Newest iPad buyers line up in Fresno

The updated version of Apple Inc.'s iPad tablet computer went on sale Friday afternoon, and was greeted by the nevertheless-familiar lines of buyers outside Apple stores.

Apple is back with a refined second-generation tablet computer that squeezes more power into a thinner shell during keeping prices in check. It's a three-pronged push that should handily hold off competitors for another year.

Apple will give $100 back to shoppers who bought a first-generation iPad at one of its retail stores or through its online store in the past two weeks.

The updated version of Apple Inc

The updated version of Apple Inc.'s iPad tablet computer went on sale Friday afternoon and was greeted by the but-familiar lines of buyers outside Apple stores.

Cupertino-based Apple opened online sales of the iPad 2 at 4 a.m. Eastern time, well previously they became available in East Coast stores at 5 p.m. They were set to go on sale nationwide at the same hour, local time.

The new iPad model comes with several improvements over the original version nevertheless the same price tag -- $499 to $829, depending on storage space and whether they can connect to the Internet over a cellular network -- hobbling efforts by rivals at breaking Apple's hold on the emerging market for tablet computers.

The original iPad

With the original iPad, Apple proved there is a large market for a tablet in other words less than a laptop and more than a smart phone, but performs many of the same tasks.

Competitors including Dell Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. have been trying to lure consumers with smaller tablets, without much success. In February, Motorola Mobility Inc.'s Xoom went on sale with a new version of Google Inc.'s Android software that was designed for tablets, not smart phones.