700,000 iPads bought on day one

Apple did not provide details of opening-day sales. But Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who had predicted as many as 300,000 iPads would be sold this weekend, dramatically revised his numbers upward Saturday to between 600,000 and 700,000 units purchased just on the first day.

That contrasts with 270,000 iPhones sold during its initial launch. Apple plans to offer six variants of the iPad, starting with the three Wi-Fi models available now: a 16GB model ($499), a 32GB model ($599), and 64GB model ($699). In late April, Apple will ship three additional models that tack on 3G capability, for an extra $130 each. The 3G models will also have a GPS chip inside.