Pre-orders for the much-hyped Apple iPad just started on Friday but that isn’t stopping eBay sellers from trying to make a pretty penny off the tablet before it officially ships on April 3rd.
There are currently 442 iPads up for sale, with a range of prices, most with a heavy premium.
The most ridiculous comes from a “top rated seller” with the moniker egiftscentral_123, who is selling a Wi-Fi/16GB model for $21 million USD, and even then is audacious enough to charge $14.42 for shipping.
Users that will ship internationally seem to be the only ones receiving true bids, as the iPad is set to go on sale in only 10 countries next month.
View the auction here: eBay $21 million iPad
Pic via CNNMoney:
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According to FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger, Apple is prepared to build 5 million iPads for the first half of 2010, a higher estimate then most previous analysis.
Says Berger in an investment note: “We believe various news articles and competitor notes calling for a build delay were just false alarms.”
Additionally, Berger gave estimates for other Apple devices, including iPods and Mac notebooks.
The analyst expects builds of 9.3 million iPods for the March quarter, 1.7 million notebooks and 1 million desktops.
The iPad has an April 3rd release date for models with only Wi-Fi support. 3G versions are expected in the coming months.
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Panasonic Corp. will work with U.S. electronics provider Best Buy for its launch of 3D televisions in the United States. The official launch of Panasonic’s 3D ventures in the U.S. will be on Wednesday, and Best Buy will be the main promoter of the products in the market.
Best Buy will setup viewing areas at its retail outlets across the country, where consumers can try out the Panasonic 3D products. Panasonic is aiming to sell half a million 3D televisions in the United States in their first year on the market, and expects a 50-inch Viera model to retail in the region for $2,500.
Consumer interest in 3D has been on the rise due to high-profile theatrical releases of 3D titles, such as James Cameron’s Avatar or Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Panasonic is in 4th place in the global market for flat-panel televisions (behind Samsung, LG Electronics and Sony).
