No iPad 3, No iPad HD. Just ‘The New iPad’ [iPad 3 Event]

By

The 'New iPad.' Photo Engadget
The 'New iPad.' Photo Engadget

Apple will no longer diffeentiate between the various iPad models, not by name at least. Starting today and going forward, iPads will be plain iPads, with no “1”, or “2”, or even “HD” suffix. When Tim Cook introduced the new iPad at today’s press event, he just called it “The new iPad.”

This makes a lot of sense. All of Apple’s other lines have only one name, with the exception of the iPhone. When you dig a little further you find that each model has its own code name for repair and other purposes, but it’s always something like “Late 2011 iMac 27 inch.” The most you’ll get out of Apple now is “third-generation iPad” when mentioned in promo videos. Expect that to fade away soon.

Numbers make some kind of sense for the iPhone. Most people are on a two-year contract cycle with their carriers. If they head to the AT&T store looking for a new phone, and all they see is a “iPhone,” then they may assume it’s the same they already have. Adding in the numbers — iPhone 4, iPhone 4S — tells them that something has changed.

For the iPad, though, sold without carrier subsidies or contracts, the numbers were always a little weird. Better to position the iPad as the computer it really is. And if you want further evidence that Tim Cook thinks of the iPad as a computer, and as the real future of Apple, note how he presented iPad sales at the start of the event. Cook showed a slide comparing iPad sales to PC sales. The iPad sold 15 million units last quarter. HP sold 15.1 PCs.

So that’s it. The iPad is finally a computer. Let’s just see if the PC tech press can stomach that.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.