Apple Unveils the iPad

It's out, finally. Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad today, a tablet-style computer that resembles the iPhone, but larger. "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. He says the iPad will be better for reading books, playing games, and watching video than either a laptop or a smart phone.

The device will cost $499 for a 16-GB model with WiFi, $599 for the 32-GB model, and $699 for the 64-GB model. Add another $130 for 3G, making the top-of-the-line model $829. Two wireless plans, at $14.99 and $29.99 per month, will be available from AT&T. Neither requires contracts, meaning people can bow out with no penalty. The iPad weighs about 1.5 pounds and has a 9.7-inch display and a battery life of about 10 hours. The iTunes store is built in. Apple will start shipping the devices in about 2 months. Mashable is live-blogging here. (More Steve Jobs stories.)