Apple hosted their highly awaited keynote today, January 27th. At it, they introduced the long awaited Apple Tablet, iPad. It features a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display and 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB capacities. It sports a custom 1 GHz “Apple A4″ chip. The iPad weighs in at 1.5 pounds and is .5-inch thin. The iPad will be priced at $499, $599, and $699 for different capacity models without 3G, and $626, $729, and $829 with 3G. Wi-Fi only models are scheduled to ship in 60 days, with 3G-capable model shipping in 90 days.

A video preview for the iPod is also available.

The iPad offers Wi-Fi (802.11n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, with 3G models also offering cellular data connectivity. All iPad models have an accelerometer, compass, speakers, a microphone, and a 30-pin dock connector. The iPad also offers a claimed 10 hours of battery life for viewing video, with 1 month of standby battery life.

iPad’s that have 3G will be unlocked and will be able to use GSM micro SIMs. In the U.S., AT&T will offer two data plan options – $14.99 for up to 250 MB per month and $29.99 per month for unlimited data. No contract is required for either option.

The iPad will have apps for personal information management, including an address book and calendar, along with e-mail, Safari, Google Maps, and Notes. A special version of iTunes is also on board to provide an optimized browsing experience on the device.

As expected, the iPad will be able to run iPhone and iPod touch apps natively. If the user already owns the app, it will not have to be re-downloaded.

Accessories will also be available for the iPad, including a dock with a mechanical keyboard that will accommodate the iPad in portrait orientation and a case with a built-in stand for video viewing. Prices on these accessories were not announced. The iPad also supports Bluetooth keyboards.

Next, as expected, the Tablet will be heavily based on newspaper, magazines and textbooks. The New York Times demoed their brand new iPad application that takes advantage of the features of the device.

The iBooks app was next unveiled.  The iBooks app has a store - the iBookstore - featuring content from Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Hachette Book Group. iBooks uses the open ePub standard and offers tables of contents and intuitive page navigation on the iPad, along with the ability to read in portrait and horizontal orientations using the built-in accelerometer. Jobs highlighted True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy, describing its $14.99 price tag in the iBooks store.

New iPad-specific versions of iWork applications also made an appearance at the event, with demos of Keynote, Pages, and Numbers by Phil Schiller on the iPad. Schiller pointed out specialized on-screen keyboards and drop-down menus to spotlight the ease of use of these apps on the iPad. The iWork apps will cost $9.99 each.

At the end of the event, Steve Jobs described the iPad as the company’s “most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.” He also pointed out that there are over 125 million iTunes accounts with credit cards and that using the iPad will be second-nature for the more than 75 million iPhone and iPod touch users.

For more information, please visit the iPad homepage