Most of the speculation recently has focused on the iPad 3’s features – including yesterday’s report that it would have 4G LTE and a quad-core processor. Much less attention has been given recently to the device’s release date. Now, however, some fuel has been added to that particular fire thanks to Amazon France. Yesterday they posted two iPad 3 user guides – Ipad 3 pour les nuls, and Auf die Schnelle iPad 3 ganz leicht – both scheduled for release on March 29.

While the posting of the two books is hardly solid evidence by itself, it goes on top of a pile of clues pointing to a late March release for Apple’s iPad. Reports out of Asia have been saying for some time that Apple’s supply chain has been preparing to reach full production sometime in February in preparation to launch an initial production run of 7 million units sometime in March. Also, a late March time frame fits extremely well with Apple’s established habits. The original iPad shipped in early April 2010, and the iPad 2 went on sale in mid-March 2011.

With February already upon us, expect iPad 3 rumors to become even more intense over the next few weeks as more details start to escape into the wild. Keep it here for the latest iPad 3 news.