Apple iPad Tablet Introduced

Apple iPad Photos

Apple’s most anticipated launch since the iPhone just kicked off in San Francisco. A small army of journalists and bloggers are following the event live, and Apple's iPad photos are being released.

It's so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone," Jobs said.

Apple iPad Keyboard

Jobs demonstrated how the iPad is used for surfing the Web with Apple's Safari browser. He typed an e-mail using an on-screen keyboard and flipped through photo albums by flicking his finger across the screen.

Steve Jobs with iPad

The CEO says the iPad will also be better for reading books, playing games and watching video than either a laptop or a smart phone.

Apple iPad Uses 1GHz Apple A4 Chip

The iPad hardware itself is built using a custom Apple-designed chip dubbed the "A4," running at 1GHz. It also has a beautiful 9.7" IPS LCD display with full multi-touch input.

It also packs in 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, accelerometer, compass, speaker, microphone, 30-pin dock connector, and between 16 and 64 gigabytes of storage, as well as a 10 hour battery capable of a full month of standby time.

All of that hardware in contained in a case that is just half an inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds.

It also has iTunes software built in, allowing users to purchase songs and movies straight to the device.

Google Maps on the iPad

It allows users to download apps, in a similar way to the iPhone. People with both can synchronize their apps between the two devices.

We think it's going to be a whole other gold rush for developers," said Scott Forstall, who runs Apple's app division.

The iPad price starts at $499. There will be three different models: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB, priced at $499, $599, and $699, respectively. Add on another $130 if you want a device with both WiFi and 3G.

The Wi-Fi-only models will ship in 60 days, while 3G models will be shipping in 90 days.

iPad Photo Gallery