THE I-PAD SOUNDS PRETTY COOL! 1/28/10

Apple showed off its much-anticipated tablet computer, a multimedia, Internet-enabled slate that could fuel the next leg of growth for the CE innovator. Dubbed the iPad, the tablet will be used to browse the web, read email, read books and play games. It’s positioned as something between a smartphone and laptop. The device will also work with the iTunes store.

Steve Jobs demonstrated how the iPad is used for surfing the Web with Apple's Safari browser. He typed an e-mail using an on-screen keyboard and flipped through photo albums by flicking his finger across the screen. Jobs said iPad will also be better for reading books, playing games and watching video than either a laptop or a smart phone.

The 16-gigabyte iPad will retail for $499, the 32-gigabyte version for $599 and the 64-gigabyte model for $699. With Wi-Fi and 3G, the 16-gigabyte tablet will sell for $629, the 32-gigabyte version for $749 and the 64-gigabyte model for $829.