Will iPad-mania Push Apple Over $600?

The watch is on after shares this morning briefly crossed that milestone marker,  setting a new high for Apple. Although the company’s market value is up more than 46% so far in 2012, several analysts say they still expect it to grow with the apparent enthusiasm for the new iPad — which goes on sale tomorrow. At least five analysts have raised their forecasts this week; about 52 rate the stock a “buy,” while three rate it a “hold,” and two consider it a “sell.” Meanwhile, gadget reviewers generally applauded the new iPad which boasts a sharper screen, 4G connectivity, an improved camera, and a microphone to handle voice commands — although some say the improvements aren’t sufficient for iPad 2 owners to upgrade. “If you’re a tablet newbie, there’s no better choice on the market than an iPad, provided — and this is a pretty big if — price isn’t an issue and you don’t want a tablet that would fit in your pocket, such as the $199 Amazon Kindle Fire,” USA Today’s Ed Baig says. (The cheapest new iPad, with 16 gb of memory and no 4G, costs $499.) Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg says that since 2010 “iPad has been the best tablet on the planet” and with the updates “it still holds that crown.” And web site CNET observes that Apple “has not made its billions by disappointing customers. Odds are, you’re going to like this thing.”