Apple takes UK bookings for £429 iPad as the rush begins

The race to be among the first in Britain to own Apple's iPad started today as the company began accepting pre-orders for the gadget.

The tablet device, which has a 9.7 inch touchscreen, launches on May 28 with prices from £429 to £699.

More than two million are expected to be sold in Britain. The iPad lets users read and write emails, surf the web, read books, watch videos and download thousands of pieces of apps.

Guests at London's Berkeley Hotel are already being offered free loans of iPads if they book a £1,800-a-night suite. It is replacing its international newspaper and magazine service with the device.

Tom Dunmore of Stuff magazine said: "The iPad has been a huge success in the US, and there will be a lot of Apple fans pre-ordering theirs today.

"The key will be whether this can become a mainstream device for the average user, and I think that will depend of the quality of the apps. Once they start reading newspapers and books on an iPad, it could become very, very popular."

Apple has sold more than a million iPads in the US since its January launch, causing it to delay the British one by a month to meet demand.

Customers have downloaded 12 million iPad apps as well as more than 1.5 million ebooks from the new iBook store.

The iPad will be available in two version, one with wifi, and one with wifi and a 3G card.

General manager of the Berkeley, Klaus Kabelitz, said: "It's really the next step for in-room entertainment. You can read newspapers from around the world as soon as they are published, and even find out where to go in London."

iPad docks have been installed in the suites.

The Intercontinental Park Lane is also testing iPads and has given them to concierge staff to help them deal with customer queries.