Apple iPad preview

Launch price from $499

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Stuff says

A gorgeous slab of Apple design, and the iBooks store makes it a potential Kindle killer

So we can finally put the rumours to bed – Apple's tablet is here, and it's called the iPad.

With a 9.7in LED screen and an accompanying iBooks store, the iPad is effectively is a giant (but 13.4mm thick) iPhone that's here to replace netbooks and e-readers as your mobile media weapon of choice.

Wireless options
The iPad will be available in surprisingly affordable 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599) and 64GB ($699) flavours, with Wi-Fi only models ready to ship worldwide in 60 days, and 3G-capable versions available in the UK from June. Apple has thrashed out two 3G deals in the US - $15 a month for 250MB data and $30 a month for unlimited data – but a carrier has yet to be announced for the UK.

Contrary to optimistic rumours, the iPad's glossy 1024x768 pixel screen is a backlit LED number rather than OLED, using the same IPS tech as iMac displays. It also has over a thousand sensors to help create an experience as slick and snappy as the iPhone.

Also lending a hand in that department is the Apple-made 1Ghz processor, which from the early demos appears capable of churning through games like Need for Speed: Shift and Nova at an impressive rate.      

New iBooks store
While we're not convinced that the iPad's form factor will be worrying the Sony PSP or Nintendo DS Lite, it clearly has other gadgets in its sights – most obviously the Amazon Kindle.

Apple has announced the much-rumoured iBooks store, which is effectively the iTunes of books and stores hundreds of titles in the standard ePub format. Newspapers will also be releasing apps – the New York Times was demoed – which feature embedded video. Very nice.

Preview continues after the break..

The screen may not be of the e-ink variety – so will be more fatiguing on the eyes than current e-readers – but Apple is claiming a 10-hour battery life under standard use, and a month in standby. Combined with the iBooks store, it's all a very worrying prospect for the Kindle et al.

App happy
Although it's not capable of phone calls, the iPad also looks a tempting prospect for iPhone owners. All current IPhone apps will work on the iPad out of the box thanks to a nifty doubling of their resolution, and with a new SDK released today developers will soon be beavering away on versions made specifically for its 9.7in screen.

Like the iPhone, the iPad also has stereo Bluetooth, a built-in digital compass and A-GPS for maps (on the 3G versions), although without a camera it won't be able to do augmented reality, which could be a big miss.

Still, there are naturally some spanking accessories for Apple's latest golden boy. A basic dock means you can charge it on your desktop, the keyboard dock turns it into well, a desktop, and a rather smart carry case is the perfect way to attract covetous glances (and muggers).

So has the iPad lived up to the hype? It's certainly a gorgeous object and the iBooks store is big news for digital books, but the lack of multitasking or a camera for video Skyping could limit its appeal. We'll have a full review soon, but in the meantime check our hands-on below:

First impressions of the Apple iPad

5 things you need to know about the Apple iPad

Gallery: hands-on with the Apple iPad