The iPad for Men only Women will Buy

I guess I just don't follow the right people because I have yet to see a post by a woman in my little universe about the iPad. So here's my point of view:

The name derives from the notepad because it serves a similar function: portable, used for quick reference, jotting down ideas, etc. And yes, it fits with their branding too: iPod, iMac, iPad. However, what put me over the edge was not the name of the product - with its obvious parallels to feminine hygiene products (euphemisms gone wild!) - it was the promotional video I watched on Apple's website on the afternoon of the big announcement.

The promotional video had no women. Period. (No joke intended.) This, despite the fact that the consumers of the iPad will most likely be women, all the presenters and even the "at home" scenarios were spoken and performed by men. Being a "tech" woman - I understand this. Being a woman who teaches engineers - I understand this. But from a marketing to consumer perspective - why eliminate us?

I would have no problem fitting the iPad into my purse. Although damage to the device is always a concern, I usually have no pant pockets to put a cell or an iPhone anyway. I like the way I could show concepts and websites to clients while we work on projects. It would also be a very powerful tool at an initial client meeting to win business. Why not show how business women (and men) can gain an advantage? It's obvious! Are they trying too hard to make it a "legitimate" home computing option in a hard core tech gaming universe? Too soon to tell.

But if the iPad fits into my world - a woman's world - it wasn't named, presented or marketed to me very effectively.