Apple Announces its Tablet: the iPad

Steve Jobs has just announced the highly anticipated tablet from Apple, officially called the iPad, at Apple’s event.

Jobs presented the device as being better than a laptop or smartphone for browsing the Web, sharing photos, videos, listening to music, playing games and reading ebooks.

The iPad uses a large on-screen keyboard for typing and incorporates an accelerometer and compass like the iPhone 3GS. It also includes full multi-touch support and includes built-in Google Maps, calendar and address book, as well as a full version of iTunes. It also includes a YouTube app that can view HD video.

iPhone apps can run unmodified on the iPad, either in a pixel for pixel accuracy, which puts in a black box, or in pixel-double mode, which allows it to run in full screen. Even hardware-intensive apps, like games, run well on it unmodified.

Also announced was a new SDK release that includes iPad tools. This will allow developers to make apps that take advantage of the iPad’s large screen.

There were rumors that Apple was talking with newspapers to bring their content to the iPad, and the New York Times was one of the companies demonstrating their native iPad app at the event.

The iBooks app will compete with the Kindle and allow users to buy and read books from Apple’s own online bookstore.

A version of iWork for the iPad has also been made, with each program costing $9.99.

3G wireless data plans will be available from AT&T without a contract in the United States. It will cost $14.99 for 250MB of data per month or $30 for an unlimited plan. Either plan will also get you free access to AT&T’s WiFi hotspots. All models are unlocked, allowing for use of a GSM micro-SIM from any carrier.

It is 0.5 inches thin and weighs 1.5 pounds. It features a 9.7 inch IPS display. It has a 1GHz A4 chip, custom made by Apple, and comes with 16, 32 or 64GB of flash storage. It has 802.11n, WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR. Battery life is 10 hours.

The pad can also be plugged into a keyboard dock for extensive typing. Other accessories will also be available.

The price of the device will be:

• $499 for the 16GB base model;
• $599 for the 32GB base model;
• $699 for the 64GB base model;
• with 3G support costing an extra $130 for each model.

Base models will be shipped in 60 days and 3G models will be shipped in 90 days.

Apple’s website for the iPad is now up at apple.com/ipad.

[Image from gdgt]