Apple said that it sold 300,000 iPads in the first day of sales Saturday -- including pre-orders -- a stat that generally satisfied analysts. Somewhat obscured by that figure is another interesting measurement of the device's impact: Apple sold more than 250,000 e-books that day. I'd like to own a bookstore that moved a quarter-million copies in a single day.
The iPad comes loaded with a digital version of Winnie the Pooh, and the color illustrations really pop on the big screen. The "bookshelf" that holds your e-books is an interesting feature, too. (Nancy should note that "The Help" is featured on the example above -- she needs to finish it in the next few days for her bookclub. Get crackin', Nance!) We'll give the iPad a test drive later today, and have a more complete review of the e-reader capabilities. Meanwhile, here are some other iPad reviews that focus on the e-book experience.