Apple announced the official release of the iPad this morning. March 12th is the big day. That’s for pre-orders and for WiFi only. April 3rd is when they will be available and in your hands. If you’re waiting for the added 3G capability, then you’ll have to hang on until the end of April for that. You can still order on March 12th, but there’s no telling when at the end of April you’ll receive it.

This staggered release could hurt the sales of the iPad. People want 3G but they want to get it first. Some will jump on the WiFi-only bandwagon just to get a device and realize that 3G made more sense. Having 6 models available just confuses things as well.

Here is the breakdown

WiFi
$499 16GB
$599 32GB
$699 64GB

WiFi + 3G
$629 16GB
$729 32GB
$829 64GB

So do you get the 64GB WiFi or wait a little longer, spend an extra $30 and get the 32GB 3G? Half the room, twice the wait, but you get 3G. This is a dilemma that’s being talked about everywhere.

I ignore my initial impulse to spend the most and get the biggest and best one possible. I was going to get the 32GB WiFi and I realized that was just nonsensical. I need 3G. I have to be able to use it outside my home or it’s a waste. So, 32GB WiFi + 3G was the way to go. $829 was just not defensible.

January 27th was the keynote and by January 28th I had a decision in mind. February 28th came and went. Today, March 5th we are told that in one week, we can start to order them and then in 3 weeks they’ll arrive for pickup at a local Apple store (which is 2 hours from me). So I’ve made a ground-breaking decision. I’m not getting one at all.

I want to be an early adopter and review one immediately. That’s what I do. But WiFi only doesn’t do me any good. By the time I get a 3G to review, the iPad itself will have been talked about a million times. And at $729… it’s not a drop in the bucket. I have a macbook, netbook and 2 iPhones in this house. I was almost windswept by Apple’s magic. At the end of the day… this device, in its current incarnation, is not a game changer. I will let this play out and see what it does. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love one. If there’s a generous reader out there, send one my way. The point is that it’s too much money and too much wait time. The impulse buyer in me has left the building. Senses set in and it’s not important enough to spend that money.

I tell you all of that because I’m sure there are quite a few people out there in the same boat.