The iPad Mini is already pictured on Apple’s website

In a suspense-filled keynote with a twist ending straight out of an M. Night Shyamalan thriller, Apple announced not only the iPad mini, but also a new, 4^th Generation iPad less than eight months after the 3^rd generation’s release. CEO Tim Cook also revealed a 5mm iMac, a 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina display, a new Mac Mini, the creation of Fusion Drives and new versions of iBooks and iBooks Author.

The much anticipated iPad Mini was made to be held in one hand, yet have a screen big enough to perform basic functions like web browsing and book reading.  The Mini is 7.9 inches (diagonally), 10-hour battery life and a 1024 x 768 resolution. The device is only 7.2mm thick and weighs .68 lbs. Pre orders begin Friday and the Minis will be shipped on Nov. 2^nd.

The unexpected new iPad 4^th generation comes with the same retina display and 5-megapixel camera as the 3^rd gen, but has been updated with a Lightening port, 10 hours of battery life and two times the graphics and CPU performance. Cook made sure to emphasize the iPad’s implications in the classroom before making the big announcement.

Ooh’s and Aah’s radiated from the crowd when the incredibly thin 5mm iMac was introduced. The new iMac is 80 percent thinner and 75 percent less reflective than its predecessor and comes in two sizes: 27-inch and 21.5-inch.

For additional iMac storage, Apple has created a Fusion Drive which combines the speed of SDD and the capacity of HDD together with software.

The new MacBook Pro with retina display is 1/5 thinner than the old model and the lightest Pro ever, weighing only 3.5 lbs.

The new Mac Mini, equipped with an Ivy Bridge processor, is the first update for the device in more than a year.

Apple also released an update to the iBooks Author app and the addition of new languages and continuous scrolling to iBooks. 

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Mollie Paige writes for the Toronto Standard. You can follow her on twitter @MolliePB

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