A guide for shoppers who can't wait for the lines to subside

Image: Apple Inc.

As you may have heard, Apple's (AAPL) new and improved iPad 2 goes on sale in the U.S. Friday at 5 p.m. local time.

Unlike the first model, which was initially available only through Apple's retail stores and selected Best Buy outlets, buyers this year have choices -- more than 10,000 of them, each with their pros and cons. They will also have more models to contend with. Between 2 colors (black and white), 3 memory sizes (16GB, 32GB and 64GB), 2 wireless configurations (Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi+3G) and 2 wireless carriers (Verizon and AT&T), there are 18 different iPad 2s to choose from. (Let's not even get started with the multi-colored Smart Covers.)

Which option is best for you depends on where you live and how particular you are about the iPad you want.

Here are your choices:

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