Apple\'s new iPad already delayed

Apple said that shipments of its new iPad to customers who order it online may take two to 3 weeks but that the tablet would still be stocked in shops within the US and nine countries this Friday.

New Zealand pricing and availability is yet to be announced, although an Apple statement promised the hot iPad by the tip of March.

Apple, which had set March 16 because the launch date for release sales of the third-generation iPad, said online pre-orders of the device have been happening since March 7.

However, a notice seen today at the Apple website for the hot iPad said: "Ships: 2-3 weeks."

Apple launched the third-generation iPad last week, enhanced with features aimed toward keeping it on top of the booming tablet computer market.

The hot iPad boasts a more powerful processor, eye-grabbing resolution on par with that of an iPhone 4S, and the power to hook up with the most recent 4G LTE telecom networks that move data faster than their predecessors.

It is because of be released simultaneously in 10 countries and territories: the us, France, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, the uk and Hong Kong.

An iPad with 16 gigabytes of memory and with both WiFi and 4G connectivity will cost US$629 within the Country while a 32GB Wi-Fi/4G model will cost $729 and a 64GB version with WiFi and 4G will cost $829.

In a bid to cater to budget-minded shoppers, Apple will sell a 16GB version of the iPad 2 at a trimmed price of $399.

The brand new iPad screen was billed because the best display ever on a mobile device. The tablet also incorporates a five-megapixel camera and high-definition video recording.

- AFP