The Chinese Invasion on the US iPad Launch Day

You can trust China to replicate what's hot in the market and any Apple product is no exception. But even in China, no one wants a knock-off. Why should they? When one can get the real deal, an original China-made Apple iPad from US stores, the hip gadget without waiting for the product's regional launch.

 

In an ironic twist, US-launched iPads are sent back to the country which built them, not for repairs, but to be sold to Chinese buyers at $1,000 a pop. This unbelievable smuggling op for the latest tech leaves an illicit trail that crosses international borders and tariffs, a situation only Jason Bourne would readily get into and hunt down.

As far as product launches go, the US consumer market always has dibbs on the iPad release, hence the long queues, with the insane limit that Apple buyers can only buy two iPads as a quota. So the smugglers have people line up on launch day, so they could have buyouts at the nearest parking lot and by the time the first flight out of the US to China touches down- you got iPads hitting Beijing. Cray cray, if you ask me.

Whatever the case, Apple is definitely worth GOLD on launch day.

Say Hello to the iPad3

Apple's new iPad is a mix of the familiar and the futuristic. Its design remains practically unchanged from last year's iPad 2. Its internal components and wireless capabilities have only received a predictable bump. You'd think Apple fell asleep at the wheel with this one--until that moment when you turn on the screen.

When I tell you that Apple has doubled the iPad's screen resolution to an unprecedented 2,048x1,536 pixels, your eyes should water a little. No other screen in your home can compete with this resolution--not your laptop, not your desktop computer, not even your 1080p TV. For a device that fits in your lap and costs as little as $499, a screen like this is an impressive feat.

Speaking of pricing, the going rate for an iPad hasn't changed since the tablet's introduction in 2010. The $499 entry-level price buys you 16GB of built-in storage; spending $599 buys you twice the room (32GB); and $699 will bring you up to 64GB.