Part of coordinated media blitz

Apple may already be shipping iPads to its favorite reviewers, an anonymous industry source claims. If the tablets are not already on their way for delivery this Thursday, the source says, they may be going out that day instead. Reviewers should thus have at least one week with the iPad before an April 3rd launch of American, Wi-Fi-only models. Whether reviewers will have early access to 3G iPads remains unknown.

Some media outlets have been critical of Apple's review policy, as the company only provides advance samples to less than a handful of writers from major publications. These include Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal, David Pogue of the New York Times, and Ed Baig of USA Today. The reviewers also typically produce favorable articles, though not in every instance. Most writers are required to wait until launch day or later to get review samples, often at their own expense.

by MacNN Staff