In an event held today, Apple introduced its latest creation - the iPad. A cross between a tablet computer and an iPhone/iPod touch, the new iPad is designed for browsing the web, reading e-books, using e-mail, viewing photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, and more. At 0.5 inches thick and weighing 1.5 pounds, the iPad includes 12 apps designed specifically for the device, but will be able to run almost all of the more than 140,000 apps currently in the App Store, including apps user may have already purchased for their iPhone or iPod touch.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

The iPad features a Multi-Touch interface, and apps work in both portrait and landscape mode, automatically switching between views as the user rotates the device. The iPad also features a large 9.7-inch, LED-backlit screen with an 178 degree viewing angle, and an almost full-size “soft” keyboard. The iTunes Store is also built-in, similar to how it is currently done on the iPhone/iPod touch, giving users access to over 11 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 8,000 films including over 2,000 in high definition video. Apple also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore that will feature books from major and independent publishers.

Also introduced was a new version of iWork for iPad, a productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch, that includes Pages, Keynote and Numbers. With iWork for iPad, you can create formatted documents, presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.

So, how do you move your content back and forth between the iPad and your Mac or PC? The iPad syncs with iTunes just like using an iPhone or iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable between the iPad and your Mac or PC. All of the apps and content you download on the iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store, and/or iBookstore automatically syncs to your iTunes library when you connect with your computer.

Powering the iPad is the A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip, providing increased processor and graphics performance along with up to 10 hours of battery life. Though the device's battery is built-in, it is designed to deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan. The device also comes in a 802.11n Wi-Fi only version, as well as a version that features both Wi-Fi and 3G that supports speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T have teamed up again to offer 3G pre-paid data plans for the device, starting at $14.99 for up to 250 MB of data usage and $29.99 for unlimited data.