Today, Apple set the tech world ablaze with the official announcement of the fabled iSlate, now known officially as the iPad. The iPad is Apple’s response to the space in between laptops and smartphones. “Everyone uses a laptop and/or a smartphone. The question has arisen lately: is there room for a third category device in the middle?” Jobs also addresses his thoughts about netbooks, “It’s got to be better at these key tasks otherwise it has no reason for being. Some people have said: oh, that’s a netbook. The problem is netbooks aren’t better at ANYTHING. They’re just cheap laptops.”

The iPad boasts the Apple A4 1GHz chip. 16, 32, or 64GB of flash storage. It also has 802.11n, WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. The best part about this device is the 10 hours of battery life (up to a month on standby).

Why does this matter to us gamers on the go? Well, the iPad has the ability to play all of your games in either the native resolution or fullscreen. Also, the iPad will allow for better games with it’s impressive specs. However, these games will not be as good as what it’s counterparts can already do. Until games come out for the device, it can only really be seen as a larger iPod touch or iPhone.

The release of the new Software Developer’s Kits is big as well, because development for the tablet can start ASAP.

The iPad will be available for shipping in 90 days or so, at the starting price of $499.

Here is a list of the prices:

WiFi                      $499          $599           $699

WiFi and 3G       $629          $729          $829

Is the tablet a fad, or is it the real deal? Leave some comments letting us know what you think.

Data via [GDGT]