And Cupertino's new creation will start at $499.
Apple took the wrappers off its iPad tablet device today, at an event in San Francisco.
The device is positioned between a laptop and a smartphone, with a 9.7-inch touchscreen and running an iPhone-esque operating system.
It's powered by Apple's own 1GHz A4 chip, and will come in 16, 32 and 64GB versions. The device supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, but NOT 3G. Apple promised 10 hours of battery life when in use.
The device will cost much less than the rumours suggested. The cheapest version is the 16GB Wi-Fi only model, at $499. 32GB and 64GB Wi-Fi versions cost $599 and $699 respectively.
However, 3G models will be available, adding $130 to the price in each case. Apple already has a deal with AT&T to offer a 250MB monthly data tariff for $14.99, and unlimited usage for $29.99 - both including free usage of its hotspots.
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The Wi-Fi versions will ship in 60 days' time, while the Wi-Fi + 3G versions will ship in 90. CEO Steve Jobs said at the launch that Apple hopes to have international operator deals in place for the latter by June.
CEO Steve Jobs said the key to the device is doing some things better than both a laptop and smartphone.
The iPad will be able to run all existing iPhone apps from day one - users will be able to sync across their existing apps. However, Apple is providing tools for developers to modify their apps and games for the bigger screen.
Apps shown off at the launch included Gameloft's N.O.V.A., EA Mobile's Need For Speed Shift, The New York Times, MLB.com, and indie developer Steve Sprang's brushes image manipulation app.
The device can run YouTube videos in HD, and has its own built-in e-book store and reader application, called iBooks.
Five publishers are already signed up: Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette. Titles on-screen during tonight's launch cost between $7.99 and $14.99.
The iPad also comes with a new version of Apple's iWork suite, for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations.
