Step right up to pre-order your iPad today

Apple's latest creation the iPad is available for pre-order starting today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, 5:30 a.m. Pacific time. So set your alarms, California!

As usual with Apple products, details are elusive and scarce. But according to reports, as of Friday morning you can log on to the Apple online store and place your order for the device, which goes on sale on April 3. Pre-ordering allows you to have an iPad delivered to your door or reserve one for pick up at your local Apple Store location on April 3.

You'll only be able to pre-order the Wi-Fi model, as the 3G-equipped version won't be available until late April. The Wi-FI models is priced at $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB.

Sadly for ex-pats such as myself, international customers will have to wait until later in April to order their iPads, which will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. Pricing for those countries is expected to be announced in late April.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs touts the iPad as a new category of device somewhere between smartphones and low-priced netbook computers. It has a 9.7-inch touch screen and is able to process Web pages, e-mail, music, videos, electronic books and iPhone applications.