Katherine Bell of the Harvard Business Review seems amused by Apple’s naming choice for its new tablet computer. The iPad has become the target of jokes worldwide in the 24 hours since Steve Jobs unveiled the product yesterday. See her article titled The Day Apple Turned the Web into Junior High for some more discussion.
The iPod name was ridiculed when Jobs introduced the first model in 2001, but consumers got past the name and looked at the offering’s value. Here’s a video of the product introduction.
On January 20, 2010 in the WSJ, Kara Swisher predicted that the tablet would be called the iPad. She noted that the name is easier to market than some of the alternatives. See her article called BoomTown Psychic Prediction: “iPad” Will Be Name of New Apple Tablet (Take a Poll to Make Your Guess!)
There were intellectual property issues that influenced the naming process, too. Several outlets including TUAW have noted that Fujitsu has claimed the iPad name in the USA. See Rumor: Apple gunning for iPad trademark for more details.
Outside the English-speaking markets, the iPad name should not cause much of a fuss.
Updated 1718 HT: TUAW has posted an article called Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001 Newspad finally arrives, nine years late comparing the iPad to a tablet computer that astronauts used in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Newspad has been my long-time benchmark for a tablet computer, even though it was only a movie prop. Looks like I will finally have a Newspad this year.
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