"That timing is fine for the holidays," said Brian White, an analyst with Topeka Capital Markets. "And the timing is within the ballpark that people were thinking."

Ezra Gottheil, of Technology Business Research, agreed -- but only up to a point.

"I think that's late, but not terribly late," Gottheil said of the projected Nov. 2 sale date. "Ideally, you'd like to have a product in place for at least a quarter prior, so that you can tap people who are making decisions long before they buy."

Even so, Gottheil said a Nov. 2 start-of-sales obviously beats the traditional holiday season opening in the U.S. of Thanksgiving weekend. "Even if you were a little bit later, you'd probably get the majority of potential buyers," he said. "But remember, there are lots of alternatives, like the Kindle Fires and the Barnes & Noble Nooks."

White countered, noting that a Nov. 2 sale date for a smaller iPad would trump the $299 to $499 8.9-in. Kindle Fire HD, which won't ship until Nov. 20.