By Graham K. Rogers

Earlier this week I was sent an email from Apple offering me (or the ones I love, I guess) lots of opportunities for cheaper Mac products as part of a return to college program. We are almost at the end of the first semester here, but the International programs and the colleges in the USA are about to start the new academic year. The offers are to end on 6 September.

Today, the Facebook entries related to the local iStudio outlets are all displaying information about major discounting that is being offered this weekend (30-31 August) with interest-free discounts. A figure of 80% is prominent although that is for accessories (LaCie drives are up to 60% off). I was intrigued to see the price drop on the MacBook Air range, although this was the older model: before the recent update. The iPhone 5, 16GB was also offered for 19,600 baht (it is 22,900 online from the Apple Store).

Apple is in shifting stock mood and we may expect to see a number of other moves that will all point to the selling off of lots of the current product ranges. So what is coming next month?

6 September is Friday. Apple does not release hardware products at the weekend. Monday is not a good day as everyone is still groggy from the weekend, so the possible date (already mentioned in many rumours) might well be 10 September: a Tuesday.

Many commentators fancy the iPhone - whatever it may be (5S, 6, C, gold, graphite, A7 chip, 12 MP camera) - and I would suggest the iPod touch will follow along. Apple would probably not release new MacBook Pro models at the same time (the Mac Pro is coming soon), so there could either be silent updates in the days after, or a new press event within a week or two: 17 or 19 September. Perhaps. Maybe.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs.