Apple Launches iPad in the US Starting at $499

Well the wait is over and after much anticipation the rumours of a forthcoming tablet from Apple have turned out to be true. Apple has announced their latest creation – the Apple iPad.

“You can hold the Internet in your hands.”

“It’s more intimate than laptop and more capable than a smartphone,” says Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, as he unveils the new tablet while sitting on a couch set on stage. And as for netbooks, Jobs says, “Netbooks aren’t better than anything, not better than a laptop just cheaper.”

The iPad looks like a giant iPhone, but thinner. The screen is 9.7″ IPS diagonal, designed to be used in any orientation. Jobs says that the pop-up keyboard is almost life-sized. The iPad is only 1/2″ thick and weighs 1.5 lbs, and lighter than any net book. It’s powered by Apple’s own 1 GHz Apple A4 chip and will be available with 16, 32 or 64GB of solid state storage.

And like the iPhone, it has a built-in accelerometer, compass and fully supports multi-touch. It has 802.11n wi-fi as well as Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. And as expected, it does have a speaker, microphone and 30-pin connector. Sadly it does not have a built-in camera.

An optional accessories include both a dock and a keyboard dock.

The larger screen now makes the iPad ideal for reading e-books, which users will be able to download from Apple’s new iBookstore, using the new iBook e-reader app.

Read more: canoe.ca