New York: Apple Inc.said demand for its iPad tablet computer is far higher than it expected, prompting the company to delay the device’s introduction outside the US by a month.
The company shipped more than 500,000 iPads during the first week and expects demand to exceed its supply for the next several weeks, according to a statement on Wednesday. Apple postponed the device’s international debut until the end of May. Initial sales signal Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs may be succeeding in building a new product group at Apple between smartphones and laptop computers. The delay outside the US may not hurt Apple because there aren’t any competing products consumers can buy, said Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham and Co. in New York.
The iPad went on sale April 3 in the US. Apple said it sold more than 300,000 iPads on the first day.
Apple is betting the device, which starts at $499 (around Rs22,255), is enticing enough that consumers are willing to pay a premium over low-cost notebooks. Apple said it will announce international pricing and begin taking online preorders on 10 May.
Katie Hoffmann contributed to this story.
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