With a dose of unhealthy fascination, we watched Apple sell 300,000 iPads on the launch day (April 3) and that’s in the US alone. Today the gadget lovers Down Under will be able experience the smoothness, freshness and, of course, hauteness of the Apple iPad and take one home for only $499 (starting price).

Adding further excitement to the release of the iPad, Louis Vuitton unveiled a couple of upcoming sleeve designs, specifically created for Apple’s latest innovation. The sleeves come in a) the signature LV Monogram and b) the black + gray Damier Graphite print as pictured above. According to GQ online magazine, this is going to be ‘the most luxurious accessory for 2010’s most covetable gadget’. The cost of this luxury protection? Around $365 when it hits the stores in 2011.

Our verdict: We love it when fashion responds to technology in a positive and timely manner, however in this case Louis Vuitton may have jumped the guns too early and released not so well thought out product. If it’s going to take 7 months (gasp) to produce a sleeve for a tablet, please make sure not to expose the power button. That would be the very minimum requirement of anyone who appreciates the functionality of Apple products. Practicality aside, we believe Epi Leather would be more a aesthetically pleasing fit with the tablet’s overall design.

by Olga Titarenko