Well, that was certainly an interesting day. Apple delivered everything we expected and a bit more.

Steve Jobs formally unveiled the new iPad, and while most of the specs were already known, there were some surprises and plenty of things worth discussing.

First off, the "iPad" name itself. Not to get too into titles, but in this case I think it merits a brief discussion. Apple is increasingly viewing its hardware as falling in two categories: "Mac" computer and "i" electronics. That Apple made this the iPad and not MacPad could really indicate that Apple is not seeing this as challenging computers, meaning it is and will be more of a tablet than a netbook. Those who were looking for any sort of serious photo/video editing or higher-end gaming features probably didn't want to hear that.

Big thumbs up to Apple for the development and inclusion at launch of the dock. As much as Jobs and others like to talk up the keyboard, it's pretty clear that a touchscreen keypad is simply not going to cut it for most any task beyond Tweeting. For students this is huge. The textbook store component of iBooks is a tough sell on its own, but when you have a word processor and keyboard/stand combination, you have something that could be a huge hit in campuses around the world.

One question, however, is how the iPad will connect to printers. The iPhoneOS was never designed with the need for printing. I'm sure Apple has already addressed this, but it will be interesting to see how it works.

The vast range of devices being offered was a change of pace for Apple, and could indicate just how much Apple wants the iPad to succeed. Even the Mac models come with three or four options with a fairly short range of prices between each. iPad ranges from $499 to $825 and ranges from a Wi-Fi-only 16GB device for students and home users to the 3G-equipped 64GB system for road warriors. Apple obviously wants the iPad line to succeed in a big way, and it looks like it has higher hopes for the iPad than the iPhone or iPod. A lofty goal indeed.

Finally there's the question of 3G. Currently in the states the iPhone is tied in with AT&T, and with today's announcement that partnership will continue, unless the rumours or new carriers floated earlier this week are not only true, but also applicable to iPad. Will the company also go for exclusive deals in Europe? And if so, will anti-trust authorities go after Apple for it?

Steve Jobs and his company answered a great number of questions today, but a great many remain in the 60-day run up to the iPad's release. Those hoping for an end to the years-long Apple tablet hype will have to suffer for at least another few months.

Amazon has to be more than a little worried by this. iPad makes the Kindle look completely antiquated. E-ink displays are said to cause less eye-strain than LCD screens, but that's not much of a selling point against the laundry list of advantages iPad has. If it's going to compete in this market, Amazon needs a massive overhaul and fast. Perhaps even the adoption of a new platform. Which leads us to our final point...

The wild-card in all of this: Android. At this year's CES there were several devices demonstrated, but only sparingly and as little more than prototypes. With this news, Google and its hardware partners are on the clock. If they can not only show but give release dates on rival devices to the iPad, the Android community can take some of the wind out of Apple's sales.