Everything iPad

We’re really getting down to the wire. As we mark one more week down, and get one week closer to the launch of the iPad, we’re seeing rises and falls in the announcement of new iPad related material. The iBookstore seemed to be the main focal point for the majority of the week, but then without warning the applications came to the fore. So, let’s get right down to the nitty gritty, shall we?

First up, we’ve got the Kindle for iPad application making its rounds over the Internet. There’s some interesting little bit of details, like the image of the person sitting next to a tree, will actually change depending on what time it is. The key other features include the fact that it’s the Kindle, made available for the iPad (which is already a formidable eReader). We then got to see T-Mobile leak the pricing for the launch of the European version of the iPad’s data plans. They’re looking at €35 a month for unlimited data usage, which is about $47 locally. That’s a bit of an increase, from the $29.99 we’re paying with AT&T.

Apple’s not stopping with the features for the App Store, or iTunes proper, either. They launched the ability to “Gift This” for things like movies, applications, games, and the like. It’s a great way to make getting an application for someone a lot simpler, and we’re sure that with as many iPads shipping out in just under a week, that gifting applications, movies, and TV shows is going to be one of the biggest features of the iTunes Store.

In one week, we managed to get quite a few details about the iBookstore leaked. First, the prices for iBooks. We saw that they would be about $9.99, which was a lot lower than we would have originally guessed. Then, next up, we find out that the Gutenberg Project would be supported by the iBookstore proper, making it really easy to get free access to the world’s greatest literature. But, it all had to come crashing down one way or another, and another leak showed us that the pricing for those books we had just “confirmed” was actually a little too low indeed. $12.99 made a far more prominent appearance, and we’re pretty much positive that $7.99 is going to be the lowest some books will see (other than free), and that $14.99 is certainly the ceiling.

As for magazines, the Wall Street Journal for the iPad got priced at $17.99, and that does include the subscription per month. Yes, $17.99 per month for the digital version of the WSJ, so be excited for that or don’t — we’re sure there’s going to be quite the dividing line in that regard. But, if $2.00 per month sounds better to you, then go with Esquire. That’s a good deal, right?

Looks like the iPad has sold out. Shocker! Due to the current status of the iPad, for the WiFi-only model anyway, it’s looking like Apple made a killing off their latest gadget. The 3G models are still labeled for a shipment date of late April, so no reason to change those dates around. People who are looking to pre-order the iPad now are going to be faced with seeing their tablet shipped on April 12th. Oh, and you are no longer able to reserve a tablet to pick up in stores, either. So, hopefully you pulled the trigger when the time was good.