Availability: Pre-orders begin today. On sale March 16.

Price: Retains pricing for the iPad 2. The iPad 2 will soldier on starting at $399.
The new iPad:
$499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model
$599 for the 32GB Wi-Fi model
$699 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model
$629 for the 16GB 4G model
$729 for the 32GB 4G model
$829 for the 64GB 4G model

Appearance & dimensions: It looks familiar. Comes in black or white. It is 9.4mm thick and weighs 1.5 pounds -slightly beefier than the iPad 2's 8.8mm and 1.35 pounds.

Processor: Powered by a A5X dual-core. No specifics on speed yet.

Display: The resolution is bumped to retina display specifications at 2048 x 1536 pixels

Connectivity: 3G, HSPA+ for up to 21Mbps, dual-carrier HSDPA for up to 42Mbps and LTE for up to 72Mbps.

Camera: Rear-facing 5MP iSight camera with the optics system from the iPhone 4S. HD video recording now in 1080p resolution.  Built-in stabilization, auto-exposure, auto-focus, auto-face detection, and AF-lock. Facetime camera on the front.

Battery: Retains the same battery life as the iPad 2. Up to 10 hours of browsing over Wi-Fi and 9 hours over 4G.

Extras:
A new button at the bottom of the keyboard adds voice dictation.

iPhoto for the iPad edits photos, adds effects, and share images device-to-device.

iWork and GarageBand get updates.

The launch of the iPad 2 began today online, but later today consumers will be able to purchase the tablet from brick and mortar locations.

At 5 p.m. the iPad 2 will be on store shelves at Apple's 236 retail stores along with  AT&T, Best Buy, Target, Verizon Wireless, Walmart and select Apple Authorized Resellers. The refreshed iPads carry over previous pricing starting at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only tablet and top out at $829 for a 64GB 3G model.

Along with the tablet, Apple has been trumpeting its clever magnetic Smart Cover that doubles as an iPad stand, the new GarageBand app and iMovie app.

Will enthusiasm match the launch day of the original that sold over 300,000? That is hard to to say, but there are a number of people planning to line up for secure an iPad for weekend use.

The Colbert Report has a little fun on the iPad 2.