The highly-anticipated iPad tablet computer by Apple has hit US retail stores today! A worldwide release in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. is scheduled for late April.

You will have to wait to catch the 3G-enabled iPads, they will become available in late April with an AT&T data subscription included. The WiFi-enabled iPads will already be sold in from April 3 on.

On the iPad….

To learn more about what all the fuss is about and what is inside the machine, check out the Apple iPad specifications or watch some videos.  The iPad has the potential change the way we consume content and for more on that check out our content revolution articles.

Pricing in US and Europe

Pricing will be $499, $599 or $699 for the WiFi-enabled iPads with respectively 16Gb, 32Gb or 64Gb of storage. For the 3G-enabled iPads the prices are $629, $729 or $829 with respectively 16Gb, 32Gb or 64Gb of storage. Based on previous pricing of the iPhone, iPod and MacBooks in Europe, the iPad is estimated to be priced at € 460, € 560, € 650. The US dollar to Euro exchange rate does not really apply here; Apple usually sets its prices different from exchange rates due to the differences in markets.

Current predictions estimate Apple will sell 1.2 million iPads until the end of 2010. Next year, sales are estimated at 3.5 million. These amounts are significantly lower than iPhone sales, and they are for a reason. Apple expects consumers needs to adapt and get used to the concept of a tablet device just like they did with the iPhone. This process will take a few years.

Will the sales predictions become true? Will the Apple iPad be a success or not? And why? Can we expect queues like we did with the iPhone in front of the Apple stores? I want to know what you think! Tell me in the comments!

The rumored Apple tablet is due for a February 2010 release date. Previous accounts also reported a release date in 2010. This time the information comes from a newspaper in Taiwan According to Tawian’s Economic News, Apple will be receiving parts from suppliers in December and it will then start assembling the first batch of devices for shipment in February. Mentioned is a long-lasting battery from DynaPack, it expects to make around 300,000 batteries a month for Apple. This number translates into the expected number of tablets on the market in the first months.

The newspaper also mentions some new specifications:

• ARM-processor from Apple-acquired PA Semi
• A 3G HSDPA connection through AT&T’s network
• Long-lasting battery (up to 10 hours) from DynaPack
• Price between $799 and $999

The touchscreens for the iPhone and iPod are produced by WinTek. This supplier is said to be supplying Apple with the tablet screens.

See the full updated Apple tablet specifications for more information:

• Display:
  • 9.6″ widescreen multi-touch display (by WinTek)
  • 1440-by-1050-pixel resolution at 489 ppi
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.13GHz
• Memory: DDR2 2 GB @ 667 MHz
• Video: nVidia GeForce 9400M
• Storage: 64 GB flash drive
• Optical drive: Apple SuperDrive with DVD±RW and CD-RW
• Wireless:
  • Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • 3G: HSDPA (through AT&T)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Location tools:
  • Assisted GPS (aGPS)
  • Digital compass
• Battery: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (by DynaPak)
• Usage time:
  • Internet: up to 6 hours on 3G
  • Internet: up to 12 hours on Wi-Fi
  • Video playback: up to 12 hours
• Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
• Colors:
  • black with silver or
  • white with silver
• Software:
  • Mac OS X 10.6 with touch-enabled interface
• Price level:
  • $899 USD, 799 EUR