If you’re among the 1 million people a month that decide to buy an iPad, you’re going to need to figure out which of the 6 models is the best fit for you and your budget. And then you’ll need to find somewhere to buy an iPad from, preferably at a store near where you live.

Choose a Model

The first step is the hardest because you have to decide if you are willing to pay extra money for a model with 3G wireless, and then pay for a service plan as well. Keep in mind that the iPad needs to use internet for most of the apps, so a lot of its functionality will be hampered when Wi-Fi isn’t available.

There are other options, though. You can get a portable Wi-Fi modem from Amazon for 1 cent with the purchase of a service plan from Verizon. Or you can get a Cradlepoint PHS300 Personal Hotspot for about $140 and tether it to your smartphone or 100 USB modem for Wi-Fi access anywhere you have coverage.

Another thing to consider when choosing a model is storage capacity. The options are 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB. Most people are perfectly happy with the 16 GB model. But if you have a large media collection, or plan to use the iPad for a lot of videos, then one of the larger storage models is probably a better option. Video is really what takes up the most space. Music, email, and most apps don’t add up to a whole lot; 1000 songs is only about 3.5 GB.

For a complete list of iPad prices by country check out our iPad pricing chart.

Where to Buy an iPad

If you want to buy an iPad online, the Apple Store is currently the best option. Other websites like Amazon and eBay are selling the iPad for inflated prices—don’t buy from them until the prices match Apple’s.

Since buying from Apple’s online store will incure sales tax fees, you might as well find an iPad in a retail location near where you live. You can find Apple retail stores and authorized Apple retailers using the Store Locator on Apple’s website. Best Buy sells them in the US and Canada, and Curry’s and PC World sells them in the UK.

Other Details to Consider

Unless you’re fond of scratches and imperfections, you’re definitely going to want to get a cover or screen protector for the iPad. Covers are cheap. You can pick up an okay one for under $20 or a decent one for a little more. Here’s an entire page listing iPad covers, cases, skins, and screen protectors from various websites around the web.

Apple sells an iPad protection plan for $99, but it doesn’t cover accidental damage or if the glass screen breaks. Another option for a warranty is SquareTrade. They have 2 and 3 year plans for $95 – $145 that cover accidental drops, spills, & normal use issues.

The last thing you need to do before you get an iPad is install iTunes on your PC or Mac computer if you don’t already have it. When you get your iPad you can’t just turn it on and use it. You must sync it with iTunes using a computer before it will work, and you will need an iTunes account. After the initial setup, you don’t necessarily need access to a computer to use the iPad.

Filed under: Apple iPad, How To | Tags: buy ipad, international ipad, ipad 3g | No Comments »

If you just got a shiny new Apple iPad with 3G or are planning on getting one, take note that AT&T is changing to new data plans in the US, (you can keep the old plan if you already signed up for it).

The new lower tier plan is still 200MB of usage for $15 a month, but the sneaky $.10 per MB charge for going over the limit is gone. Now if you go over the limit, another 200MB is added on for $15. And so on for more minutes.

The “unlimited” plan has been replaced with a 2GB plan that runs $5 cheaper per month at $25. After the initial 2GB is used, additional blocks of 1GB can be added on for $10 each.

For iPhones running the new OS this summer, the new data plans will offer iPhone tethering for an extra $20 per month. Tethering allows a laptop/netbook to connect to the internet via the iPhone’s 3G.

The new plans also include free Wi-Fi at AT&T’s 20,000 hotspots.

Source: CNET

Filed under: Apple iPad, News | Tags: at&t, ipad 3g | No Comments »

Today marks the official release of the Apple iPad in 9 more countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

Here’s a round-up of some news stories covering the Apple iPad release from around the web:

Australia

Tech-heads take the tablets as iPads finally go on sale – The Australian
Apple estimated 1000 people had lined up in Sydney, with the queue stretching halfway around a city block.

Australians Line Up (With Kangaroo Pouches) for iPads – Wall Street Journal
Fashion designer Davina Reichman attended the launch in central Sydney wearing her own twist on the traditional little black dress, the “iDress,” which has a reinforced pouch in the front to carry the iPad.

VIDEO: iPad mayhem, and other iPad videos – News.co.au
Watch how the Apple staff work the crowd and the media as we go behind the scenes at the iPad launch.

Canada

iPad launches in Canada: Vancouver lineups start early this morning – Vancouver Sun
Before the 8 a.m. early opening of Apple’s downtown Vancouver store, more than 100 people were in a lineup snaking through Pacific Centre.

Small but Enthusiastic Crowd Greets iPad in Toronto – PC World
Canadian cellular providers Rogers Communications and Bell Canada both announced support for the iPad and introduced plans that, while not comparable to the unlimited access that AT&T offers in the U.S., are generous by national standards, with 250MB of data available for $15, and 5GB for $35.

France

iPad-mania as thousands queue for global roll-out – Yahoo News (AFP)
Several French publishers, including world number two Hachette Livre, announced Friday that they had reached a deal with Apple to make their titles available through the company’s iBookstore.

VIDEO: L’iPad débarque aujourd’hui en France – France24
Deux mois après son lancement aux États-Unis, où Apple a vendu plus d’un million de tablettes tactiles en avril, l’Ipad arrive en France. Une application FRANCE 24 est disponible.

Germany

Anbetung auf der Freßgass’ – Faz.net
Die Showtime beginnt etwa fünf Minuten vor acht. Hinter schwarzen Stellwänden, die den Einblick in den gläsernen Apple-Store an der Freßgass’ in Frankfurt verhindern, beginnt rhythmisches Klatschen. Großer Jubel. Das hört sich an, als käme es vom Band. Es ist aber live.

The iPad’s Random walk through Europe – ft.com/techblog
We are very pleased that Verlagsgruppe Random House’s German-language book content will be directly available from Apple’s iBookstore for Germany. . .

VIDEO: Apples iPad nun auch in Deutschland erhältlich – nrw-aktuell.tv
Digitale Schiefertafel bereits teilweise ausverkauft Seit heute verkauft der US-amerikanische Computerherstelle…

Italy

VIDEO: Assalto all’Apple Store per l’iPad – Antenna Sud
Lo ha lanciato oggi in tutta europa la Apple e anche i baresi non hanno resistito all’ipad, il nuovo strumento informatico che permette di leggere libri e quotidiani da un monitor da nove pollici. Preso d’assalto l’apple store di Bari.

L’iPad è sbarcato in Italia Fila notturna all’Apple store di Roma Est – Il Messaggero
Le porte dell’Apple store, lo scrigno che racchiude il gioiello iPad, si aprono alle 8 in punto.

Japan

Japan’s iPad Frenzy Signals a Sea Change – Wall Street Journal
More than a half-dozen Japanese business and technology magazines ran cover stories about the iPad’s debut, with one declaring in English: “Here comes the game-changer.”

VIDEO: iPad queues in Japan nearly 1km long – ITN News
Japan goes iPad launch bonkers as more than a thousand people queue for days and explode with cheers when Apple’s store opens.

Spain

Un “capricho” de más de 480 euros – Publico.es
El iPad salió a la venta en 150 puntos por toda España y, aunque Apple no ofrece datos, gran parte de ellos confirmaron que se habían quedado sin existencias antes del mediodía.

VIDEO and article: Los iPads más caros, los primeros en agotarse en España – RTVE.es
Así, calculan que la compañía estadounidense sólo ha puesto entre 3.000 y 4.000 iPad disponibles para toda España.

Switzerland

VIDEO: Apple overtakes Microsoft as iPad is launched – World Radio Switzerland
WRS video journalist Amy Wong waited in line at the Geneva store where over 150 people couldn’t wait to get their hands on one.

United Kingdom

Apple iPad: excited British fans embrace new gadget after launch – Telegraph
Apple customers, some of whom had queued since midday on Thursday, were greeted to thunderous cheers from dozens of specially drafted in staff members when they entered the tech giant’s flagship store in Regent Street, central London.

VIDEO & article: Apple iPad tablet gathers crowds for UK launch – BBC News
Hundreds of people gathered at Apple’s flagship store in London to be among the first to buy an iPad.

VIDEO: Apple iPad goes on sale in the UK – ITN
Apple’s iPad is finally on sale in the UK after a delay due to the gadget’s popularity in the United States.

Filed under: Apple iPad, News | Tags: international ipad, ipad, ipad 3g | 2 Comments »

Just found this article over at AppleInsider.com that reveals AT&T's international data plan pricing for the 3G Apple iPad and it ain't pretty.

Check out these wallet-shredding rates:

• $24.99/month: 20 MB Data Global Add-On gives you 20 MB of usage within more than 90 countries
• $59.99/month: 50 MB Data Global Add-On gives you 50 MB of usage within more than 90 countries
• $119.99/month: 100 MB Data Global Add-On gives you 100 MB of usage within more than 90 countries
• $199.99/month: 200 MB Data Global Add-On gives you 200 MB of usage within more than 90 countries

Certainly more alternatives will come along from local wireless providers since the iPad uses a GSM micro-SIM card, but for now Wi-Fi seems to be the way to go, internationally speaking.

Filed under: Apple iPad | Tags: ipad 3g | No Comments »

Apple issued a press release today announcing that the iPad 3G models will arrive to customers who've pre-ordered them on Friday, April 30th (no special Saturday delivery this time).

The iPad 3G models will also be available from Apple retail stores on the same date at the interesting hour of 5:00 p.m. Good luck to all the Apple employees that have to tell every eager iPad 3G buyer that they have to wait until the clock strikes 5.

The iPad 3G models cost $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, and a wallet-shredding $829 for 64GB. Data plans cost an additional $14.99 a month for the 250 MB plan, and $29.99 a month for unlimited use.

To 3G or Not To 3G

From my experience, the Apple iPad is severely limited without internet access. A good deal of the apps require internet to work. There are apps for saving web-pages to view offline and other ways to prepare for instances when Wi-Fi isn't available, but if you intend on using the iPad a lot in areas that Wi-Fi isn't available then the 3G model is probably worth the extra $130.

Filed under: Apple iPad | Tags: ipad 3g | No Comments »