iPad to go on sale on Friday

The Apple iPad is finally coming to Irish stores this week, with the device set to go on sale on Friday.

The touch-screen tablet computer, which was unveiled by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs in January, will be available from €499 through the Apple store and authorised Apple resellers.

The device, which can access the internet over wireless and mobile networks, runs the same software available as the iPhone, but has a larger screen and superior capabilities.

It will also be available in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore from Friday.

At its unveiling at the beginning of the year, Mr Jobs described the iPad as a “magical and revolutionary product” and said it created and defined an entirely new category of devices.

The company has sold more than 3 million iPads since its introduction on April 3rd. Within 28 days, it had shipped more than one million of the devices, selling only in the US. The international launch was delayed due to high demand in the US. It subsequently went on sale in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland, with stores selling the device from May 28th.

The iPad is designed for browsing the internet, watching movies and reading e-books. It also allows users to send and receive email, and play games.

It comes in three capacities – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB – and is available in models that have wifi only or wifi and 3G. The 16GB entry-level model with wireless internet access will cost €499, with prices ranging up to €799 for the 64GB model with both wifi and 3G access.