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Apple Inc kicked off sales of its latest iPad on Friday, likely extending its lead in the burgeoning market while offering an important snapshot of consumer demand for tablet computing. Nearly a year after the original proved a smash hit and inspired a wave of imitators, investors will be watching the turnout for the US release of the iPad 2, which chief executive Steve Jobs unveiled last week. The release – which, as always, will be closely scrutinized by fans and investors – may be a litmus test for the overall appetite for tablets. Apple is hoping for a repeat of April 2010, when thousands of people lined up to buy what was then a largely novel device with an uncertain market. But analysts say the 10-inch touch screen of the iPad 2 has been improved incrementally, not reinvented wholesale. It is thinner, faster and adds a pair of cameras for video chat. The benchmarks for the iPad 2 are clear. The first iPad sold 300,000 units on its first day, 500,000 in the first week, and crossed the 1-million-unit mark in 28 days. Given that the iPad 2 will be available in far more stores to start than was the original model, Wall Street would be surprised if the device fails to outpace its predecessor in the early going. In addition to being sold at more than 200 Apple outlets in the US, the iPad 2 will be available starting Friday in the stores of AT&T and Verizon Wireless, as well as at Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart. Unlike last year, Apple did not take orders ahead of the release. Reuters |
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