Record sales forecast as Apple rolls out third iPad version

When news spread last Wednesday that the third version of Apple's iPad would be launched this week, Andrea Leung was far from excited about the prospect of joining the crowds to buy the new media tablet.

'I'm past the Apple craze. When it comes to queueing up, it's a case of 'been there, done that'. I'm happy with what I've got,' Leung, an associate at public relations company IPR Ogilvy, told the South China Morning Post.

Leung's four-person household has already contributed to the coffers of technology giant Apple and she said they were 'quite content' with what they have, which included one iMac, two iPhones, four iPads, and two Macbooks.

Market analysts and industry insiders offered a different view, with an upbeat forecast of record iPad sales this year. 'Many people are waiting for the iPad 3,' said Ricky Lam, the manager at local Apple reseller Vertex, which rings an average of between 10 to 20 iPad 2 purchases each day.

Lam said he had been besieged with inquiries about the iPad 3's release in Hong Kong. He expected parallel importers to again bring some stocks of the new tablet to Hong Kong ahead of authorised resellers and peddle these at premium prices.

'I forecast the iPad 3 and the [rumoured] iPhone 5 will both be a big hit,' he said.