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"Apple&amp;#039;s much-rumoured iPad Mini tablet computer is reportedly expected to be going on sale on November 2, after it is announced as expected next week.  The US technology giant has issued invites to media for a launch event on October 23, where it is expected to officially confirm the new small-screen iPad.   This has prompted speculation about when the iPad Mini - rumoured to have a 7.8-inch screen compared with the 9.7-inch iPad display - would go on sale.  In a tweet, 9to5Mac said that it has heard &amp;quot;whispers&amp;quot; that the iPad Mini release date has been pegged for November 2.  Whilst the technology site noted that nothing was confirmed, it said that the date would &amp;quot;make sense&amp;quot; as &amp;quot;we know stock is ramping&amp;quot;. &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;ve heard whispers of Nov. 2 iPad Mini release date but nothing confirmed. Date makes sense (Friday) and we know stock is ramping,&amp;quot; the tweet read. Apple tends to prefer to launch its new products on Fridays as it gives a full weekend of opening sales.    Should 9to5Mac&amp;#039;s sources prove correct, then it would suggest that the iPad Mini would launch on October 23 with pre-orders for the device starting on the following Friday (October 26) ahead of the on-sale date a week later.  An interesting side note is that October 26 is also the day that Microsoft launches Windows 8, and releases its new Surface line of tablets running the operating system.  Surface, Microsoft&amp;#039;s first major foray into hardware, is expected to be a big challenger to Apple&amp;#039;s main iPad, as the product is priced competitively and offers similar hardware specifications.  The iPad Mini, however, would instead compete in the growing market for cheap, small-screen tablets; taking on the already-established seven-inch slates from Amazon and Google, the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 respectively.  &amp;gt; Apple iPad Mini: rumours roundup &amp;gt; Apple iPad Mini &amp;#039;WiFi only&amp;#039;, but 4G iPad coming to UK, report claims "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/news/a431648/apple-ipad-mini-to-go-on-sale-on-november-2/>