Back to the Mac event: What does Apple have on the agenda?

Apple has scheduled a "Back to the Mac" event for October 20. Let the guessing game begin.

This week Apple sent out invites to an October 20 event dubbed "Back to the Mac." Few details are forthcoming, although when it comes to Apple events, details are no obstacle – the rumor mill is already running at full tilt. Let's run through a few of the more intriguing prognostications.

As Troy Wolverton of the Mercury-News notes, the invitation for the Apple event features a picture of a lion, which could mean that Apple is prepping some sort of new operating system upgrade. Each previous Mac OS X update has had a big cat as a code name, and Apple has yet to use "lion" as a moniker. It released its last update to the software – Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard – in August of last year," Wolverton writes.

IN PICTURES: Apple's iCandy

Meanwhile, Larry Dignan of ZDNet is mulling over the possibility that Apple could be ready to introduce the FaceTime platform – which is currently available on the iPhone 4 and the newest iPod Touch – to the MacBook line. "Perhaps it’s time to meet the Mac as video conferencing unit," Dignan writes.

Over at CNET, Dan Ackerman thinks the Mac event could be a showcase for a new MacBook Air.

"If there's one product that's positively screaming for an update, it's Apple's cult favorite ultrathin 13-inch laptop," Ackerman write. "Except for a few minor component updates, it's essentially the same machine as originally introduced in 2008." Still, the team at CNET offers at least one reservation: "In the era of sub-$500 laptops and tablets, is a high-end status symbol machine really going to be a top priority?"

Maybe not.

Over to you. What do you think Apple will unveil at the Oct. 20 event? Drop us a line in the comments section.

IN PICTURES: Apple's iCandy