If you’ve pre-ordered a launch date iPad — or plan to hit Best Buy with a wallet lined with equal amounts of hope and cash — chances are you’ve spent these last days re-watching Apple’s guided tour videos, reading rumor leaks, and dreaming of all the ways you’ll be able to cover your iPad with fingerprints this weekend. Hey, you’re not alone — we’ve been doing the same things lately, and we’ve assembled a list of the first 10 things to do once your iPad is in hand.

1. Make it yours

Once you’ve finished admiring Apple’s slinky new tablet, why not take a couple steps to customize it to your needs and liking? Unlike non-jailbroken iPhones, you’ll be able to change the background image of your iPad; but as with Apple’s earlier handheld, you can freely arrange your apps and bookmarks as desired. The iPad also has several accessibility options, such as voice over and mono sound output options, as well as a "white on black" high contrast setting for those with impaired vision.

2. Sync it to iTunes

The iPad offers a new and flexible way to view your existing media, so don’t wait to sync the device to iTunes to transfer over your videos, music, photos, and more. Perhaps you won’t need all your media in the comfort of your living room, but you’ll definitely want it the next time you’re traveling or stuck in a waiting room. If you’re not planning to link your iPad up to another computer, you can always use iTunes on iPad to gain access to millions of songs, as well as loads of movies, TV shows, podcasts, and more.

3. Surf freely

Without the physical heft of a laptop or the limiting screen size of the iPhone, the iPad might be the best way possible to casually surf the web. You can read it in any position on the couch, use it in bed, or even lay it flat on the coffee table. And with the lock screen rotation switch on the upper right side, you don’t have to worry about the screen constantly shifting when holding the device in odd positions. Consider hitting eBay first to try and sell off your old Kindle — or whatever other tech is replaced by the iPad.

4. Upgrade your favorite apps

Between all the official announcements and leaked App Store images, it’s clear that many of our favorite iPhone apps are being reimagined for the iPad, and it sounds like some of them will be free upgrades if you already own the previous release. For heavy iPhone and iPod Touch users, this could result in a bevy of available downloads on day one without much of an additional investment. And of course, even if an enhanced iPad version isn’t available just yet, you can always grab the iPhone app and super-size the display with the 2x button.

5. Explore the App Store

Once you’ve grabbed all your favorite apps, stick around the App Store for a while and see what’s new — we’re betting that some of the top iPhone developers have found fresh and thrilling ways to take advantage of the iPad hardware. Like the iPhone, the iPad experience looks to be an incredibly malleable (via great software), so whether you’re in the market for games, utilities, social networking apps, or other quirky and unique treats, chances are the iPad App Store will have many options to meet your needs.

6. Download a movie or show

Never bothered to purchase a digital film or TV show from the iTunes Store on your Mac or iPhone? Now’s the time to take the plunge — the iPad’s gorgeous 9.7-inch display is the perfect platform for 720p high definition videos, and the iTunes Store is packed with content. Whether you want to buy (or rent) a recent Hollywood smash such as The Hangover (or, uh, The Twilight Saga: New Moon) or catch up on a hit show like LOST or The Office, the iTunes Store has you covered.

7. Read a book

Not a printed one, mind you — we’re talking about the iPad’s new iBooks app, which lets you purchase and read eBooks with an impressive array of options. You can turn pages with a tap or flick of the screen, adjust the font style or size to best fit your needs, and even look up words using the app’s built-in dictionary. The iBookstore promises to host bestsellers, literary classics, and a selection of free options, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding something that strikes your fancy.

8. Relive your photo memories

Chances are you already have a favorite way to view photos, whether it’s on Flickr, in iPhoto, or in dust-collecting stacks of 3×5" prints. But after seeing the iPad’s Photos app, we’re pretty sure it’ll be our go-to choice for viewing our favorite pictures. We love the way you can flick open stacks of photos and easily scan through scads of images, and of course, we can’t argue with the large, vibrant display. And with the optional iPad Camera Connection Kit, getting your photos from a camera or SD card looks to be a snap.

9. Try to squeeze 10 hours out of it

You’re probably planning to use the iPad all weekend (and beyond), right? It may be the perfect opportunity to see if the device lives up to Apple’s lofty declarations that the tablet’s battery can withstand 10 hours of video, Wi-Fi web surfing, and more. Granted, fresh-out-the-box rechargeable batteries often take a few charge cycles to meet their full potential, but we’re interested to see a week or two after the iPad’s launch if people are satisfied with its staying power.

10. Accessorize!

Once you’ve burned through your initial iPad fever, you might want to start thinking about how to keep it safe from dirt and scratches, or make the most of the device with desktop add-ons. Apple has a small selection of goods to choose from initially, including a case, standard charging dock, and keyboard dock. But assuming the iPad market expands like those for all other Apple products, we can expect a very large variety of third-party options in the coming months.