¶ iPad Neue

The New iPad. Plain and simple. To the point. This is not a name that is inappropriate, as iPad HD would have implied — HD doesn’t do the chief quality of the new device justice. This is also not a name implying succession, as iPad 3 would have.

No, this name has a distinct purpose. Not to merely be the next in an already established lineage, but to set a new standard for the forthcoming lineage. The New iPad.

There is — usually — a lot of thought that goes into a name. My wife and I, when she was pregnant with our son, chose a name with purpose. We wanted him to know that great care and meticulous detail was put into his name. I hope the meaning of his name serves as a guide for him throughout his life.

Many people have been complaining about the name Apple chose for the latest iPad yesterday — that it is simply “iPad” or, if you will, “the new iPad”. Well, much like my wife and I thought long and hard about the character and message we wanted our son’s name to impress upon him as he ages, I have to believe the people at Apple took the same care with naming something so dear to their hearts. Why do I think this? It’s what Tim Cook said in his closing at yesterday’s event (strong emphasis is mine):

“Only Apple could deliver this kind of innovation, in such a beautiful, integrated, and easy-to-use way. It’s what we love to do. It’s what we stand for. And across the year, you’re going to see a lot more of this kind of innovation. We are just getting started.”

These people are not just software and hardware engineers. No, they are artists, and aluminum, silicon, glass, bits, and pixels are the vehicle through which they express their craft.

The new iPad improves upon the past in the field of vision, and it does this primarily in two ways. The improved optics of the camera, putting on par with the iPhone, and the Retina display. It can capture what you see, and show it to you in a way that will move you to wonderment.

Everything else the new iPad brings — super-fast mobile data, faster graphics, more efficient Bluetooth, — that’s all on the inside. It’s impressive to some, but many will not think of these things.

What we see is what we will remember. This is the new foundation Apple will build upon.