Today the official announcement will be made most likely. After owning an iPad, I can see the iPad sales replicate the iPhone and iPod sales before it. It is one of those things you have to try to understand.
I agree... and unlike the iPhone...
- Nobody has to commit to a contract and/or wait till their current contract is up.
- Nobody has to be forced into using a carrier that isn't a good fit for their area.
Those are two big issues that wont stand in the way of someone wants to buy one. So if anything people MIGHT actually buy it at an even more rapid rate than the iPhone.
- It's much easier for old(er) folks to use/read
- By all accounts it's an BIG 'iPhone' that doesn't make calls but does lots of other cool stuff an iPhone can do - sans camera.
- People being tempted by the iTunes App Store can finally join in the renderer games without ditching their current cell phone.
By most accounts many people will find enormous use for the iPad 'just around the house' and/or 'the hotel when they travel' and/or 'wifi at a friends house' or maybe even at a local mall with free wifi. People who travel a lot and want to use an iPad in a train or car (as a passenger one would hope) or just 'anywhere' are more likely going to want the 3G version.
And while many of you might think 'hey the iPod Touch is fine'.... Come back when your eyes are 15, 20, 30 or so years older and THEN try and tell me the iPod Touch is fine..... It isn't... not for a great number of people and some could argue 'more than 1/2 the people in the US' given the average age in the US is what fifty-something now?.