At the official launch in San Francisco yesterday, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs gave the first viewing of one of the most anticipated devices in technology's history, which is claimed to bridge the gap between mobile phones and laptops and will "open the floodgates" for the sales of e-books.
It has been billed as a mobile device for reading news content, browsing the internet, playing games and watching videos, and features a 9.7in high-definition, multitouch IPS (in-plane switching) display with a wide viewing angle.
The iPad hasn't been positioned primarily as a rival to Amazon's Kindle e-reader, however it does feature an iBook online store with a feature that connects users directly to it.
Jobs revealed that Apple has already signed up five major publishers, including Penguin and HarperCollins, and Apple will open up the iBook store for all publishers to add their portfolios.
The Kindle uses an E-Ink electronic paper screen, making for an arguably better reading experience and longer battery life when viewing e-books, however, the iPad is claimed to have a battery life of up to 10 hours with a standby life of nearly one month.
Speaking about the direct competition to the Kindle, Jobs said Amazon had "done a great job pioneering e-books with the Kindle", but added that Apple intened to "stand on their shoulders and go a little bit further".
According to Jobs, this translates into the extra features that the iPad offers, including a touch-sensitive screen that allows users to zoom and drag and drop.
The New York Times newspaper has already given its support to the iPad, revealing plans to charge for its online content, having developed an iPad application to create a more newspaper-like experience. It said the application would give "everything you love about paper, everything you love about web, and everything you love about the [New York] Times".
The iPad, which has solid state storage up to 64GB, has an advanced wireless system (802.11n WiFi wireless), optimised for streaming content such as video, as well as 2.1 Bluetooth to allow short-range interaction with other enabled devices, such as mobile phones.
The first versions, without mobile connectivity, will be available in the US for $499 (£307), with the WiFi version released in March and the 3G version available from April. UK prices have not yet been set.
