The iPad didn’t sell the whopping 700,000 units some estimated on Day One, but that didn’t stop it from moving 500,000 in the first week. That’s a nice figure for a device that is essentially pioneering an entire market sector. It’s so nice that Apple has had to delay the device’s launch overseas by an entire month. Apple is anticipating that demand will outpace supply for at least the next several weeks (bleeding into the 3G launch period for those keeping track at home).

Here’s the official word:
Although we have delivered more than 500,000 iPads during its first week, demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks as more people see and touch an iPad™. We have also taken a large number of pre-orders for iPad 3G models for delivery by the end of April.

Faced with this surprisingly strong US demand, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the international launch of iPad by one month, until the end of May. We will announce international pricing and begin taking online pre-orders on Monday, May 10. We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news, but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason—the iPad is a runaway success in the US thus far.

Source: Apple

You waited for hours in that line. It was hot, cold, rainy, snowing, windy, sunny, exhausting, tiring, irritating, lonely, funny, strange, whatever. It was unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong, I love standing in line for nerdy stuff as much as the next guy or gal. There’s a certain camaraderie you just don’t get anywhere else. It’s pretty damn frustrating, though, when you find out it wasn’t necessary.

It seems that despite rumors of a day one sellout, most Apple stores across the country still have the iPad in stock. Some have even received second shipments. It’s a good position for Apple to be in, as you can bet there will be those who just had to play with one before they bought it (I’ll admit, I didn’t give two hoots about the iPhone until I spent about an hour with one).

Most of the major retailers seem to have sold out (meaning all of the Best Buy locations) but you don’t have to overpay just to get your new tablet. Head to your local Apple store and your troubles are over.

It was a big day for Apple. It was a big day for fanboys (and fangirls). It was a big day for publishers. Alright, it was a big day for just about everyone. Yes, even you haters, because like it or not the iPad is here and it’s a pretty big deal. It’s the first ultra-portable device that’s capable of handling all of your day to day tasks, be it business or entertainment.

The iPad is such a big release that Steve Jobs himself showed up at the Palo Alto location to survey the damage for just under an hour. Analysts are setting estimates for day one sales around 700,000 units, a huge chunk of the supposed couple million Kindles in the wild. By comparison, the iPhone sold just 270,000 units when it launched.

The iPad does have a leg up in that it has access to the iPhone OS App Store. Along with iPhone apps, the iPad will have its own set of apps designed to take advantage of a larger screen size.

It can be hard to wait for your new gadget to ship. I’ve spent countless hours fretting over Newegg shipments, whether they were for me or a friend. I’ve also spent countless upcharges on rush shipping to make sure I get my toys the very second they’re available.

Apple offered a rush shipping method with the iPad pre-orders for an extra $12. That’s not so bad for tech gear, that is, until you find out that standard shippers would receive their tablets on the same day. Did I mention standard shipping is free?

Thankfully, Apple decided to come clean and refund the rushed shipping upcharge. Here’s the letter you’ll be receiving if this affects you:

To Our Valued Apple Customer:

Thank you for your recent Apple iPad purchase.

Our records indicate that when you placed your iPad pre-order, you chose to pay for expedited shipping.

Expedited shipping is not necessary to ensure delivery. Apple has processed a refund for the shipping charge on your order. Please contact your card-issuing bank for information on when the credit will be posted to your account.

Your iPad will deliver on April 3rd in the areas where UPS offers
Saturday delivery.

You can view the most up-to-date status of your order at
.
Sincerely,
The Apple Store Team

A few weeks back someone dug up some placeholder SKUs in Best Buy’s database that seemed to indicate the store would be getting the iPad. There was some speculation, though, since it seemed the first run of the device was going to sell out very quickly. As it turns out, the rumors are likely true. Several sites have managed to dig up Best Buy’s “Apple iPad Launch Playbook,” detailing protocol for day one sales of Apple’s tablet.

This is great news for anyone feeling impulsive about the iPad decision. If you haven’t already heard, the first round of iPads is completely sold out. You won’t be getting one from Apple on day one. It’ll have to wait until April 12th. That is, unless you want to hit up your local Best Buy. According to the document some 675 locations will have the iPad in limited quantities.

Source: TUAW