Apple shines on spectacular iPad sales

BOOMING SALES: A store employee holding up an iPad at an Apple Store in San Francisco. Apple Inc said that its net income for the holiday quarter jumped 78% as shoppers snapped up more iPads than analysts predicted. - AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc's net income for the holiday quarter jumped 78% as shoppers snapped up more iPads than analysts predicted.

The results sent shares climbing in afterhours trading. Earlier, shares slipped more than 2% in regular trading as investors focused on news that CEO Steve Jobs will take another medical leave of absence.

Apple sold 7.3 million iPads during the quarter, about a million more than analysts were expecting. The iPad, which first went on sale in April, was one of the hottest gifts over the holidays.

The company sold 16.2 million iPhones, an 86% increase from a year ago. Sales of Mac computers rose 23% to 4.13 million laptops and desktops.

It sold 19.5 million iPods, a 7% drop from a year earlier. However, people spent more on average on the devices - revenue from iPods edged up 1%.

The Cupertino, California-based company said 62% of its revenue came from outside the United States. In the Asia-Pacific segment, which includes China, Apple said revenue almost tripled.

Apple said its four stores in China had, on average, highest traffic and highest revenue out of its 321 worldwide stores. - AP