The wait is over. Starting from today, you can pre-order Apple’s iPad through its online store or reserve it at any Apple retail store. For now, pre-order is only available in U.S.

Should you pre-order the iPad? As mentioned by Informationweek, the initial supply of iPad may be limited:

Reports have been inconsistent about this, but there’s a possibility that initial demand may outstrip supply. If you’re serious about acquiring an iPad the first day it’s available for sale (April 3), pre-ordering is the best way. Apple is going to let users sign up and reserve a unit for in-store pick-up. Your odds of scoring an iPad will be much better than if you just show up at an Apple Store on launch day. I mean, seriously, more than, like, 10 people might be interested in your neck of the woods, so be sure to pre-order.

My take is if you love to be the early adopter of the “revolutionary” and “magical” device, remember to reserve an iPad via Apple’s website. But don’t forget you will still need to wait for another 3 weeks until you can actually get the hands-on with the iPad.

For international customers, Apple is going to release the iPad in late April. The exact release date will depend on the country you live in. If you’re so serious about the device and can’t wait for the official release, I can think of two ways to pre-order the iPad outside U.S. Either you can ask a friend to U.S. for help or you can use personal shopper service such as Bongo and MyUS which can purchase U.S. products on your behalf. However, expect to pay a premium for the handling fee and shipment cost.

ComputerWorld’s Gregg Keizer has written up a nice post about some common questions about the preorder. If you have any questions, you can further check it out here.

So, what’s your take? Pre-order or not pre-order?

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