Let the queuing begin
Apple has just announced that its iPad will be available to buy through Apple stores - on and off-line - on 3 April.
Initially it will only be the Wi-Fi model, with the 3G-equipped options arriving in late April, at the same time as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK get access to both flavours.
:: Insert short, hyperbolic Steve Jobs quote, containing the words "magical" and "revolutionary" here. ::
The new iBooks app, made especially for the iPad and including the iBookstore, will also be available as a free download on 3 April, but only for the US, with the only timescale given for the rest of the world being ‘later this year'.
You can see the US pricing here. It doesn't look like Apple has announced international pricing yet, but there have been rumours.
It will be interesting to see if we get the scale of queuing outside Apple stores that we're accustomed to seeing with major Apple launches. Of course there's a lot of interest, but even card-carrying fanboys are sounding tepid about this launch.
Also, the proportion of 3G versions bought will provide a good insight into the slate usage model. If most users don't bother paying the extra for 3G, that will imply the iPad is mainly kept at home, for surfing in front of the telly, etc. If it does prove popular that will signal a more mobile usage model.
