iPad: Maybe So, Maybe No
by Josh Levine
If you’re like me, you’re among the many who were disappointed with yesterday’s reveal of the Apple iPad, and possibly even more disappointed by the name.
But the public reaction is even more interesting than the product itself, and it speaks to the incredible power Apple has built in its brand.
I had two client meetings yesterday. The first one was right around 10am — the time of Steve Jobs’ keynote — and was repeatedly interrupted by various people in the room reporting real-time announcements they got from their smartphones. Ironically, none of these people were using iPhones, and they described themselves as “non-Apple people.” But they were glued to the news just like the rest of us, illustrating the extent to which Apple has ingrained itself into the fabric of American culture.
In the second meeting, the guy went on for about a minute listing all of the things wrong with the iPad: No camera, no Flash, no phone, etc. Then, almost on cue, he stops and says, “don’t get me wrong, I’m buying one.”
Me? I don’t love it, but truth be told, I’ll probably end up buying iPad 2, or should I say iPad Super.
Tell us what you think. Are you going to buy it? And what can we learn from Apple about branding?
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