With High Demand, iPad 2 Goes on Sale in 25 Countries

The iPad 2 is about to go global.

According to a press release issued by Apple on Tuesday, the new iPad 2 will be available in 25 more countries this coming Friday.

Long lines for the iPad 2 begin forming at Apple stores
 in the United States early in the morning

The company said the new tablet would go on sale in countries around the world including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico and Britain. The cost for the device will be the same as in the United States.

But readers who live oversees shouldn’t expect to get their hands on one right away. The iPad 2 has been extremely difficult to acquire in the United States.Apple’s Web site says the wait for the new iPad 2 is four to five weeks and retail stores are continually out of stock, with long lines forming as early as 5:30 a.m.

The demand for the new device has also fueled a dramatic resale market. Alan Yacavone, a colleague at The New York Times, said he sold his two-week-old, top-tier iPad 2 on eBay for $1,500, netting him a $500 profit. He said it sold within 3 hours of posting it on the eBay Web site.

Apple took the time in the latest news release to stress that the iPad 2 is the company’s “third post-PC device,” a concept Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, put forth during the announcement of the new iPad earlier this month.

Mr. Jobs prodded Apple’s competition in the release, saying, “While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we’ve changed the game again with iPad 2.” Mr. Jobs also said he appreciated customers’ patience while the company worked “to build enough iPads for everyone.”

Times