New iPad adopts simple product naming Steve Jobs brought to Apple in 1997

12357

Comments

  • Reply 81 of 131
    cycomikocycomiko Posts: 716member
    Quote:

    By centering on a single brand name for each major product category it sells, Apple spends much less on advertising and promoting new brands and customers find it easier to find what they're looking for and ask for it by name.



    Thats a false assumption.



    Apple is often the company spending the most on advertising.



    Hell, even Steves biography states they spent the largest out of all the markets when starting up the ipod brand. On this side of the world, I see constant iphone adverts, ipad adverts, and the occasional macbook air advert. Cant say I really ever see anything out of the competition. When i do, its usually the cell providers advertising android, and occasionally a galaxy SII.
  • Reply 82 of 131
    ferdferd Posts: 4member
    Apple had to change the name sooner or later. Remember those "NOW" music cd's that we all use to buy. What number did you stop at. It just gets ridiculous after some many years and iterations that people just tend to not care about the product anymore. BTW, if you're interested, you can pick up your copy of "NOW 41" here in the US. I also saw that there is a "Now 81" but it appears to be the UK series.
  • Reply 83 of 131
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tundraboy View Post


    I would say that too if I just said something stupid and ignorant online and was then made to look silly and foolish.



    You're the one looking silly and foolish for getting bent out of shape over a harmless comment pointing out the big hole in this naming scheme.
  • Reply 84 of 131
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I wonder if this new name is a sign that we should expect an iPad mini.
  • Reply 85 of 131
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by F1Ferrari View Post


    I just wonder if the 'old' iPads will be continually called the 'iPad 2', or if eventually they will become education only models, like the white MacBook was for the last year of its life.



    That's probably going to be the biggest problem next year if they continue to sell the old one. That's one thing that distinguishes the other products from iOS products is that Apple doesn't simultaneously sell the old one and new one together outside the refurb store.



    On the other hand, I think they have probably reached the pinnacle of the iPad design so every subsequent model will look identical. Hopefully that won't be the case with the iPhone but you never know.
  • Reply 86 of 131
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    ...



    Here is a 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ Phaeton ( Year, Make, Supercharged, J Model, Phaeton Body style:



    The car could do 100 mph in 2nd gear.




    Saw a Duesey a few years ago, on the street. Would love to have made the owner an offer... \
  • Reply 87 of 131
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    It's an iPad...



    Those who are diffident about owning an iPad, can just buy some other piece of shit!




    Dick, please, language!



    (You're right though )
  • Reply 88 of 131
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I wonder if this new name is a sign that we should expect an iPad mini.



    Nooooooo!!!
  • Reply 89 of 131
    christophbchristophb Posts: 1,482member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I wonder if this new name is a sign that we should expect an iPad mini.



    iPad Air...
  • Reply 90 of 131
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    I must say that it's a sure sign of how great the product is when the only thing to complain about is the name. I guess the Apple haters are really scraping the bottom of the barrel.



    Just like the iPhone 4S. The biggest complaint was simply that it didn't have a new appearance. When that's the only major complaint, it shows what a great product it is.
  • Reply 91 of 131
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    I must say that it's a sure sign of how great the product is when the only thing to complain about is the name. I guess the Apple haters are really scraping the bottom of the barrel.



    Just like the iPhone 4S. The biggest complaint was simply that it didn't have a new appearance. When that's the only major complaint, it shows what a great product it is.



    Don't forget that people are complaining that Apple is erroneously calling HSPA+, DC-HSPA, and LTE '4G'.



    Oddly we're not hearing too many complaints about the extra thickness or weight.
  • Reply 92 of 131
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    I must say that it's a sure sign of how great the product is when the only thing to complain about is the name. I guess the Apple haters are really scraping the bottom of the barrel.



    Just like the iPhone 4S. The biggest complaint was simply that it didn't have a new appearance. When that's the only major complaint, it shows what a great product it is.



    Exactly.



    And while a couple dozen people on these internet forums complained about the name for the last 4 days... Apple had a couple million pre-orders for this nameless iPad over the last 4 days.



    Hmmmm.... the name must not be a big deal, after all.
  • Reply 93 of 131
    yu11yu11 Posts: 2member
    The simplified naming means that people who buy Apple equipment get very different hardware with the same name. So you don't know whether something will work or not just based on the model. When trading used hardware, people have to invent their own names, like a "late 2011 MacBook Air 11''" etc. On the whole, this is typical Apple:make things appear simple when they really aren't, and let someone else deal with the mess.
  • Reply 94 of 131
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Michael Scrip View Post


    Exactly.



    And while a couple dozen people on these internet forums complained about the name for the last 4 days... Apple had a couple million pre-orders for this nameless iPad over the last 4 days.



    Hmmmm.... the name must not be a big deal, after all.



    It's fun to play iSherlock to deduce the most likely path you think Apple will take given the known information but I think most people just want the device to work well. They could call it the Samsung Zune Eee Pad for all I care. I'd still buy the product they demoed.
  • Reply 95 of 131
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by yu11 View Post


    The simplified naming means that people who buy Apple equipment get very different hardware with the same name. So you don't know whether something will work or not just based on the model. When trading used hardware, people have to invent their own names, like a "late 2011 MacBook Air 11''" etc. On the whole, this is typical Apple:make things appear simple when they really aren't, and let someone else deal with the mess.



    How did Apple ever survive with just MacBook Pro or MacBook or MacBook Air or Mac Pro or Mac mini or iPod or iPod Nano or iPod Shuffle or AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express without having the year, generation, or some other qualifier appended to it. I bought my MacBook Pro in 2010 but without it officially saying MacBook Pro 2010 on the device I'll never really be sure¡ Is that top still spinning?
  • Reply 96 of 131
    yu11yu11 Posts: 2member
    Quote:

    Perspective:
    Using 3GPP and 3GPP2 standards backed by the ITU the slowest maximum theoretical speed of a '3G' tech is CDMA2000 1X with whooping speeds of 153 Kbit/s.



    Now lets compare that to the old ITU definition of '3G' you find that HSPA+ with a current maximum speed of 168 Mbit/s (172,032 Kbit/s), as well as LTE with 299.6 Mbit/s (306,790 Kbit/s).



    That's a performance increase of 112,439% for HSPA+ and 200,516% for LTE that people want to say all belongs in the same generational category as a marketing term presented to the average consumer. Does that really make sense?



    "Generations" doesn't refer to speed, it refers to underlying technology. 3G and 4G use different encodings. Calling a 3G standard a 4G standard just because you think it's fast enough makes about as much sense as calling a PC a Mac because you think it's fast enough.



    Those theoretical maxima are also irrelevant. Carrier networks are deployed to deliver a maximum of 21Mbps or 42Mbps, but US carriers manage to deliver maybe 7Mbps, which networks in Europe manage to deliver using simple HSPA. That is, actual HSPA+ speeds in the US are firmly in the range usually delivered by 3G networks around the world.



    The only reason for the 4G/3G confusion in the US is because carriers are so overloaded and using such outdated technology that 4G has caught up with them before they ever got around to fully deploying 3G. HSPA+ has been deployed in Europe since 2009, and unlike the US, 3G networks in Europe actually deliver close to full speed in many places.
  • Reply 97 of 131
    geekdadgeekdad Posts: 1,131member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I wonder if this new name is a sign that we should expect an iPad mini.



    Ha! I was going to write that! But you beat me too it!
  • Reply 98 of 131
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by yu11 View Post


    "Generations" doesn't refer to speed, it refers to underlying technology. 3G and 4G use different encodings.



    Which is fine for backend engineering but, as I stated, as soon as you make this something you market to the average customer the whole thing falls apart. Do you really think the average customer cares about the air interfaces, channel access methods, etc.? Of course not!



    Customers care only about how it affects their end user experience so suggesting to a customer that CDMA2000 1X in some backwoods Verizon network is the same as LTE because they are both '3G' is erroneous and pointless. A measure of performance is the only logical method that can be understood by laymen... and the cardinal number followed by the letter 'G' is exactly what they think it refers.



    Try asking some random person what's the difference between 3G and 4G? Chances are they will say 4G is faster. Ask them what the difference between CDMA2000 1X and DC-HSDPA and they will have no idea what you're talking about.



    edit: How an 'x' scale rating adopted by carriers. Your device will show the least common factor between your cell tower and handset cellular HW based on a standard definition of '1x'. Let's say that's 10Mbit/s. That means if you are connecting to an HSPA+ node with a device that can handle 21Mbit/s HSPA+ your device will show '2x' which denotes double over the baseline max theoretical. If you are connecting to DC-HSDPA at 42Mbit/s it would show '4x'. A user would easily understand that '4x' is better than '2x' is better than '1x'.
  • Reply 99 of 131
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I wonder if this new name is a sign that we should expect an iPad mini.



    Not likely.



    They could introduce an iPad mini whether they called this one iPad, iPad 3, or iPad HD. None of those would conflict with an iPad mini.



    That's not to say that they might not introduce an iPad mini - I don't know, nor do I care. But I don't think the iPad naming tells you anything one way or the other.
  • Reply 100 of 131
    big macbig mac Posts: 480member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    That's probably going to be the biggest problem next year if they continue to sell the old one. That's one thing that distinguishes the other products from iOS products is that Apple doesn't simultaneously sell the old one and new one together outside the refurb store.



    This!!! So right! Apple has been able to get away with generic names for products where the older model is discontinued in favor of the newer model. But in the case of the iDevices the older models is sticking around: The iPhone 3GS and 4 are still being sold new by Apple along with the 4S. Going to fully generic naming with the iPad means that if the previous generation continues to be sold as new by Apple, it's going to be confusing for customers and sales staff:



    Joe Customer: "Hi, I'd like to get an iPad."

    Apple Salesman: "Great, would you like the new iPad or the iPad?"

    Joe Customer: "The iPad or the iPad???"

    Apple Salesman: "Yeah, well we give you the choice, you can either get the new iPad with A8Z Processor and Intellitouch technology, or you can get the iPad with A7 Processor and HD+ Graphics. So do you want the new iPad or the iPad?"

    Joe Customer: "I don't get the difference. It was easier to understand when they had clearer names."



    With the next iPhone, you'll be able to choose the new iPhone, the iPhone 4S or the iPhone 4. Then with the next next iPhone you'll be able to get the new iPhone, the iPhone, the iPhone 4S. . . I understand that the iPhone product iteration numbers/letters are getting long in the tooth and unwieldy, but going ultra-minimalist will also cause problems.



    In the car market you have the Ford Mustang as a generic model name, but at least you can figure out what Ford Mustang you're dealing with because the production year information is provided. And cars models are sold first and foremost by model year: 2012 Mustang, 2010 Mustang, etc. The consumer and the seller both can figure out a lot about the car being discussed just by looking at what model year it is. And even then there are different names associated with major features and trim levels (Mustang, Mustang GT, Mustang GT Cobra). I hope Apple considers putting the production year somewhere prominently in the marketing materials for each new iteration if it's going this minimalist naming route. There will have to be a short-hand way to refer to the different iterations going forward, and it seems to me model year is the only sensible way to do so.
Sign In or Register to comment.