Options 1 and 2 are the result of appearing at a prominent position in the app store being largely based the less than optimal way apps gain the prominent position. Apple needs to find a better way to make the good apps more easily findable to avoid what amounts to a landrush in the app store. Whenever anyone is thinking "I can get by without doing a good job and I need to rush through something", it doesn't lead to a good experience, for consumers or for developers. Let's hope the nice/good guys don't finish last.
A fourth option is to submit the app in advance, but release it to the store at a later time. On release date of the iPad, get one, drive home, test your app, and if it's running well enough, put it online in the store.
That's only an option if it's a separate iPad app. I guess a lot (most?) iPad apps, especially just after launch, will be existing iPhone apps with some UI tweaks. You can't take an update offline in the appstore without completely removing your app (you can only have one version).
I got a tiny app approved just last week. Total time from submission to acceptance: 33 hours. That's far less than I've seen on the previous three. Luck, or improvement, I'm not sure...
I saw a review time that quick for an app I submitted as well. I think they've done a pretty thorough job of improving the developer experience in iTunes Connect.
As seen in the Engadget photo leak, some developers already have devices that are bolted to tables. So there will be some apps but from the big names only.
