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By Claire Bates
Crunch time: Customers braved the rain in Chicago to be among the first to buy Apple's new tablet deviceApple sold more than 300,000 iPads on its launch day in the U.S.
Saturday's figures included pre-orders of the iPad, a new type of touch-screen device that blends features of the iPhone, electronic book readers and tablet computers.
The strong debut, though smaller than when the iPhone was launched, enabled fans such as Mancunian Simon Cox to get his hands on the product.
The maths teacher on a visit to New Yorks said immediately used it to email friends from the store after buying it.
'It looks fantastic, so nice to hold and play and touch,' he said, noting that the device is smaller than he expected. 'It's easier to carry around. I certainly know I'll use it when I'm out and about.'
Queues were considerably smaller than the crowds which gathered for the iPhone's debut in July 2007, according to reports. On the iPhone's launch weekend it was reported that up to 525,000 phones had been sold.
However, while it sells for $499 (£325) in store iPads have been spotted for sale on eBay for $630 (£411) to $650 (£424).
In addition, Apple said that iPad owners downloaded over a million applications from its app store and more than 250,000 electronic books on Saturday. Publishers are hoping the device will help stem the decline in book sales.
Queues were considerably smaller than the crowds which gathered for the iPhone's debut in July 2007, according to reports. On the iPhone's launch weekend it was reported that up to 525,000 phones had been sold.
However, while it sells for $499 (£325) in store iPads have been spotted for sale on eBay for $630 (£411) to $650 (£424).
In addition, Apple said that iPad owners downloaded over a million applications from its app store and more than 250,000 electronic books on Saturday.Publishers are hoping the device will help stem the decline in book sales.
Tablets have been available in one form or another since the 1990s, without ever catching on. The iPad will therefore push Apple's ability to conquer new markets to the limit.
Still, analysts have scaled up their sales predictions since the launch.
Gene Munster from Piper Jaffray & Co's said initial sales may have reached 700,000 units, more than double his initial prediction of 200,000 to 300,000 devices.
Meanwhile Toni Sacconaghi from Sanfrod C Berstein & Co's said Apple may sell around five million iPads in the first year, compared with 6.1million iPhones over the same period.
Waiting in line: Customers wait for their turn to purchase the iPad, with prices starting at $499
Head to head: Amazon have dropped their $9.99 price cap on eBook prices for their Kindle (right) as Apple prepares to launch their iPad (left) in the U.S on SaturdayApple had skillfully notched up the hype in the run up to launch. Last week they published 11 guided video tours of the iPad and its software.
This was followed by the iPad appearing in an episode of the popular ABC series 'Modern Family', as a sought-after birthday gift for one of the characters.
Then on Thursday, a handful of American reviewers (as well as Stephen Fry) were finally given the device to test out, and gave surprisingly positive responses across the board.
Many gadget gurus had derided the tablet computer at its January launch, as a lack-lustre bigger version of the iPhone with few new features. But critics from the Wall Street Journal and New York Times both praised the iPad's ease of use and battery life - which lasted longer than Apple's claim of 10 hours.
Reviewers at both papers said the tablet computer, which goes on sale in the UK later this month, works nicely for web surfing or consuming media like video and books.
'If you're mainly a web surfer, note-taker, social-networker and emailer, and a consumer of photos, videos, books, periodicals and music ... this could be for you,' Mr Mossberg said.
Lyle Kahmey, nine, (left) dressed up as an iPad to mark the launch of the tablet computer that doubles up as an eReader with its own bookstore (right)How the eReaders compare...
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