We heard some pretty ridiculous estimates over the weekend, but these figures are straight out of Cupertino’s mouth: over 300,000 iPads were sold on April 3rd. Specifically, that many were moved in the US as of midnight (PT, we’re assuming) on Saturday, though this does include deliveries of pre-ordered units to customers, deliveries to channel partners (such as Best Buy) and sales at Apple Retail Stores. We should point out, though, that just because Best Buy purchased a bundle of ‘em doesn’t mean that end users have (yet), but still, this is a pretty impressive feat for something that not everyone was convinced that they “needed” in January. If you’ll recall, Apple only sold 270,000 iPhones during its first 30 hours on the market, yet it moved over a million iPhone 3GS units during that handset’s opening weekend. In related news, iPad users also downloaded over a million apps and over 250,000 ebooks from the iBookstore during launch day, with Steve Jobs himself noting that “iPad users, on average, downloaded more than three apps and close to one book within hours of unpacking their new iPad.” Now, let’s see if these guys can keep pace through the first full week.

[via engadget]

We’ve received a number of reader reports that iPads have begun shipping.   At this time, it only appears to be the Wifi models and even though we are five days out, even those with expedited shipping are expected to see theirs on April 3rd.  Have you got your notice yet?

[via 9to5mac]

Most iPad developers may not yet have touched the actual device, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy working away on software for Apple’s newest invention. But, according to an e-mail obtained by Macworld, if you want your iPad application to have a chance of being in the App Store for the iPad’s arrival, you’d better have it ready for Apple’s review by March 27.

The e-mail, sent to registered iPhone developers, says that only apps submitted for review by this deadline will be eligible for “the grand opening of the iPad App Store.” While no official date is given for that debut, it’s a good guess that it means April 3, the day the iPad arrives. It also suggests that the iPad will have its own section of the App Store, distinct from iPhone and iPod touch applications.

Submitted applications must be built with the iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5, the most recent version of Apple’s developer tools, and must be digitally signed and uploaded to iTunes Connect by Saturday, March 27, 5p.m. PT in order for consideration. Fulfill those requirements and Apple’s App Review Team will take a look at the program and let you know if your app is ready for the iPad.

While the iPad will run almost all of the more than 150,000 applications already available in the App Store, it’s clear that iPad-specific applications, such as those shown off at the iPad’s debut in January, will be far more powerful and versatile.

Developers have struggled with writing software for a device they haven’t seen other than in videos and pictures, leading some to wonder if iPad-specific apps would be available when the tablet shipped. At least Apple has finally provided an answer to that question, even if it’s not exactly the ideal solution developers might have hoped for.

[via macworld]

From the realm of sci-fi to Steve Jobs’ stage: The iPad is official. What is it? What can it do? How does it work? Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s newest creation, all in one place.

[via gizmodo]

After nearly a decade of rumors and speculation, Apple’s finally unveiled the iPad. It’s a half-inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds, with a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen IPS LCD display, and it’s running a custom 1GHz Apple “A4″ chip developed by the P.A. Semi team, with a 10-hour battery life and a month of standby. It’ll come in 16, 32, and 64GB sizes, and it’s got the expected connectivity: very little. There’s a 30-pin Dock connector, a speaker, a microphone, Bluetooth, 802.11n WiFi and optional 3G, as well as an accelerometer and a compass. There’s also a keyboard dock, which connects underneath in the portrait orientation, support for up to 1024×768 VGA out and 480p composite out through new dock adapter cables, and a camera attachment kit that lets you import photos from your camera over USB or directly through an SD reader. The device is managed by iTunes, just like the iPhone — you sync everything over to your Mac. As expected, it can run iPhone apps — either pixel-for-pixel in a window, or pixel-doubled fullscreen — but developers can also target the new screen size using the updated iPhone OS SDK, which is available today. The 3G version runs on AT&T and comes with new data plans: 250MB for $14.99 and an unlimited plan for $29.99 a month contract-free. Activations are handled on the iPad, so you can activate and cancel whenever you want. Every iPad is unlocked and comes with a GSM “micro-SIM,” so you can use it abroad, but there aren’t any international deals in place right now — Steve says they’ll be back “this summer” with news on that front.

It starts at $499 for 16GB, 32GB for $599, and $699 64GB. Adding 3G costs a $130 per model, so the most expensive model (64GB / 3G) is $829. The WiFi-only model will ship in 60 days, and the 3G models will come in 90.

[via engadget]