Exclusive: Apple iPad Unveiled on 'Good Morning America'

April 1, 2010— -- Apple has done it again. The Cupertino, Calif., computer company has introduced a new gadget that is sparking the public's imagination and receiving enough media attention to make even Lindsey Lohan blush.

The iPad is tablet computer that weighs just 1.5 pounds, has a 9.7-inch LCD screen and is less than half an inch thick. It's made for reading ebooks, browsing the Web, watching videos and viewing pictures.

It has a vivid color LCD screen that is backlit, meaning you can view the screen in the dark (unlike other ereaders that need an external light source, the iPad is more like a laptop screen).

The iPad has a 10-hour battery life, which is impressive for a backlit display, but paltry when compared with ereaders like the Amazon Kindle which boasts a two-week battery life if the wireless feature is turned off and a four-day battery life if wireless is on.

The iPad will be able to connect to the iTunes store where users can purchase music, video, games, apps and now eBooks for the device. iPhone apps will run on the iPad but there will also an app store just for the iPad.

The first iPad model released April 3 will cost $499 and will only connect to the Internet through WiFi. Models releasing later in the summer of 2010 will give users "always-on" connectivity through AT&T's cellular data network. The AT&T models will start at $629 and have monthly fees starting at $15, $30 for unlimited data downloads.

The iPad looks like a big iPhone, but when you hold it in your hands it is very clear that this is not intended as a productivity device, communication tool or a utility gadget.

When it was unveiled January 27 in San Francisco, Apple's Steve Jobs asked, "Is there room for another device in our lives?"

If the answer to this question is solely based on price: $500 for an entry-level model is too expensive for most. But for gadget hounds, serious readers and road-warriors, the answer will be yes, the iPad fills a unique void. And more importantly it points to the future of reading and information consumption.