!

Apple likes to announce all sorts of new products right before the holidays to get everyone excited. I mean, who wouldn’t want a sweet new iPad for Christmas? Be sure to tune in to our Twitter feed @hellosmalldog, where we’ll be live tweeting during the announcements, and/or check back here after the event to read all about the wrap-up.

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