Crowds are light for the new iPad Air .Exclussive

The arrival of a new iPad on Friday didn't generate the kind of frenzy that has become the hallmark of the company's product launches, but Apple loyalists were still thrilled to be among the first to get their hands on the redesigned tablet.

After arriving at the Beverly Center at 7:30 a.m., Ivan Stanchev, 22, found himself first in line at the Apple Store for the new iPad Air. By the time the doors opened half an hour later, there were only about two dozen people waiting, most of them to pick up pre-orders.

 

Stanchev, a student from Bulgaria, said although he wasn't a diehard Apple fan, he wanted to get the iPad Air on the first day so he could "brag about it to friends."

"It's actually

super, super light," he said as he unwrapped the tablet outside the Los Angeles store. "It's beautiful."

And so it went around the globe, as fans lined up in London, New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Unlike in September when many versions of the iPhone 5s quickly sold out, consumers found the new iPad generally available. One analyst, though, said stores in Hong Kong and New York City ran out.

The fifth version of Apple's iPad, dubbed iPad Air, is significantly lighter and thinner than previous versions. Apple and its investors hope the iPad Air, along with a second iPad mini with a Retina screen, will get iPad sales growing again.

Apple has been losing market share to Android tablets in recent months as iPad sales have flattened. During a recent earnings call with analysts, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said he believes this will be an "iPad Christmas."