…notice I say ‘announced’ rather than ‘launched’. For many months now the computing world has been rife with rumors of an Apple netbook/tablet device, but Steve Jobs in his inimitable fashion has kept going back to the drawing board until he’s been absolutely happy with the new product.

That is a fantastic way to behave, and the ongoing success of Apple is testament to Mr Jobs’ quest of perfection. He’s revolutionised the home computer with the original iMac, revolutionised how we listen to music with the iPod, and revolutionised how we connect with the world whilst on the move with the iPhone. I, like many, think that the iPad will revolutionise many things that we do – books, the internet, photographs… the device promises a lot, and I’m sure it won’t disappoint.

The interesting thing though is not about the product (although of course that is interesting) but about Apple’s launch strategy. The first iPads won’t be available for over two months, with the 3G version coming a month later still. I can’t remember Apple ever having announced a product like this in such a way as to stagnate a whole market. In fact, in this case it’s two markets anyone who is planning to buy anther a netback or an ereader is unlikely to do so until they’ve seen this new device.

This new strategy is possibly a reaction to the fact that we’ve just had a recession and therefore there’s less money in circulation, and possibly due to the fact that Apple have entered a new, tougher phase of their development.

Either way, it will be fun to see how the market adopts this product when deliveries finally start.