SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Leo Apotheker, outlining his vision for the company, promised to boost earnings and dividends sharply in coming years as it pushes aggressively into cloud computing.

Investors had been keen to hear his plans to enhance profitability at the sprawling computing giant, which is vying with International Business Machines Corp in technology services while going up against new rivals from Cisco Systems Inc to Oracle Corp.

In his first meeting with analysts and investors since taking over from the well-regarded Mark Hurd in November, the German executive said HP aims to raise quarterly dividends by 50 percent to 12 cents a share from May.

And HP plans to increase non-GAAP earnings per share to at least $7 a share by fiscal 2014, up 53 percent from last year.

Apotheker, who has seen HP’s share price dwindle since Hurd left, is seen as under pressure to appease investors. The centerpiece of his presentation was a plan to expand into the highly competitive cloud computing market where services are hosted remotely in data centers.

HP will launch a “cloud marketplace” and an array of offerings for consumers, businesses and application developers, pitting the company against the likes of Amazon.com.

“This is a huge market,” Apotheker said. “It is our customers who are pushing us to create this. There is a lot of demand for additional cloud services.”

SAN FRANCISC0/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Thousands of people thronged Apple stores on both U.S. coasts as the iPad 2 went on sale on Friday, signaling a strong appetite for a device that dominates the fledgling market it created.

Hordes of fans — some of whom had queued up overnight — formed raucous pre-sale lines, and attracted curious onlookers, in the chilly rain in Manhattan, and in San Francisco.

The crowds erupted as a sea of blue-shirted Apple staff threw open the doors at 5 p.m. and gave high-fives to the first iPad shoppers in Manhattan and San Francisco.

The turnout underscores how demand for Apple’s tablet remains strong nearly a year after the original proved a smash hit, single-handedly creating the tablet market, and inspiring a wave of imitators from Motorola to Research in Motion.

More than 800 queued outside the Apple store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue ahead of the launch, hoping to be among the first to get the thinner, lighter and faster iPad that Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled last week to strong reviews.

“I wanted to be a part of it,” said Andrew Christian, 26, a pharmacy technician from the Bronx who was No. 11 in line after waiting all night in the rain.

He lined his sneakers with plastic Apple bags.

SAN FRANCISC0/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Thousands of people thronged Apple stores on both U.S. coasts as the iPad 2 went on sale Friday, signaling strong appetite for a device that dominates the fledgling market it created.

Braving chilly rain and curious stares, the hordes of fans — many of whom had queued up overnight — formed pre-sale lines from New York to San Francisco hours before the device went on sale at 5 p.m.

The crowd erupted as a sea of blue-shirted Apple staff threw open the doors and gave high-fives to the first eager iPad shoppers in Manhattan.

The turnout will offer hints as to whether demand for Apple’s tablet remains strong nearly a year after the original proved a smash hit, single-handedly created the tablet market, and inspired a wave of imitators from Motorola to Research in Motion.

More than 800 queued outside the Apple store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue ahead of the launch, hoping to get first dibs on the thinner, lighter and faster iPad that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled last week to strong reviews.

“I wanted to be a part of it,” said Andrew Christian, 26, a pharmacy technician from the Bronx who was No. 11 in line after waiting all night in the rain. He wrapped his sneakers in plastic Apple bags.

Shares of Apple rose 1.5 percent to close at $351.99 on Nasdaq.

SAN FRANCISC0/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hundreds of people are lining up at Apple Inc stores on both U.S. coasts hours before the iPad 2 goes on sale on Friday, signaling strong appetite for a device that extends Apple’s lead in the fledgling market it created.

About 350 people queued up outside the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York at midday ahead of the 5 p.m. launch, and a handful of people had slept there overnight.

Around 100 people waited outside Apple’s flagship San Francisco store at 9 a.m. local time.

Kurt Collins, 31, and Damon Brown, 34, arrived at 6 a.m. to find a line of about 40 people ahead of them. They said the line was impressive, but smaller than a year ago for the initial iPad launch.

“The iPad 2 is definitely going to be faster, plus it’s cool,” said Collins, a tech entrepreneur. He already owns a first-generation iPad, which he plans to sell once he gets his hands on the new device.

Analysts and investors will scrutinize Friday’s turnout across the United States, keen to estimate if demand for the tablet remains strong nearly a year after the original proved a smash hit, single-handedly created the tablet market, and inspired a wave of imitators from Motorola to Research in Motion.

Chief Executive Steve Jobs last week unveiled the faster, lighter, thinner and camera-equipped iPad 2, which has since garnered strong reviews.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc kicks off sales of its latest iPad on Friday, likely extending its lead in the burgeoning market while offering an important snapshot of consumer demand for tablet computing.

Nearly a year after the original proved a smash hit and inspired a wave of imitators, investors will be watching the turn-out for the U.S. release of the iPad 2, which Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled last week.

The release — which as always will be closely scrutinized by fans and investors — may be a litmus test for the overall appetite for tablets.

Apple may still be hoping for a repeat of April 2010, when thousands of people lined up to buy what was then a largely novel device with an uncertain market. But analysts say the 10-inch touchscreen iPad 2 has been improved incrementally, not reinvented wholesale. It is thinner, faster and adds a pair of cameras for video chat.

The benchmarks for the iPad 2 are clear. The first iPad sold 300,000 units on its first day, 500,000 in the first week, and crossed the 1 million unit mark in 28 days.

Given that the iPad 2 will be available in far more stores to start than was the original model, Wall Street would be surprised if the device fails to outpace its predecessor in the early going.

In addition to being sold at more than 200 Apple outlets in the United States, the iPad 2 will be available starting Friday in the stores of AT&T and Verizon Wireless, as well as Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc kicks off sales of its latest iPad on Friday, likely extending its lead in the burgeoning market while offering an important snapshot of consumer demand for tablet computing.

Nearly a year after the original proved a smash hit and inspired a wave of imitators, investors will be watching the turn-out for the U.S. release of the iPad 2, which Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled last week.

The release — which as always will be closely scrutinized by fans and investors — may be a litmus test for the overall appetite for tablets.

Apple may still be hoping for a repeat of April 2010, when thousands of people lined up to buy what was then a largely novel device with an uncertain market. But analysts say the 10-inch touchscreen iPad 2 has been improved incrementally, not reinvented wholesale. It is thinner, faster and adds a pair of cameras for video chat.

The benchmarks for the iPad 2 are clear. The first iPad sold 300,000 units on its first day, 500,000 in the first week, and crossed the 1 million unit mark in 28 days.

Given that the iPad 2 will be available in far more stores to start than was the original model, Wall Street would be surprised if the device fails to outpace its predecessor in the early going.

In addition to being sold at more than 200 Apple outlets in the United States, the iPad 2 will be available starting Friday in the stores of AT&T and Verizon Wireless, as well as Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Nintendo Co Ltd said it has set ambitious goals for its newest handheld gaming system despite growing competition from smartphones like Apple’s iPhone.

Nintendo, whose growth has been flagging, is making a big marketing push as it launches the Nintendo 3DS, the first device to offer 3D gaming without special glasses.

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime called the 3DS a key revenue driver and argued that its adoption should be even faster than the original DS device, which launched in 2004 and has sold 150 million units to date.

“From our perspective, we’ve set the high water bar for a handheld device and our goal is to try to beat that,” he said in an interview on Thursday.

The 3DS launched in Japan last month and will go on sale in the United States on March 27. The Japanese company is trying to stay a step ahead of rivals in the mobile market, which is in a state of flux as the iPhone and smartphones based on Google’s Android have become more robust gaming platforms.

Nintendo is positioning the 3DS as more of a full-purpose entertainment product. It will be able to stream Netflix movies, as many smartphones can.

“This is a full-bore entertainment device, we’re leading with games, but certainly we will leverage 2D and 3D video content,” Fils-Aime said.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A thin but energetic Steve Jobs made a surprise return to the spotlight on Wednesday, taking the stage to unveil Apple Inc’s new iPad and drawing a standing ovation.

The Silicon Valley legend has been out on medical leave since late January and his reappearance, in trademark turtleneck and jeans, bolstered Apple shares and reassured investors and fans worried about his health.

Defying speculation in some tabloid reports that he was seriously ailing, Jobs took swipes at rivals and mocked competing tablet computers. Striding back and forth across the stage at the Yerba Buena Center, Jobs spoke passionately about the iPad 2′s features as No. 2 and heir apparent Tim Cook looked on.

The $499 device is thinner than the iPhone 4, twice as fast as the last tablet, camera-equipped, and ships March 11 in the United States and March 25 in 26 more countries. The surprisingly fast roll-out highlights the fierce competition in the tablet market.

“We’ve been working on this product for a while and I just didn’t want to miss today,” Jobs told a packed auditorium in San Francisco with his characteristic flair and energy.

A relaxed-looking Jobs lingered near the theater stage for more than 20 minutes after the show wrapped up, chatting amiably with acquaintances and Apple employees.

In the run-up to the event, there had been almost as much speculation about whether Jobs would appear as there was about the device itself.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc’s(AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) maestro Steve Jobs took the stage to unveil the iPad 2 on Wednesday, drawing a standing ovation with his surprise return to the spotlight after a brief medical absence.

The familiar sight of the Silicon Valley legend in a black turtleneck and jeans cheered fans and investors who had fretted about the health of the charismatic company co-founder. Shares of Apple, which had been flat, climbed as much as 1.4 percent after he strode onstage.

In the run-up to the event, there had been almost as much speculation about whether Jobs would appear as there was about the device itself. Jobs, who has been treated for a rare form of cancer, had been on indefinite medical leave for an undisclosed condition.

“Didn’t want to miss today,” the industry icon told a packed auditorium in San Francisco, holding forth with his characteristic flair and energy.

Jobs’ return to the spotlight comes at a critical moment. Apple is launching the next generation of its ground-breaking tablet computer just as its main adversaries are releasing their first such devices.

The iPad 2 is thinner than the iPhone 4, twice as fast as the last tablet, camera-equipped, and goes on sale this month in a surprisingly fast roll-out that highlights the fierce competition in the tablet market.

Apple sold nearly 15 million iPads in nine months of 2010, two or three times as many as analysts had predicted. The company is expected to sell 30 million or more this year, which would generate close to $20 billion in sales.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – More than a year after igniting the tablet computing craze, Apple Inc prepares to unveil the second version of its blockbuster iPad — possibly minus lead showman Steve Jobs.

Plenty has changed over the course of the year. The iPad became a bona fide smash, essentially creating the tablet category and triggering a wave of me-too products that are just starting to hit the market.

Now, as rivals Motorola and Research in Motion race to catch up, Apple itself is going through a transformation. There is as much speculation about whether iconic Chief Executive Jobs will take the stage at Wednesday’s event in San Francisco as there is about the new device.

Jobs traditionally launches major products with a pizzazz and style that reflect his eye for detail and design. But he took indefinite medical leave last month and Apple has not revealed details of the cancer survivor’s medical condition.

His absence is bound to spark a fresh round of speculation on his condition. And his presence will be scrutinized equally closely for any signals on his health.

Many in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street doubt he will return to the company he co-founded in 1976.

In his absence, it is a good bet that Tim Cook, the company’s operations chief and Jobs’ heir apparent, or marketing head Phil Schiller, will lead Wednesday’s show.