Slate stake-out
Apple sold out of its iPad 2 within just 24 hours of launch according to many sources, which now claim many people disappointed at not being able to snap up their shiny new toy have resorted to reserving and pre-ordering the tablet.
After scenes of frenzied queuing surrounding the launch of the iPhone 4 and original iPad, many were expecting similarly long waits for the second generation dual-core slate, which is a little slimmer, lighter and faster than its predecessor plus touts a couple of cameras.
With plenty more tablets now on the market Apple has proven itself to still be top dog, or at least the most desirable tablet brand on the market with high demand for its second generation device.
According to T3, Apple and third party retailers including PC World and Curry's have pretty much all put sold-out stickers in their shop windows as demand for the tablet exceeded supply.
Of course the entry-level iPad 2 costs £399 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model and extends to £659 for the hefty 64GB with 3G edition so plenty of people were interested in the proposition.
The publication reported that Apple's flagship UK shop on regent Street could not say when more stock of the tablet will be available but an Apple web page will launch at 9pm to outline waiting times and reservation options for fans of the slate who want to pick one up in store and dodge the 3 to 4 week waiting list for online deliveries.
It is believed that priority among those that ordered online will be given to US customers who have already been waiting for their tablet delivery for around 2 weeks.
According to The Daily Mail, which has been busy photographing numerous iPad 2 queues, analysts are not sure how many iPad 2s have been sold in the UK so far but reckon Apple has shifted between 500,000 and 1m of its new slates in the US on the first weekend of launch.
For anyone who missed the mayhem, the iPad 2 went on sale in the UK at 1pm online and at 5pm in the shops last Friday. The newspaper said huge queues snaked round Apple's Covent Garden and Regent Street shops in the afternoon but a bloke called Jewels Lewis was the first to get his hands on the tablet, having staked out the store since 7.30am on Thursday.
Apparently it is not just Brits that went mad for the iPad 2 either with fans in Sydney, Paris and Munich all queuing up for their new shiny toy.
