They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in this case, it’s the word within the picture that makes it a truly interesting conversation piece.
In July 2001, Macworld Magazine published an article written by Andy Ihnatko titled “Newton’s Ghost” in which Ihnatko makes a case that Apple should challenge Palm with a new handheld device of its own.
And while the article itself is an interesting look at the state of handhelds in 2001, it’s the image that accompanies it that raises eyebrows. The rendering appears to be Macworld’s vision of a new Apple handheld, and it’s name? “iPad,” of course!
Were Ihnatko and Macworld prescient futurists laying the foundation for the future of tablets? Probably not. Did they influence Steve Jobs in naming the iPad? It’s unlikely, but not impossible. Were they just really good guessers? We would say so. (The image’s artist briefly addressed the article on his personal blog: d3d.com/3D/Blog/Entries/2011/1/5_Macworld.html)
In any case, the 2001 article is a very cool look into the past and future at the same time.
The full “Newton’s Ghost” article can be found at: macworld.com/article/1002364/ihnatko.html
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