The Sony Tablet launched today causing a frenzy in London's electronics mecca, Tottenham Court Road. Currys and PC World offered a free £400 flat screen TV to the first 100 customers to purchase the tablet.
Doors opened at 7am, and queues were still forming as commuters made their way to work at 8:45am.
The Sony Tablet S is available in two now familiar options: 16gb wi-fi model at £399 and 32gb wi-fi with 3G at £499.
The rush on stores today correlates with research prepared for the Huffington Post by Forester Research. The research showed that while only 4% of Brits currently own tablets, it is expected to reach 34% by 2015.
A similar surge in foot traffic at Tottenham Court Road's electronics stores occurred earlier this month when HP jettisoned its TouchPad tablet. Those tablets were reduced to £89 and £115 each.
Today's reaction to the Sony Tablet S suggest consumers are still willing to pay a premium for tablets and if the incentive is there, they will move away from Apple.