Ipad 3 | featured news

Apple Inc. says it has sold 3 million iPads since Friday when it released the latest version of the tablet computer.

Maybe it just seemed that way, but in the moments before Apple opened the doors to its Palo Alto, California store — hometown to former Apple CEO Steve Jobs and current CEO Tim Cook — there seemed to be as many blue-shirted salespeople inside getting pumped up for the day as there were blanket-wrapped fans in the line outside.

Walmart's 24-hour stores will start selling the least-expensive version of the new iPad at 12:01 a.m.

Shares of the Silicon Valley giant has touched $600 for the first time, about a month after reaching the $500 mark.

Pent-up demand for the next iPad has sent customers clicking the “pre-order” button on Apple’s Web site in droves. In a statement to USA Today, Apple said that customer response to the new tablet has been “off the charts” and confirmed that the pre-order devices have sold out.

Apple's U.S. website said new pre-orders for iPads would not ship until March 19, three days after the official launch day. Earlier, the site had said the newest tablet would arrive at customers' homes on its launch day.

On first glance, the new, never-to-be-actually-named iPad is exactly the same as its predecessor: Same size, same price, same colors.

Apple is holding an event Wednesday in San Francisco, and has hinted that it will reveal a new iPad model. Rumors speak of an updated tablet with a speedier processor, a sharper screen and an option for faster wireless broadband access.

Apple Inc is betting a 4G-equipped iPad will tempt more U.S. consumers to pay extra to watch high-quality video on the go, and in turn, give Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc a revenue boost.

The iPad, considered a side business for Apple when it was introduced in 2010, accounted for $9.15 billion in revenue in the holiday quarter, about 20 percent of Apple’s total revenue.