CEO Steve Jobs (C) talks with Technology Columnist Walt Mossberg (L) of the Wall Street Journal during an Apple Special Event at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts January 27, 2010 in San Francisco, California. CEO Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. introduced its latest creation, the iPad, a mobile tablet browsing device that is a cross between the iPhone and a MacBook laptop. [CFP]

Still, tablet computers have existed for a decade with little success. Jobs acknowledged Apple will have to work to convince consumers who already have smart phones and laptops that they need the iPad.

"In order to really create a new category of devices, those devices are going to have to be far better at doing some key tasks," Jobs said. "We think we've got the goods. We think we've done it."

Applications designed for the iPhone can run on the iPad. Apple is also releasing updated tools for software developers to help them build iPhone and iPad programs.

"We think it's going to be a whole 'nother gold rush for developers as they build applications for the iPad," said Scott Forstall, an iPhone software executive.

The basic iPad models will cost US$499, US$599 and US$699, depending on the storage size, when it comes out worldwide in March.

The Apple iPad is seen in an undated handout image. Apple unveiled the iPad on January 27, 2010. The technology, similar to the iPhone, has a 9.7-inch touch screen, is a half-inch thick, and weighs 1.5 pounds. It will cost between US$499 - US$699, depending on the storage size. [CFP]

Apple Inc. will also sell a version with data plans from AT&T Inc. in the US: US$14.99 per month for 250 megabytes of data, or US$29.99 for unlimited usage. Neither will require a long-term service contract.

The iPad models that can connect to AT&T's wireless network will cost more - US$629, US$729 and US$829, depending on the amount of memory - and will be out in April. International cellular data details have not yet been announced.

Shares of Apple rose US$2.04, or 1 percent, to close Wednesday at US$207.98. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company's shares have more than doubled over the past year, partly on anticipation of the tablet computer. Shares in Amazon rose US$3.27, or 2.7 percent, to US$122.75.

Jobs, 54, a pancreatic cancer survivor who got a liver transplant last year, looked thin as he introduced the highly anticipated gadget, though he seemed to have more energy than at Apple's last event in September.

Apple had kept its latest creation tightly under wraps until Wednesday's unveiling, though many analysts had correctly speculated that it would be a one-piece tablet computer with a big touch screen.

(Shanghai Daily January 28, 2010)