iPad Goes on Pre-Sale Friday Morning

Consumers can pre-order iPads on the Apple Website starting today, Friday, March 12,. PST.

You'll be able to order any of the configurations, though the April 3 release date only applies to the Wi-Fi version. The 3G-equipped iPads won't be available until later in April.

The iPad starts at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model, and goes up to $829 for the 64GB, 3G- and Wi-Fi-equipped model. Pre-orders will only be available for U.S. customers.

Of course, if you're looking to get a good deal on Apple's latest toy, pre-ordering is not in your best interest -- especially since Apple has already indicated that it will be flexible on the iPad's pricing, depending on how the device sells initially. And who can forget Apple's sudden price slash on the first iPhone--when Apple dropped the price of the original iPhone by $200 (and, after complaints, offered early adopters a $100 Apple store credit).