700K iPad Tablets Sold on iPad Release Day

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We don’t have official numbers but I am sure Apple will take advantage of the first chance they get to brag about iPad sales. We have previously talked about the number of pre-ordered and reserved iPads which some estimated to be around 500,000 a few days ago.

Now Gene Munster, an analyst from Piper Jaffray, is saying that Cupertino has sold no less than 700k iPads in the first day alone which is a great number. We’ve seen various reports showing small iPad lines in front of Apple stores all across the USA. But these lines can’t be compared to the previous iPhone lines we’ve witnessed in the past and all those people waiting in line were able to get their iPad on the very first day.

Thanks to Apple’s early pre-order initiative many people have decided to buy their favorite iPad online or at least reserve it days ahead of the actual launch thus avoiding long and unnecessary lines. On the same note, if the 700,000 figure proves to be right, then we’ll have to take into consideration that at least 200,000 iPad units were actual reservations made in the previous weeks. Again, these numbers aren’t official but only estimates made by some of the people that were unofficially counting iPads a couple of weeks ago.

What’s already clear is that the iPad is a success. Apple has created a product we don’t need, made us believe we do need it after all, ignored everyone’s requests for Flash and multitasking and convinced lots of other manufacturers to make their own tablet versions. Apple also took the eBook business by surprise and changed the way content providers look at portable smart devices like smartphones and tablets.

Whether the estimate above is true or not, the fact remains that Apple has sold plenty of iPads in the USA alone. That can only mean that the international launch, rumored to occur on April 24, will also be a successful event. After all analysts did say that Apple will sell 7 million iPad units this year which means lots of customers from various markets will want to snatch one as soon as possible.

Until then we’re expecting Apple to launch that elusive new MacBook Pro ready to rock the 2010 Intel Core i5/i7 chips and it will be interesting to see if Cupertino does announce the MacBook Pro refresh before or after the 3G iPad hits stores.

Have you purchased your iPad yet?