Apple Purchased iSlate.com in 2007. Apple's New Tablet Called iSlate?

[MacFly123]

iSlate isn't totally horrible. Would have liked iPad better. It doesn't have the same ring as iPhone. Anyway what's in a name?

There is no way they would call it iPad because people would say it and think you are saying iPod. Too close, too much confusion.

iSlate sounds ok and it makes sense since there isn't really another option. MacBook Nano, it is not a book, it doesn't fold, MacPad sounds like a tampon lol. And the 'i' isn't worn out because it is a key distinguisher of Apple branding. People will automatically think Apple when they hear iSlate. It may be a little bit awkward, but after a while we won't think twice and will all be use to it.

iPod must have sounded a little odd when the product first came out too.

iSlate also makes sense because it sets it apart from the iPod, iPhone, and Macs as its own product line. I wouldn't be surprised if they really do call it this for the reasons I have stated.

 

[tombeck]

MacTablet.

That's why you're not the head of marketing at Apple...

My Money's on MacBook Touch, unless it turns out to be an e-reader type product.

Merry Christmas Everyone

You gonna be broke. its simply not a MacBook in any form.

 

[3goldens]

will one be able to use it as a phone as well, this is the question to be answered!

I would say not to avoid conflicts with other products, and I am sure the mobile phone carriers would prefer adding as many lines to ones account as possible!

 

[badmac78]

MacSlate

The only thing I can think of when I say iSlate is the MadTV skit.

I am not the head of Apple marketing, but a change up would be nice; other than using "i" for future products.

MacSlate would work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE

 

[Pilgrim1099]

Ah, yes. Kubrick's referred film is a classic.

"Open the pod bay doors, Hal"

Totally agree. But the word iSlate represents more of the device's capabilities than "iBook."

iSlate resembles the 2001 monolith in symbolism of the theatre screen (the audience), in the very same way a slate (dark piece of flat material) does for a universal LCD. Make of that what you want.

After all, the iPod was inspired by said film's space pods, which were one-man, detachable, miniaturized versions of the mother ship (Discovery/iMac). The glossy white plastics and circular motifs even made it to the iPod.

The iSlate is Apple's monolith. It could be Apple's toned down way of saying "this is our masterstroke" to use the control of digital media and multitouch as the PC war endgame.

 

[tombeck]

Come on now everybody, I like the "iPad" best so far

too similar to iPod. people would get confused. I mean, they couldn't handle 2-button-mice :-D

Why not called it "Newton 2"? Apple could bring back the same name, or even called it "Newton".

they will not ever re-use that name. ever. the product named "Apple Newton" utterly failed in the market.

Steve Jobs has gone on record stating that the "Mac" monicker will never retire. In fact, he's gone as far as to hint of expanding upon "Mac" even further.

he also publicly said he would milk it for all it was worth and then move on to the next great thing (hint: iPod, iPhone)

 

[3282868]

The only thing I can think of when I say iSlate is the MadTV skit.

I am not the head of Apple marketing, but a change up would be nice; other than using "i" for future products.

MacSlate would work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE

I loved that skit! "Let's move on to our next project, the iRan"

 

[Argonic]

Not so a good name in my opinion but I never buy something because it has a good or a bad name, it's the quality that counts. That's what stands for

 

[Avatar74]

The word "Slate" evokes a lot of history as to how we humans have expressed ourselves in written language... dating back to hieroglyphics and cuneiform.

I think that is a great idea, whether they call it the Apple Slate or iSlate... though from a branding perspective it seems their ultramobile devices are prefixed with "i"... e.g. iPod, iPhone, etc. and their devices not solely focused on mobile communications are branded Apple or Mac.

 

[inkswamp]

they will not ever re-use that name. ever. the product named "Apple Newton" utterly failed in the market.

Common misconception. The Newton didn't take the world by storm but it wasn't a failure. If you think that, then ask yourself why Apple made so many models. Doesn't make sense, does it? If it had "utterly failed in the market" then why did they keep making newer and better models?

From what I've read, the Newton was a success largely in the medical industry, a market that Apple didn't understand and didn't know how to serve. It would have required a lot of time and money for Apple to get a grip on a whole new industry like that. When Jobs returned to Apple, the financial situation was dire and he needed to cut some projects that were not essential. The Newton was axed because they didn't have the resources at that time to pursue where it was going not because it was a failure.

 

[cmaier]

Common misconception. The Newton didn't take the world by storm but it wasn't a failure. If you think that, then ask yourself why Apple made so many models. Doesn't make sense, does it? If it had "utterly failed in the market" then why did they keep making newer and better models?

From what I've read, the Newton was a success largely in the medical industry, a market that Apple didn't understand and didn't know how to serve. It would have required a lot of time and money for Apple to get a grip on a whole new industry like that. When Jobs returned to Apple, the financial situation was dire and he needed to cut some projects that were not essential. The Newton was axed because they didn't have the resources at that time to pursue where it was going not because it was a failure.

All true. They still won't likely use the name because it is a "common misconception" that the product was a failure, and businesses don't like to associate their products with names that connote failure.

 

[iZac]

iSlate sounds a pretty uncomfortable name, i'd recon that this is only a defensive name aquisution.

 

[kcroy]

How about:
iSL8 (I'm kidding.)

or

AppSlate (The "app" could be for both Apple and the applications you run on it.
You can't use "book" anymore since it doesn't open.
"pod" certainly was unique for the music players and now there is an entire line of them.
I think Apple is absolutely going to make a variety of these "slates" with different capacity and features so the names will vary as well. I think you will see names eventually LIKE: iSlate Nano, iSlate Classic, iSlate Pro
With different models I think it is important for the root to be one syllable like "pod" making it two syllables with the "i" = iPod, iSlate, iPhone,iMac. iTablet would be three syllables. And there are already "tablets".

 

[Cleverboy]

iSlate sounds a pretty uncomfortable name, i'd recon that this is only a defensive name aquisution.

Exactly, right, although that sharp observation alone will hardly stem the flood of chatter. Prediction: iSlate isn't the name. The name is "Slate". Period. "iSlate" is simply a defensive name acquisition in case problems or complications with the "slate" name arise. Like iPod.com and iPhone.com do not have websites, they simply go to apple.com/itunes and apple.com/iphone respectively (except that Apple has a new "redirection" scheme that marks their incoming domain traffic). iSlate.com will redirect to apple.com/slate, and hardly anyone will care. Apple acquired iPhone.com after the iPhone's launch. I'm sure someone made out like a bandit (they'd started advertising competing phones at one point, which I thought was funny).

http://guides.macrumors.com/Apple_Domain_Names

Edit:

After reading this...
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/25/apple-islate-trademark-and-what-is-a-magic-slate/

Ug. Highly believable evidence is pointing to iSlate truly being THE name and not a defensive registration. Were I running a site like MacRumors, I would not have the objectivity not to see the evidence and still sit in disbelief and doubt. iSlate as a name has two rather glaring issues with it. #1., it contains "is late", which makes it highly ridicule worthy (Apple finally got around to create a netbook category product, and predictably it "is late"). #2. iSlate, sounds like "i-so-late" when pronounced. There is virtually NO phonetic difference between "iSlate" and "isolate" when employing text-to-speech technology. It is purely a context driven distinction for a made-up word. You can say it over and over, and there's no getting around it, unless you pause momentarily on the "i", which is awkward and lame if use in any advertising. What a shame. Apple is better than bad naming problems. I don't understand this.

~ CB

 

[3282868]

iSlate and iSlate Pro may be decent names respectively for the rumored 7" and 9" models. The name may also be contingent upon the exact "version" of OS X runs the device (iPhone versus Mac OS X).

 

[rgarjr]

iBlet

 

[achtung!]

iSlate is an awful name. i'm already seeing jokes with iSlave or iSlut.
bad. bad. bad.
i really hope that's not the name.

cheers

 

[andrewmmc]

It's just a possibility

This doesn't mean that the new tablet will be called iSlate. Given the product has been in development for years, there will have been a number of different alternative product names brought up as ideas for the real name. When that list was created, they will have immediately bought the domains they needed for each as contingency. iSlate seems like a name that would absolutely be on a list of ideas for the name, but probably won't make it through as the final idea. Or equally it could be part of a general acquisition of domain names of possible future product names beginning with the Apple signature 'i'.

 

[jawporta]

i, i, i

I am so sick of the iNames. enough already.

 

[Jeff.L]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7C144 Safari/528.16)

Detractors will call it "is late"

 

[Compile 'em all]

iSlate is an awful name. i'm already seeing jokes with iSlave or iSlut.
bad. bad. bad.
i really hope that's not the name.

cheers

You seem to be forgetting about the iPood jokes.

iSlate is a fine name. Don't see how iSlate could possibly sound like isolate.

 

[RogueWarrior65]

Booooooooo!!!

iSlate?!? Feh.

how about "i-somethingfarcooler-butstilldoesn'thaveOLED"

 

[cmaier]

You seem to be forgetting about the iPood jokes.

iSlate is a fine name. Don't see how iSlate could possibly sound like isolate.

Most people make the "so" syllable very short, and in many parts of the US the two words are pronounced:

I-se'late
I-suh late

the difference is subtle. Of course steve jobs says jag-you-are, so he may not realize this.

 

[dernhelm]

I don't get all the iSlate == is late jokes. Apple never announced the product, so no one outside of Apple could consider it "late". If there were internal dates that were missed, then people _inside_ of Apple might be able to consider it "late", but Apple doesn't really work that way.

You could possibly consider it late, by virtue of the fact that everyone else seems to have a netbook form factor product. And if Apple released a "me too" netbook, you'd have a point. If that happens, then go ahead and make your silly jokes. But you can't consider it "late" if it is truly game changing.

Something tells me it will be - one way or another.

 

[powers74]

iSlate

This is interesting. "Slate" is an outdated term for small, individual chalkboards used by schoolchildren in the 1800s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_(writing)

It was replaced by the coming of cheap paper. Given that this rumored produced is supposedly going to replace paper publications, it would almost be poetic to give it this name. Paper replaces slate and eventually the Slate replaces paper...

And this is definitely the level that /Steve think at