Apple

Last week, Apple announced its most high-end tablet to date, a 128GB iPad with Retina display (starting at $799), available today at the Apple online store, Apple retail stores, and select authorized resellers nationwide.

The 128GB model is available in black or white, for $799 with WiFi and $929 for WiFi + Cellular. Like other fourth-generation iPads, the tablet is LTE-ready with a 9.7-inch Retina display at 264 ppi, A6X chip with quad-core graphics, 720p FaceTime HD video camera, 5MP iSight camera with 1080p video, and 10-hour battery life.

The release of the high-capacity storage iPad marks Apple's entrance into the high-performance tablet/laptop market, spearheaded by Microsoft's Surface Pro, which is set for a Feb. 9 release date. Apple may have strategically added the 128GB iPad just days ahead of the Surface Pro's launch, hoping to woo customers on the fence.

Microsoft's Surface Pro (priced at a similarly hefty $999 for 128GB) runs a full Windows 8 desktop operating system. While Apple's mobile operating system is not quite at that performance level, the iPad still takes the top spot as the bestselling tablet on the market.

The new iTunes has a brand-new interface, but it's still the same ol' music player on the inside. So why bother with the update, you ask? The latest version does everything iTunes 10 could do, but it's a lot less cluttered and its features are a lot more obvious.

Click "Not Now" on those mightily persistent software update pop-ups all you want, but that's just keeping you from these six download-worthy improvements in iTunes 11.

• Gift cards can be redeemed using your computer's camera. — No need to input fussy codes, just hold up the card (they're new, and in Apple Stores now) to the camera and iTunes will scan it.
• The mini player shows you what's coming up next. — A little button on the smallest iTunes windows size displays your listening queue, and if you don't like what you see, search for a new song, playlist, or album without having to maximize the window.

Four more reasons why you should update to iTunes 11 after the break.

While just about every tech manufacturer debuted a new tablet in the last year, you waited hoping the rumors of the iPad mini would one day come true. Now that the iPad mini has arrived, the big moment is here: should you buy the iPad mini? Weigh your options with these four reasons why Apple's new tablet is worth your purchase.

• You carry a lot of weight on your shoulders — As gorgeous as movies and media look on the full-sized iPad, the nearly 1.5-pound device isn't always a practical addition to your backpack or suitcase. Yes, the time has come where the once "so small!" iPad isn't small enough. Weighing almost a pound less than its grown-up sibling, the .68-pound iPad mini won't be causing any back cricks after a day spent toting it from home to class to work.
• You're an avid photographer — There's one thing leading tablets in the 7-inch device category don't have: a back-facing camera. With a 5MP camera, the iPad mini ensures you never have to sacrifice a Kodak moment with a lo-fi front-facing camera.
• You're an iCloud surfer — The joy of iCloud is its seamless synching of notes, new app downloads, iTunes purchases — basically, everything across your Apple products, without a second thought from you, the user. If a 7-inch tablet is what you're in the market for and you're already acquainted with Apple's iOS either through an iPod, iPhone, or computer, the iPad mini can bring a whole lot of convenience to your gadget family.
• You read a lot of books — Like to cozy up on the couch with a good book on the weekends? Unlike the bigger iPad, the 7.9-inch by 5.3-inch size of the mini makes the device the perfect Apple book companion. While the 9.5-inch screen of the Retina iPad can be clunky in the middle of a page-turner (ahem, I've definitely banged my head on the iPad while laying down reading), the petite mini will get you settled for a Winter of easy reads.

Do you plan on purchasing the iPad mini when it goes up for presale on Oct. 26? If you're still undecided, check out our reasons to skip the mini.