Apple sells three million iPads on opening weekend

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Apple announced on Monday that it sold three million of its new iPad tablet computers over the course of its first weekend on the market.

"The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold -- the strongest iPad launch yet," said Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Philip Schiller.

"Customers are loving the incredible new features of iPad... and we can't wait to get it into the hands of even more customers around the world this Friday."

The new iPad went on sale on Friday with Apple fans lining up from Sydney to San Francisco to snap up the latest model of the hot-selling tablet computer.

The new iPad is available in Australia, the United States, France, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Britain and Hong Kong. It will go on sale in another two dozen countries on March 23.