Customers, press amass for launch of Apple's new iPad

The launch of Apple's new iPad has once again drawn massive crowds and a blitz of media attention as customers — including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak — queued up to buy the third-generation device.

Sales of the new iPad are to occur at 8 a.m. local time in 10 countries. They first began in Australia, and the launches have continued across the globe as the clock has rolled over to March 16.

At Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York City, the massive line waiting on Friday morning for the 8 a.m. sale of the new iPad was so long, it wrapped all the way up W 58th Street.

The line has grown significantly since Wednesday, when the first customer began to wait outside Apple's iconic glass cube in New York.

AppleInsider reader Ryan was on location Friday morning, and sent the photos included below. He has been at numerous product launches at Apple's Fifth Avenue store, and remarked that he has "never seen so much press" when compared to Friday's iPad launch.

In addition to customers, Friday's launch drew a huge media presence.

And in Boston on Boylston Street, a line of about 100 people wrapped around the corner Friday morning. Apple employees handed out coffee to people in line and local TV crews were present, according to AppleInsider reader Roy.

"They are managing the line to keep entrances to nearby businesses clear, so they've actually broken down the queue into 3 segments so far with a line security guard between each segment," he explained.

About 100 customers wait outside the Apple Store on Boston's Boylston Street. Photo credited to Roy.

At Westfield Mall in Century City, Calif., Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was spotted waiting in line to get his hands on a new iPad. Wozniak explained he is in L.A., rather than San Francisco, because he is to give a keynote speech at the Apple Investor Summit.

"It's just sort of like it's become a ritual, almost," Wozniak explained of waiting in line for the new iPad. "Because I've done it so many times, I'm doing it again. It's not something that you have to do. I mean, no nobody has to wait in line. You can pre-order."

When asked if he could get a pre-release iPad direct from Apple, Wozniak said he wouldn't want to do that. Instead, he said, he'd rather be "genuine, like the real people."