Apple iPad: A revolutionary step forward

Apple supremo Steve Jobs has unveiled the tech giant's latest device - the iPad. He describes it as a "magical truly revolutionary product" - but will the iPad live up to the advance hype? And how much will it cost? Find out now.

He brought us the iPod, iPhone and revolutionised digital publishing with the Macintosh suite of computers - but Apple boss Steve Jobs this month reportedly told colleagues that the firm's latest device would be "the most important thing I've ever done".

No wonder, then, that the atmosphere at the launch event in downtown San Francisco was marked by the tense reverence more typically found at a religious rally. And now it's finally here - but what does the iPad actually do?  And will Jobs' "revolutionary, magical new product" change the way you live your life? Here's what we know...

The basics

So what is it? Jobs describes the iPad as a "third category device" that fills the gap between laptops and smartphones. And if you thought that netbooks filled that role, apparently you need to think again - "they're just cheap laptops", apparently, whereas the iPad promises a significantly enhanced digital experience.

The device itself is perhaps best described as a hybrid tablet computer. Tablet PCs - keyboard and mouse-free devices - have been in circulation for several months now but have been blighted by poor connection capability and are devised largely as data-entry devices for work.

The iPad, by contrast, offers almost everything you would want from leisure computing, from browsing emails and the internet, watching video, playing games and more besides. It's small too - the device is just 0.5 inches thick and boasts a 9.7-inch touchpad display screen that works much like an iPhone. It might not fit in your pocket but, at just 1.5 pounds, it'll slip easily into a handbag or rucksack.

Apple claims it has a battery life of 10 hours - impressive considering its powerful screen - and the device is powered by a comparatively modest 1GZ processor. Memory capacity ranges from 16-64 GB depending on the model you choose and the device comes with iTunes software and Apple's Safari web-browser built-in - the device runs on both Wi-Fi and 3G networks.

How much will it cost?

No UK prices have been revealed but in the US the cheapest 16GB model will retail for $499 (£309) and the most powerful 64GB model with 3G compatibility (it doesn't come as standard) will sell for $829 (£513). The device is out in the US in just 60 days, when it may also be available to pre-order in the UK for shipment in June. Expect to pay a little extra once it crosses the Atlantic though.

And the expense doesn't end there - Apple hopes users will download content and there's a premium to pay. An unlimited data plan in the US is priced at a subsidised $29.99 a month (£18.50) - let's hope Apple strikes a similar deal with UK mobile operators.

So what's new?     

So, if you've got an iPhone and a laptop, do you need an iPad? Steve Jobs thinks so - the web browser, he says, is "way better than a laptop, way better than a smartphone." Think of it as a giant iPhone - you can access email, watch full screen video on-demand, buy and access digital music through iTunes and download apps, in a similar way to the iPhone.

Yet there are some new features too - most significantly the device's function as an e-reader. Apple has teamed up with major publishers including Penguin, Harper Collins and major magazine houses such as Conde Nast to launch (you've guessed it) iBooks.

Users will be able to download books to read online while newspapers and magazines will have fully integrated digital versions with video and graphics that can be flicked through as though you were holding the print edition.

Unlike the Amazon Kindle and the Sony e-Reader, the iPad doesn't use "e-ink" - so you may not want to risk eye-strain ploughing through War and Peace on the iPad. For magazines, however, the device could represent a quantum leap.

The other ground-breaking application is a surprising tie-up with tech rival Google with a bespoke Google Maps app that lets you find services through simple commands. So, using GPS, simply type in "sushi" and the app will find the nearest sushi restaurant to where you are - pretty neat.

Will it help me control my finances?

No more than the iPhone already does - but the multitude of money-related apps in circulation will work on the iPad. First Direct, Nat West and RBS have all issued apps that help iPhone users run their current accounts, while you'll be able to synch all the existing budgeting apps you have on your iPhone.

There's more besides - the device will come with a pared-down version of the iWork software suite, so there will be simple spreadsheet software installed.

And you will, of course, be able to access lovemoney.com's own online banking tool that allows you to view all your various transactions and balances in one place.

You can do that already, using any internet browser, simply by registering on lovemoney.com. But being able to check all your bank accounts with a single log-in while on the move, using the iPad, will be a further, revolutionary step forward - one that will be welcomed by lovemoney.com users everywhere.