While consumers in the U.S. and Western Europe have had the ability to purchase an iPad for months now, residents of countries in Asia, South America and Eastern Europe have not been nearly as lucky.
For many of these nations, the wait is finally over. In the past ten days, Apple's (News 
- Alert) highly-popular tablet device has been introduced in Taiwan, Denmark, Portugal, The Czech Republic, Sweden, Poland, Norway, Hungary, Finland and South Korea, according to Cult of Mac. And just today, the iPad went on sale in Brazil.
According to the AFP, consumers in Latin America's biggest market were lined up around the block this morning to have a chance to purchase this year's hottest mobile computing device. The initial demand for the iPad in Brazil is especially impressive considering the country's 100 percent tariff on imported electronic devices. This means that Brazilians who want to purchase Apple's multi-touch tablet will have to shell out anywhere from $970 to $1,530, depending on the device's processing speed and whether or not it is 3G-enabled.
Retail outlets in Brazil were forced to wait for nearly six months to receive iPads because of the tariff laws and concerns over naming rights. As the AFP points out, the word "iPad" in Brazil was registered three years ago as a South Korean-made defibrillator used to resuscitate heart attack patients. Stores were unable to begin selling the tablet until Apple and the manufacturer of the defibrillator, CU Medical Systems, came to an agreement.
In related news, researchers at Business Insider are speculating that Apple is on the precipice of selling its 10 millionth iPad, which is an insane accomplishment considering not many people even knew what a table device was earlier this year. Even with the influx of other competing products in the market, analysts expect the iPad to be the number one electronics gift this holiday season.Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Chris DiMarco
