Massive queues formed outside Apple's flagship store as hundreds of people vied to get their hands on the latest must-have gadget - the iPad. The queues of technophiles snaked down Regent Street in central London from Thursday afternoon for the touch-screen tablet-style computer. Deafening screams and cheers could be heard coming from the store as the first few customers left clutching their prized new possessions - some smiling broadly, others appearing somewhat bewildered by the applause. Exhausted but "elated" Jake Lee, 17, from Theydon Bois, Essex, was first in the queue, having arrived at midday on Thursday with three friends. Running into the store at 8am following a countdown, he said: "I'm so excited. Let's just hope my card works." As he came out with the gadget, he said: "It's everything I hoped for and I can't wait to get going on it. It feels just amazing. I can't explain it - ridiculously amazing. I want a go on it now." Celebrity tweeter Stephen Fry was also among the first into the store. He said: "Just to see this is fantastic. It is a phenomenal event. There's never been anything like it. "To say I was here is rather a nice feeling. If I was a music fan, it would be like the launch of a Lady Gaga album in the US record store - it's a momentous occasion." He added that he was "enormously excited". The iPad finally went on sale in the UK after a delay due to the gadget's popularity in the United States. The computer, which costs from £429 for the basic version to £699 for a model with wi-fi and 3G network access, allows users to send emails, read novels, draw pictures and play games. Though spirits ran high on Friday morning, the launch has been overshadowed by 11 suspected employee suicides at the Chinese factory which makes the iPad amid reports of oppressive conditions. Apple said it will independently investigate the deaths at Foxconn, which also supplies electronic products for Dell and Hewlett-Packard. It said in a statement: "We are saddened and upset by the recent suicides at Foxconn. Apple is deeply committed to ensuring that conditions throughout our supply chain are safe and workers are treated with respect and dignity." Source: orange news