This document provides a summary and rebuttal of negative media coverage surrounding the launch of Apple's iPad. It begins with an overview of Apple's marketing strategies and history of presenting products as "magical." It then addresses two common questions: whether a market exists for tablets given past failures, and whether the iPad is just a larger iPod/iPhone. The document argues that previous tablets failed to address portability and usability, whereas the iPad has potential to set new standards and succeed by building on Apple's track record of transforming product categories.

1.
Apple
iPad
Source:
1
Prepared
for:
Apple
Employees,
Executives
&
Representatives
By
Janaki
Douillard
Date
April
3,
2010

2.
iPad
Media
White
Paper
1Apple’s
newest
product
the
Apple
iPad
iPad,
albeit
surrounded
by
much
hype,
has
been
the
target
of
an
uncomfortable
amount
of
negative
media
coverage.
This
negative
coverage
if
left
unanswered
could
result
in
the
loss
of
potential
profits
and
the
possible
failure
of
the
iPad
altogether.
This
paper
will
address
these
concerns
by
starting
with
a
history
of
Apple’s
past
and
current
marketing
strategies.
Then
it
will
refute
the
negative
claims
about
the
iPad
in
the
order
of
general
questions
to
Source:
http://www.apple.com/
hardware
and
then
to
software
questions
because
the
questions
build
on
the
previous
answers.
Marketing
Plan
Many
pointed
questions
addressing
iPad
features
and
functionality
are
likely
to
be
asked
because
of
the
novelty
and
also
because
of
Apple’s
current
marketing
plan.
This
plan
consists
of
presenting
the
iPad
as
a
“magical
and
revolutionary
product”2
and
focusing
on
solely
the
potential
lifestyle
and
“A
Magical
benefits
it
can
provide.
In
general,
this
type
of
marketing
campaign
works
well
for
Apple
and
Revolutionary
products,
but
in
order
to
ensure
a
complete
Product”
positive
representation
of
the
iPad,
talking
points
will
ensure
that
all
Apple
representatives
are
repeating
accurate
information
to
consumers.
Apple
Marketing
History
A
positive
holistic
public
perception
of
the
iPad
from
all
departments
and
Apple
affiliates
can
be
crucial
to
the
success
of
this
product
especially
given
that
tablets
are
still
a
very
new
type
of
product.
“What
really
is
a
tablet?”
Is
it
the
size?
Touch
Screen?
Stylus?
This
controversy
could
be
answered
with
the
successful
launch
of
the
iPad
by
setting
the
standard
for
what
consumers
expect
out
of
a
tablet.
As
some
people
may
remember,
the
launch
of
the
Apple
Newton
PDA
failed
in
large
part
due
1
Cover
Page:
http://www.komonews.com/
2
Apple,
Inc.,
“iPad.”
http://www.apple.com/
1

3.
to
the
surrounding
ridicule
by
comedians
for
supposed
inaccurate
handwriting
recognition3.
As
you
can
see,
perception
can
hugely
influence
the
success
or
failure
of
a
product.
Apple’s
First
PDA:
the
Newton
History
of
Tablets
The
history
of
failure
for
tablets
would
make
one
assume
that
they
are
not
a
worthwhile
pursuit
for
Apple.
Some
of
the
most
popular
tablets
introduced
to
the
market
have
been
the
Wacom
Tablet,
the
Lenovo
ThinkPad
and
the
Fijitsu
Lifebook
Tablet;
but
these
never
truly
took
off.
Their
failure
has
been
largely
due
to
their
bulkiness
and
inability
to
address
a
need
for
something
more
portable
and
similarly
capable
to
a
laptop.
As
Lev
Grossman
in
his
Times
Magazine
iPad
review
said
“Jobs
likes
nothing
better
than
frolicking
in
the
graveyard
of
other
companies'
dead
products.
Digital
music
players
had
been
around
for
years
before
Source:
http://www.walletpop.com/
Apple
made
the
iPod.”4
Apple
has
a
knack
for
making
products
consumer
friendly
and
the
iPad
has
the
potential
to
make
that
happen
for
tablets.
General
Questions
Steve
Job's
Keynote
Slide
Essentially,
two
overarching
questions
seem
to
be
continually
repeated
throughout
the
press.
First,
what
is
the
market
for
a
tablet
computer
such
as
the
iPad?
Second,
is
the
iPad
just
an
oversized
iPod
Touch
or
iPhone?
Addressing
if
there
is
a
market
for
a
tablet
computer
or
iPad
is
a
tricky
question
because
of
the
history
of
tablet
Source:
http://www.youtube.com/
computer
failures.
There
are
many
reasons
these
previous
3
Derek
Slater,
and
Joe
Sullivan.
"Good
idea,
bad
timing."
CIO,
August
15,
2001,
129-­‐130.
http://www.proquest.com
(accessed
April
26,
2010).
4
Lev
Frossman,
April
1,
2010.
“Do
we
need
the
iPad?
A
TIME
Review.”
https://www.times.com,
Accessed
April
3,
2010.
2

4.
devices
failed,
ranging
from
inadequate
operating
systems,
unresponsive
touch
screens
to
poor
battery
life
and
unreasonable
weight
but
the
iPad
redefines
the
what
a
tablet
is
and
what
users
want
from
this
device.5
Apple
iPad
Market
iPad
iBooks
App
Steve
Jobs,
Apple
CEO,
explained
in
his
iPad
Keynote
that
Apple
believes
there
is
room
for
a
new
category
of
device
between
smart
phones
[iPhones]
and
laptop
computers
[MacBooks]
if
it
does
some
key
functions
better
than
either
alternative.
These
functions
include
browsing
the
web,
email,
viewing
and
sharing
photos,
watching
videos,
listening
to
music,
playing
games
and
reading
books
(eBooks).
Apple
is
confident
that
the
iPad
does
at
least
these
seven
functions
better
than
its
mobile
counterparts.
Interesting
examples
of
markets
already
currently
experimenting
with
the
iPad’s
functionality
are
travelers
and
students.
A
pilot
program,
at
Alexander
Dawson
School
in
Colorado,
is
providing
iPads
to
their
5th
and
6th
grade
classes
as
an
experimental
learning
Source:
http://www.apple.com/
program.
This
preliminary
test
group
will
provide
important
information
on
the
benefits
of
this
technology
in
a
classroom
environment,
which
is
valuable
data
for
Apple,
Columbia
University,
University
of
Colorado,
the
Educational
Records
Bureau
and
potentially
many
others.6
The
advantage
for
students
is
the
replacement
of
heavy
backpacks
full
of
textbooks
and
notebooks
with
a
small
1.5lb
iPad
that
will
contain
all
the
necessary
texts
as
well
as
all
class
notes.
Apple
iPad
Innovation?
iPhone
supersized
=
iPad?
The
other
big
question
being
thrown
around
about
how
different
the
iPad
is
from
the
iPhone
or
iPod
Touch
can
be
addressed
through
a
deeper
understanding
of
the
apps
available
specifically
to
the
iPad.
“Apps”
is
short
for
“Applications”
and
Apple
has
Source:
http://www.dump.com/
coined
this
abbreviation
to
specifically
mean
applications
that
can
be
downloaded
directly
onto
their
iPhone,
5
Jim
Raposa,
14
January,
2010.
“Tablets,
Slates
Have
Been
Tried
Before
and
Failed
Before—Why
is
Now
Different.”
http://www.eweek.com.
Accessed
5
April,
2010.
6
Vanessa
Miller.
“Lafayette’s
Alexander
Dawson
School
swapping
books
for
iPads.”
Daily
Camera,
6
April
2010;
available
from
http://www.dailycamera.com;
Internet,
accessed
11
April
2010.
3

5.
IPod
Touch
or
iPad
product.
The
feature
that
many
of
these
new
apps
are
able
to
take
advantage
of
is
the
“oversized”
or
larger
display,
but
there
are
also
other
invaluable
hardware
advances
that
run
in
the
background
to
support
these
new
apps’
seamless
performance
like
the
increased
hard
drive
capacity,
faster
processor
and
longer
battery
life.
The
iPad
supports
a
maximum
hardware
capacity
of
64GB,
which
is
a
significant
increase
from
the
iPhone’s
maximum
of
32GB7.
Some
of
the
apps
that
are
currently
exclusive
to
the
iPad
are
iBooks
(Apple
eBooks
Store
and
Reader),
the
iWorks
Suite
which
has
been
redesigned
specifically
for
the
screen
size
and
processor
capacity
of
iPad,
and
various
new
3rd
party
apps.
Some
such
apps
include
The
Wall
Street
Journal,
E*Trade
Mobile
Pro,
and
games
like
Asphalt
5
(car
racing)
and
Scrabble.
Hardware
Questions
A
few
specifically
hardware
questions
that
have
been
circulating
do
not
have
answers
that
are
readily
available,
which
is
why
a
predetermined
response
is
very
important.
Some
of
these
questions
include
topics
like
sunlight
glare,
battery
life,
USB
port,
and
Camera
availability.
Sunlight
Glare
iPad
Antiglare
Screen
Protector
LCD
screens
are
known
for
being
less
than
average
in
the
sunlight
and
when
compared
to
other
eBook
readers
like
the
Kindle
or
the
Sony
eReader,
many
critics
love
to
point
out
that
their
electronic-­‐ink
displays
read
just
like
paper
so
there
is
no
glare
in
the
sunlight.
Although
the
technology
doesn’t
exist
yet
for
perfect
outdoor
LCD
viewing,
there
are
available
anti-­‐glare
Source:
http://www.dhgate.com/
screen
protectors
that
cut
down
the
sunlight
glare
significantly
and
serve
as
a
great
solution.
Anti-­‐glare
screens
work
by
reflecting
the
light
wave
back
on
top
of
itself
at
a
half
wavelength
difference
which
negates
the
wave
altogether8.
Battery
Some
critics
have
experienced
battery
lives
longer
than
Apple’s
advertised
10
hours
but
there
are
still
questions
as
to
what
specific
tasks
yield
different
battery
lives.9
7
Apple,
Inc.,
“iPad
Tech
Specs.”
http://www.apple.com/
8
Brian
M.
DeBroff
MD,
and
Patricia
J.
Pahk
MD.
"The
ability
of
periorbitally
applied
antiglare
products
to
improve
contrast
sensitivity
in
conditions
of
sunlight
exposure."
Arch
Ophthalmol,
121,
July
2003,
129-­‐130.
http://www.archophthalmol.com/
(accessed
April
26,
2010).
9
Walt
Mossberg,
“iPad
More
Than
an
Oversized
iPod
Touch.”
Wall
Street
Journal.
Accessed
March
29,
2010.
https://online.wsj.com
4

6.
The
guaranteed
10
hours
is
for
any
task
and
this
can
be
extended
all
the
way
up
to
a
month
the
a
sleep
or
standby
setting.
USB
port
The
fact
that
there
is
no
USB
port
on
the
iPad
has
created
substantial
outcry,
but
the
iPad
is
intended
to
be
a
modified
version
of
a
computer
and
not
a
full
functioning
computer
itself.
The
incorporation
of
a
USB
port
would
mean
a
thicker,
heavier
device
and
new
operating
system
functionality
in
order
to
support
file
saving
of
which
common
USB
devices
like
flash
drives
operate
with.
All
of
these
additions
would
create
an
increase
in
the
iPad’s
already
controversial
price.
WebCam
&
Camera
Although
video
chat
programs
like
Skype
have
become
increasingly
popular,
the
iPad
does
not
come
equipped
with
a
webcam.
Eagle-­‐eyed
followers
like
Wired.com
have
noticed
that
Apple
is
hiring
a
quality-­‐performance
iPad
thinks
it
had
a
Camera
engineer
for
the
iPad
Media
division
to
“test
still,
video
and
audio
capture
and
playback”
and
that
the
existing
iPad
has
a
“take
picture”
button
within
Contact
book
implying
that
even
the
iPad
thinks
it
has
a
camera.10
The
camera
feature
is
obviously
a
work
in
progress
and
is
something
that
maybe
available
in
a
2nd
generation
version
of
the
iPad.
As
with
many
other
possible
features,
keeping
the
price
relatively
low
was
a
big
Source:
http://www.wired.com/
concern
with
releasing
a
new
category
of
product
so
that
it
may
be
immediately
available
to
a
large
percent
of
the
population.
Software
Questions
Adobe
Flash
Probably
the
largest
and
most
controversial
software
question
that
abounds
is
Apple’s
decision
to
not
support
Adobe
Flash
on
either
its
iPhones
or
iPod
Touches
and
now
the
iPad.
The
nasty
speculation
circulating
on
the
web
regarding
Apple’s
cold
shoulder
for
Flash,
for
example
rumors
that
Apple
is
unwilling
to
relinquish
Brian
X.
Chen.
9
Feb.
2010.
“Apple
Job
Posting
Hints
at
Webcam
in
Future
iPad.”
http://www.wired.com;
accessed
11
April
10
2010.
5

7.
complete
dominance
over
the
software
of
their
products11,
makes
a
real
explanation
critical.
Steve
Jobs
explains
that
the
incorporation
of
Flash
on
the
iPad
would
reduce
battery
life
from
10
hours
to
1.5
hours
and
that
Flash
is
the
#1
cause
for
crashes
on
Mac
Computers.12
Apple
wants
to
provide
the
most
enjoyable
web
browsing
experience,
but
the
frustration
with
crashing,
high
CPU
usage
and
dramatically
reduced
battery
life
would
be
irritating
at
a
minimum
to
consumers.
iBooks
Another
concern
raised
about
the
iBooks
Children's
Books
in
Full
Color
iPad
is
how
similar
the
iBooks
app
is
to
Amazon’s
Kindle.
One
of
the
major
reasons
the
iBooks
app
unique
is
the
full
color
9.7”
LCD
display.
Readers
will
now
be
able
to
view
books,
like
textbooks
and
children’s
books,
that
have
colorful
images.
Both
markets
have
been
largely
ignored
or
neglected
by
the
Kindle
and
Sony
eReader
because
of
their
limitation
to
black
and
white
electronic-­‐ink
screens.
Textbooks
on
the
iPad,
as
mentioned
above,
are
not
only
a
unique
opportunity
for
students,
but
could
revolutionize
newspapers,
Source:
http://www.apple.com/
magazines
and
comics.
Operating
System
A
last
large
software
concern
that
has
been
brought
up
is
the
limited
iPad
operating
system.
Apple’s
concept
is
that
the
iPad
is
intended
to
make
computing
easier,
faster
and
more
enjoyable
than
on
other
operating
systems.
The
iPad
has
been
compared
to
cars
using
an
automatic
transmission
instead
of
manual.
Automatic
cars
still
shift
but
it
is
done
without
the
driver’s
attention
to
it.
Similarly,
the
iPad
operating
system
still
has
a
“The
iPad
is
like
hierarchical
file
system
but
users
aren’t
required
to
navigate
it.13
Similarly,
there
are
tradeoffs
and
Automatic
experts
often
enjoy
the
control
of
a
more
hands-­‐on
Transmission
system,
but
for
the
modern
day
casual
user,
the
iPad
OS
is
a
much
more
enjoyable
interface.
for
Computers”
11
Brian
X.
Chen.
17
Nov.
2008.
“Why
Apple
won’t
allow
Adobe
Flash
on
the
iPhone.”
http://www.wired.com;
accessed
11
Apr.
2010.
12
Betsy,
Schiffman.
2
April,
2010.
“Apple’s
iPad
Snubs
‘Lazy’
Adobe
and
Flash.”
http://www.dailyfinance.com;
accessed
4
April,
2010.
13
John
Gruber.
28
Jan.
2010.
“Various
and
Assorted
Thoughts
and
Observations
Regarding
the
Just-­‐Announced
iPad.”
http://www.dailyfinance.com;
accessed
4
April,
2010.
6

8.
Conclusion
It
is
imperative
that
Apple
executives,
employees
and
affiliates
are
capable
of
clearly
and
concisely
addressing
these
various
questions
circulating
the
web
and
press.
In
an
effort
to
prepare
Apple
employees
for
the
inevitable
encounters
where
they
will
be
questioned
on
and
off
the
clock;
this
paper
discussed
the
doubts
and
misconceptions
that
the
Apple
marketing
team
determined
to
be
the
most
common.
Employees
and
executives
alike
should
study
these
answers
in
order
to
use
them
as
talking
points
that
can
be
repeated
and
discussed
whenever
they
might
be
asked
about
the
Apple
iPad.
Accuracy,
standardization
and
clarity
in
discussing
and
presenting
the
iPad
is
critical
to
its
success.
7