Last week Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad in San Francisco, described as a device designed to go “between [consumers’] mobile phones and laptop computers.” The iPad is set to hit US stores in late March, and last Friday [January 29] The Wall Street Journal carried an article speculating whether the iPad will be concurrently released in China – unlike long-delayed earlier Apple products like the iPhone.

The WSJ article notes indications China-based consumers may get access to the iPad sooner rather than later: “Apple… hasn’t said when it will start selling iPads in China - its announcement Wednesday said ‘international pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date.’ But within a day of the announcement in San Francisco, it had plastered its Chinese homepage with photos of the 9.7-inch touch-screen tablet, raising hopes that Chinese consumers may get their hands on the device sooner than they were able to get officially-released iPhones, which took more than two years to be launched here (By contrast, Apple didn’t put info about the iPhone on its Chinese site when that product was launched in the U.S.).”

Sales of iPhones in China have been lackluster, partly because local models have the Wi-Fi capability disabled, and partly because many consumers had already obtained iPhones from overseas (or Hong Kong) by the time they were officially launched in mainland China.

Shenzhen firm Great Long Brother Industrial Co. has already released an iPad knock-off called the P88, though according to the Shanghaiist, company president Wu Xiaolong is threatening to sue Apple for ripping off his product. Wu was quoted as saying:

"I was very angry and flabbergasted when I saw the news of the iPad presentation two days ago... It is certainly our design. They've stolen because we presented our P88 to everyone six months ago at the IFA (International Electronics Fair in Berlin)."

Shocking. Does Apple have no shame?