Apple announced that its mass market iPad touchscreen portable tablet computer will go on sale outside the United States in nine major countries for the first time on May 28.

The much-anticipated consumer gadget was launched on the US domestic market on April 3, but such was demand that the Californian firm was forced to delay deliveries to international consumers.

Now, fans in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland can look forward to seeing them in the shops before the end of the month, Apple's statement said.

"Customers can pre-order all iPad models from Apple's online store in all nine countries beginning today," it said.

The firm plans to launch the iPad in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore in July.

Apple gave no details on prices in the new markets, but versions of the device with different storage capacities and connection options are available in the United States for between $499 and $829.

Although not yet officially available through Apple-licensed vendors outside the United States, impatient consumers in many areas have been buying imported models from the so-called "grey market".

The firm boasts that it has already sold more than one million iPads in the US and that customers have downloaded over 12 million software applications from its online store.