The problems aren't incredibly widespread, but it's not exactly an isolated problem, either: Users have hit the Apple support forums in droves [2], for one thing. For some users, the problem manifests itself in the iPad proving unable to hold a signal, even while standing in front of the router, and some iPads need to be reconnected to the Wi-Fi network every 10 minutes or so.

Today Apple [3] confirmed that they're aware of the problem (which is a blessing in itself--Apple has, in the past, simply denied any issue with their hardware, most notably in the recent "yellow iMac screen" debate [4]), and has even gone so far as to suggest a few ways users could fix the problem. From Apple:

Symptoms:
Under certain conditions, iPad may not automatically rejoin a known Wi-Fi network after restart or waking from sleep. This can occur with some third-party Wi-Fi routers that are dual-band capable when:

• Using the same network name for each network
• Using different security settings for each network

Resolution:
If you encounter this issue, try the following:

• Create separate Wi-Fi network names to identify each band. This can be done easily by appending one or more characters to the current network name. (Example: Add a G to the 802.11b/g network name and an N to the 802.11n network name.)
• Ensure that both networks use the same security type (WEP, WPA, WPA2, and so on)
• If the issue persists, reset your network settings using Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Note: Always ensure that your Wi-Fi router firmware is up to date.

Yet another reason you should always wait for the second generation of Apple products! [5]

[Image via Gizmodo [6]]