With Apple’s iPad scheduled to hit stores Saturday, April 3, 2010, major networks are waffling over how best to take advantage of the latest gadget and its streaming capabilities. Similar to the iPhone, the iPad will offer apps, and ABC and Disney are fully prepared to take advantage of the feature.

The ABC iPad app will allow users to stream video from the network’s website player, accessing clips and shows available on the site. There is also word that Disney will be creating a Marvel Comics app, and will possibly create apps for their network as well.

Either way, as the iPad gains popularity, I imagine more and more networks will jump on the application bandwagon. How they choose to offer their media is another issue entirely.

NBC, for example, decided not to stream free television to the iPad, deciding they could make a profit by charging users $1.99 to download episodes of their favorite shows from Apple’s iTunes store.

If the networks are worried that the iPad will force us out of our chairs and away from the television, they’ve got another thing coming. For one thing, the iPad screen is too small for serious television enjoyment. On the other hand, it could be a great opportunity for us as viewers to catch up on missed episodes of our favorite shows while on the go, keeping us tuned in.