Apple's second-generation tablet, the iPad 2, is attracting a massive number of first-time iPad buyers. In a survey on the first day of the launch of the popular tablet, analyst firm Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster found that 70 per cent of iPad 2 buyers were new to the tablet.

It means, most of the buyers were purchasing their first iPads rather than upgrading. In case of the iPhone 4, merely 23 per cent of the buyers were new to the smartphone at its launch.

Around 41 per cent of the surveyed 236 people purchased the 32GB model of the iPad 2, up from 32 per cent who purchased the 32GB model of the first-generation iPad. The 64GB model also reported a slight gain.

As per Munster's estimates, Apple sold around 400,000 to 500,000 units of iPad over the past weekend. The figure is impressive when we compare it with the 300,000 units sold of the original iPad during its launch weekend in April last year.

Last year, Apple sold around 14.8 million iPads. This year, the manufacturer is expected to be able to sell as many as 30 million iPads.

The iPad 2, which hit US store shelves on March 11, comes equipped with a faster dual-core 1GHz A5 chip and a front-facing as well as a rear-facing camera. The first-generation iPad is lacking cameras.