Bloomingdale’s Entices Holiday Shoppers with ‘Free’ Apple iPads

Apple iPads are to be offered as free incentives this holiday season at New York’s Bloomingdale’s, where customers who shop $1,500 worth will get to take the Apple tablet home at no extra charge.

Fortune is reporting that Bloomingdale’s announced the offer over the weekend via a poster bearing the message: “Frolic & play with a free iPad when you spend $1500 in Y.E.S.”

The fine print then adds: "A seriously special opportunity, next weekend only -- take home a free iPad with almost any $1500 purchase in Y.E.S. One each, while they last. And hurry -- supplies are definitely limited."

Apple’s iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in an intimate, intuitive and fun way.

Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using the tablet’s Multi-Touch interface.

Both the WiFi-only model, and the Wi-Fi + 3G version are just 0.5 inches thick and weigh just 1.6 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook.

Moreover, the device delivers up to 10 hours of battery life for surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos or listening to music, and up to nine hours of surfing the web using a 3G data network, according to Apple’s benchmarks.

iPad runs almost all of the iOS titles on the App Store, including apps already purchased for iPhone or iPod touch.

Apple developed iBooks, a free download from the App Store, specifically for the iPad. The app includes Apple’s new iBookstore, which allows users to browse, buy and read books not only on the tablet computer, but also on their iPhone or iPod touch.

The WiFi iPad is available in dozens of countries around the world for a suggested retail price of $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model, $699 for the 64GB model.

Wi-Fi + 3G models are available in select territories for $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model.