No.They won't name something completely new and different after a previous product.
Would Toyota come out with a new luxury flagship and name it the Tercel?
How is it completely new and different? Are you looking at physical attributes or intent?
The original iBook was designed as a computer to be used in educational classroom. If this is a computer than takes elements of the classroom ( books, pen and paper , drawing , note taking , filling out exams , etc. ) into the computer than it serves a very similar purpose.
Its purpose was also to deliver a more affordable portable computer. There
is a huge gap between iPod Touch and MacBook now that is
not being filled by Apple. Again if go back to the original intent it is serving similar purposes. [ Not in the same way though as being a Mac OS X device. However, there is a question really need a Mac OS X device or not. ]
Frankly a 1966 Mustang doesn't look exactly like a 2010 Mustang.
Neither does a 2010 Camaro look exactly like a 1975 one.
Nor did a Thunderbird flashback look exactly like the most popular thunderbird.
I suspect may not want to pigeon hole it as a "book replacement only" device, but then again the original iBook didn't really suffer from that perception when it was released.
I can see if solely look at the final generations of iBook might create confusion, but if you got back to the roots it could be a better targeted solution to the name. Although the lack of "Mac" in the new should be instructive to people at this point to set expectations.