Apple's New iPad Tablet Computer to be Available on April 3

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 5, 2010 - 8:21am.

Cupertino, Calif. - The iPad, Apple's (NASD: AAPL) highly anticipated new tablet computer, will officially hit store shelves next month, the company announced on Friday. The company said that basic Wi-Fi models will be available on April 3, while enhanced Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in late April. Customers will be able to pre-order both versions from Apple's website beginning next Friday.

The news comes five weeks after Apple first unveiled the product, which resembles a larger version of the iPod touch, featuring a 9.7-inch touch screen and an iPhone operating system.

The device, which will sell for $499-$829, allows users to wirelessly browse the Web, download apps, watch video and, in a step up from Amazon's Kindle, download and view print publications in full color.

The half-inch thick device, which weighs 1.5 pounds, also boasts a 10-hour battery and up to 64 GB of storage.

http://www.apple.com/ipad