Early adopters rush in as iPad pre-orders begin

iPad pre-orders began on Friday, March 12th, as Apple promised. Pre-orders began being accepted at 5:30 AM PST.

Apple is limiting pre-orders to two per customer. Shipping is free, and as the device will arrive on April 3rd in stores, those who have Saturday delivery in their area will receive it that day. There is also an option for in-store pickup. Those who opt for pickup can do so between 9 AM and 3 PM that day.

The iPad also comes with 90 days of complimentary phone technical support. The hardware, including the rechargeable battery and all accessories, carries a one year warranty. You can assume he screen is not, if damaged accidentally. Coverage can be extended to two years with a $99 AppleCare protection plan.

The iPad is the long-rumored Apple tablet PC. Announced in January, it uses a version of the iPhone OS, which means it also has its limitations. For one, while Apple CEO Steve Jobs contends the iPad is superior to a netbook, it will be unable to multi-task, at least at launch.

Specification-wise, the iPad is 0.5 inches thick and weighs 1.5 pounds, with reported battery life of “up to” 10 hours. It has a 9.7-inch display and a 1GHz custom Apple-built A4 chip with the CPU and graphics combined. The device is targeted as a device that fits between an iPhone and a MacBook, and is positioned as an e-book (iBook) reader, as well as a web browser. It will also be able to run many of the 140,000 App Store applications written for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Should you buy n iPad right now? Early adopters usually end up with the short end of the stick. The first iPhone buyers were not all that happy with the device’s limitations, and certainly were not happy when Apple sharply cut the price a few months later. In fact, a lawsuit was even generated.

Thus, if you are not someone who obsessively needs to be the first with a new device, you should wait. Allow someone else to “kick the tires” before you charge in with your credit card.