New iPad Goes On Sale, Draws Huge Crowds

Apple’s new iPad is now just starting to go on sale worldwide, and if the lines of hundreds upon hundreds of eager buyers in the U.S. and abroad are anything to go by, it looks like Apple may have yet another hit with the new iPad.

On the surface, the new iPad looks very much like its predecessor, the iPad 2. It has the same sleek and slim body, albeit just a bit thicker and heavier thanks to the new-and-improved battery. But it’s what’s underneath that is making the new iPad what a hit with buyers.

Apple’s third-generation iPad comes with a much more beefy quad-core processor, for starters, which is a noticeable upgrade over the iPad 2’s dual-core processor. Apart from that, the new iPad also features an improved rear-facing camera, and a whole host of other improvements.

That said, what buyers really seem to be interested in is the new iPad’s impressive retina display, which has tech reviewers all across the internet aflutter. Going by critics, the iPad’s 2048×1536 retina display would appear to be virtually unmatched, and it’s proving to be a strong selling point for consumers.

Industry analysts are expecting that the new iPad will be a hit as well.

“The iPhone 4S was the fastest-selling phone ever, and we expect the same for the iPad,” says Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps (via USA Today). “Consumers are thrilled to get their hands on the latest Apple gadgets.”

Did you get a new iPad yet? If not, do you plan to get one?

[Image credit: Wendy Maeda/Boston Globe]