9 ms·

Vigilantes Have Renamed "The new iPad"

55 points by omarish 14y ago

midas 14y ago
I'm guessing apple just doesn't care that much about the secondary market for their products since they make all their money off selling new products. It'd be nice if they did though!
- deleted 14y ago
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jaxn 14y ago
"we’ve come to expect precise and sequential product naming from Apple - the iPhone, followed by the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S." I think Apple is correcting a mistake that they made. Most Apple laptop owners have no idea what generation product they have. I own a MacBook Air. Before that I owned some Macbooks, MacBook Pros, and Powerbooks. The same with iPods, though there was differentiation based on features (remember the iPod Photo?). I suspect that the next iPhone will just be "the new iPhone" as well. There will be another "new iPad" released and then another "new iPhone". When you want an iPad or an iPhone, go buy one. It will be new unless it is used. "Because of this precise naming, it’s easy to identify and buy them used on secondary markets like eBay and Craigslist. However, if you’re looking to buy the latest iPad, are you really just supposed to type “the new iPad” into a search box and reliably get results for the 3rd generation model?" Yes, if buying a new iPad you should just be able to go to Apple.com or BestBuy.com and type in iPad to buy the newest one. As for buying them used or from unauthorized dealers, I can imagine Apple caring about that problem anytime soon.
- ChuckMcM 14y ago
  This. The mistake wasn't calling the latest iPad 'the new iPad' the mistake was calling the previous one 'iPad 2'. Case in point, look at the iPod. There are the 'Touch', 'Shuffle', 'Nano', and 'Classic' models. Except that the device for each model name has undergone a series of changes and upgrades throughout its life. I would hazard a guess that the model numbers on the phone are an anomaly that is brought to you in part because of FCC licensing restrictions. The FCC is a lot less forgiving about licenses and model names/numbers. Going forward there may be an iPad 'mini' (and then the iPod touch could get rechristened the iPad nano, and no, there won't be an iPad Maxi :-) But I doubt we'll see the numbers come back.
  - JadeNB 14y ago
    > The mistake wasn't calling the latest iPad 'the new iPad' the mistake was calling the previous one 'iPad 2'. Case in point, look at the iPod. There are the 'Touch', 'Shuffle', 'Nano', and 'Classic' models. Except that the device for each model name has undergone a series of changes and upgrades throughout its life. But the different versions of each model have had 'distinct' names, right? I distinctly remember seeing the first 'tiny' iPod Shuffle called the Shuffle 2G (which caused me, and I am sure others, no end of confusion given its 1 GB of storage). Maybe it just wasn't officially called that by Apple?
    - ChuckMcM 14y ago
      But the different versions of each model have had 'distinct' names, right? They have distinct model numbers which generally represents a configuration, but they don't have distinct 'names'. I believe the 'Shuffle 2G' was in fact the Shuffle "second Generation" and yes some folks called it the 2G and that did confuse even more folks. Now I don't condone this sort of naming, but I understand where Apple is coming from.
- majormajor 14y ago
  Any time I've bought a memory upgrade for a MacBook I've been annoyed by that strategy. At least back in the day "Lombard" or "Pismo" or "Wallstreet" was more memorable than "Early 2011." Additionally, the iPhone and iPad seem poorly suited for this strategy due to the way they sell old models side by side with new ones. Will they just sell the "iPad" next to the "new iPad" with "new" moving along to the newest one? What if they go back another generation like with the 3GS currently?
  - jaxn 14y ago
    Now that information is available in the About This Mac -> More Info screen.
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  While I appreciate the reasons Apple wants to step away from version-marking their devices, it causes massive confusion in a few important areas, at least assuming they aren't ready to lock down form-factors and connector cable formats forevermore. eg: "Does this case fit my new iPhone, or does it fit the old new iPhone or the old old new iPhone?" I guess one way to deal with this would be for the aftermarket industry to start working with model years as is done with cars. If you're going to buy aftermarket add-ons for your Apple devices, know the year model, and then have the case/cable/etc people publish year model compatibility.
  - nuclear_eclipse 14y ago
    I think Apple would love to solve that "confusion" by just having you step into an Apple store with your device and ask the helpful employees for whatever accessory you want, and let them deal with figuring it out for you. Apple doesn't want the consumer to have to care about that at all.
    - georgemcbay 14y ago
      That works great if every [potential or current] Apple customer lives near one of the 364 Apple stores, but the vast majority of people in the world do not.
      - polynomial 14y ago
        It also works great if you don't mind burning all that time having to make the appointment, get to the store and then wait in line, just to end up dealing with someone who can't actually tell you which device you have, because his company never bothered to name it correctly in the first place. Apple part matching in this scenario becomes much like the famous definition of obscenity- I don't know what it is, but I know it when I see it.
        greedo 14y ago
        So, I take it you haven't actually been in an Apple Store, since you don't need a reservation to make a purchase, or to ask a question of one of the employees. Nor is there a queue to have a clerk assist you. And the clerk not knowing which device you own is laughable. Pretty sure I've just been trolled, but whatever.
- kenrikm 14y ago
  With the iPod it was never "iPod 3" it was just "iPod" same for Macbooks, iMacs etc.. The reason Apple got messed up was that the iPhone 4 was not 4G.. iPhone > iPhone 3G >iPhone 3Gs > iPhone 4G... the 3G and 3Gs were named due to the radio tech, the 4 should have been named with the radio tech as well.
- mikhael 14y ago
  While I think this makes sense, I've often had the feeling that there's a keeping-up-with-the-Jones' aspect to having an iPhone, driving people to get the new models based on comparison -- "Which iPhone do you have? 3G? Oh, mine is 3GS." How would this play out without labels? "Oh, you have a new iPad? Mine is new, I bought it 6 months ago. Oh, is yours a new new iPad?"
- dmbass 14y ago
  I think the iPhones are named so as to be easily tiered. Right now Apple sells iPhones at 3 price points (minus extra storage models for the highest end). 3GS at $0, 4 at $99, and 4S at $199. The 5 will likely bump the 4 out and move the 4S in to take it's place at the $99 tier.
  - alttab 14y ago
    No, what is more probable is that the hardware was different enough to need to change it. iPhone3g and iPhone 3GS had different hardware and software that some apps Bly worked for the 3GS. Going to the iPhone 4 had retina display which makes a big difference. iPad 2 had 2 cameras and FaceTime which changed the experience of the device. The mistake they made wih the ipad3 was that it came we a better display and that is what people wanted but they didn't signify he difference in the product name. The reason this wasn't as important for the MacBooks is your everyday layman end user couldn't tell large differences between iterations other than body style which doesn't really change its capability all that much. Apple doesn't emphasize mobile specs so those differences wouldn't stand out as much as hardware and feature set.
rdl 14y ago
I call mine iPad (Early 2012), which is also how you refer to MacBooks (e.g. MacBook Pro 17 (Mid 2010)). There's also the model identifier like "Model Identifier: MacBookAir4,2" but other than developers, no one uses that.
joe_the_user 14y ago
It makes me curious, what will the next iPad after "The New iPad" will be called? And how will Apple refer to "The New iPad" after it is, uh, old. It reminds me of the eighties. "Star Trek, the Next Generation" is now many generations behind...
- achompas 14y ago
  They'll do what they do with their Macs. Today's iPad will become "iPad (early 2012)."
- eridius 14y ago
  It will also be the new iPad. Note the lack of quotation marks. The current iPad is not named "The New iPad", it's just "iPad".
davidmp 14y ago
The article misses the obvious comparison to the Mac line. Over time people will naturally refer to them by the year they were released.
- jameshsi 14y ago
  Interesting point. I think that's also due to some influence on Apple's part, because Macs were never released with sequential numbers like the iPhone. I'd suspect Apple is purposefully trying to disassociate the iPad with the iPhone and realigning it with the Mac line by changing naming conventions. If that's the case, this post is pretty good evidence that it hasn't really worked out so far.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - jasomill 14y ago
    Right, except for the fact that Apple lists it as "iPad (3rd Generation)", not "iPad (Early 2012)", so if you're right, they're trying to align it with the iPod rather than the Mac. Simple product line => simple names => simplified purchasing experience. No need to read anything more into it. Generally speaking, I referred to my iPad 2 as an "iPad", and when not in the process of purchasing accessories or arranging repairs, I commonly call my "MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)" a "MacBook", "Mac", or, most frequently, "computer", in line with the common practice of most everybody I know, technically-inclined or otherwise, unless there's some need to either disambiguate or brag.
  - mbrubeck 14y ago
    > because Macs were never released with sequential numbers like the iPhone. Except, you know, the Macintosh II... Or the Mac LC (followed by the Mac LC II and then the Mac LC III)... Or the original Power Macintosh models (like the 6100, followed by the 6200, 6300, 6400)... And then the PowerMac G3 (followed by the G4 and the G5)... Apple has changed from numbered to unnumbered model names (and back) before.
    - 14y ago
oakwhiz 14y ago
If you can't name your product, your consumers will name it for you.
SoftwareMaven 14y ago
Apple is trying to move the iPad in the same direction as the Macbook and iMac. You don't buy a MacBook Air 14e. You buy a MacBook Air. When you sell it, you sell a 2011 MacBook Air. When you say you bought a new Ford Mustang, people know what you are (generally) talking about (with the occasional "new to me" confusion for good measure). And, yes, it is confusing, especially since Apple is the one who started it with the iPad 2. Ford also differentiates its models with "2012".
adventureful 14y ago
I find it fascinating how little attention this huge branding mistake has gotten. It was extraordinarily amateurish on the part of Apple, the kind of mistake I would have expected from Microsoft a few years ago. Except had Microsoft made that mistake, they would have been properly ridiculed for it.
- wmf 14y ago
  As jaxn said, Apple has been making this "mistake" with Macs for years and it hasn't hurt them.
  - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
    And iPods. The iPod touch 1st generation, 2nd generation, 3rd generation, 4th generation were just the "new iPod touch".
  - CamperBob2 14y ago
    The problem is, they're still selling the previous-generation models. Assuming they do the same thing with the iPhone 5, calling it only the "new iPhone", the confusion will be even more widespread. Nobody cares with regard to the various Mac refreshes, but it was a customer-unfriendly move in this case.
    - achompas 14y ago
      Really? I mean, the new iPhone will probably have a 4" screen. The current iPhone 4S is 0.5" smaller. Consumer shouldn't have a problem distinguishing them.
- eragnew 14y ago
  Why is it a mistake? I would be pretty happy if I owned the 'iPad' brand. Seems more valuable than 'the new iPad', IMO. To me, it seems like Apple is simply resetting expectations.
- bobbles 14y ago
  The branding mistake was calling the second iPad the iPad 2
Jabbles 14y ago
In the keynote Apple referred to it as "iPad", as a proper noun.
- richbradshaw 14y ago
  And in all their marketing. It's always "with iPad you can", or "on iPad...". An interesting strategy that doesn't seem to have rubbed off on consumers.
moron 14y ago
I was just marveling this morning at how much mental energy is expended on this very thing. Let's just call it the iPad 3 and not worry too much about how closely we match Apple's marketing copy.
qntm 14y ago
They should just give them year numbers. This is the 2012 iPad. Older models are the 2011 iPad and the 2010 iPad. The system is perfectly simple to understand and has planned obsolescence.
- notatoad 14y ago
  and it's exactly the system that resellers use for mac models. if you're looking for a macbook or an imac or anything you have to search for a year, not a number. the mistake apple made with ipad/iphone branding was not to drop the 1/2/3 numbering scheme, it was to use it in the first place.
- Sayter 14y ago
  iPad 1 = iPad 2010. iPad 2 = iPad 2011. iPad 3 = iPad 2012. iPhone = iPhone 2007. iPhone 3G = iPhone 2008. iPhone 3GS = iPhone 2009. iPhone 4 = iPhone 2010. iPhone 4S = iPhone 2011. "iPhone 5" = iPhone 2012. Even if Apple were to never refer to them by those names, it's such an obvious naming convention (so far) that it's surprising that so many people are missing it.
  - pbhjpbhj 14y ago
    Then they release two models at the same time and your key is not looking so primary any more.
majormajor 14y ago
I just glanced at an iPad 2 and the box it came in, and interestingly I don't see "2" anywhere except for in the small print on the label on the back, by the model number. The back of the iPad just says "iPad" as does the side of the box. So once you actually bought the thing, the branding on the iPod 2 wasn't very 2-centric at all either.
Cushman 14y ago
I have an iPhone 3G and an iPhone 4 here-- they both say "iPhone" on the back. I have an iPad 2 and an iPad 3-- they both say "iPad". I have a MacBook labeled "MacBook", a MacBook Pro labeled "MacBook Pro", and a MacBook Air labeled "MacBook Air". I don't think I've ever owned an Apple product that had a number in the name, not that you'd know from looking at it. Some people just need something to complain about, I guess. It should also be pointed out that Apple consistently does not use the definite article with product names in order to personalize the branding, going back to the first Macintosh. It's not the iPad, just... iPad.
- ken 14y ago
  The Mac Pro takes this a step further: it doesn't even say "Mac Pro" on itself anywhere, even in fine print on the back. Most people probably couldn't tell you if they were looking at a PowerMac G5 or a Mac Pro, unless they'd used one long enough to remember which drive bays and I/O ports they have (or took the side off to see if it has the giant "G5" CPU covers). The new (Retina) Macbook Pro does the same: the label is gone, at least from the front. I assume this is to make it less 'technical' and more 'appliance'-like: apart from some (old / non-mainstream) hi-fi equipment, no electronic item in my kitchen or living room has a model number visible during normal use, only a brand name or logo.
sneak 14y ago
You are supposed to call it "iPad". Done. If you need to be more specific, the model numbers are as follows: MC705ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 16GB – Black MC706ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 32GB – Black MC707ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 64GB – Black MD366ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 16GB – Black MD367ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 32GB – Black MD368ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 64GB – Black MD328ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 16GB – White MD329ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 32GB – White MD330ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 64GB – White MD369ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 16GB – White MD370ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 32GB – White MD371ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 64GB – White They have unique identifiers. The product you walk in to the store and buy is "iPad". What is the question?
- sopooneo 14y ago
  The question is, "which used iPad are you offering to sell?"
  - falling 14y ago
    “which used Porsche 911 are you offering to sell?”
- vacri 14y ago
  Your list explicitly uses the term "iPad 3", not "iPad". So the question is: if you want to buy an aftermarket device, do you really have to search for items where the same form factor has a dozen variants? I've had this problem previously, where I've had a laptop with an uncommon variant number, and finding parts for it required finding someone else's variant number to search on.
saurik 14y ago
The term "iPad (3rd generation)" is not "vigilante", it is simply dis-preferred. That name actually came from Apple: it is how they describe the product on their support website (where it is, of course, necessary to be exact). http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5176 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5176 (Although I might even argue that it is dis-preferred: when you go to a dealer to get a new car, you get the "2012 Chevy Cruze LT", but when you advertise it as Chevrolet you might simply say "the new Cruze is the most powerful yet". I do not know if Apple actually provides specific guidance to not use the "3rd generation" terminology.)
joshstrange 14y ago
> Long live the iPad 3, The new iPad is dead! Uh, shouldn't that be: "The new iPad is dead. Long live the iPad3!"? If they were not attempting to riff off of: "The King is dead. Long live the King." then the sentence really makes no sense. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_is_dead._Long_live_the_King http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_is_dead._Long_live_the....
crazygringo 14y ago
To people saying it makes sense, because Macbooks don't have numbers: It's different, because Macbooks have specs instead. A certain amount of GHz, memory, disk space, HD or SSD, particular ports... the relevant information is in the specifications, which are generally included in advertisements. The model itself doesn't matter so much -- especially because people can upgrade specific aspects of individual models. But iPads/iPhones don't "have" specs, which is a conscious decision on Apple's part. Who knows how much RAM it has, or what its processor speed is? And they're not upgradeable. You can't choose more RAM. So you need some kind of identifier to figure out what the performance is like. Hence, iPhone 3GS or 4 or 4S. "New iPad" is just stupid, as proven by the point that everyone has wound up calling it the iPad 3 anyways. It's as stupid as if Microsoft called Windows 8 "new Windows" or Toyota stopped giving year names to their cars. Just ask: what comes after "new iPad"? I can't even guess.
johntyree 14y ago
Is it me, or are the stories making it to the top of this list getting worse and worse? "Some people have invented an informal name for Apple's latest toy." Great. Which part of this "hacker news" ?
nilsbunger 14y ago
I'm surprised "retina iPad" isn't in the poll... That's what I've been calling it, matching the "retina MacBook pro" convention.
drucken 14y ago
Interestingly, Amazon bypasses the problem by just using the serial number as part of the name: "Apple iPad MD328LL/A (16GB, Wi-Fi, White) NEWEST MODEL by Apple" So, regardless of intent, people will find a way to use precise labels, especially on secondary markets.
s00pcan 14y ago
It's listed as "iPad 3rd generation" under the compatibility section for accessories on the apple store.

55 points by omarish 14y ago

midas 14y ago

I'm guessing apple just doesn't care that much about the secondary market for their products since they make all their money off selling new products. It'd be nice if they did though!

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

jaxn 14y ago

"we’ve come to expect precise and sequential product naming from Apple - the iPhone, followed by the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S." I think Apple is correcting a mistake that they made. Most Apple laptop owners have no idea what generation product they have. I own a MacBook Air. Before that I owned some Macbooks, MacBook Pros, and Powerbooks. The same with iPods, though there was differentiation based on features (remember the iPod Photo?). I suspect that the next iPhone will just be "the new iPhone" as well. There will be another "new iPad" released and then another "new iPhone". When you want an iPad or an iPhone, go buy one. It will be new unless it is used. "Because of this precise naming, it’s easy to identify and buy them used on secondary markets like eBay and Craigslist. However, if you’re looking to buy the latest iPad, are you really just supposed to type “the new iPad” into a search box and reliably get results for the 3rd generation model?" Yes, if buying a new iPad you should just be able to go to Apple.com or BestBuy.com and type in iPad to buy the newest one. As for buying them used or from unauthorized dealers, I can imagine Apple caring about that problem anytime soon.

ChuckMcM 14y ago
This. The mistake wasn't calling the latest iPad 'the new iPad' the mistake was calling the previous one 'iPad 2'. Case in point, look at the iPod. There are the 'Touch', 'Shuffle', 'Nano', and 'Classic' models. Except that the device for each model name has undergone a series of changes and upgrades throughout its life. I would hazard a guess that the model numbers on the phone are an anomaly that is brought to you in part because of FCC licensing restrictions. The FCC is a lot less forgiving about licenses and model names/numbers. Going forward there may be an iPad 'mini' (and then the iPod touch could get rechristened the iPad nano, and no, there won't be an iPad Maxi :-) But I doubt we'll see the numbers come back.
- JadeNB 14y ago
  > The mistake wasn't calling the latest iPad 'the new iPad' the mistake was calling the previous one 'iPad 2'. Case in point, look at the iPod. There are the 'Touch', 'Shuffle', 'Nano', and 'Classic' models. Except that the device for each model name has undergone a series of changes and upgrades throughout its life. But the different versions of each model have had 'distinct' names, right? I distinctly remember seeing the first 'tiny' iPod Shuffle called the Shuffle 2G (which caused me, and I am sure others, no end of confusion given its 1 GB of storage). Maybe it just wasn't officially called that by Apple?
  - ChuckMcM 14y ago
    But the different versions of each model have had 'distinct' names, right? They have distinct model numbers which generally represents a configuration, but they don't have distinct 'names'. I believe the 'Shuffle 2G' was in fact the Shuffle "second Generation" and yes some folks called it the 2G and that did confuse even more folks. Now I don't condone this sort of naming, but I understand where Apple is coming from.
majormajor 14y ago
Any time I've bought a memory upgrade for a MacBook I've been annoyed by that strategy. At least back in the day "Lombard" or "Pismo" or "Wallstreet" was more memorable than "Early 2011." Additionally, the iPhone and iPad seem poorly suited for this strategy due to the way they sell old models side by side with new ones. Will they just sell the "iPad" next to the "new iPad" with "new" moving along to the newest one? What if they go back another generation like with the 3GS currently?
- jaxn 14y ago
  Now that information is available in the About This Mac -> More Info screen.
georgemcbay 14y ago
While I appreciate the reasons Apple wants to step away from version-marking their devices, it causes massive confusion in a few important areas, at least assuming they aren't ready to lock down form-factors and connector cable formats forevermore. eg: "Does this case fit my new iPhone, or does it fit the old new iPhone or the old old new iPhone?" I guess one way to deal with this would be for the aftermarket industry to start working with model years as is done with cars. If you're going to buy aftermarket add-ons for your Apple devices, know the year model, and then have the case/cable/etc people publish year model compatibility.
- nuclear_eclipse 14y ago
  I think Apple would love to solve that "confusion" by just having you step into an Apple store with your device and ask the helpful employees for whatever accessory you want, and let them deal with figuring it out for you. Apple doesn't want the consumer to have to care about that at all.
  - georgemcbay 14y ago
    That works great if every [potential or current] Apple customer lives near one of the 364 Apple stores, but the vast majority of people in the world do not.
    - polynomial 14y ago
      It also works great if you don't mind burning all that time having to make the appointment, get to the store and then wait in line, just to end up dealing with someone who can't actually tell you which device you have, because his company never bothered to name it correctly in the first place. Apple part matching in this scenario becomes much like the famous definition of obscenity- I don't know what it is, but I know it when I see it.
      - greedo 14y ago
        So, I take it you haven't actually been in an Apple Store, since you don't need a reservation to make a purchase, or to ask a question of one of the employees. Nor is there a queue to have a clerk assist you. And the clerk not knowing which device you own is laughable. Pretty sure I've just been trolled, but whatever.
kenrikm 14y ago
With the iPod it was never "iPod 3" it was just "iPod" same for Macbooks, iMacs etc.. The reason Apple got messed up was that the iPhone 4 was not 4G.. iPhone > iPhone 3G >iPhone 3Gs > iPhone 4G... the 3G and 3Gs were named due to the radio tech, the 4 should have been named with the radio tech as well.
mikhael 14y ago
While I think this makes sense, I've often had the feeling that there's a keeping-up-with-the-Jones' aspect to having an iPhone, driving people to get the new models based on comparison -- "Which iPhone do you have? 3G? Oh, mine is 3GS." How would this play out without labels? "Oh, you have a new iPad? Mine is new, I bought it 6 months ago. Oh, is yours a new new iPad?"
dmbass 14y ago
I think the iPhones are named so as to be easily tiered. Right now Apple sells iPhones at 3 price points (minus extra storage models for the highest end). 3GS at $0, 4 at $99, and 4S at $199. The 5 will likely bump the 4 out and move the 4S in to take it's place at the $99 tier.
- alttab 14y ago
  No, what is more probable is that the hardware was different enough to need to change it. iPhone3g and iPhone 3GS had different hardware and software that some apps Bly worked for the 3GS. Going to the iPhone 4 had retina display which makes a big difference. iPad 2 had 2 cameras and FaceTime which changed the experience of the device. The mistake they made wih the ipad3 was that it came we a better display and that is what people wanted but they didn't signify he difference in the product name. The reason this wasn't as important for the MacBooks is your everyday layman end user couldn't tell large differences between iterations other than body style which doesn't really change its capability all that much. Apple doesn't emphasize mobile specs so those differences wouldn't stand out as much as hardware and feature set.

rdl 14y ago

I call mine iPad (Early 2012), which is also how you refer to MacBooks (e.g. MacBook Pro 17 (Mid 2010)). There's also the model identifier like "Model Identifier: MacBookAir4,2" but other than developers, no one uses that.

joe_the_user 14y ago

It makes me curious, what will the next iPad after "The New iPad" will be called? And how will Apple refer to "The New iPad" after it is, uh, old. It reminds me of the eighties. "Star Trek, the Next Generation" is now many generations behind...

achompas 14y ago
They'll do what they do with their Macs. Today's iPad will become "iPad (early 2012)."
eridius 14y ago
It will also be the new iPad. Note the lack of quotation marks. The current iPad is not named "The New iPad", it's just "iPad".

davidmp 14y ago

The article misses the obvious comparison to the Mac line. Over time people will naturally refer to them by the year they were released.

jameshsi 14y ago
Interesting point. I think that's also due to some influence on Apple's part, because Macs were never released with sequential numbers like the iPhone. I'd suspect Apple is purposefully trying to disassociate the iPad with the iPhone and realigning it with the Mac line by changing naming conventions. If that's the case, this post is pretty good evidence that it hasn't really worked out so far.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- jasomill 14y ago
  Right, except for the fact that Apple lists it as "iPad (3rd Generation)", not "iPad (Early 2012)", so if you're right, they're trying to align it with the iPod rather than the Mac. Simple product line => simple names => simplified purchasing experience. No need to read anything more into it. Generally speaking, I referred to my iPad 2 as an "iPad", and when not in the process of purchasing accessories or arranging repairs, I commonly call my "MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)" a "MacBook", "Mac", or, most frequently, "computer", in line with the common practice of most everybody I know, technically-inclined or otherwise, unless there's some need to either disambiguate or brag.
- mbrubeck 14y ago
  > because Macs were never released with sequential numbers like the iPhone. Except, you know, the Macintosh II... Or the Mac LC (followed by the Mac LC II and then the Mac LC III)... Or the original Power Macintosh models (like the 6100, followed by the 6200, 6300, 6400)... And then the PowerMac G3 (followed by the G4 and the G5)... Apple has changed from numbered to unnumbered model names (and back) before.
  - 14y ago

oakwhiz 14y ago

If you can't name your product, your consumers will name it for you.

SoftwareMaven 14y ago

Apple is trying to move the iPad in the same direction as the Macbook and iMac. You don't buy a MacBook Air 14e. You buy a MacBook Air. When you sell it, you sell a 2011 MacBook Air. When you say you bought a new Ford Mustang, people know what you are (generally) talking about (with the occasional "new to me" confusion for good measure). And, yes, it is confusing, especially since Apple is the one who started it with the iPad 2. Ford also differentiates its models with "2012".

adventureful 14y ago

I find it fascinating how little attention this huge branding mistake has gotten. It was extraordinarily amateurish on the part of Apple, the kind of mistake I would have expected from Microsoft a few years ago. Except had Microsoft made that mistake, they would have been properly ridiculed for it.

wmf 14y ago
As jaxn said, Apple has been making this "mistake" with Macs for years and it hasn't hurt them.
- TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
  And iPods. The iPod touch 1st generation, 2nd generation, 3rd generation, 4th generation were just the "new iPod touch".
- CamperBob2 14y ago
  The problem is, they're still selling the previous-generation models. Assuming they do the same thing with the iPhone 5, calling it only the "new iPhone", the confusion will be even more widespread. Nobody cares with regard to the various Mac refreshes, but it was a customer-unfriendly move in this case.
  - achompas 14y ago
    Really? I mean, the new iPhone will probably have a 4" screen. The current iPhone 4S is 0.5" smaller. Consumer shouldn't have a problem distinguishing them.
eragnew 14y ago
Why is it a mistake? I would be pretty happy if I owned the 'iPad' brand. Seems more valuable than 'the new iPad', IMO. To me, it seems like Apple is simply resetting expectations.
bobbles 14y ago
The branding mistake was calling the second iPad the iPad 2

Jabbles 14y ago

In the keynote Apple referred to it as "iPad", as a proper noun.

richbradshaw 14y ago
And in all their marketing. It's always "with iPad you can", or "on iPad...". An interesting strategy that doesn't seem to have rubbed off on consumers.

moron 14y ago

I was just marveling this morning at how much mental energy is expended on this very thing. Let's just call it the iPad 3 and not worry too much about how closely we match Apple's marketing copy.

qntm 14y ago

They should just give them year numbers. This is the 2012 iPad. Older models are the 2011 iPad and the 2010 iPad. The system is perfectly simple to understand and has planned obsolescence.

notatoad 14y ago
and it's exactly the system that resellers use for mac models. if you're looking for a macbook or an imac or anything you have to search for a year, not a number. the mistake apple made with ipad/iphone branding was not to drop the 1/2/3 numbering scheme, it was to use it in the first place.
Sayter 14y ago
iPad 1 = iPad 2010. iPad 2 = iPad 2011. iPad 3 = iPad 2012. iPhone = iPhone 2007. iPhone 3G = iPhone 2008. iPhone 3GS = iPhone 2009. iPhone 4 = iPhone 2010. iPhone 4S = iPhone 2011. "iPhone 5" = iPhone 2012. Even if Apple were to never refer to them by those names, it's such an obvious naming convention (so far) that it's surprising that so many people are missing it.
- pbhjpbhj 14y ago
  Then they release two models at the same time and your key is not looking so primary any more.

majormajor 14y ago

I just glanced at an iPad 2 and the box it came in, and interestingly I don't see "2" anywhere except for in the small print on the label on the back, by the model number. The back of the iPad just says "iPad" as does the side of the box. So once you actually bought the thing, the branding on the iPod 2 wasn't very 2-centric at all either.

Cushman 14y ago

I have an iPhone 3G and an iPhone 4 here-- they both say "iPhone" on the back. I have an iPad 2 and an iPad 3-- they both say "iPad". I have a MacBook labeled "MacBook", a MacBook Pro labeled "MacBook Pro", and a MacBook Air labeled "MacBook Air". I don't think I've ever owned an Apple product that had a number in the name, not that you'd know from looking at it. Some people just need something to complain about, I guess. It should also be pointed out that Apple consistently does not use the definite article with product names in order to personalize the branding, going back to the first Macintosh. It's not the iPad, just... iPad.

ken 14y ago
The Mac Pro takes this a step further: it doesn't even say "Mac Pro" on itself anywhere, even in fine print on the back. Most people probably couldn't tell you if they were looking at a PowerMac G5 or a Mac Pro, unless they'd used one long enough to remember which drive bays and I/O ports they have (or took the side off to see if it has the giant "G5" CPU covers). The new (Retina) Macbook Pro does the same: the label is gone, at least from the front. I assume this is to make it less 'technical' and more 'appliance'-like: apart from some (old / non-mainstream) hi-fi equipment, no electronic item in my kitchen or living room has a model number visible during normal use, only a brand name or logo.

sneak 14y ago

You are supposed to call it "iPad". Done. If you need to be more specific, the model numbers are as follows: MC705ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 16GB – Black MC706ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 32GB – Black MC707ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 64GB – Black MD366ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 16GB – Black MD367ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 32GB – Black MD368ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 64GB – Black MD328ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 16GB – White MD329ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 32GB – White MD330ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi only 64GB – White MD369ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 16GB – White MD370ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 32GB – White MD371ZP/A – iPad 3 Wi-Fi + 4G 64GB – White They have unique identifiers. The product you walk in to the store and buy is "iPad". What is the question?

sopooneo 14y ago
The question is, "which used iPad are you offering to sell?"
- falling 14y ago
  “which used Porsche 911 are you offering to sell?”
vacri 14y ago
Your list explicitly uses the term "iPad 3", not "iPad". So the question is: if you want to buy an aftermarket device, do you really have to search for items where the same form factor has a dozen variants? I've had this problem previously, where I've had a laptop with an uncommon variant number, and finding parts for it required finding someone else's variant number to search on.

saurik 14y ago

The term "iPad (3rd generation)" is not "vigilante", it is simply dis-preferred. That name actually came from Apple: it is how they describe the product on their support website (where it is, of course, necessary to be exact). http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5176 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5176 (Although I might even argue that it is dis-preferred: when you go to a dealer to get a new car, you get the "2012 Chevy Cruze LT", but when you advertise it as Chevrolet you might simply say "the new Cruze is the most powerful yet". I do not know if Apple actually provides specific guidance to not use the "3rd generation" terminology.)

joshstrange 14y ago

> Long live the iPad 3, The new iPad is dead! Uh, shouldn't that be: "The new iPad is dead. Long live the iPad3!"? If they were not attempting to riff off of: "The King is dead. Long live the King." then the sentence really makes no sense. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_is_dead._Long_live_the_King http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_is_dead._Long_live_the....

crazygringo 14y ago

To people saying it makes sense, because Macbooks don't have numbers: It's different, because Macbooks have specs instead. A certain amount of GHz, memory, disk space, HD or SSD, particular ports... the relevant information is in the specifications, which are generally included in advertisements. The model itself doesn't matter so much -- especially because people can upgrade specific aspects of individual models. But iPads/iPhones don't "have" specs, which is a conscious decision on Apple's part. Who knows how much RAM it has, or what its processor speed is? And they're not upgradeable. You can't choose more RAM. So you need some kind of identifier to figure out what the performance is like. Hence, iPhone 3GS or 4 or 4S. "New iPad" is just stupid, as proven by the point that everyone has wound up calling it the iPad 3 anyways. It's as stupid as if Microsoft called Windows 8 "new Windows" or Toyota stopped giving year names to their cars. Just ask: what comes after "new iPad"? I can't even guess.

johntyree 14y ago

Is it me, or are the stories making it to the top of this list getting worse and worse? "Some people have invented an informal name for Apple's latest toy." Great. Which part of this "hacker news" ?

nilsbunger 14y ago

I'm surprised "retina iPad" isn't in the poll... That's what I've been calling it, matching the "retina MacBook pro" convention.

drucken 14y ago

Interestingly, Amazon bypasses the problem by just using the serial number as part of the name: "Apple iPad MD328LL/A (16GB, Wi-Fi, White) NEWEST MODEL by Apple" So, regardless of intent, people will find a way to use precise labels, especially on secondary markets.

s00pcan 14y ago

It's listed as "iPad 3rd generation" under the compatibility section for accessories on the apple store.