Long Lines At NYC Apple Stores For Release Of New iPad
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The new iPad went on sale this morning at Apple stores around the country and the world.
In New York, customers have been flocking to stores around the city.
1010 WINS' John Montone reports
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Apple fans looking to get their hands on the latest and greatest iPad began lining up outside the Apple store on Fifth Avenue since Thursday.
Around 200 people were already on line when the Apple Store in Manhasset opened its doors on Friday. The 16 GB AT&T model of the iPad sold out in about an hour, 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reports.
The new iPad is called just that: "the new iPad.'' Apple declined to give it a name like "iPad 3'' or "iPad HD.'' That is consistent with its naming practice for iPods, MacBooks and iMacs, but a break with the way iPhone models are named.
The new model comes with a faster processor and a much sharper screen. It also boasts an improved camera, similar to that of the latest iPhone.
Two years after the debut of the first iPad, the device's launch has become the second-biggest "gadget event'' of the year, after the annual iPhone release.
The release of the product does not come without controversy. Rallies were planned at store locations in New York, Washington D.C. and San Francisco to protest working conditions of Apple factories in China.
"It's great to see Apple taking important steps like auditing its factories and paying raises for factory workers," Mark Shields, an organizer of the campaign against Apple, said in a statement. "But Apple hasn't crossed the finish line yet. New product releases, like the iPad 3 this week, have typically been the most dangerous for workers because of the incredible pressure they are under to meet release production deadlines."
Nevertheless, Apple's popularity doesn't seem to be slowing down.
1010 WINS' Mona Rivera with Apple fanatics on Long Island
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Despite competition from cheaper tablet computers such as Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire, the iPad remains number one. Apple has sold more than 55 million iPads since its debut in 2010, including some 40 million last year. Researchers estimate that the iPad has more than 60 percent of the market for tablets.
But don't expect the new iPad to be cheap. Prices start at $500.
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(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
