DSGi's iPad stranglehold loosened

Exactly two months after the iPad's launch, Apple expands the product's retail presence

Apple of my iPad: The tablet PC has been hugely popular and is expected to sell about 13 million units this year

DSG International's (DSGi) two-month monopoly on Apple's iPad came to a close yesterday, with fellow retail giants John Lewis and Comet taking stock of the tablet PC.

Since its launch on 28 May, the iPad has only been widely available in Apple stores and DSGi's PC World and Currys stores. US retail giant Best Buy has also taken stock of the product at its first three UK stores, which opened this summer. As expected, the channel, including distributors and Apple premium resellers, has only been afforded limited numbers of the popular device.

But yesterday DSGi's near stranglehold on the nascent iPad market was loosened a little, as rival Comet began selling the technology – two months to the day after the product launched in the UK.

Other high-street heavyweights will soon get their paws on the iPad, with Argos expecting to begin selling it in September. Tesco, the UK's biggest retailer, is also gearing up to sell the tablet PC.