Apple's Oct. 16 event: Here's what we expect

Apple has the chance on Thursday to provide a few compelling reasons for consumers to upgrade or buy a new iPad. Apple's second event in as many months won't have the flash from the previous affair, which saw the debut of two larger iPhones and a glimpse at the Apple Watch. Instead, the company is expected to show off a new iPad (or two), unveil new Macs and talk more about its OS X Yosemite operating system for its desktop. The presentation, which kicks off at 10 a.m. PT, is a lower key affair held at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

While the iPhone remains Apple's dominant revenue engine - contributing to more than half of its sales - the company is eager to bolster its other businesses. Front and center will be a new version of the iPad, which faces questions over whether its declining shipments are a temporary hiccup or a troubling trend. The question for the tablet has continued to shift from "What nifty new feature will be on the new iPad?" to "Do I really need to replace my aging - but still functional - iPad?"