Apple announced they will hold an event on Oct. 23to showcase the new iPad mini. The event is invitation-only.

This comes as some surprise as an announcement wasn't expected until closer towards the end of the year since the company already had two events during the fall already. The showcase will take place three days before Microsoft's new Surface Tablet will be released in stores, and it doesn't appear to be coincidence.

Apple will now be able to set the pricing and availability before Microsoft can, even though Microsoft revealed way back in Aug. that they would be releasing their newest tablet in October.

"The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012," Microsoft said in the report. "At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices."

The new Surface Tablet seems doomed from the start, as Microsoft had months to set the bar and failed to do so.

Details about the iPad mini are limited right now, but rumors are that it will feature a 7.9-inch liquid-crystal display and a lightning connector according to The Economic Times. One would have to guess that the iPad mini will also have lower resolution as well. It will no doubt be smaller and lighter than the 9.50 inch, 1.44 pound iPad.

This will be the third fall showcase held by Apple already, as they have already hosted events to debut the iPhone 5 and 2012 iPods.

No information about where the event will be held has been released to the public. At the release for the iPhone 5, Apple went all out by inviting the Foo Fighters to play the event held at the San Francisco Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

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