Apple Inc. will kick off online sales of its new iPad in the early hours Friday before its evening store launch of the tablet computer.
Consumers can start buying the iPad 2 on Apple’s website at 3 a.m. Central time Friday while customers who want to purchase it in a store will have to wait until 4 p.m., Apple said.
Apple’s retail partners for the first iPad — Best Buy , Target and Wal-Mart Stores — also will start selling the iPad 2 in the afternoon.
Carrier partners AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless will also sell the device. Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, just started selling Apple’s iPhone last month.
The onsale time for local Apple stores is actually 5 PM, not 4 PM.
I would be very upset if I just bought an Ipad 1.