Apple’s new iPad sale begins this Friday

Set your alarm clock, or get ready to pitch a tent outside your nearby Apple retail, the new iPad goes on sale beginning at 8 a.m. this Friday. The lines should be fierce, especially with pre-orders selling out shortly after last week’s launch event. And it’s a first-come, first-served basis. On the plus side, five other big-box retailers will peddle the popular tablet on Friday, too.

If you’re not hung up on getting your goods straight from the source, you can pick up the new iPad from Best Buy, Radio Shack, Target, Sam’s Club and Walmart. This is especially good news for anyone lacking an Apple store in their town, but there are some serious advantages to picking up your tablet from its maker. For one, Apple locations will most likely have a greater quantity of devices to sell. But we think the biggest draw is the free setup and support that the company offers for in-store purchases.


The new iPad will also be available in the U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on March 16. Beginning March 23, it will go on sale in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.