Apple Celebrates Big iPad Sales But May Face Anti-Trust Probe

Apple on Monday reported out-of-this-world sales for its iPad, but complaints from some users and regulators threaten to bring the gadget and the company back down to earth.

The Cupertino company announced it sold 1 million iPads in the first 28 days the gadget was on the market. The milestone was hit Friday, the same day Apple began sales of versions that can access the Internet over 3G networks.

But even as Apple celebrated, complaints were trickling in about the device and one of the company's business decisions related to it, reports MercuryNews.com.

Federal regulators are "days away" from launching an antitrust inquiry focusing on the company, the New York Post reported Monday. The probe would scrutinize Apple's recent decision to bar developers from using third-party, cross-platform tools — most notably from Adobe Systems — to create applications for the iPad and iPhone.

Meanwhile, users of the new 3G-enabled iPads have been complaining about problems watching video. ABC television's application reportedly won't stream videos over the cell-phone network. And although users can watch video from Netflix and YouTube while connected to 3G, the resolution is low.

Despite Apple's early success with the iPad, "there are still glitches to be worked out," said Susan Kevorkian, an analyst at technology research firm IDC.

But Apple was focusing on the positive.