Dubai: After a week of hype and speculation, Apple on Wednesday launched a tablet computer meant to directly challenge the netbook and e-reader markets.
"We think we've got something that is better and we call it the iPad," said Apple's chairman and Ceo Steve Jobs.
"It's so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone," Jobs said at the device's highly anticipated debut in San Francisco.
The iPad will launch globally in 60 days. A 16GB model will sell $499, a 32Gb for $599 and a 64GB model will sell for $699.
In pictures: iPad's key features explained
A 3G model will launch a month later, but will cost $629, $729, and $829 respectively. US users will pay $29.99 a month for unlimited downloads. The iPad is not tied to any network and will be shipped “unlocked." International deals will be announced in June or July.
The device is half an inch thick with a 9.7-inch display and weighs 1.5 pounds (0.68 kilograms). According to Apple, it has a battery life of 10 hours and has 64 gigabytes of flash memory storage.
The device comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology, but no mention was immediately made of a data connection through a wireless carrier.
The iPad looks like a larger but thinner iPhone and has a touch screen with digital qwerty keyboard.
The device integrates web browsing, email, photos, videos, music, games - and in a direct challenge to the Amazon Kindle - the device will also handle e-books.
Jobs said the iPad will also be better for reading books, playing games and watching video than either a laptop or a smart phone.
The iPad comes with software including a calendar, maps, a video player and iPod software for playing music. All seem to have been slightly redesigned to take advantage of the iPad's bigger screen.
“Now Amazon has done a great job of pioneering this... we're going to stand on their shoulders for this. Our new app is called iBooks," Jobs said, according to the Engadget blog.
The device can also be used to view publications. The New York Times has already developed an application for the device, which is capable of playing video embedded into stories.
Apple has also redesigned its iWork suite, which includes spreadsheet and word processing applications, for the iPad.
Joshua Topolsky, who blogged about the event for Engadget, wrote that the device looked very responsive during the demonstration.
The iPad ties directly into the iTunes store so music and movies can be downloaded directly to the device. It will also run iPhone applications.
Price and availability in the UAE to be announced soon.
With input from agencies
