The new iPad is here and it has a Retina Display packing a million more pixels than your HD TV

In case you had any doubts, Apple just unveiled at a media event in San Francisco the new iPad and boy does it have that ultra-high resolution display you have clamored for. Apple’s marketing honcho said, “Until you see it, you can’t understand how amazing it is.” The screen itself packs in a 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution, or 3.1 million pixels, for “the most ever in a mobile device.”

This screen resolution on a 9.7-inch display translates to a pixel density of 264 pixels per inch, which is less than the 326 pixels per inch on the iPhone 4/4S. However, when holding the device at 15 inches away (the iPhone is typically held at 10 inches away), your eye is unable to distinguish the individual pixels—hence the Retina moniker.

We’re allowed to call 264 pixels per inch Retina because you hold it further from your face.

Another interesting aspect: With a 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution, the new iPad has a million more pixels than your HDTV. It also has 44 percent greater saturation. Moreover, Apple upgraded the processor with quad-core graphics, naming the enhanced chip the “A5X.” to drive all those pixels. Executives bragged on stage that the device has more memory and a higher screen resolution than an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 console.

• Apple March 7th iPad event Liveblog (9to5mac.com)
• Apple drops 16GB iPad 2 to $399, $529 for Wi-Fi + 3G (9to5mac.com)
• Apple launches gestures-heavy iPhoto for iPad, can tell you weather in images. Available today for $4.99 (9to5mac.com)
• In new GarageBand, 4 iOS devices can “jam” in realtime (9to5mac.com)
• The new iPad has 10-hour battery life, is 0.6mm thicker and 0.07lbs heavier (9to5mac.com)
• New iPad preorders start today, available March 16 in ten countries (9to5mac.com)
• Yes, the new iPad is 4G LTE (9to5mac.com)
• iPad gets better cameras: iSight on the front, 5MP with 1080p video recording on the back (9to5mac.com)
• Voice Dictation on new iPad (9to5mac.com)
• Apple confirms A5X with quad-core graphics in new iPad (9to5mac.com)
• The new iPad is here and it’s got a Retina Display packing a million more pixels than your HD TV (9to5mac.com)
• Tim Cook: iPad is the poster child of the post PC world (9to5mac.com)
• Apple unveils new Apple TV: Streamlined UI, 1080p video output, full HD iCloud movies, same $99 price (9to5mac.com)
• Apple launching iOS 5.1 today with Japanese Siri support (9to5mac.com)
• Tim Cook: Post-PC devices made up 76 percent of our revenues (9to5mac.com)
• We now see International 4G iPads in Apple’s inventory system (9to5mac.com)