Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, got a standing ovation even before he began announcing details of the thinner, faster and lighter second-generation version of the popular iPad tablet.
Jobs, whose appearance at the San Francisco announcement came as a surprise to many, said "we've been working on this for a while and I didn't want to miss it.
"Thank you for having me."
Jobs, who looked frail in his trademark black mock turtleneck, began his presentation by criticizing the competition and asked: "What about 2011? Is it going to be the year of the copycats?"
Then Jobs switched gears and began to list the details of the iPad 2, which will be available in Canada on March 25.
He said the all-new design is "dramatically faster" with a new dual core processor providing performance that is twice as fast as the original iPad. In terms of graphics, the new iPad is nine times faster, he said.
The tablet also now has rear and front cameras, similar to the iPhone 4 and comes with Apple's PhotoBooth software.
The new operating system, iOS 4.3, included support for FaceTime, Apple's video-chat program. Apple says users can hold video chats between iPads, iPhones and Mac computers.
Safari will run faster than on the previous incarnation and there are other software improvements to iTunes home sharing and AirPlay, which allows streaming of video to a TV.
New software was also announced, including $4.99 versions of iMovie and GarageBand. Garageband, Apple's music and editing software, includes instruments that can be played on the iPad 2's screen. Users can start working on their Mac, and then work on it later on the iPad 2.
The new iPad is also lighter, and 1.3 pounds, down from 1.5, and is one-third thinner than the original -- 8.8 millimetres instead of the current 13.4 millimetres.
"The new iPad 2 is actually thinner than your iPhone 4," Jobs said.
It will have the same 10-hour battery life as the original, along with one-month on standby, and will have the same starting price point, around US$500.
In the U.S. the new iPads will range from US$499 to US$829, depending on the size and whether they have cellular network access. Canadian pricing is not yet available.
The new iPad features a rounder design and comes in two colours, black and white, with Jobs promising Apple will be shipping the white options right from day one.
The iPad 2 also has an HDMI out option for connecting it to monitors or other displays, and supports 1080p resolution. A US$39 part plugs in the iPad's charging port and connects to an HDMI cable.
"And that," Jobs said, "is the iPad."
Tech expert Marc Saltzman said the iPad 2 is going to be appealing to those who are on the fence about buying a tablet.
"When you take a look at the landscape, the iPad 2 delivers a lot of bang for your buck," he told CTV News Channel Tuesday.
In the U.S. the device will be available as of March 11.
