According to latest news, Apple will begin taking preorders for its highly-waited iPad multimedia device from Friday.

On Thursday, Jim Dalrymple at The Loop reported that preorders for the Wi-Fi-only iPad will start from Friday morning. The Wi-Fi iPad is slated for release in the U. S. on April 3, while the 3G capable models will arrive later that month.

By late April, both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in the U. K., Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, Span and Switzerland

For the 16GB model with Wi-Fi, the iPad comes at $499, mounting to $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB. The models with both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity are compatible only with AT&T in the U. S., carrying a $130 premium.

The iPad had been launched in late January and had declared a two month launch for the Wi-Fi model, and three month wait for the 3G option.