Apple

Crowds in 10 countries, including the U.S., lined up Friday outside of Apple retail stores in the pre-dawn hours to purchase the new tablet.

Apple's new iPad boasts a sharper display and zippier 4G network capability. This next version is expected to be popular and continue Apple's market-leading momentum.

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"The iPhone 4S was the fastest-selling phone ever, and we expect the same for the iPad," says Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps. "Consumers are thrilled to get their hands on the latest Apple gadgets."

Shoppers were drawn to Apple Store locations and retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy and Verizon to be first on the block with the new device. Many go to Apple Stores just to be a part of the enthusiasm on launch days.

"It's no fun to order online," says Chan Park, 48, of Fairfax, Va., who waited in line at an Apple Store in Tysons Corner, Va., to snag an iPad for his 16-year-old son. "There's some excitement waiting in line."

San Francisco's Union Square Apple Store was one that had hundreds lined up early.

"We wanted it, and we wanted to be part of this experience," says Arlene Beberman Obrentz, 80, of San Francisco. "It's our first Apple product — it opens up a whole new world for us."

Lizandra Osorio, 23, of Bridgeton, N.J., first tried a New Jersey Walmart at midnight, but the store had only a few iPads, so she drove to a shopping mall in Delaware at 2 a.m. Hundreds of people were ahead of her.

"I was planning to be first in line, but that plan failed," says Osorio, wrapped in a fleece blanket outside the mall. "If I can get one in my hands, it'll be worth it."

About 80 people lined up outside an Apple Store in Freehold, N.J. At the head of the class was Arthur Nazarov, 29, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who had been standing outside since 3 a.m.

"I stood still and tried to keep my feet moving," he said, sipping a cup of Starbucks coffee handed out by Apple staff from a mobile cart.

At least 30 blue-shirted employees lined up and applauded as Nazarov and a few others who had pre-ordered their iPads were allowed to enter the store. He said he made the hour-long trip to New Jersey because "New York is New York — it's overcrowded. I figured here the lines would be a little lighter."

Also among the first to secure the new iPad: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who waited in line with his wife since Thursday afternoon. "Oddly enough, I didn't get the high-memory iPad in the past, and I can't put on a whole bunch of movies like I want to," Wozniak told the Associated Press. "So, I've got a good reason to upgrade now."

Consumers nationwide are forecast to grab 112.5 million tablet computers by 2016, according to researcher Forrester.

In addition to the U.S., Apple launched the iPad in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Apple's online store has a two- to three-week wait for shipping. "The indications are positive that they sold out pre-orders," says Gartner analyst Van Baker.