Just before midnight Eastern time on Thursday, the Apple Store went down to prepare for iPad mini pre-orders, which will open at 3AM (midnight Friday PT). Apple is expecting a rush on the lowest-priced model in the iPad range, introduced on Tuesday as being an eight-inch alternative tablet comparable in power and performance to the iPad 2. While Apple also introduced a fourth-generation full-sized iPad, analysts expect the iPad mini to be the biggest-selling Apple product during the holiday buying season.
