Apple Unveils iPad2

Declaring his company pretty much owns the tablet computer market, Apple CEO Steve Jobs today took the wraps of the technology industry's worst-kept secret - the iPad 2.

Sleeker and lighter than the original device introduced a year ago, the iPad2 features an all new design.

"These are not marginal improvements," Jobs said.

For starters, he says the new iPad will be quite a bit faster than the one it replaces. It features the A5 chip and a dual core processor that moves at twice the speed of the original.

More compact

The iPad2 will also come in a more compact design. Where the original case measured 13.4 mm thick, the new tablet is just 8.8mm. It weighs about the same, however. Battery life should be about the same as the original - 10 hours.

The iPad2 features built-in cameras and a gyroscope. It will come in both black and white and be available through both AT&T and Verizon at the same price as the original iPad, with units starting at $499.

Apple says the iPad2 will begin shipping March 11 in the U.S. and March 25 internationally.

Jobs said Apple sold 15 million iPads in the nine months during 2010 that it was available. Sales totaled  $9.5 billion, giving Apple 90 percent of the tablet market.

Meanwhile, Jobs announced that Random House will make its books available through the iBook store. He said the store now has more than 2,300 participating publishers.