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Is the iPad name an iFlop?
After the dramatic unveiling of Apple's newly released iPad, we were all supposed to be talking about its technical advances, not its name.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/01/28/ipad.blog.jpg caption ="The Apple iPad has become the bunt of many jokes."]
A day after the official release of the new tablet, the blogosphere and television networks were full of funny name comparisons and cringe worthy analysis.
The term iTampon - a riff on the fact that the iPad can be taken to sound more like a maxipad than a slick new computer - was the third most-talked about trend on Twitter on Wednesday.
We'd like to know what you think.
Do you think the iPad name sounds too similar to a feminine product? Does the name make you cringe? Do you think Apple should change it?
Please leave your comments below.
On Twitter
Any exposure is good exposure – iPad will kill the Kindle, other competitors and maybe even the printer. This is a game changer – especially for those in Higher Education or Environmentally friendly organisations.
Don't change the name which has a sacred feminine resonance about it !
Call it iTab or something, for crying out loud.
First off, menstruation occurs and should not make any grown person cringe. It is part of the facts of life. With that said, iPad does have that connotation more so then IBM's thinkpad or other deviations in the technological world. The reason why its being so ridiculed is because Apple obviously did not do their homework, especially when there was a prominent sketch mocking Apple on FOX's late night show MadTV.
With such obvious neglect in the choosing of the name of the product, it concerns me that they neglected other improvements needed to make the iTab a viable computing resource. With Apple refusing to allow flash to operate on this instrument and the inability for it to do more than one thing at a time, it makes the product essentially a glorified iPod Touch. The only difference is that now they increased the bulkiness and weight of it, while ramping up the price 3 fold.
This is not a serious device that could replace a laptop that's needed for business trips. The iPad name, while poorly choosen, reinforces the idea that Apple really put minimal R&D into this equipment.
The Name alone makes me not want to buy it. Apple have created any over glorified product which will not live up to its hype. I rather spend $499 on a decent mini notebook any day.
It looks like an over grown iphone. I hope it’s tougher than the iphone as well, drop an iphone and see what happens. I can’t see this thing surviving my sons backpack for very long either. Nope – I’ll save my money for now, besides the name is a serious mistake.
I think it looks like an oversized Iphone...or a laptop computer without keyboard...let's call it a "touch top"...or flop ?
No. What about leappad, thinkpad, ideapad, legal pad, gauze pad, lilypad, etc? I think it's completely lame that of the 22 definitions listed in my dictionary for "pad", and the hundreds of uses for the word, we can't think of anything but a womans menstrual cycle ... the only thing more lame than that is CNN allowing it to make headlines.
What's next? Are they going to trash NASA for having a "launchnpad", or the stationery people for having "notepads", or Dr. Scholl's for his "foot pads"? C'mon people, get your mind outta the gutter! Not everything has to have an underlying joke.
Well, it's like they just left off the "Max" at the front?
I get that it's a riff of iPod, the name being in keeping with their line of products, but . . . iSlate or something else would have been better.
Why is it that most of the comments above are from men? I'm a woman, and I fnd this name fine. So, I ditto Scott. Get over it, guys!
This is a flop not only with no relatively new technology, less capability than the iPhone, not only the name. MadTV did a iPad parody skit back in 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsjU0K8QPhs&feature=youtube_gdata
I can't wait to buy the upgrade—iMAXI 2.0. Comes unscented AND deoderized.
I see where they try to make a spin off of the I-Pod and got I-Pad. I am sure that someone raised this same question with one of their many focus groups but they took a risk.
I am a Apple fan myself, but when we first heard the name release yesterday, immediately a room full of guys all had the same thoughts, and then the female product jokes began.
I think it was a bust. I thought they were going with i-tablet. Wasn't that the latest craze in the newsworld? I guess they want to stick to their 3 letters: pod, mac, and now pad.
Huge Flop
I absolutely hate it! I was really exited about this awesome new product and then boom, its the name of an eye pad! I cant imagine going to my friends and saying, " Hey guys, I just got an Ipad!" They will look at me like I was nuts! I would rather buy an Islate than a I pad! Poor choice in a name for Apple and I wont be surprised if it hurts sales!
Ipad is fine. Why do people have to make something out of nothing. FFS leave it alone already! You are gonna wish you had one!
Everyone needs to grow up and stop acting like 7th graders. It's called the IPAD......who cares?? Don't buy one then you'll really show Apple who is boss!!! Please find a life!
Who cares what the name is. Some people just have to much time on there hands!
The name is a bit odd iTablet or iSlate would have been better.
Is AT&T going to be able to handle the 3G service
They have already been complaining about people with iPhones using the network too much. Shopuld be interesting to see how that pans out. This really seems to be an enlarged iTouch with a few new features (ie iWork) As an e-reader will only be a causal thing
This being a touch screen monitor will take its toll on the eyes reading for a long time.
This ipad is a dumm idea. Steve thought he can ride the wave just because it has the apple logo. Yes the di hard fans will but it no matter what but this is no iphone.
No, those people need to stop acting like 3rd graders. Really!!
iPod was a departure name – had nothing specifically to do with the product.
They could have done the same thing with the iPad – maybe they could have called it iSquirrel.
Maybe the Marketing weenies at Apple belong to the "there's no such thing as bad publicity" school.
The MadTV video is hilarious – I might not care either if I was one of their marketeers.
iTab was the first thing that came to my mind. iPad? You kidding?
The name is bad but the lack of multi-tasking is much worse. A bad name makes it silly, a bad OS makes it unbuyable.
With regard to the name alone – no it's not going to be the Achilles heel. Remember when everyone thought the Wii would fail for the same reason? Even the iPod was ridiculed. Give it two years, let epaper technology improve (color, maybe?), and the iPad will find its place in the market.
I think people should get their mind out of the gutter.
so how about i-tablet or i-tab
I think it's funny that rather than talking specs everyone is focusing on the name. It's a great distraction for Apple, really. I'm sure it pleases Steve & Gang to no end that rather than discussing the lack of Flash and the inability to run music in the background while you're surfing the web we're all discussing whether or not the name makes people think of a hygiene product.
Normally I'm very excited about the latest Apple device, but I really think they dropped the ball here. They could have really done something great with this device had they included a more robust operating system and a camera, but instead they've made a tablet that's less flexible than a netbook and less useful than a phone. The price is appealing, but if I'm going to invest in a tablet device I'm going to need it to at least do multitasking.
Well..interesting name..Marketing Flop? I don't think so..yeah, we'll have fun making joks..but boy look at all of the "free" marketing chat that Apple is getting out of this now. The iPad news is being pushed out across the internet and the world through an electronic sales channel and they don't have to pay a spammer to do it. Brillant!! I wasn't all that interested in the announcement..Now I at least want to drop by the Apple store and take a look.. I think Apple new exactly what they were doing.
Apple iHaters. The name is fine. Plus this is not for kids. Would you really trust your kids (9-17) with a $400 product? I barely trust my kids with my Xbox 360 or my Nintendo DSi. This Product is perfect for anyone 18 and up! And you Overgrown Cheapskates should go and cry back to your stupid boring blogs that no one will ever read and learn how to be a professional Critic.
names that could have been used
Apple "SLICE"
Apple "WEDGE"
The name is just terrible and the MAD TV skit really kills the coolness factor. Apple should have just called it the iBook since they have already used that name sucessfully in the past. You carry it around like a book, so they need to change it to iBook.
Overall looks nice, but doesn't define a new segment in anyway. We already surf the web, email etc on MacBooks plus we can iChat. The iPhone is small enough to go in our pocket and really was a game changer, but not this new device. Apple will get competition from the Courier, which sounds way cooler.
Who are these idiots that are calling it that anyway? iPad is a great name! Apparently everyone on Twitter is 12; so what they think about the name is irrelevent!
I think people just need to grow up....if someone is seriously offended by the name, maybe they need to see a shrink and work through their obvious issues. iPad is a perfect name for it....and if grown men feel the need to make childish jokes about it, then let them be....no everyone can be so intelligent.
I don't care what it's called. This product will rock!
If Apple wanted to keep with the 3 letter scheme going on, why not iTab? Honestly, the name of the product doesn't seem like a big deal to me. I love my iPod Touch, but I agree with a few of the users above, my netbook , and my laptop are far superior on terms of functionality, and portability, without the storage constraint of 16 or 32 gigs. We wont even go into the whole AT&T network problems, as they are already having huge problems with their recent "upgrade" mandating users to purchase the $30 data plan whether they want it or not on smart phones. ~~~~my 2 cents..
I cannot believe people are seriously posting that they are not going to buy this product beause of the name! How childish can you be? Yes, iTablet, or iSlate might have been a better name for you morons, but seriously? If you are the kind of person who doesn't want your friends to make fun of you for buying an iPad, perhaps you need to stick to your ancient desktop PC.
Only if you have the intelligence and education of a 12 year old – oops that means most of the U.S. population doesn't it?
islate would have been incredibly more cool and seems to be more in line with Apple's innovative style. ipad seems to be a bit too obvious given the ipod name. I also think folks who are not very tech savvy may indeed have issues with getting the names confused. Yesterday during the announcement some of speakers themselves inadvertently referred to the ipad as being called the ipod by mistake.
i dont care what it is called.....i want one....
Yeah, iTablet would have been nicer...
"Andy Ihnatko, a tech columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, said Apple could call its new gadget a "mangled baby duck" and people would still buy it, both because Apple has sex appeal and because the iPad is a good product.
"With the right device, marketing doesn't really matter," he said."
Andy is a tech guy and has a "if you build it, they will buy it" attitude when it comes to anything APPLE obviously.
In my opnion, he's so wrong...and the name iPad stinks. AND if it's still in discussions with the company that previously owned it, let it go and eat some crow...and change it. iPod was cool and generated Podcasts terms...no one's going to want to offer "SuperPads" or "FlipPads" or "BundledPads" for reading, etc...who know what they will spur off of this name. Call it an iSlab or iTote or iPac .... but to not have done any market research or studies on how the public would receive it (OR researched a video from 2007!!!) is a poor marketing move for Apple, is usually does a good job with trendy marketing
(Andy's wrong...still want to say that....)
Maybe all you people above should buy one to help you spell!
iPad is a good name for this product, although it just looks like a glorified and overpriced iPhone.
I can understand Apple's desire to keep the ipod and ipad name similar.. but they had to have known the reaction it would get. It will blow over, but they brought it on themselves.
Is this really making CNN headline news right now? How about notePAD? landing PAD? PADdington bear? Do we need to change the names of all these products also? Ridiculous
The name is stupid. I don't know why Apple feels the need to hang onto the "i' name.
Given the fact that it was thin, why not call it a "ThinBook". Both words describe the device; it's thin and a book reader.
Unbelievably bad name. Furthermore, who wants one? I do not need ANOTHER device. I need something that will replace and improve upon devices I already have. It cannot run common applications nor make phone calls. Why would I want to carry this around?
how silly all the crotch sniffers & their junior high giggles
I'd of been more impressed by an iPod Touch with camera and video.
This is so funny; the first thing that came to my mind when I first heard of I Pad was something new I could add to my "women only" stand-up routine; thanks Apple!!
Are we in high school ?? Please, the name is perfect for a such a great device. Stop finding flaws. I cannot believe that people are relating the IPad with feminine products. Do we call helicopter pads helicopter tampons?? Grow up people.
Yes, Apple Tablet or iTablet would have been the best but again won't get us talking like we are now about the now famous feminine word "iPad."
The funny thing is, the name is so bad, that it will probably stick and even possibly bolster sales – especially because the iPad is making off largely in a very key area: Building off the immensely successful iPhone OS X which has shown customers what true seamless integration looks like.
I don't think it's necessarily a 12 year old joke, when I heard iPad, I thought of a feminine Pad, which is what women generally call feminine hygiene products, just saying they could have used a better name.
GROW UP PEOPLE...GEEZE
well, the iPad sounds too similar to iPod. Way too similar
Well, they can't rename it – but that was the dumbest name they could have come up with. The iPad sitting next to you iMac would look like your 'light day pad'.. Absolutely terrible.
I am sure they considered this name for a long time. Apple has a great marketing department. Why do you think they are so successful in selling overly priced gadgets that no one really needs? The jokes will get stale soon enough and it will pass. Having said that, I have no idea if the product will succeed. I don't plan to buy one. I don't have $599 dollars to set on fire. But no.... the name is not going to ruin this product.
Well, I laugh that hockey players have 'periods',
so they could use ipads
@Jennifer – No reason to blast at desktop PCs. They might be running ancient Macbook Pros as well 😉 Quite frankly, I'll choose my Intel-based desktop PC running Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, since it trounces any Mac in the same price range for my purposes: photo/AVCHD video editing (Photoshop, Premiere Pro) and gaming.
ipad is a TERRIBLE name!
Good grief. I'm female and such a connection never occurred to me until I read about it.
Who cares what the name is! All that is important is that Chinese factory workers are employed!
They stole my trademark. Bastards.
What are these people two? Pad jokes quit being funny once adulthood set in.
Apple should call it the Islate. it would sound so much better.
Ipad just isnt the right name for sure.
iNaming for iDiots. Seriously? But even if you love the name, the device sucks! it's a giant iPod Touch. I wanted a COMPUTER with a totally multi-touch interface – not a big toy! SOOOOO disappointed.
Definitely a horrible name... Apple should work on changing it before it hits stores!!! iTab, iSlate... anything would have been better.
Sorry - I'm an older female adult not known for being rude or crude. The first thing that came to my mind when I heard "iPad" was Kotex.
Someone at Apple didn't think this one through.
Maybe someone thought it was cute to offer iPods and iPads. My first thought when I saw it on the screen was something along the lines of "it's a big iPhone."
Maybe it's not to late to rename it "iTab."
What's in a name? Ask Chevrolet how sales of the "Nova" were in French- and Spanish-speaking countries.
Only time will tell. Watching Mr Jobs' speech and introduction is nothing more than punchy marketing. Only the die hard Mac users (or zombies 😀 ) are likely going to rush out and buy one, but to reiterate, only time will tell.
Because Apple is so hush-hush about upcoming products, they certainly did not gather much consumer feedback on potential names – and you can bet the higher-ups put weight into their favorite choices and then leaned on the product manager to make the 'right' decision. Interestingly, Apple apparently had registered iSlate among others over the last 24 months, so why they ended up choosing such a weak name is beyond me! And to Michael and others below, this is not a game changer, it's an evolutionary product along a trend, capturing shares of a market that will now begin to evolve around it, but this product lacks game changing features. It's a tablet laptop (like the Toshiba Tecra M7 I'm typing on) without the elements that make it truly useful in a majority of situations. The iPad is a toy from which the brightest minds in consumer electronics can now develop better products. Mobile phones reached their smallest 5 years ago, then they became little computers and so they had to grow to be more useful, now with the Droid, Nexus, Blackberries and iPhone almost completing the mobile computing device category, the segment is breaking apart into sub categories, iPad being the first consumer friendly of one of those categories. Now watch out as Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba and others begin to roll out similar devices superior to the iThing.
Yes! The iSlate was a much better sounding name.
It's not the name, it's what the product does. I like it. People would have made jokes no matter what the name. Get to the important stuff!
The name is fine, keep the name and drop the Twentieth Century technology device. What a waste and massive let down. Apple, go back to the drawing board and come up with a Twenty First Century product.
When I heard the name, I didn't like it at all, and I, even as a woman, didn't even think of it as a maxIPAD.
As soon as I heard "iPad," I immediately thought of maxipads. Yes, there are other products called "something-pad," but they have a full word in front that takes away from the "pad" part. I can't believe none of the Apple people thought of this before.
change the name
Really? Tampon jokes? .... are these people in grade 5?
How stupid can Apple's marketing department be? Are there no women (or sensitive men) making decisions? They really need to move swiftly and correct this unfortunate name decision. It will only get worse and the "iPad" will become the "Edsel" of the tech world. It is alarming how marketing professionals can be so short sighted. A case in point several years ago... Wisconsin Gas changed it's name to WE energies. The name turned into the much joked about weener-gies.
I think the iPad is a a great product. Not perfect, could use a few improvements. But the name instantly made me think of feminine pads and I can't seem to get that off my mind.
Honestly, I have been very excited for this new product to come out, then it did, now I'm disappointed. I would have expected more from Apple. The name is bad, not terrible, but bad. Too close to iPod. The biggest problem I have though might actually explain why the name is so close to iPod, because it's a giant iPod. That's it. I was expecting, something a little thicker, a little bulkier that was actually a computer. Not just a larger version of the iPhone and iPod I already carry with me everyday. I would gladly sacrifice a little size and sleekness for something with some real computing power and some more drives and inputs. It'll sell quite a few and be hot at first...but then it'll fizzle out and go down as a miss. Sorry Apple, better luck in 15 years when you try your third tablet out!
Oh for gawd's sake. this is just ridiculous. We've been writing on note pads forever. As for feminists getting all worked up? Stop being so flipping PC (geddit.?) Women don't own the word pad, it's not solely used to describe sanitary wear!!! Are these feminists implying that we should be embarrassed to have a period? That we'd be offended to see a word that can be used in relation to periods used at all? Maybe we should stop calling periods periods – period. I suggest that if they're so squeamish about their body they should use the English expression for the grammatical mark to end a sentence – full stop.
It is a stupid name, they should change it. Suprising that Apple made this mistake.
The name is...unfortunate. BUT remember how the Nintendo Wii got slammed because of its name? The Wii demolished the Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox in Sales so the name wasn't a deal breaker.
Besides, people will have fun with the name and then it will get old and boring. Now when someone makes a Wii joke everyone just groans because it's old and overdone so I wouldn't worry much about the name.
Don't sweat the name guys, it's not a deal breaker in the least.
Good luck ordering one of these things in Boston...
😉
ipod – ipad same sound
Should have named it "I-Touch" because it is a touch screen!
I know this might sound crazy, but why do you think they named it the iPad? Let's think for a minute .... they sold 200,000,000 of what product? Was it the iPod? Wow, crazy talk. The name is not a flop, but a marketing ploy based on one of the most successful electronic products we have ever seen.
It's a new decade, technology is going to have a new name.
Disappointment in product and name especially the latter. I have been a long time Mac user but will buy a new MacBook instead of this
new incomplete "thing"
I officially have changed my username. I was aplefanboy. I'm now (poudly) a padboy.
Apple should have stayed with the name "iSlate"... The name is catchy, it sounds more durable and less femine. They could have used Fred Flintsone using it for advertisement, emphasizing the change in technology. Fred could then hand it to George Jetson, who then could hand it to a human using it today: Tag Line– "From the past, to the future, for today..." (This information is owned and copywrited)
There you go Apple, problem solved. Contact me, and I will complete your ad campaign for the new iSlate!
iPad is good . The problem is that the product is exceptional so there is a huge disparity between the product perception and its name.
If the term iPod had not been used the name iPad might not have been so devaluated could have provided some type of UNIQUE identity.
However Apple may be marketing advantage by dwelling on the connection with the iPod and iPhone("75 millions iPod Touch and iPhone users"), in this case the name will work for at least 2 years.
Over time with a name like this the marketing effort will be comparatively larger. It boils done to this : anyone with better name?....
I find it funny that people on here are telling other people that comment on the name childish, but then in their very next sentence will say something like; "get a life" or calling them morons or even calling them unintelligent. Which to me, is childish behavior. Hypocritical much? This is a discussion. In most cases of this, there are two view points and everyone is allowed their own opinions without being chastised for doing so. That is how adults normally do things. At least the last time I checked.
Well, at least they used an A, not a U....
This is the most ridiculous article I've read yet! Is the author still in elementary school where boys tease girls about feminine pads? Not even worth a comment. Just plain old silly
I don't like "iPAD" – not a great name for the wonderful product. Please change it. The new name should be:
I don't like "iPAD" – not a great name for the wonderful product. Please change it. The new name should be: iCAT – short for iCATCHER!!!!
Is the iPad name an iFlop? ... well.. do wet maxi pads flop... hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Marketing matters and until now, Apple has been genius. The "iPad" is the worst name for this new product. How disappointing.
The stupid name would be great exposure if it was a good product but I think Apple wiffed it big time.
Spend $829 and you're still left with a machine that WON'T MULTI-TASK and has a hard drive smaller than a laptop circa 2004 – pathetic.
The form factor is just dandy for an eReader but leaves much to be desired if one wants to type – maybe that's why they didn't bother to spec it like a laptop.
Why would anyone lug this thing around? It's a pointless product. I'm hoping 2nd or 3rd gen is much cooler but at this point, I rather doubt it.
No mistake...I think it's great. People need to clean their minds up and get over it. Why does society always have to turn things sexist or sexual???
.
.
Personally, I think a better name would have been:
.
iLoaf.
.
Most Applette's don't work, only hang in coffee shops or the welfare lines, or protest for dumb causes... this name would be much more
self-defining for them.
.
Yeah this is a flop! What the heck?! Did they change the name from the proposed iSlate rumor that was going around because people knew about it? Lame! Apple screwed up.
Does it have wings for extra protection?
It's hard to believe that the marketing gurus at Apple let "iPad" get by. Any focus group worth it's salt would have laughed the concept right out the door. The thing is, people who are addicted to Apple would buy it even if it were named "iFeces"...and those of us who think Apple makes toys for the Birkenstock crowd would laugh even harder!
iPad is the perfect name. I'm a woman and never once thought of it in menstrual terms. Its a good product if you have been thinking of a way of having a portable bookshelf, internet service and document storage all at one touch. Good for you Steve Jobs! America is proud of you.
This topic is ridiculous. No definition in any dictionary I know of for the word "pad" refers to feminine products.
Some people are going to love your product and some are going to hate your product but when people start laughing at your product or in this case its name you know you have done something really stupid.
It sadly makes it undesireable. Its GOING to be the butt of jokes. Max IPad. Duh.....
What I don't understand is how anybody could ever relate this or the name to feminine hygiene. It's not a matter of "getting it," its a matter of actually having other things in life to focus on instead of pre-adolescent humor.
It's quite obvious why they named it the way they did, it is likened to a writing pad, which back in the day people used for drawing, writing poetry, taking notes, etc.
Why that is so problematic is beyond me. Must be a lot of people out there with too much time on their hands...
Yes they should change it. My first thought when I heard the name while watching the commercial on the apple website was "iPad? Why would apple make their product sound like a Maxi pad, did someone get dropped on their head in the marketing department?" Apple please save me from the embarrassment of showing off my newest toy (when I get one) than having to ask for my "pad" back.
I can’t believe this is even a discussion. If this is the mind set of PC users I’m switching to MAC. No wonder our country is in trouble, we waste our time snickering about base little jokes and thinking were actually very clever for doing it. How about discussing how the IPAD works.
Calling it an "iPortal" would have done a better job of capturing the transcendence the device aims to achieve, rather than "iPad", a bland description of its shape that has unintended, and unflattering connotations.
It seems that more men are cringing at the name. Bloody Hell guys. Get over it. And go pick me up an iPad on your way home.
I didn't even think of all the negative comments about the I-pad name when I first heard it, but now that you mentione it, it's horrible.
Initially I thought the I-pad was not a good name because it is too close to I-pod and can be mistaken when spoken with the smaller version.
Since the tablet was how it was initially referred to by the media and other, I think it should have been called the I-Tab. But then would people nickname it the I-Fad? who knows. it's better than i-tampon.
Apple should definitely rename it, because keeping it the same could cause people not to buy it if it is associated too much with a maxi-pad.
They should just concede "my-bad on the i-pad" and rename it. Til then it's a joke that will quickly go old.
Who cares about the name really?
I care that it has no camera, won't multi-task, and won't play hulu or videochat.
I'd buy one as soon as it hits the stores otherwise.
WANTS:
* camera
* multi-tasking so I can run ichat in the background
* flash support
I prefer the Max-iPad
It's the humor of 10-12 yr old boys (and girls apparently) to find some reference to bodily functions in the name i-Pad (snicker, snicker, ha ha... GROW UP!!!). I'm having flashbacks to 5th grade reading all these ridiculous comments from people slamming the name... I'm a women and when I first heard the name I thought of a pad of paper, not a feminine product. You all must be jealous of apple's success...or mad because you can't afford them. Does it really have to be pointed out that there are many ways the word 'pad' is used outside the reference to feminine hygiene.
I own both PC and Apple products...so I'm not biased... just absolutely amazed at the immaturity.
The i-tab would have been a better name; however, grow up America!!
Its not! grow up people!!!
No the name is apropiate it is what it is I think women are being overly sensitive or just needing something to make a laugh.
Grow up! The whole joke is very sophmoric.
I think the name fits with the other products... But i'm sure someone will make a screen saver that looks like a real pad, and lets just hope it's a clean pad.....
Yea, I believe they should change the name. I believe the had a hit with the name iTablet during the developement process.
I can't wait to hear all the complaints from people calling AppleCare with tech issues for the iPad and the voice recognition software having to decipher between 'Pad' and 'Pod'.
I think there are a bunch of (mentally) twelve year olds that need to grow up.
I HATE the name! Yeah, iSlate might sound like the product is heavier, but it's infinitely better than iPad. My mind IMMEDIATELY went to periods when I heard the name and my first thought was that people are going to joke and call it the iTampon. I was right! It certainly makes one think about the clout the women have on Jobs' marketing team, because if I was in the room when "iPad" was discussed, there is NO WAY we would be laughing about its unfortunate name today.
That hadn't occurred to me when I read the article yesterday but now that I've seen this, I think Apple could have done better. I did think the name was alittle lame when I saw it. I would definitely recommend more women at Apple.
I do like Apple products in general, but I was disappointed in the name. I do think iSlate would have been better. I also think somewhere down the line, Apple should drop the "i" in front of every product they come up with, it has been well over a decade since they started...
There's nothing wrong with the name. The hoopla will die down eventually. I mean, didn't you wonder what "iPod" meant when it first came out?
Since you can't write on it, why is the word "Pad" part of the name at all? It also can't multitask, so I'm guessing it will seem like 10-year old technology rather quickly. It's not really portable, because the screen will get scratched and ruined if you start tossing it in your backpack, car, or briefcase. I cannot think of any reasons for buying this thing, especially when you can get a really nice netbook for less than $499. Oh, it doesn't have a camera, it can't run flash programs, oh, it doesn't even have a USB or HDMI port! The more I write about it, the stupider the thing sounds.
The iPad name is fine as long as it absorbs three times its weight in body fluids. Immediate tests should be conducted to verify this capability.
Name it "iCARUS"
i (because its an Apple thing)
C = Computer
A = Access
R = Reading
U = User
S = System
or
i (because its an Apple thing)
C = Computer
A = Access
R = Retrieval
U = Utility
S = System
It would be a clever name and kinda like Star Trek's "LCARS" name (which obviously would be copyrighted).
Terrible name – first thing I thought of when I heard it was the obvious implication – and like others have said, I immediately pictured a roomful of men coming up with the name & thinking it was cool! I came up with the name iTab – which would have been so much better – but now I see another commenter beat me to it!
My first thought when I saw the name was "sounds like a new feminine product". Then my brother sent me the MadTV youtube skit this morning. Seems I was dead-on.
Oh I think those blokes at Apple are pretty savvy–don't you think they considered all the free publicity this name would generate?
I think the name is fine. All what people might think is in their heads...it is ridiculous.
I am a woman and did not even think about this association to feminine hygiene. If yoy want to see it, you will. The word pad does not have only one meaning. I think that people should get over it and start thinking about important issues – not the silly word games.
iSlate woud sound worse. How about tablet pad from Wacom? This is the same and no one had these ridiculous comparisons.
p.s. if you are obsessed by naming – and not really into tech gadgets, maybe then do not buy it.
I said Wacom tablet, but sometimes this word "pad" is used for it too.
Just get dirty thoughts from your heads. It applies to all. if you want to see something wrong, you will.
Well, the IPad has already scored a point...proving the mentality of all too many people peaked at age 12. Why else would they be making snide jokes about a name which is nothing more than just dumb.
Is this a trick question?
Of course it is a stupid @ss name! This has to rank a close second or even tie with the all time winner...the Chevy Nova being marketed in Latin American countries back in the day! ("No va"...translates into "doesn't go"...great name for a car in spanish speaking countries! LOL!)
Doesn't anybody with a bean in their brain vet this stuff? How about a focus group that has WOMEN in it! THINK, PEOPLE!
Really bad name. Besides being the fuel for many jokes, its to similar to the ipod name.
iPad = Terrible Name
They should have gone with my idea.. the "iTab"
I am not certain why there seems to be such a negative reaction to the name and technology of the iPad. I personally do not own any Apple devices (I do use iTunes), but the iPad seems to be a good step toward a class of device that is only now really being defined. There is no doubt that some kind of tablet or slate (or pad!) device will become more and more commonplace in this decade. Apple has made a good contribution to this class of products. I personally would have never made the connection with feminine hygeine products. I think it is unfortunate that such a cynical or skeptical perspective has been expressed by so many. I do not know if I will purchase an iPad. I AM very interested in an eBook reader, but I think I would like to have more features that would allow me to use a pen to underline, highlight, take notes, etc. No device seems to have supported these features as well as a plain old book (POB).
Honestly – someone should have known about the great MadTV skit.. you have to assume they did. It;s hilarious if you have not seen it.
The name truly lis lackluster but i thank apple for brightening my day opening themselves up for nonstop silly commentary 🙂
The only question remaining, Will apple acknowledge its blunder or stubbornly stick to the disposable name?
iPad is f ine...
But maybe iConnect or iWeb...or maybe iWorld
I would have called it the "Plete" because it is completely everything you want from an apple product.
First, yes the name is stupid! Didn't they ask women at the company if they though the name worked??
Second, Kindle and iPad will never kill the "in your hands" book. It also won't kill the printer. With doctors discovering how bad these things are for our eyes I don't see technology taking over the book.
I'm a graduate student and I would never in a million years switch to the Kindle or iPad. This Christmas season I told everyone NOT to get me one because I won't use it.
I hate looking at screens (I already have to do it all day at work) so when I get home to do my homework I enjoy being able to lay on the couch with a book in my hands, dog ear pages and highlight and put it on the shelf. Also, our race will have no history hundreds of years from now. Look at the bible for instance, that has lasted thousands of years because it was on paper....the Kindle and iPad won't last more than 10 years.....
I am not on the band wagon for this technology.
"Maxi-Pod"
Seriously, it's just a big I-pod touch... It only makes sense...
Can't call it a tablet it reminds me of the pill, what rubbish. Any child of the sixties knows a pad is where you live. We have the iPod, the iPad, what is next the iPed a stand to put it on?
Since when a "sanitary napkin" is only known as a "pad". Nobody thinks of that product when we call for or write on a "legal pad", do we?. Besides, please think that Apple sells products the WORLD OVER, and iPad sounds (good as well) elsewhere.
Well, duh!!!
I really think they could have named it the iCup, or the iJockey.
I agree, it definitely took a male to think of this catchy name.
why NOT itab?
I think I'm gonna be sick!
Can you say “iFail”, I knew that you could.
How about iWontBuyOne. It does not support HD playback... has no USB connectivity. You have to sync it like an iPod... to get 3G speed it will cost you 30 bucks extra per month. OH! and you can only run one app at at time... there is no multi tasking on this thing.
People should stop with this feminine hygiene nonsense. I think people should be looking at the fact that the iPad is an amazingly innovative invention that cutting edge industrial designers and interaction designers put together. It will be marketed well (because Apple knows how to do that) and eventually all these lame people will stop with the jokes.
The name of the iPad is a total flop.
iSlate, iTablet, iBook, iNote, iSketch ... any number of names and more have been suggested by tech bloggers, and any one of them would have been a better choice than iPad.
I predict a lot of people referring to it as "the Apple tablet," rather than the iPad.
While we are all being senitive, maybe rightfully so to an extent, need to consider the issues in the prevailing the frenzy...It's an Apple, they are a business, consumers are enamored by the name, and the desire to gadget ourselves out of thinking and to a point and click mentality, and not being technologically challenged.
With all that, I wouldn't buy one at a buck 99...maybe accept it as a gift, maybe. That's just me. I am surprised at the price tag for an Etch a Sketch without knobs, a touch-screen...wooo, aaahhh, and it doesn't make/receive calls (yet). Big Deal!!! Perhaps, you could call it an ISnob, as I'm sure all those who will fork over the dollars for this gadget will be an elite crowd anyway.
You iPad hater's are a mixture of things, including immature and rather naive .
Apple didn't just pick this name out of the air.
iTablet? Too many syllables.
iSlate? Sounds yuck.
iPad?
It is a word play on the iPod – which in years to come will NOT EXIST, as the iPhone will virtually decimate all iPod sales.
There is an advantage tying their newest piece of kit to their best selling piece of equipment of all time. It promotes good fuzzy feelings inside that people had with their iPods over the last 10 years.
I think you people need to get your minds out of the gutter. The name is fine. If those of you who think ipad could refer to feminine hygiene why didn't you automatically think of bladder control pads, which by the way are for both men and women. Feminine hygiene is a personal matter and none of any man's business. I'm sick of women being so disrespected.
As soon as I heard the name -I thought maxi pad. Realistically people will make jokes out of anything. Note the baby t shirts that say Ipood.
iPad is really bad. Even I made jokes about the iTampon coming next...
I'd go for iTab too, in this case.
Grow up. How pathetic that we Americans are so childish about things like this. Our sad snickering about our bodies and how they work is rooted in our repressed sexual expressions. For goodness sake, when I look at a yellow pad of paper to write on am I supposed to conjure up images of Depends? This is a media driven effort to bring down Apple and it is a shame.
We are always envious, jealous and a strong critic of companies that make such an impact in our daily lives. I would have been a strong opponent of iPad in the "name" meeting. I would have just simply called it the iScreen. However, regardless of the name, the real question is whether or not it will "sell". I know that I won't, because it is too big to carry around-I can't put it in my pocket, jacket pocket–kinda reminds me of school-next thing you know-they will offer the iBackpack to haul of your iPods, IPhones, IPads and they will pack it with a solar cell so that you will be charged all the time, no matter where you are. Overall-iPad-Nice item, but will "I" buy it? No
It may mean a feminine product to most, but in my language, Dutch, a "Pad" is a big fat frog or ....a path... but I keep on thinking of a frog... but I should thin of a path as the gadgets actually can lead you to something....and if it is a frog...maybe if I kiss it it will become a prince??? Looks like something I like to have, but I will wait for the next generation to get it. I bougt an i Tough only to find out they came out with an iPhone, 6 month or so later. I also think it should have a soft rubber edge all over as it seems like product I would drop all the time.
I agree with Gabriel Yeo. iTab might have been a better choice. Of course, then there would have been the inevitable diet soft drink jokes.
Imagine the jokes about glacial performance that the name iSlate would cause ("ice, late").
HORRIBLE NAME. I don't need to "grow up" to not recognize that it immediately brings up images of maxi pads. dirty ones.
The iPad is a huge flop on many levels – no Flash, no multi-tasking, no camera, proprietary Apple DRM for eBooks (which means you can't put your books on other devices). The name is really the least of the iPad's problems.
Wow, who really cares?
Actually, the "i" bothers me more than the "pad". Is there ANY word out there in Mac world that doesn't start with "i"? It's tiring. Think of something new, Apple, there's a whole alphabet out there!
So we all agree that Apple's new IPad, its name sounds like a tampon. The MSRP is $499, it is one expensive pad. And it doesn't even come with wings.
That's what happens when you have a whole bunch of geeks working night and day without a break. Come on, boys, try to go out once in a while, meet the ladies, so you don't come out with iPads and iCramps anymore.
Why even subject themselves to the ridicule? It's a terrible name, and they had to have known that this teasing would be inevitable. iTab would have been a much better choice.
CNN making headlines out of associating the iPad name with the female menstrual cycle is lame! There dozens of product names with pad in them. Get over it.
I think that 3G actually costs $130/month, and not $30/month, as someone else stated above.
I know I won't buy this thing...give it a couple of USB ports (for a keyboard, a mouse, and a better way to transfer files, and then we'll talk. Actually, give me the USB ports, and get it to run Windows 7, and *then* we'll talk.
I thought Apple was going to name it iTab (short for tablet). iPad is rediculous. Come on Apple, you can do better than that.
"launchpad", "thinkpad", "note pad", etc. all have another word attached to them, which takes the emphasis off the word pad. iPad just has a rather meaningless letter attached to a word that has strong connotations. STUPID mistake by Apple.
It is most likely a poor name choice. Of course, two decades ago, if you had to predict the names of today's most successful tech devices, you probably wouldn't have chosen "pod" or "mac." But this name clearly has the most to overcome. It has been successful at drawing attention, but now the product will have to be that much better to overcome the initial derision. That's a lot of pressure to put a product on in its infancy, and I predict it will be too much to overcome. Then again, if it's as important a machine to this world as Jobs thinks it is, perhaps we'll have to explain to our children and grandchildren why "pad" was ever funny.
they would have been better off calling it the iFail.
Why is this news? And why do we care? The product will be obsolete next month anyway. As others have said, it is just a shiny, less efficient version of the iPod or iPhone. It will only survive a toy run with the uber-trendy technonistas and then it will disappear and the rest of us will continue to do real work on real machines.
I am a Mac addict, but this i-whatever leave me cold. For not much more I can get a small lap top or net-book (ok, it may be a PC), but at least it will do more for the same amount. If I want to e-book it, I'll get a less expensive reader.
I just can't wait for the Maxi-ipad next year, should absorb more software...
BTW, as for the iPad, it is probably something I'd use once a month... and I'm a guy!
Grow up! Is this news? I use a Thinkpad. Are new silly names popping into your heads as you consider the IBM product.
No, the iPad name does not carry negative connotations. I think the competition is posting the negative blogs because of their fear of bleeding.
I think no matter the name people are always going to be "crafty" and come up with some kind of alternative meaning behind the name. "iTablet" or "iTab" would most likely have generated "drugs" or "pills" type responses and the media would have been all over this. People need to lighten up and stop comparing everything to something negative, something sexual or something dirty. Lets grow up people!
As a woman who has clearly associated the word "pad" with feminine hygiene for the past 30 years, I find myself unable to say iPad without feeling uneasy. A good 50% of humans in the US will have a certain relationship with that word that the other 50% don't have. What'll they name their first GPS product, the iCome?
When "pad" is used in a compound word, it doesn't have that same feeling. But iPad, with its forgettable, only-there-for-the-brand "i" and then the capital "P" really do make me wonder if Jobs, Ive, Schiller, an Forstall actually listen to the women around them - SURELY someone mentioned this.
Does the name have anything to do with the product? Nah, people will still buy it and use it and be happy. But man. iPad really "sticks" out as something that "cramps" this gadget's style. It's hard to say "Pad" and feel cool. (In fact, I find myself whispering it now...unintentionally. Damn those Victorian values.)
Really bad name, reminds me of the IBM ThinkPad, not to mention a maxipad. iSlate would have been a great name.
How do know if your computer is female?
Look in the medicine cabinet for iPads.
Should of been called the "ISlate"
If apple did a single google search of "iPad" before naming their "tablet", they would have realized that a bunch of jokes/youtube videos were already out there making fun of an iPad product. Oh wait, Apple is anti-google. Nvm.
the iLiTe might have had fewer jokes, but there is nothing that can't be reinterpretted as a butt joke. This is a sign of people with too much time on their hands and nothing constructive to do. I would change it as the damage has already been done, however,there may be a cost to changing the name, and if that raises the cost of the iPad, thenI would leave it and use the "butt joke" nature as part of the ad campaign to sell more.
Can't believe CNN is making a fuss about a bad schoolboy joke. Is this really worth reporting ?
Of course it's a mistake! How could Apple and Jobs be so stupid? The only way to rectify it is if Apple manufactures and markets an actual ipad F for feminine hygiene purposes.
No, get your mind out of the gutter!.
Steggering.
Didn't hear a single joke like this till I opened up the CNN.
I too find it difficult to believe tha CNN is giving this airtime.
I think the name was a great idea. Most of us may think it sounds ridiculous, but look at the media buzz it has created.
I Hate the name. No woman would go for it. iTab or iStone would have been so much better but then again the only people to want this gadget will be 20-late 30 year old men.
Not a phone. Not a camera, not a computer, huh?
You got to be kidding me, you guys must be riots around the law office, "yuck, yuck, the Managing Partner just asked for a legal pad, har, har, wonder where she is going to put it"
If they had called it the iTab they would be making jokes about soft drinks.
Look there are names for people who obsess with every possible verbal reference to sexual and excremental body parts and instruments and applications relating to them. That name is "fifth grader".
As we speak I am composing a blog post at our blog talking about the revolutionary possibilities of this product and the "Greatest Organization in News" is sitting around asking "Has anyone seen Mike Hunt?".
Sheesh.
It should have been called the iPod Touch "Ultra." This also would set consumers' expectations for what the device actually is: a bigger, more powerful iPod Touch. I fear Apple is setting up users to be disappointed by giving the impression that this is some revolutionary "new" device. And, yes, the first image I had when I heard iPad was a feminine hygiene product.
How immature can you be? As a woman that is blessed with a monthly menstration I am tired of my gender being the butt of such immature thinkers. It is a fact of life. The iPad is simply a name. Get over it you little minded people!!!
looks like a piece of junk to me, but we'll see. Maybe something will come of the later versions. Useless for now, though.
I just think it sounds too much like iPod – I feel myself mishearing people for the next ten years...
I do think it will be a great teaching tool though, or rather the doorway for the invention of a similar teaching tool. No more notebooks/pencils/binders, etc.
Oh, come on! sure there is room for a crass joke, but we have been calling pads of paper, pads for a long time now. So just grow up. I like the name.
Well, it makes absolute sense from a branding/marketing perspective...good move, Apple.
Besides, would those out there want to name it the iPon instead of the iPad? Good grief already, give it a rest!!! There are so many more important issues to be concerned about these days.
Come on people. Grow up!
I am 64 and seem to recall things other than Feminine Products having PAD in their names.
How about a LAUNCH PAD? A STAMP PAD? A Bunion or Corn PAD?An Apartment or other place of dwelling. i.e.: 'Come over to my pad'.
(Commonly used by singles in reference where they lived?) Most that are familiar with these, will tell you that no objections, or at least none that I remember, were made with a fuss.
Thanks for listening. My opinion only.
And now back to more important news, PLEASE!!!
Just a bad name. Sorry, feminine protection is the main connotation with "pad." It's just a name, but I expected more originality. It seems women react to this like they did the Ford Probe!
Jasmine – you took the words right out of my mouth. The bottom line is Apple's bottom line. The exposure they're getting simply due to the name they chose for this product is immeasurable. Apple, I commend your marketing genious.
Worst name for a hi-tech gadget since "Zune" –
Apple outdoes Microsoft with naming this one.
iPad is just a bigger form of iPod(Touch) and expensive. Who will buy a $500 tablet with 16GB and
1. No USB slots
2. No Keyboard
3. No Camera
4. No multi tasking (are we going back to DOS)
5. No flash
6. No Drag and drop
whereas you can buy 160 GB notebook with the same price to store all your movies, iTunes etc. What a hoax!!!!
Maybe "iBoard" would have been better.
I think that people just need to get over it. Do people laugh and mock anyone who says they are holding a pad of paper? How about if you're using a mouse pad? Is that really so funny? I'll admit I don't like the name all that much, but I don't think it's downright embarrassing like many seem to.
The real problem is that our society can make a sexual joke out of almost any term. Give Howard Stern even the most non-controversial, mundane word and he will find a sexual connotation to make out of it. That's just how it is. The iPad is the size of a pad of paper. Its screen is like a big mousepad. So what? =)
I think the not only is the name poorly thought out, but also the product. I don't think the iPad is the wave of the future. I mean imagine trying to write a paper on the tablet. I think the iPad is a glorified iPhone
Name could be better, but adults don't mind.
I was shocked, though, by the rather uninformed comment by Andy Ihnatko in Chicago. Just like the iPod, Apple has not broken any ground and has delivered a decent, but very good-looking product. There were MP3 players around before the iPod, and there are tablets available from other companies – and many more coming, specially from the Android camp.
But! If Apple knows how to do something, it's marketing, Andy! All the hype, anticipation, and the way it was demoed and rolled out – not to mention the slick design – is absolutely key to positioning the iPad. The customer they are shooting for really does understand it's value (on many levels) even before they get their hands on it. No memory slots, no multitasking, a bit on the fragile side – who cares! It's what that customer wants (not needs).
every company makes a bone head move at some time.
iPad!!!! that's classic
rename it iTab
OMG! Really people. Geesh. I guess women should be insulted or cringe from the word notepad as well?
Just really disappointed with Apple that they didn't think this name or product through. It is not a category changer just an enlarged iPod Touch. It's a classic example of a company getting their head bloated from previous successes.
As a woman it feels like apple is so out of touch. Seriously no woman would have said iPad is a great idea, if they were in the room they must have been seriously silenced. Makes me wonder how misogynist the apple culture must be. Is it an old boys club like so many other traditional corporations. I'd hoped for better from you apple.
IMHO, if the naming of the new Apple gadget was an oversight or error of the company or it was a genius strategy to get the new product noted, it was fantastic. To date the iPad has had more publicity, blogs, text, twitters and discussions on the internet.
Although I am not very interested in gadgets I will never forget that name and will ALWAYS have it imbedded in my mind with a smile on my face.
Really?
So, lets hear it: what does 'ThinkPad' remind you of then. A maxi-pad for the mind?
I cant believe people are making such a big fuss about the name.
Where the iPad fails for me:
1. The name! Seriously iTab would've saved the day. I know Steve has final say and his word is law. But seriously Steve? iPad? Did you get this approved by your wife first?
2. This is an enlarged iPod and not a real tablet computer. If they had OSX10 running on this, I'd buy it in a heart beat.
3. Apple controls the content on my iPhone; fine I accept that. But now they're going to control the installable content on the iPad.
4. As a netbook substitute, lacking the ability to multi-task is an epic fail. I understand (or rather grudgingly accept) their explanation that it'll kill the battery on the phone, but seriously how do they justify that argument for the iPad?
5. Anyone attempting to read an ebook on the a backlit LCD screen is going to go plain blind. Get a Kindle. Yes, I've heard the argument that you can't read a Kindle in the dark. Nor can you read a book in the dark, which is why they invented lights you moron.
6. Lack of built-in input ports? What are you kids? You don't trust us to plug in our USB device? We paid for it!
7. Finally a 9.7" screen and still the darned 16 icons maximum per page? Give me a break man.
I'm a big fan of Apple products and was holding of buying an ebook reader till I had a chance to look at Apple's latest offering. The very day of the iPad launch, I order my Kindle. My iPhone does everything the iPad does and in a smaller form factor (I can stuff it in my jeans pocket). I needed either a full blown computer or an ebook reader; not a gigantic iPod Touch. I got my ebook reader and I'm happy. Better luck next time Apple.
Hi
I don't think it is a bad name, but ITab would have sounded better since this is a tablet computer.
Shri
The "iPad" is a great device made by Apple and will really change the way people think of the company, even though the Microsoft "Tablet" is a great competing device as well.
When he said iPad I immediately thought "Pad" and had this creepy mental image of a battery-operated maxi pad with white earbuds. And four or five of my friends had the same knee-jerk reaction. We're all grown-up 'ladies' and we were listening to the tech news live because we were excited about a bigger and better iPhone / iPod / Kindle etc., and even in that frame of mind we all made that connection right away.
Maybe it's a regional thing, but that is just what we call them. Pads. Some people seem to think that the product is always called by its full name, a "maxi pad," and that we are ridiculously asserting that any word that includes pad (like Paddington Station) makes us think of maxi pads. No. We are only saying "maxi" to clarify things for the purposes of this discussion. What we actually call the the product in daily life is just a "pad." A friend will ask you "Can I borrow a pad?" and you know she is not asking for 8×11" lined paper or a parking space for a helicopter. You don't stand there and enunciate: "Do you mean a MAXI pad?" It's just a pad. Like a telephone is a 'phone' and a television is a 'tv' – the product is just called a pad. So Apple makes something called the iPad – and it makes us think of pads. My friends and I all thought of it as soon as we heard the name, and the iPad name was an immediate turn-off for us.
@Kerri – I love that comment about the GPS being named the iCome. You're quite right! They took something that already had a meaning and added an i. How could they be surprised when we react to that meaning?
Definitely change the name. While the feminine hygiene comparison hadn't occurred to me until Twitter pointed it out, once that image is there it's going to be very hard to ignore it.
The iSlate is a name that appeals to me. The product not so much. I'm going to need a lot of convincing that it can do something my iPhone and my laptop can't.
Total flop... The new, updated, bigger and better version will obviously have to be called the iMaxiPad... what about an iUD? Good for a laugh, but c'mon Apple...! Dumb, dumb, dumb...
What is it about "feminine products" that's supposed to make us "cringe"? Would it be too daring to suggest that the problem is with a particular culture, rather than with the brand name?
To be even more daring... Suppose we had a new product, say, a super-fast disc-formatting device, named iRazer. Would people start calling it iAftershave and make jokes wherein men use the device to remove facial hair?
I have to agree the name makes sense (pOd to pAd), but it does sound too much like a hygiene product.
I'd expect the all-bells-and-whistles 64gig version to be refered to as the "Max-iPad" whether people like it or not.
What I don't understand is why they didn't choose a better option.
It's mainly just a big iPod Touch, so why not "iPod Slate"?
Why not the "iPed" due to its mobile nature and reference to pedestrians? (shoe inserts not withstanding).
Name gaffs aside, the main reason I wouldn't buy one (I have many iPods, from G1 through the Touch) is the lack of a forward-facing camera for potential video conferencing.
It Nintendo can install TWO cameras on their DSi, how could Apple fail to think that at least 1 camera might have some use on their new iPod Slate?
This whole thing looks just too rushed to production.
Not enough thought was given to design or branding.
I fully expect a TON of apple-addicts to rush in, buy it up on release and get totally bent out of shape when Apple releases a PROPER one (likely for less money) so we can all enjoy the same fiasco the iPhone caused.
I think it the epitomy of vulgararity and weirdness that CNN alludes to preteen giggly girl associations to mentruation and tampons because of the word "pad"? As NEWS? This is really following a prehighschool reflex mentaility- when passing notes about the teacher's bra showing is still considered hilarious..
Sorry this is so insulting to women- guffawing about tampons etc- on world news no less! vulgar! JUST BECAUSE IT IS ON TWITTER DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NEWS!!
This really is another heraldic moment in CNN and news triviality- and has once again lowered the barre as to what it is that is considered to be newsworthy.....but please leave us women out of your pathetic-CHASE TO BEING RELEVANT AND COWTAILING TO EVERY TRIVIALITY THAT PASSES THE WIRES!
iPad was the name of a Mac OS X dashboard widget that I'm sure caused no controversy. Besides, you can call it what you want. I refer to my iPod as a macPod, because it's made to work with a Mac. Who is anyone to tell me what its real name is if I own it?
I anticipate calling it a "datapad", after the device in Star Wars.
The iPad name is just fine. It does not have to connote anything else. Some reaction to the name is more a commentary on some peoples' thought patterns than anything else.
i love apple, ive been using their products for 20 years.
LOVE THEM.
I hate the name iPad. Dumb. Im very surprised.
and clearly makes people think of fem pads.
I think they should have called it iBook, and as they take on the market of books.as people say they already made 'Book" successful, with MacBook
That's the market they want. It's not a writing tool, or a tablet or a slate.
Im a photographer and would use it as a portolio book. people will use it to read off of, and photobooks. scrapbooks. videobooks. musicbooks... on and on.
The name may actually affect me buying one. One of their worse moves 'ever' with such a promising product.
mike
my only thinking is that they may have done on purpose to create buzz.
then they will change the name.
I think the name is fine and if you notice, it's only Americans that are complaining about this name. In the rest of the world, where btw, we are Apple users too, this name 'scandal' is a joke.
If I remember American slang for an apartment or a cool place to hang out was also called a pad. Plus it's the size of a writing pad. 😉
it's horrible.
I would prefer iTab or even iSlate. I don't think slate sounds antiquated.
Next release will include a max-IPAD with Wings.
I believe they should change the name along with some of its features. The fact that it does not support flash capabilities definitely hinders its usefulness.
What's next Maxi I-Pad, and is the I-Phone just a Mini I-Pad.
A total disaster.
Maybe Apple was too busy counting their money to take the time to notice the name is ridiculous. Seriously, Mad TV made this joke years ago. Oh well, maybe the name will be distracting enough so that people don't realize this thing is simply a giant ipod touch. Where is the cutting edge technology and innovation? I expected more from Apple...
Come on, grow up kiddies! If the name IPod is considered off key – then why do we routinely use and buy things like note pads, scouring pads, landing pads, hot pads and such without even thinking about it?
Anyone who is laughing at the iPad name must be an insensitive misshapen y-chromosome-sporting idiot who has nothing better to think about than "feminine hygiene". Did Trekkers laugh at the padds used on every Star Trek episode?
wow!!
http://lapx.com/imgs/ipads.jpg
You know the old saying....
"An Apple a day......."
....They now come in 100packs.....
Maybe the name should have been 'iToldYouSo'.
It is a great name! We will finally take the word back from those bloody feminine product people and those bleeding heart fascists!! The word PAD will again belong to everyone!!!! Go APPLE!
It's just a name. It's the iPad not anything else. It's a new technology. If people think of something else when they hear iPad, they need to mature a bit. The name change is not required. Oh and, grow up for some of you.
iPad. First thing I thought of was feminine pads. Not the best name.
The name doesn't bother me; I can say it and read about it without thinking of FHP. I don't hear too many jokes about notepads or padlocks. But I wish they had named it differently so I don't have to listen to OTHER people who can't think of anything else. iSlate would have been a better choice.
Only low class people would make jokes about the name of the ipad.
There is no new technology here. It's an iPod that you can't fit in your pocket. This product is an absolute joke. I can't imagine anyone I know buying the thing.
iPad name doesn't bother eventho I'm a female marketer. I think it's clever of Apple to use that name because you can see that it's part of the Apple family – iPod, iPhone, iTunes,...etc. If it was such a "safe" name, nobody would be talking about it today! I had an iPhone and can't wait to own iPad or whatever you want to call it, I think it looks pretty cool. I was going to buy Kindle but when I heard that iPad has a book reading feature too, I'll say game on Amazon! I just hope that iPad phone will work with other carrier other than AT&T. I love the iPhone but hate AT&T!
I think itab would be a better name for it. You you have all sorts of commercials with couples having lunch or dinner where one of them says I'll pick up the tab and takes the other persons itab and leaves.
Why unveil a product knowing it will become an instant joke? And an smarmy one at that? Apple spent too much time, and too much buzz, getting this device to the market to have laughed at. Do all the people at Apple the type to always go around telling boys' locker room jokes?
Does the iPad come with or without wings?
If people would get their head out of the gutter the name wouldnt even be an issue. Besides what is in a name? Sounds like kids in high shchool who have to be worried about being called names or acronyms because of thier name. Welcome to the cruel world of humans.
The name is CLEARLY inspired by both Apple's recent naming scheme for portable devices, as well as the PADD terminals from Star Trek: TOS and The Next Generation.
Instead of letting your mind go into the gutter, take a step back and realize this is a company filled with very smart people. They made the tampon jokes before everybody else did, but when it came down to it, iPad is a VERY good name.
i think it is consistent with the great simplicity Apple has ingeniously employed throughout it's history. for god's sake, are we so limited in our current level of engagment that we look for 'locker room' content as the focus of our conversation? ithink ipad ingenious...
Problem: When at the Apple store in Boston, how will I know if locals are saying "iPad" or "iPod" ?
Somone was right with what they said above no new technology and they missed the homerun feature that would at least make this productive on the mobile side by just adding a small cam like in the macbooks. Just imagine Skype or whatever anywhere using the at&t network but hey no one thinks of this? Apple if you need innovative ideas im here to help make your new gadget a homerun like the Iphone and Ipod!
Leave it to Apple, I like some of thier products, I like the Iphone, and I have an Ipod Nano. That being said I do not like the attitude of the people who work at their store. They come across as elitest's, very funny as an IT pro, I have seen 6 macs for over 10,000 PC's in the business world. IT managers have budgets, apples are 4x more costly than PC's. I am sure the Ipad is no exception to this rule, I have not see the price on it yet though. Do they have anyone in Marketing? very stupid on their part.
Gabriel, I completely agree. That name would be so much best in my opinion.
And personally, I think that iSlate would have been fine as well.
I do not care what they call it I will be waiting in line for one!
Who cares what the name is as long as it has a sticky strip on the bottom to keep it from sliding off the desk.
It looks like a big iPod...so, instead of iPad, how about Maxipod. The next version can be "with wings". I will just keep my Laptop, thank you.
iPad is a cool name because it has a Star Trek reference inherently baked into. A "PADD" was the "iPAD"s of their future time... see link: http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/PADD
I can't believe that some people won't consider buying this because of its name! Who cares?? If it does what you need who cares? The price is great and I have always wanted that screen to be bigger but light enough to carry it in my handbag all the time. And it is exactly what I wanted. I believe the second generation I-pad will have more features, like a camera..The 3G plans are super affordable as well. This will be a big seller. And they will make the Iwork suite work on this thing and that'll be difference, to be able to use a word processor and spread sheet..This certainly won't be a flop. It might take some time to adjust it to make it a big hit though.
Are you kidding, we've been singing the "Oscar Meyer Wiener" song for decades coupled with a car shaped like a wiener and I don't see sales for that product suffering. It's possible that the connotation may pay off positively.
iPad: Apple's New Feminine Hygiene Product.
The name of this device is imbecilic. For a company as savvy as Apple, it is unbelievable that such an embarrassingly stupid, totally laughable name was chosen. As a result of the idiotic name, the product is an instant worldwide joke. The idea of owning a computing device named after a tampon, is so silly, that for that very reason, millions will refuse to purchase it. How can anyone now take the device seriously? Have these people lost their mind?
Well It's 4 times as large as an iPhone but i can't make a call on it.
It's the size of a small notebook but i can't load a CD/DVD/Card reader.
I have to hook it to a computer to load my pic and stuff.
No camera or video. " It only has 64gig,come on APPLE. " If I want to have web on the fly I have to pay another $30 bucks a month to ATT for the 3G, along with my cell phone/ home phone/ internet/ TV.
Just another device we ALL DON'T need, STOP it and get out there and see the world and talk face to face with people.
These devices come and go and our lives really don't change that much because of them.
Embarrassing FLOP! I love Apple, but the 'iPad' was obviously named by a man! My first thought was feminine hygiene products, with visions of electronic kotex pads. iPad is almost embarrassing to say! Don't they have a marketing team, that goes out and surveys these things before they embarrass 1/2 of society? Come on Apple, Hello! I hope they wake up and change the name.
People will get over the fact that there is a female hygiene product. Those of us who are out of puberty anyway. And beyond that, the name is very good.
Also, I do not think it will kill the Kindle. It will grow Kindle's market if anything, as the Kindle is a publishing platform and not just a device. The iPad will support Kindle reading, so that is good for all of us. Besides, digital ink technology and weeks of battery life are unique advantages that will remain. So this will establish slate devices as more mainstream devices and grow the market for all slate devices, not kill them.
I think it's marketing genius. The name (and the product) is getting a lot of free press. Think about it. Is anyone NOT going to buy it because of the vague similarity of its name to a feminine hygiene product?
Woo-boy! I know that I was makin tons of fun of notepads when I was usin them back in mah school. I was all like, do these come with wings, y'all? Ha ha!
Oh wait, no I didn't. That may be because I am not an immature idiot.
I really think it should have been the iLeaf. this name is soooo not good. You leaf through a book. A kindle caused your yearning for books to come to light. a nook is a great place to read a book. What's an iPad? a big iTampon.
This thing should have been an iphone, an ereader, a webnote book combo: (a lttle apple, with a cute logo with a leaf attached!) and an itablet with wrting recognition! Where's the marketing company?
It's a horrible name. But it's brought me days of gleeful, immature enjoyment. I can't wait for SNL tonight.
why not name i-GAP....specially if they are creating a device between i-phone and mcbook............
iPad lol, it's really embarrassing.
Get a life...Its an iPad....
What are they gonna call the vibrator attachment, the I-Wiggle? or I-Moan
What happened to the iSlate?
I think simple people think of ipad woman.Their are about abillion words in the world with pad in it Grow up people.
The name stinks of rotten fish....
iSlate would have been much better...
Flop. Jobs screwed the pooch on this name.
I think the name is fine (product performance is a different story). My first association was with notepad. Why do people need to be so creepy. The tampon association is like 5th grade humor. Sigh.
The combination of the hype that Apple built and the name flop made it a big deal. If you built such high expectations you cannot afford such a flop. And don't tell me that there is no bad publicity, I already know people who will not buy it just because of the name and the associated jokes. I think it is silly, but still – lost revenue...
the i pad is so big to carry why would you need that big thing and carry around when you have a LAP TOP (computer) that you can listen to music and watch movies or videos on it....
I am very disappointed in Apple. iPad??? What were they thinking? Its a bad name and they should change it. iTab or iTablet, or anything other than iPad. Apple really dropped the ball on this one.
The name is good, but now they could change the iPhone to iPad Nano!
hey, if Apple want to name there shiny new product after a female sanitary towel, maybe its a sign that S Jobs is in tune with his feminine side?
i wonder if the new 'pad,' can be neatly packed in the handbag or glove box on the back seat within easy reach?
the only drawback well ok a few with this product is that, there is going to be a problem when it arrives at accessories, since to connect anything to erm anything you have to have adaptors and a lot of them it would have really and we mean really usefull if, the connections were at least 4 in number and the extensions therefore capable.
its a pitty that Apple again go to the trouble of design but not functionality, that is a real bummer.
I'M a woman and MY first thought was "next they'll develop a larger I-pad and call it the Maxi ..." Male or female doesn't matter – your brain either goes there or it doesn't. My second thought was "that's the BEST name they could come up with?" C'mon were you EXPECTING this kind of response – well you got it! You WEREN'T expecting this reaction? Shame on you. Where are the creative namers @ Apple?
I just think that some "delicate" people have dirty minds.
I'm not a native English speaker, my first language is Portuguese. I work for an American company in Brazil and I think that iPad sounds perfectly.
It sounds for me like a modern gadget characteristic of present, much better than iTab or something, and English is an androgynous language by the way ... iPad sounds suitable in that context.
I thought it should have been spelled iPadd, as in the PADD device used a la Star Trek.
Apple should change the name cause i will not buy this product if it has a name like this i agree with mike
Should have called it the "iTouch Tablet". It sounds like it could be a great media device, but a bad laptop. Someone had already mentioned that it's just a big iTouch. It's true. The flop here is that Apple is making it out to be something way more extraordinary that that. This convention would have been much more exciting if they included some upgrades for their more appreciated items: large memory Nanos, laptops with the latest processors, and a better bottom end laptop.
It's absolutely a flop. I received a cnn breaking news update on my iphone and answered the door at the same time. It was my neighbor. I told her the name and she instantly gestured by pretending to put a big "pad" between her legs. Then responded, "What were they thinking? Obviously created by a team of men that forgot to conduct a focus group with women".
The only problem with the name is that it is to close to the iPod. I find myself saying iPod, and then correcting myself and saying sorry I mean iPad.
Apple need to hire a good advertising agency, to come up with product names! not like thay can't afford it.
My friend & I (both women) named the thing "iTab" in about 10 minutes of discussion. Jeez! Don't they have ANY women on the Apple staff? (They would've caught this name plunder immediately!)
hi! new iPad is full of thrill. It is really stunning for entertainment.And for other your life style and new fashions too.So it doesn't matter whatever it is called.
hey! every one wants to get the iPad. So why should I like to name it other than iPad.
Ipad is a cool thing from apple.Its way better than blackberry book.I was surfing over online shopping when i came across with ipad.great work by apple.