Apple's Ipad will land in the US on 3 April

APPLE HAS SET the official date for the launch of its contentious Ipad.

The first proclaimed 'magical and revolutionary' devices will land in the US on 3 April, but they'll be only the WiFi only models with the 3G sort set to tip up later in the month.

Apple fanbois in the rest of the world will have to wait until the latter half of April when the Ipad will tip up in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

According to the cappuccino company, from 12 March US customers will be able to pre-order the Ipad from the Apple website or reserve it at their nearest smug storefront for collection on release day.

Those hoping to use the Ipad as a substandard tablet will be able to access 12 apps designed especially for it - albeit one at a time - while those hoping to use it as a substandard ebook reader will be able to tap the Ibookstore for content from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.

In the US, the Ipad will set you back $499, $599 and $699 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB WiFi-only versions, respectively. The WiFi plus 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail prices of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. No European pricing has been given yet, but if you just substitute the $ sign for a £ sign you're probably in the right area. µ