iPad delays point to strong initial sales

Apple has announced that US customers ordering its new iPad device will have to wait until mid-April for it to be shipped.

The delay is another early indicator that the tablet device will be hugely popular when it arrives, and Apple has already limited pre-orders to two units per person.

The iPad launch date remains set at 3 April, but this date applies only to customers who pre-ordered the device prior to last weekend.

Those signing up now to the Wi-Fi only model will have to wait until 12 April, according to a notice on the Apple Store web site. The Wi-Fi and 3G combination model will ship in late April.

The news follows a report in The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the iPad sales figures, suggesting that the iPad may prove more popular than the iPhone in the initial three-month sales period.