With the revaluation of recent filings made by Apple for both the Magic Slate and the iSlate trademark, it seemed a lock that Apple’s forthcoming tablet — whenever it ends up being announced — would at least eschew branding itself as a “tablet” in favor of the word “slate.” Still, Apple loves to muddy the rumor waters, so it’s no surprise that Apple has filed for another trademark that could describe a tablet device, called the iGuide.
The trademark application was filed in December, 2007 by iGuide Media, LLC. Just like the iSlate and Magic Slate filings, iGuide Media, LLC is a dummy corporation set-up by Apple to hide their trademark applications, and the John Hancock on the application is none other than Apple’s Senior Trademark Specialist, Regina Porter.
The application describes an all purpose media browser:
Computer hardware and computer software for accessing, browsing, searching, recording, organizing, storing, transmitting, receiving, manipulating, streaming, reproducing, playing, and reviewing audio, video, games, music, television, movies, photographs, and other multimedia content.</blockquote
A later passage also describes the iGuide as being able to download electronic content in many formats, but with a heavy e-reader focus:
Downloadable electronic publications in the nature of books, magazines, newsletters, journals, and blogs in the fields of entertainment, sports, science, history, culture, celebrities, news, current events, politics, technology, and education;
In truth, iGuide doesn’t sound like a very good product name, although it would make an excellent service name for slurping in digital content like books, magazines and blogs. The iGuide trademark application, then, seems to lend credence to rumors that the Apple Tablet will largely tackle the likes of the Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook in the e-reader market. In fact, as Techcrunch points out, as iTunes doles out more and more non-musical content, a rebranding seems like an obvious choice to convey its expanded scope. If Apple’s Tablet is as heavily media and e-reading oriented as it seems like it might be, rebranding iTunes would make a lot of sense.
Does that mean iSlate is still on the table then? I hope not: the word “slate” has obvious problems from a branding perspective. A slate is cold, monochrome, and easily shatterable: I doubt Apple wants any of those concepts attached to a revolutionary new device, especially given rumors that the Apple Tablet’s glass touchscreen was already rejected once for being too fragile.
