Steve Jobs was greeted by a standing ovation when he took to the stage at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Performing Arts today.

The CEO of Apple has been on a medical leave of absence from the company since mid January, but that didn’t stop him from being on hand at the press event to unveil the iPad 2.

The new tablets will be available in Canada on March 25 (March 11 in the U.S.). Canadian pricing wasn’t revealed, but in the U.S. the price tags will be the same as the original device, starting at US$499 and going up to US$829.

Also the same are the six available configurations (16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB with or without 3G functionality), the 10-hour battery life, and the screen resolution.

But that’s where the similarities end.

The iPad 2, available from day one in black and white, is a completely new design.

New dual-core processor means up to two-times-faster computer processing and up to nine-times-faster graphics processing. It sports two cameras, one on the front and one on the back, a built-in gyroscope, and an HDMI video out port.

And despite the extra features, the iPad 2 is actually thinner than the iPad, down to 8.8 mm from 13.4 mm. And the new tablet has shed a tenth of a pound, down to 1.3 pounds.

Apple offered a cover for the first iPad. Jobs said that the designers went to the trouble to create a beautiful device and then they covered it up with a case.

So the company’s solution for the iPad 2 was to come up with a case that only covered the screen. Smart Covers are an accessory made from polyurethane (US$39) or leather (US$59), which grips the device using magnets. It can bend around to become a stand for the iPad 2. The covers not only align to the screen perfectly, they wake the iPad 2 when opened, and put the device to sleep when closed.

The dual cameras on the iPad 2 allow for FaceTime and Photo Booth software to be run on the device. And the rear-facing camera captures 720p HD video.

New apps iMovie and GarageBand for iPad (US$4.99 each) allow users to shoot and edit videos or record and mix music right on the tablet.

iPad 2 will be running the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 4.3, which will be available as a free download to supporting devices (all iPads, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 GSM models, and third and fourth generation iPod Touch devices) on March 11.

It includes an upgrade to the mobile Safari web browser and enables iTunes Home Sharing when connected to a local Wi-Fi network. It also allows iPhone 4 users to use a 3G connection as a Personal Hotspot.

Cross-posted at the Georgia Straight