Apple sells 3 million new iPads in first weekend

Apple sold 3 million new iPads since the tablet launched on Friday, March 16, the company announced today. This marks the "strongest iPad launch" to date, according to the technology giant.

The news comes on the same day that Apple announced it would offer shareholders a quarterly dividend and access to a stock repurchasing program.

The new iPad was revealed at an Apple event in San Francisco earlier this month. It starts at $500 and boasts 4G network support, a new retina display, a 5-megapixel camera capable of capturing 1080p video, and battery life of up to 10 hours.

Apple also cut the price of the iPad 2 from $500 to $400 for introductory models this month. For more on the new iPad, check out GameSpot's launch primer.