iPad pre-sales begin, accessories announced

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple began accepting orders from its US customers for the upcoming iPad tablet which will begin shipping on April 3rd in America (WiFi versions only). So far over 121,000 orders have reportedly sailed through online and those with lighter wallets but hopeful hearts are counting down the days.

Canadians will have to wait until late April or early May for the iPad to be available for sale. This will be for the WiFi versions, no word yet on whether Bell, Rogers or Telus will provide the data plans for the 3G versions (Mobilicity or Wind are out of the running as their flavour of 3G is not compatible with the iPad's specs).

The iPad is the year's biggest device announcement, being an Apple product that it tied to a proven and profitable iTunes store (serving up TV, Games, Movies, Music, Apps and now books) plus it singlehandedly challenges netbooks, portable gaming devices, ebook readers and personal media players (PMPs).

Be.ez and Booq are just a few of the accessory makers that announced a slew of products such as docks, cases and sleeves. We expect more once the iPad has been around for a while. Apple has also released the iPad SDK that will enable developers to build iPad specific applications to sweeten the pot once the device actually ships.

It will be interesting to see how Canadians react to the iPad and whether it will be as successful as the iPhone and the iPod before it. Are you getting an iPad? What features and applications are you looking forward to use the most? Will you get the 3G or the WiFi versions? We'd love to know.