Apple Online Store Down! US iPad Pre-Orders Imminent! International... iWhat Now?

The US Apple Online Store is down in advance today's US iPad pre-order kick off. It should be back up by 5:30am Pacific, 8:30am Eastern so shoppers around the country can nab themselves a magical new iPad for delivery or pick-up on April 3. We'll post the direct link as soon as it's live.

Now Apple Online Stores in other countries like Canada and the UK... well we're not sure why they're down since they're not getting iPad pre-orders (or iPads until "late April") so keep your eyes peeled and let us know what they come back with... if anything.

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.