Post date: Mar 15, 2012 7:22:3 PM
While numbers were down on launches of earlier iPads, the still-solid turnout reflects demand for Apple products, even though analysts say the new version is a collection of incremental improvements rather than a major technological innovation.
The initial rush for the first iPad 3s sold globally was not at one of Apple's gleaming glass and polished wooden stores in Sydney but across the road at Australian phone company Telstra. Telstra opened two stores just after midnight local time to begin selling the iPad, stealing an eight hour march on Apple.
Apple's new iPad went on sale in Australia early on Friday, but the initial rush for the first of these tablets sold globally was across the road from an Apple store at a rival phone company.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MARCH 16) (REUTERS) - Apple's new iPad went on sale in Australia early on Friday (March 16), greeted by throngs of fans hungry to get hold of the U.S. consumer giant's latest, 4G-ready tablet computer.
David Tarasenko, a 34-year-old construction manager, who was the first to pick up the iPad, said he couldn't wait ever since Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook revealed the third iteration of the tablet.
"It's pretty exciting, yeah. The first person in the world. It's pretty amazing. It's not everyday you say that," he said.
The third-generation iPad from Apple, which sports a high-definition "retina" display and comes with a better camera, starts at $499. It is capable of operating on high-speed 4G "LTE" or Long-Term Evolution network, although it is not compatible with Telstra's 4G network in Australia.
"Well, as I said it's a highly anticipated new iPad, so we're expecting it to do very well. The total market for tablet advice in Australia is expected to grow by two million in the next 12 months. One in five Australian families has a tablet device at the moment, and the arrival of the new iPad will only see that market grow," said Craig Middleton, a Telstra spokesman.
The iPad 3 is going on sale on Friday in 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Singapore, France and United Kingdom.
A fan of the new tablet, Andreas Fabian, said he was impressed by the new device.
"It's like watching a blue-ray player in your hands. It's amazing. I just watched the Dark Knight trailer in HD from Youtube, and that is absolutely crazy," Fabian exclaimed.
Across the street among those in the queue outside Sydney's flagship Apple Store was Jonathan Hakim, a PhD student who was happy to wait an extra 8 hours to buy the device from Apple rather than Telstra.
"This is the company that did it all, so I'm going to show my support to them. I'm not going to go over to Telstra who are just trying rain in on their parade," he said.
Such is the demand for new Apple products that middlemen often pay "mules" to buy the latest versions and transport them to markets scheduled for later releases.
Apple's market capitalization now exceeds $500 billion and Wall Street thinks it can expand further should fan-demand persist.