iPad hits the three million mark

Apple has sold its three millionth iPad.

The company claimed the sales milestone some 80 days after the tablet first debuted in the US and less than one month after Apple made the device available in the UK.

News of the milestone is the latest indication of strong consumer interest in the iPad. Apple moved more than one million units in the iPad's first month of US availability and the company has at times struggled to keep up with demand for the device.

"People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives," said Apple co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs.

"We’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world, including those in nine more countries next month."

The company also said that developers are flocking to the iPad. According to Apple more than 11,000 applications have been specifically crafted for the iPad, while a total of 225,000 will run on the device.

The iPad rollout has not been without its problems, however.

US carrier AT&T was blamed for a vulnerability that left personal data on more than 114,000 iPad users available for harvesting in a case that has drawn the attention of federal law enforcement.