Consumers in the US have been pouring into Apple stores since March 11 when the tablet went on sale there.

Sadly, the $65-billion Cupertino, California-based technology giant has once again left India out of the list of nations where it first markets its products.

Apple aficionados have already started scouting about for ways to get hold of the must-have gizmo.

Deepak Sharma, the 25-year-old founder of outsourcing consultancy firm Intellect Assets and a self-confessed Apple fanatic, said: �It is best to buy the product abroad.�

Experts are divided on the effectiveness of Apple�s marketing strategy.

�A brand like Apple needs iconic advertising and a solid marketing push, which they failed to deliver for India,� said Beena George, brand leader with McCann Worldgroup, the leading global marketing communications company.
Others won�t be so lucky. Early birds in India will have to fork out a huge premium before they can even get a sniff of the latest technology device.

Sellers have already surfaced on websites like eBay India, enticing gizmo buffs with offers to ship the tablet device to them as soon as it hits the stores in the US.

The price of a 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad2 in Black on eBay is Rs 34,000 (which includes shipping and a 360-degree rotating stand). The product will be shipped from Chicago and will take 10 to 14 days to reach.