iThink iPad is a great name

Were there NO women on the naming committee? How could a smart company like Apple miss the obvious connotations for a name like iPad?  Answer… they knew exactly what they were doing.  And not only did they capture the usual technology press for their product launch, they captured the comedy press as well.  Yes, I think we now have a new record for jokes about the formerly taboo topic of feminine hygiene.

After the jokes die down and the product works its way into the hands of cultish Apple fans, you will appreciate the brilliance of the name.  It passes the crucial naming test… is it simple, easy to pronounce, spell and remember?  Yes.  Does it follow a product family naming convention that is synonymous with cool, successful products?  Yes.  It is just one letter away from being “iPod,” one of the most revolutionary consumer products of the last decade?

This is the most compelling reason why it was not called iTablet or iTab.  This thing is a lot more like an iPod than a Tablet computer.  I heard two engineers complaining about the lack of a removable battery and USB port.  Exactly. Apple is NOT releasing another pen-based Tablet computer, a category that has still not caught on with the mainstream.

Instead, it looks to me like they are releasing a larger iPod, which solves the problem of trying to watch movies or read e-books on a tiny little hand-held screen.  The eyesight-challenged over-40 crowd thanks you for this.  Add wireless Internet and you don’t need to plug-in to get your media.  Apple just changed the game with a device that incorporates multiple revenue streams for them, and endless opportunities for the app-generating generation.

Laugh all you want.  Steve Jobs is once again laughing his way to the bank.  Stay tuned for the next launch… Apple’s new cosmetically-challenged personal aircraft, the iSoar.