MUMBAI: After months of speculation, Apple Inc finally unveiled its long-awaited iPad on Wednesday.

Just half-an-inch thick and weighing 1.5 pounds, Apple‘s new iPad allows users to browse the web, read and send emails, view and store photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games and read e-books.
 
The iPad is a so-called tablet computer: a flat, magazine-sized device with a colour touch screen that allows users to surf the web, watch movies, send email and read electronic books, among other things.

It has an on-screen keyboard -- Apple is selling an optional physical keyboard that connects to the iPad -- as well as special software for spreadsheets and word processing. But analysts say the iPad‘s main draw is for consuming media - from reading digital newspapers to watching video -- rather than for PC-like work. 
 
The most basic iPad, with 16GB of flash memory, will be priced at $499. A 32GB version will cost $599 and a 64GB version will cost $699.

All iPads can access the Internet using WiFi, but Apple will also sell versions of the iPad that connect to high-speed 3G wireless networks from carriers like AT&T.