Official: iPad Launching Here April 3, Pre-Orders March 12

It's official: iPad's launching in the US on April 3, with the 3G model coming later in the month. Pre-orders start next week, March 12. It's just about on time.

April 3, interestingly, is a Saturday, and exactly 59 66 days after the iPad launch, placing it just outside the 60 availability window Jobs promised for the non-3G model. Apple's still not setting an exact date for the 3G model, promising late April, meaning it stay within the 90-day cocoon. Pre-orders start a week from today.

For folks uh-broad—Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK—both vanilla Wi-Fi and 3G models are launching simultaneously in "late April."

While we now know it's April 3, what we're still wondering about D-Day: How many native iPad apps are launching with it? Will there be lines? (Well, probably.) But will there be shortages, as some analysts have suggested? Also, Apple says iPad will be available through "select Authorized Retailers." Does that mean Best Buy will get in on the launch action?

So, raise your hand if you're waiting for the 3G model!