iPad allows browsing the web, reading and sending email, viewing photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, and also offers reading e-books and much more.

It has a high-resolution multi-touch display, is just 0.5" thick, weighs just 1.5lbs, and claimed as thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook.

It includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at  $499.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price”, said (left) Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

iPad’s 9.7", LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent colour with an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle. The highly precise, capacitive Multi-Touch display is amazingly accurate and responsive whether scrolling web pages or playing games. The intelligent soft keyboard pioneered on iPhone takes advantage of iPad’s larger display to offer an almost full-size soft keyboard. iPad also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard.

iPad is powered by the A4 system-on-a-chip with exceptional processor and graphics performance and long battery life of up to 10 hours. Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan.

iPad comes in two versions—one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced breakthrough 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with easy, on-device activation and management.

Environmentally each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminium comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and of arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

A new Software Development Kit for iPad, allowsdevelopers can create amazing new applications designed to take advantage of iPad’s capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model.

The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model.

With a nod to the e-book hunters, iBookstore is available in the US at launch.