Irish Apple fans will be able to get their hands on the iPad from tomorrow as it goes on sale in Northern Ireland.
The iPad, which was first announced in January, goes on sale in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and Japan. The device has been available for pre-order to customers in the nine countries from the Apple store since May 10th.
There is no indication yet of how much the device will cost when it goes on sale in the Republic in July. The iPad is scheduled for release here at the same time as Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.
Described by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs as a “magical and revolutionary device”, the 9.7-inch touchscreen tablet is designed to be used for browsing the web, playing digital media such as photographs and video, playing games and reading electronic books sold through the iBookstore.
The iPad is available in models that come with wireless internet access - or wifi - only, or a more expensive 3G model that allows online browsing via a built-in 3G connection. With storage capacity that ranges from 16GB to 64GB, the iPad will cost from £429 for the entry-level model, which comes with wifi capability, and from £529 for the 16GB version that also includes 3G.
In Japan, Apple fans queued to be among the first to get the device the day of its launch, with some lining up from Wednesday.
Apple has already sold more than one million iPads since it was unveiled on April 3rd.
The company delayed the international launch by a month following strong sales in the US.
