It is no secret: I am a fan of the PC era and also the post PC era! I love using my iPad! It is a gorgeous device, fast, powerful, easy to use and it beats the use of any netbook attempting to compete with it. I was simply blown away how fast I could get things done on a train: Just get the iPad out of its sleeve.. turn it on.. watch a movie.. switch to the email app - and answer some mail.. It's beautiful!So also no surprise I ordered the new iPad 3rd generation one day after the keynote (8th March 2012) via the German Apple Online Store. I was one of the lucky ones in the 1 and a half day period where the estimated delivery is the launch day (16th March 2012). Since then I have been trying to figure out if I am really getting my iPad(s) tomorrow and how they are going to reach me. Here are some thoughts on that:

• I actually ordered two iPads both 64GB one with 4G and one WiFi only
• The WiFi model: supposedly shipped with Hermes Logistics Group Germany
  • The Hermes bit is interesting: Hermes is an ultra cheap logistics company mainly active in Germany. Apple's decision to rely on Hermes for the majority of its German iPad delivery summoned an outrage on the interwebs...
  • It also resulted in some coverage of the German Apple community...
• The 4G model: supposedly shipped with UPS
  • In my tracking view on ups.com I see that Apple used International Express Saver
  • I have checked with the ups.com calculator what that means if one ships a packaged from Amsterdam to Frankfurt (see picture above / and more on that later) and it seems to work: UPS Express Saver offers guaranteed delivery next day by end of day - fingers crossed
• In Apple's Online order overview they always mentioned the iPads shipped on 10th March / 11th March
• However it seems Apple uses some sort of logistics service to bring the iPads into the Netherlands
• During the time where Apple brings the iPads from China to the Netherlands there is no shipment tracking possible for German customers
• Once the iPads are in Amsterdam - which seemed to be the case some time early 15th March - then tracking via Hermes or UPS becomes possible

so fingers crossed for a timely delivery on 16th March!