Tech lovers from around the globe flocked to New York City to snag the new iPad yesterday as the latest and greatest tablet computer went on sale in North America.
It won’t be available in many other countries for weeks.
“In Brazil, we don’t know when, and we don’t know for what price we will get the new iPad,” said Serigio Miranda, who flew in from Sao Paulo with his friend Breno Masi on a whirlwind 48-hour trip to buy the third-generation device.
“[I’m] getting a product that a lot of people in Brazil would love to get their hands on, and I can test it, I can review it. It’s great.”
Last year, the pair happily spent 26 hours in line at a Canadian Apple Store for iPad 2s.
A family from the Netherlands actually planned its trip around the iPad’s US release.
“We got here Monday, and we are here for a week. We’re here on vacation, but I’ll be honest with you, I booked this vacation months ago knowing that the iPad 3 would be released today,” said Chantal Oosterga, 25.
The gadget was already drawing rave reviews for its high-definition Retina display and 5-megapixel camera even though it went on sale yesterday only in North America, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore and Australia.
Thirty-five more nations will begin selling it next Friday, but it was not clear when Apple would offer it elsewhere.
Customers arrived at Apple Stores before sunrise, and when the doors opened at 9, many had to wait about an hour to get in.
Joining buyers outside were cops — who nabbed at least two high-tech scalpers in front of Apple’s Fifth Avenue flagship store trying to “flip” the new iPads for several times the sticker price.
Two women were charged with unlicensed vending and released, police officials said.
The busts only added to the excitement for giddy fans who shelled out around $500 for the basic model and more than $800 for the fully loaded 4G Wi-Fi version.
“Visually, it’s much nicer,” said Benjamin Sanders, 40, of Westchester. “When you really look at the small type, you can’t see the pixels. It’s crystal.”
Reviews of the new iPad from the front lines:
LIKES
“The new processor makes it much faster.”—Thomas Hedegaard, 39, Denmark
“I love howhigh the pixels are and how vibrant the photos come out.” —Erica Castaneda, 29, Gramercy
“Any time there is an upgrade, it’s the new standard.”—Christine Mason, 46, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
DISLIKES
“The price. I just dropped a lot of money at once.”—Dana Wigdor, 37, Jersey City
“I thought it would be slimmer, but it’s a little heavier than the iPad 2.”—Ali Aladim, 21, Park Slope, Brooklyn
“It’s more or less the same as the iPad 2.”—Thorkil Kristensen, 60, Denmark
Additional reporting by Jamie Schram