Yesterday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs made the announcement that many of us were waiting for. He unveiled the iPad (was there not ONE woman in the room when possible names were being tossed around?); a slick “tablet” that will do just about everything except your laundry. The crowd went wild (and so did comedians and a bunch of my friends (mostly over the name) and the world was good.
Jobs is notoriously secretive and loves to build suspense, excitement and curiosity. He is the undisputed master showman in the world of technology. If Apple is a cult or religion, Jobs is the savior and messiah. Mac users are but the believers. And in an economy where the jobless are many, Jobs is one of the few who can still manage to thrive and get his followers to surrender their hard earned money in the name of their faith. It’s extraordinary.
But something struck me as very odd yesterday while the world tweeted, blogged and live-streamed this event. Doesn’t Steve Jobs have a calendar? If, as he claims, the iPad is going to revolutionize technology, publishing and even the world, wouldn’t Jobs have been smarter about choosing the date to go public? Did he not realize that Obama’s first state of the union address was going to take place several hours later? To me, this is the story. It seems like an enormous PR fail.
Go to any news website as of last night, and the iPad is not the main story. And the stories of the iPad that appear under the fold are not about the product as much as they are about the unfortunate name choice and the resulting laughs that are coming at its expense. I have no doubt that months from now, few will remember the meat and potatoes of Obama’s speech last night (let alone the gist of it) or that Apple shares will continue to soar and that sales of the iPad will have Jobs laughing all the way to the bank. But I do wonder if Jobs will think about getting his hands on a calendar before making his next big announcement.
Note to Steve Jobs. You need a calendar. There’s an app for that.
QUESTION: Any thoughts on the state of the union address or the unveiling of the iPad?
Artist and freelance writer Patricia A. Smith has led a chameleon life in various corners of the world. She has been a studio lyricist, cruise line executive, columnist and restaurant critic. When she is not questioning everything, she is probably sleeping. Quid Probe Quo is her favorite (and only) child.