Yesterday we saw shipping times for the new iPad slip to 2-3 weeks, but we also noted that folks that don't feel like waiting that long can try to snag the device at their local Apple store on Friday. Although Apple hasn't yet revealed the exact time at which the iPad will be made available on the 16th, an image of some official-looking signage sent to 9to5 Mac suggests that customers will be able to put down their hard-earned cash for a new iPad at 8 a.m. 

In other third-gen iPad news, the folks over at Vietnamese site Tihnte have managed to get hold of Apple's new tablet a tad early and have posted an unboxing video and some benchmarks. The Geekbench test results show that the new iPad's processor is clocked at 1GHz and that the slate is packing 1GB RAM, up from 512MB in the iPad 2. You can find the unboxing clip embedded below.

Finally, both AT&T and Verizon have announced that they'll be offering the new iPad on Friday, March 16th. As a reminder, the new iPad will feature 4G LTE connectivity on both carriers, but only Verizon's model will include mobile hotspot functionality at launch. AT&T has said that it's working with Apple to offer hotspot support on its model in the future.

So there you are, potential iPad customers. With Apple stores likely offering the new tablet at 8 a.m. (local time, I'm sure) and both AT&T and Verizon also putting it up for sale, it seems that you'll have several options for buying Apple's new iPad on Friday if you weren't able to secure a launch day pre-order. You may have to spend some time in line with some like-minded iPad buyers on Friday if you go the brick and mortar route, but that may be better than the other options, like waiting several weeks for a purchase from Apple's online store or paying a premium for an iPad on Craigslist or eBay. Anyone thinking about heading out into the world on Friday to try and pick up the new iPad?

Via MacRumors, 9to5 Mac, The Verge, Tihnte.vn (1), (2), AT&T, Verizon