How and where to buy an iPad 2

05.03.2011
You may not be able to place an order for the until the new tablet arrives a week from Friday. But you will have a wider ranger of shopping options compared to what was available a year ago for the original iPad's launch.

Here's a breakdown of where you can get your hands on an iPad 2 when the tablet debuts on March 11.

As with any Apple product, you have the option of getting the iPad 2 straight from the source. If you want to , you've got the same choices as always--online or in-person at an Apple Store near you.

Online ordering has a bit of a wrinkle this time around. In the past, you could go to and place an order for a product that had been announced but wasn't yet shipping. Pre-order your Apple goodie early enough, and you could even be assured of receiving it the same day it arrived in stores--and sometimes a day or two early.

That's changed with the iPad 2--online orders won't begin until March 11, the day the new tablet hits stores. On the bright side, Apple is offering free shipping for the iPad 2.