Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) much-awaited iPad, which goes on sale April 3rd, had its commercial debut at last night’s Oscars. In true Apple fashion, the commercial featured a catchy song and a compelling demo of what the device does well, including e-reading, photos, music and email.
The tablet computing device has received a storm of media coverage, both before and after it was officially announced at the beginning of the year. Analysts have since put out multiple forecasts on iPad sales, most of which have the supply not meeting demand for the device. To name a few, Canaccord Adams analysts say production problems will limit the number of units available at launch to 300,000, while BroadPoint AmTech believes the iPad will definitely sell out in hours – much like both versions of the iPhone.
Other analysts have predicted that the iPad will likely run primarily on WiFi, a sentiment shared by AT&T, which is busy exploring usage-based pricing to offset strain on its 3G network. AT&T instituted a tiered data pricing structure for the iPad to prepare for customers that it believes will only supplement WiFi with occasional 3G access. The WiFi-only version of the iPad will hit stores on April 3 with 3G-enabled versions coming to market later in the month.