Queues for iPad

Chinese national Chen Zhi Jian poses with the two iPads he purchased at Wheelock Place Epicentre as he was the first few in the queue. He flew down from Guangzhou, China, specially to purchase the iPads and will be catching a plane back tomorrow. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
HUNDREDS of eager customers got their hands on the much awaited iPad when 30 select Apple resellers opened their doors at 10am on Friday.

Some came from as far as China and Malaysia to wait in line for the device.

One such fan was 25-year-old Mr Han Seung Yong, a South Korean national currently studying in Malaysia.

He arrived in Singapore late on Thursday and, not knowing where the queue was, waited at a 24-hour coffee shop nearby till he eventually found his way to the EpiCentre@Orchard at Wheelock Place, where he was third in line.

Right behind him was 27-year-old Mr Chen Zhi Jian who flew in from Guangzhou, China, just for the launch.

'The flight and ticket costs is worth it, because the iPads I can get here are cheaper than the ones I can get back in China,' said Mr Chen.

Singapore is one of nine countries to get the iPad this time round.

It will be available in three models - 16GB, 32GB and 64GB - in either the Wi-Fi or 3G version.

Prices range from $728 for a Wi-Fi 16GB iPad to $1,228 for a 3G 64GB model.

[Source]