What Is The I-Pad?

Apple announced their next major hardware release today and it's called the iPad. If you were following our liveblog of the press conference, you may have gleaned some of the details, but for everyone else, all this information can be a bit overwhelming, so I'll try to distill things down to the basics.

What Is It?

Quite simply it works like a hybrid between an iPhone and a full laptop. Using the touch screen, you can browse the internet, use apps, listen to music, watch movies and play games. It won't be able to make calls, but given the size, that's probably for the best.

Just How Big Is It?

Height - 9.56 inches (242.8 mm)
Width - 7.47 inches (189.7 mm)
Depth - 0.5 inch (13.4 mm)
Weight - 1.5 pounds (.68 kg) Wi-Fi model; 1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model
Screen Size - 9.7 inches diagonal (1024x768 resolution)

 

How Long Is The Battery Life?

According to Apple, 10 hours of active use on a single charge, or 30 days in standby mode.

How Much Will It Cost?

16 GB - $499 (with 3G - $629)

32 GB - $599 (with 3G - $729

64 GB - $699 (with 3G - $829)

How Will 3G Connectivity Work?

Certain models of the iPad will have 3G built in, allowing you to access the web without WiFi. To access 3G, though, you'll have to pay a monthly service fee of $14.99 for up to 250MB of data or $29.99 for unlimited data. The iPad is unlocked, so different carriers will be viable.

What Apps Will Run On It?

Every app that is currently on the App Store will work on the iPad. Those apps designed for use on the iPhone will only take up a small portion of the screen, or they can be blown up to full size with some visual degradation.

There will also be iPad-exclusive apps which are designed to take advantage of the larger screen and will look just as crisp as they would on a normal computer. Here's a list of iPad-exclusive apps that will come pre-loaded on the device:

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Safari
Mail
Photos
Video
YouTube
iPod
iTunes
App Store
iBooks
Maps
Notes
Calendar
Contacts
Home Screen
Spotlight Search

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When Is the iPad Going To Be Available?

The models of the iPad without 3G connectivity will be in stores at the end of March, while 3G-connected models will be available at the end of April.