We first reported on it back in July — now it’s all but official. Apple yesterday sent out invites to a press event on October 23 and as usual, it had only a one-line tease saying, “We’ve got a little more to show you.” The likely star of the presentation? Probably the iPad Mini — a long-rumoured, 7.85 inch tablet which is said to be Apple’s answer to cheaper tablets.Apple Inc hasn't said anything officially about a smaller tablet, a concept company founder Steve Jobs derided two years ago. But company watchers have said for months that an "iPad Mini" would likely appear before the holiday season.With the device, Apple could close an opening in the tablet market for rivals like Amazon.com Inc, whose Kindle Fire is half the size of the iPad and starts at $199. Google Inc and Barnes and Noble Inc also sell tablets in the same size and price range.The Apple event takes place just three days before Microsoft Corp releases Windows 8, the new version of its operating system. Microsoft will also be releasing its new Surface tablet with the software.With a mini iPad and Microsoft Surface set to shake up the tablet market this fall, analysts say the amount of disruption these new products make depends largely on pricing. The base price for Surface will reportedly be $500. Some analysts speculate the starting price of the mini iPad could be about $299.