Rumours suggest 24 April for UK iPad release

Apple's iPad may hit the UK in under four weeks

Apple could bring the iPad to the UK on 24 April, according to a report on Canadian Apple blog iPadinCanada.ca.

The blog cited sources within Apple's retail operation in reporting that the company is instructing employees not to schedule time off on 24 April, a practice the company refers to as a "black out".

If the report is true, Apple is planning the date as the retail debut of the much-anticipated tablet device introduced by co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs in January.

Apple has said that the Wi-Fi only iPad would arrive in the US on 3 April, while the UK would be included in a late April international rollout. The company has so far held back on naming a specific date for the international release.

The same late April date was also given for the iPad models which will be enabled for 3G connections.

The report comes shortly after Apple confirmed the 3 April US date for pre-orders, and said that a backlog of customer demand meant that those looking to place a new order would need to wait until 12 April.

Interest in the device has been strong with consumers, and with publishers looking to move books, magazines and periodicals from printed into digital formats.

Some pundits have gone so far as to suggest that the iPad could even top Apple's iPhone in total retail numbers in the first three months after launch.