When Apple introduced the iPad in January, it said the device would be made available in late March and starting at $499. One analyst is now saying the launch may be delayed.

(Credit: Apple)

Analyst Peter Misek of Canaccord Adams wrote in a note to investors that a “manufacturing bottleneck” may limit the number of units available, Apple Insider reported Monday.

“An unspecified production problem at the iPad’s manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision, will likely limit the launch region to the US and the number of units available to roughly 300K in the month of march, far lower than the company’s initial estimate of 1,000K units,” Misek wrote.

Wired.com said an Apple spokeswoman told it that the “iPad will be available in late March.” In other words, there is no change in the shipping schedule.

It’s hard to tell if the iPad is facing any challenges or not. One analyst claims to have knowledge of production problems, but Apple says everything is on track. There is less than 30 days to know for sure.

NY Times posted an article today on how to make your own video madlibs. “Making your own Hitler video turns out to be refreshingly easy, which is why so many of them can be found on YouTube. All you need is a PC and Microsoft’s Movie Maker, a program included with both Windows XP and Vista. (If you run the new Windows 7, you will need to download the old Movie Maker 2.6, rather than the new but less powerful Windows Live Movie Maker. If you’re a Mac user, Apple’s built-in iMovie application will handle the job.)”

Read full post here.

The iPad isn’t going to be the only Apple device using the iPhone operating system for long. Computerworld reports that Apple put up a job posting last week for an “Engineering Manager (Platform Bring-Up)” position. The position’s sole purpose is to help bring Apple’s iPhoneOS — the stripped down operating system running on the iPhone and iPod Touch — to new platforms.

That Apple is looking to spread iPhoneOS’s reach isn’t too surprising. From most hands-on accounts, the operating system translates well to the larger iPad — a device which likely would have been over-burdened by a full installation of Mac OS X. Given the iPhone OS’s success on small devices like the iPhone, and now the larger iPad, Apple would be blind not to see its potential in other devices.

The addition of iPhoneOS could completely revitalize the struggling Apple TV device. In particular, the Apple TV would be well-served with the introduction of applications via the App Store. Not only would it be useful to run certain iPhone applications right on your television, but it would also open the door for specialized apps developed specifically for the Apple TV. This could allow for developers to bring more functionality to the historically restrictive Apple TV without hacking — perhaps a paid Hulu application like the one being considered for the iPad.

Computerworld speculates further that Apple’s new A4 chip architecture, which was unveiled for the iPad, would likely follow iPhoneOS to new devices as well. The chip is certainly powerful enough to drive HD content to the AppleTV, and it could also lead to cheaper and smaller versions of the device in the future.

Smartphone chips are the new hot-ticket item in the semiconductor industry, as recently reported by the New York Times. But they can also be used in more than just smartphones, as the iPad shows. Apple likely caught on to the importance of mobile processors early with its experience with the iPhone. Now it’s the only major tech company out there that controls both the hardware and software of its devices — something both Microsoft and Google are likely wary of.