Apple Inc probably sold more than twice as many iPads in its debut weekend as some analysts estimated, an early sign that chief executive officer Steve Jobs may succeed at reviving demand for tablet-style computers.
The iPad’s initial sales may have reached 700,000 units, Piper Jaffray & Co’s Gene Munster said in an interview on Sunday. The Minneapolis-based analyst had predicted sales of 200,000 to 300,000, while Sanford C. Bernstein & Co’s Toni Sacconaghi had projected 300,000 to 400,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co’s Mark Moskowitz estimated 825,000 in the quarter to June.
Putting an end to the speculation, Apple issued a statement yesterday saying it had sold more than 300,000 iPads in the US as of Saturday at midnight.
The company said the figures included deliveries of pre-ordered iPads to customers, deliveries to channel partners and sales at Apple’s own retail outlets.
In addition, iPad users downloaded more than 1 million apps from Apple’s App Store and more than 250,000 e-books from its iBookstore during the first day, the company added.
The device went on sale on Saturday, drawing crowds to stores across the US and rivaling the frenzy seen when the iPhone was introduced in 2007.
The iPad is Apple’s bid to turn tablet computers into popular consumer devices, something rivals such as Microsoft Corp have failed to do. The product builds on the success of Apple’s iPhone and iPod, staking out the middle ground between smartphones and laptop computers. Apple is betting the design is enticing enough that consumers are willing to pay a premium over low-cost notebooks. It starts at US$499.
At the outset, iPads will connect to the Web through localized hot spots that use Wi-Fi technology. Some shoppers may wait for a version with 3G, which lets the iPad connect to mobile-phone networks. It’s due later this month.
Users can surf the Web, peruse digital books, watch video and play games on the iPad. What it lacks is a built-in camera or support for Adobe Systems Inc’s Flash software, which runs much of the video on the Web. The device also doesn’t let users carry out multiple tasks at once.
The iPad’s first wave of reviews praised its ability to deliver digital books and video quickly, saying it measures up well against other devices, including Amazon.com Inc’s Kindle e-book reader. Bloomberg columnist Rich Jaroslovsky said it may change the way people relate to computers, requiring users to learn a “new language” that Apple has made “both elegant and very easy to master.” USA Today’s Edward Baig called the iPad “fun, simple, stunning to look at and blazingly fast.”
Tablets have been available in one form or another since the 1990s, without ever catching on. They account for less than 1 percent of the personal-computer market, according to research firm Gartner Inc.
The iPad’s success will depend partly on the attractiveness of applications that run on it. CBS Corp, the most-watched US TV network, announced plans last week to offer episodes of shows such as Survivor and CSI on the iPad. Walt Disney Co will release iPad applications for ABC shows and ESPN games. And Netflix Inc, the movie-rental company, will let subscribers watch programming streamed to the iPad.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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