It’s a classic photo op: Apple releases a product and that night we see lines of early bird shoppers forming. The pictures may not be an accurate portrayal of consumer demand, one analyst suggests Tuesday. A combination of wider distribution, the day of the week and pre-orders could mean short lines, but a huge number of buyers.

Indeed, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says Apple has 10 times the number of distribution points, compared to a year ago, when the original iPad went on sale. Little wonder, then, the analyst is predicting iPad 2 sales will hit 1 million units quicker than the first-generation tablet. But never mind the lines.

One of the most highly touted features of iOS 4.3 is Personal Hotspot. Although Verizon iPhone owners have had access to the feature since iOS 4.2.6, the latest iOS update will bring Personal Hotspot to AT&T iPhone users as well, allowing up to three other devices to connect to it at once.

Interestingly, BGR is reporting that Apple may have made concessions to the carriers to get this feature out the door: they say that Personal Hotspot can technically support up to five connect devices, but that Apple agreed to give carriers the power to specify the maximum number of simultaneous connections. Boo. Expect this to become just one more bartering chip in AT&T and Verizon’s war to get your business.

In other news, BGR is also reporting that they think iOS 4.3 will be released at 10AM PT this morning. That seems unlikely to us: Apple themselves said it would land on March 11th, and Apple generally doesn’t release a new iOS version before the hardware meant to be debuting it. Still, I guess we’ll all know in just a few hours.

Adobe has finally released a tool allowing developers to convert Flash content to HTML5 format used by Apple’s iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The pre-release version of the ‘Wallaby’ conversion route may lessen tension between the two companies who last year fought a war of words over Apple’s decision to stop supporting Adobe’s widely-used Internet language.

The software permits developers to drop their Flash designs into an Adobe Air application which converts the original into HTML code that can be edited via Adobe Dreamweaver or a simple text editor. The process will “extend the reach of your content to devices that do not support the Flash runtimes,” Adobe announced. The new tool is best suited for iOS 4.2 and may have trouble converting all aspects of Flash Pro, such as 3D transforms, ActionScript and embedded audio and video, reports say.

Four days before the iPad 2 goes on sale, the first line is already forming.

Apple fan Justin Wagoner has set up camp outside an Apple Store in Dallas, Texas. Here’s a snap of his tent taken by a MacCast reader.

Wagoner appears to be the first person lining up for the iPad 2, which goes on sale on Friday at 5PM. Apple isn’t taking preorders, so its first come, first served.

Wagoner also camped out to be first in line for the iPhone 4 last year. He has set up a site to document his camping trip: iJustinOfficial.com.

We start the week with a mix of deals for the Mac fan. First up is a series of MacBook Pro laptops, starting at $929 for a 2.4GHz unit. Next is a TuchWallet for the iPod touch and a 27-inch LED Cinema Display for just $849.

Along the way, we’ll also take a look at ways to protect your iPad, either in faux leather case or an envelope sleeve. Also on tap: software, such as iWork ’09 and Navicat for SQL Server 9. As always, details on these and many more items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

If there was ever an Apple launch that seemed to favor the Greg Packers of this world, it’s that of the iPad 2. Uncharacteristically, Apple won’t be taking any orders for the device until the date it hits store shelves: March 11th.

It’s hard to say what this implies. By one way of thinking, it means Apple’s not confident it can supply iPad 2 pre-order demand; thought of another way, Apple may simply want to avoid the problem of customers getting their new products delivered several days early by FedEx.

Either way, though, it’s left most of us wondering just when Apple will allow customers to start ordering the iPad. It looks like now we know: MacAppsDaily is reporting that an Apple phone rep told them that online sales of the iPad 2 would begin at 12:01am PT on March 11th, with “free, fast shipping.” 9to5Mac has also confirmed that time as well.

Looks like a late night for me on Friday. Who else will be awake?

Everyone seemed to be pretty excited about the Clamcase for the iPad, from Clamcase LLC. I was a bit puzzled by that after all the iPad is a tablet and a real laptop, like my MacBook Air, would be a better replacement for an iPad stuffed into a keyboard case.

Yet people wanted to be able to covert their iPad into a laptop and if you build it they will come right? Well build it they did and now you can have a Clamcase of your very own to turn your iPad into a clunky laptop wannabe.

It’s almost too easy to make a parody video of Apple and its products these days. The company follows an easily discernible regularity in its product launches and despite growing popularity and marketshare for all of its products over the last decade, Apple’s “image” is tagged with the weight of a certain “hipster cred” that tends to make for easy pickings when it comes to ridicule.

Director Dan Dobi and writer Steve Rogowski skate pretty close to several uncomfortable lines in this one, however, which, presumably is intentional.

After all, parody and sarcasm are about getting people talking, right?

Leading up to the iPad 2’s announcement, most of us were expecting a relatively modest refresh over the original iPad, and technically speaking, that’s what the iPad 2 is: it’s a slightly thinner, slightly faster iteration on the last generation. It’s amazing, though, how what on paper seems like such a modest spec bump can in fact be such a must-have update for millions of people.

It’s the Apple magic at work, and look no further than the massive volume of original trade-ins that reCommerce companies like Gazelle, eBay and NextWorth are experiencing for proof that the iPad 2 is going to sell like gang busters.

Conan O’Brien thinks Apple is getting a bit cocky. Never one to pass up the opportunity for a good parody, Team Coco takes on Apple’s slick interview-laden style in this funny spoof of the iPad 2 launch video.

Think Steve Jobs is the only employee at Apple capable of harnessing the Reality Distortion Field? And ever wonder about those team fashion choices? (Promo spot plays before actual video.)

[via Gizmodo]