iPad available for $499 on 27th March
For base 16Gb model with wi-fi, but you'll have to pay extra for 3G
The eagerly awaited iPad is to be available at a lower price tag than most commentators suggested when it launches worldwide on the 27th March.
Speaking at the official launch event in San Francisco, Steve Jobs confirmed the price range for six iterations, beginning with the $499 tag (c.£309) for the base level 16GB edition with wifi only, raising to $599 for the 32Gb edition and $699 for the 64Gb edition.
Adding 3G connectivity to the equation costs another $130, meaning the 16Gb 3G model will cost $629, the 32Gb 3G model $729, and $829 for the 64Gb 3G iPad.
The launch dates were confirmed at 60 days from now for the wifi versions, which by our maths means Saturday 27th March and 30 days later for the 3G models.