Apple Inc on Monday said it sold one million iPads in its first 28 days, and users of the tablet computer have already downloaded 12 million apps and 1.5 million digital books.

Apple sold 300,000 iPads, which has a 9.7-inch touchscreen iPad and is essentially a cross between a laptop and a smartphone, on launch day April 3 and a half-million units the first week.

It is intended as a media consumption device, good for video, games, electronic books and magazines and Web browsing.

Apple began the second stage of a two-part rollout of the touchscreen tablet computer on Friday when it started sales of the pricier, high-speed wireless version of the iPad in the United States, following the successful launch of the short-range Wi-Fi tablet earlier this month.

Although the device won't reach international markets until late May, some analysts expect Apple to sell roughly 5 million or so this year.

Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple closed rise 1.3 percent in pre-market trade at $261.09 on Monday..

(Reporting by Franklin Paul)

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