Apple poised to sell 600,000 iPad 2s during launch weekend

Bloomberg reports that multiple industry analysts are expecting Apple to cross the 600,000 sales mark for the iPad 2 during this launch weekend. This compares to the 300,000 WiFi-only original iPads sold on launch day on April 3, 2010.

Brian Marshall, an analyst at Gleacher & Co expects Apple’s second generation iPad to “outpace” the original model. Tim Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies Inc. and Rodman & Renshaw LLC and Piper Jaffray & Co. concur.

Apple has such a huge lead,” said Bajarin, who has covered the industry for more than 20 years and works as a technology consultant. He projects 500,000 units in two days. “Competitors are going to be chasing Apple for many years.

The two leading reasons for more iPad 2 sales have to do with more stores selling the device on opening day and the addition of the white model.

Apple’s new tablet also will be sold at more than 10,000 stores of AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Best Buy Co. and Target Corp., according to Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster.