Apple 3G iPad To Arrive April 30

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Apple announced the 3G iPad will be delivered to U.S. pre-order customers on Friday, April 30 " the final day of the month. And Apple is cutting it even closer by announcing that the 3G iPad will be available in Apple Stores that day starting at 5 p.m. instead of when the stores open in the morning.

Apple's announcement, howevever, comes with an asterisk; while customers who pre-ordered their 3G iPads early will indeed receive their tablets by Apple's original launch window, customers who want to order a 3G iPad now aren't going to be as lucky. Apple's Web site now says 3G iPads ordered this week will ship by May 7th.

The iPad has seen some delays in recent weeks, which Apple has keenly attributed to stronger than anticipated demand for the device. Apple first stated the new tablet would begin shipping by the end of March, but the date slipped to April 3. The delay has hardly hurt Apple, as the original Wi-Fi-only iPad was released with much fanfare and impressive sales; the company said it's sold more than 500,000 units of the iPad in the U.S. in just the first week.

Citing the high-than-expected demand for the device, Apple was forced to delay the international release of the iPad by one month, moving the launch date to May. The company said it plans to announce the launch date and international pricing information on May 10.

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While the iPad is off to a hot start, it isn't expected to impact Apple's second quarter earnings, which will be announced this afternoon. Analysts expect another strong quarter for the company based on high iPhone demand and healthy Mac sales.