Apple cements tablet market lead with new iPad

Reuters
March 17, 2012

First Published: 14:34 IST(17/3/2012)
Last Updated: 14:40 IST(17/3/2012)

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A customer checks his new iPad after purchasing it at a department store in Manhattan, New York, shortly after the 4G-ready tablet computer went on sale at midnight .Credit: Reuters/Eduardo Munoz

Apple Inc's newest iPad looked like another hot seller on Friday as hundreds lined up at stores around the world to get their hands on the tablet, though the crowds and waiting times in some cities were less than in previous years.

The third-generation iPad has only a few new features
including faster wireless connectivity and a crisper display, but analysts nonetheless expect Apple to dominate the tablet market well into next year.

"I just got hyped into it, I guess," said David Tarasenko, a 34-year-old construction manager who was the first to pick one up from a Telstra wireless store at midnight in Sydney.

The buzz helped propel Apple shares to touch a record high of $600 on the Nasdaq on Thursday, though they later erased gains and were trading at around $585 on Friday afternoon.