Tim Cook has just delivered the first news regarding performance of Apple's new iPad for 2012: he says the product had a "record weekend" and the entire team is "thrilled" with it. Although Apple was keen to make today's conference call strictly about the company's share repurchase and dividend plans, there was an inevitable question about how well the new iPad has sold and Cook's answer was unequivocal, if not overly informative. Of course, the third-gen tablet launched in multiple markets simultaneously this past Friday, whereas Apple's previous iPads had their releases staggered and started off with only the United States. So beating the previous record was probably a predictable feat, it's by how much that we really want to know. But Tim ain't telling.

Update: Apple has come clean with the numbers: the new iPad's opening weekend tallied up an impressive 3 million units sold.