Unboxing the third-generation iPad

Thanks to the vagueries of the international dateline, our corporate cousins at CNET Australia have gotten their hands on one of the very first third-generation iPads to be sold to the public by Apple. A handful of lucky buyers in Vietnam got their preordered units early this week as well, but this is the first round of officially sanctioned retail sales.

Here in the U.S., FedEx packages containing the new iPad are being held in transit until Friday morning, and Apple stores will open to the public at 8 a.m. But as it is already Friday morning down under, this early unboxing has been lovingly captured on video for all to see.

CNET Australia's Seamus Byrne tells us that the new iPad feels obviously heavier than the previous version, and then goes though the contents of the box (which he calls "the standard Apple bits and pieces"). If you just can't wait for your own iPad preorder delivery tomorrow, or you need something to whet your appetite for lining up at your local Apple store at 8 a.m., please enjoy this tantalizing preview, sure to repeated by new iPad owners everywhere over the next few days.