Apple launches iPAD tablet PC

Apple on Wednesday announced the iPad, a 9.7-inch tablet computer that fits in between the iPhone smartphone and the MacBook computer.
The 0.5-inch thick device, which weighs 1.5 lbs., is intended to be used for web browsing, e-mail, photos, video, music, games and e-books -- pretty much everything that its pint-sized cousin the iPod touch can do, only bigger.
It consists of a 1GHz Apple A4 chip as well as flash memory ranging in capacity from 16GB to 64GB. Jobs claims its battery will last 10 hours with use and "more than a month" in standby mode.

The device is arsenic-free, BFR-free, mercury-free, PVC-free and "highly recyclable," Jobs said.

The iPad can also support documents, spreadsheets and presentations with a new, modified version of the company's iWork suite.

All iPad 3G models are unlocked devices and use GSM microSIM cards. International deals are expected to be announced sometime in June or July, Jobs said.

The iPad will start at $499 and scale to $829, depending on version:

• 16GB Wi-Fi only: $499
• 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $629
• 32GB Wi-Fi only: $599
• 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $729
• 64GB Wi-Fi only: $699
• 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $829

No date was set for availability.

Accessories are also available: a dock that functions like a picture frame, an external keyboard (effectively turning the iPad into a MacBook, sans Mac OS X) and a case.