NEW YORK: On Thursday, Samsung Electronics Co started selling the Galaxy Note 10.1 in the US in its latest effort to compete with Apple’s dominant iPad. The Note will have a digital pen and a faster processor at the same price tag as the iPad.

Apple had extended its dominance in tablet computers in the second quarter, shipping nearly seven out of every 10 tablets,

according to research firm IHS iSuppli. A new model came out a few weeks before the April to June quarter began. Google’s challenger, the Nexus 7, did not start shipping until the third quarter. Sales of the Note will also be reflected in the third quarter.

Apple’s 69.6 per cent share in the April to June quarter is up from about 58 per cent in the first quarter. It is the highest since the first quarter of last year, when Apple had 70 per cent in a market with fewer competitors then.

Here are the top five man-ufacturers of tablets in the second quarter, as released by

IHS iSuppli:

1. Apple Inc, maker of the iPad, 17 million shipped worldwide,

69.6 per cent share

2. Samsung Electronics Co, maker of Galaxy line, 2.3 million, 9.2 per cent

3. Amazon.com Inc,

maker of Kindle Fire, one million,

4.2 per cent

4. AsusTek Computer Inc,

maker of Transformer line, 688,000, 2.8 per cent

5. Barnes & Noble Inc, maker of Nook Tablet, 459,000, 1.9 per cent

Other brands shipped off three

million products and claimed 12.3 per cent market share.