As many as 500,000 iPad 2 devices were sold in the US over the weekend after going on sale on Friday. This trumps the 300,000 original iPads that were sold last year upon their weekend debut.
According to Fortune and analyst firm Piper Jaffray, all the iPad devices were sold in a single day with stocks completely depleted by Saturday.
Some 70pc of iPad 2 buyers were brand new to the iPad, compared with 23pc of iPhone 4 buyers who were new to the iPhone at launch.
The new iPad 2 owners
The split between Mac and PC users was 51pc and 49pc respectively, compared with 74pc and 26pc at the launch of the first iPad.
Almost half – 47pc – of buyers bought the 3G model iPad 2. About 41pc bought the 32GB model.
“We believe this shows Apple is expanding its base of iPad users, which is critical to maintaining its early lead in the growing tablet market,” Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster explained.
“As the user base grows, Apple’s lead widens, and the company has a proven track record of building unmatched brand loyalty, which we believe will be a potent combination as the tablet market evolves,” Munster said.
