iPad Camera Connection Kit available for pre-order

Though the Apple iPad has been available for pre-order from the Apple Store since March 12 -- and in fact, has sold out of its initial supply, delaying subsequent orders to April 12 and beyond -- the iPad Camera Connection Kit that was announced at the initial iPad unveiling, was nowhere to be seen until this weekend.

Now, there's good news and bad news for future iPad owners who want to download photos and videos directly from their cameras to their iPads: The good news is that as of Saturday, the connection kit is officially available on the store's website for only $29 (the same price as a similar product that was sold for iPods). The bad news is that the estimated ship date is listed as a vague "Late April."

The kit will include two connectors that plug into the docking port on the iPad -- one with an SD card slot (essentially an SD card reader) and the other with a USB cable port that allows you to plug in your digital camera's USB cable. Once you connect your camera (or pop in your SD card), the iPad will automatically launch its Photos app, allowing you to select pictures for import. According to Apple, the kit supports standard photo formats including RAW, but it doesn't appear to support other file formats, so don't expect the kit to double as a way to quickly transfer files via USB or SD.