iPad Release Likely to Be Staggered Globally

Europe and other international markets are likely to be waiting a bit longer than the United States to get their hands on the hottest new device from Apple -- the iPad. As expected, the iPads won't ship in other markets the at the same time it does in the U.S.

In addition, Apple has confirmed that iBooks will not be available at launch in any country other than the U.S., which suggests that Apple is working on licensing deals with other book publishers in each country.

Pricing on the iPad internationally is another unknown at this point. The company said:

"International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date."

This suggests, as is standard for the company, a staggered release schedule.