Apple has always had an interesting strategy around the release of new products. The story goes like this: Apple confides in “friend” at a major media outlet and then lets information out, unofficially. According to a former Senior Marketing Executive at Apple, the leak strategy is very precise. For example, a high level executive at Apple will ask his PR department to have a phone or in person conversation with a trusted reporter friend and will idly mention specific information that they are allowed to release. The conversation can never happen over email to avoid having a paper trail. This strategy allows Apple to preserve their consistent, official reputation for never talking about unreleased products.

Apple’s strategy is strange but effective as they are able to get a bit of information out to the public without really unveiling anything and can always claim that they had no knowledge of the conversation. Besides that fact that Apple products are at the cutting edge of technology, the level of secrecy that they maintain helps them to maintain their exclusive and elusive reputation, and also creates a huge Media hype when they’re finally released. The recent WSJ article was interesting because it involved two journalists providing an extra layer and the ability to point fingers among who knew what. The story was also posted late in the evening EST so it would have no effect on the day’s trading.

The unveiling of the iPad is also newsworthy for other reasons, such as the name which has started a major outlast among those finding ways to relate the new product to feminine hygiene products. The iPad became the most popular topic on twitter as people not only discussed the name of the product (complete with clever innuendos such as iTampon/Max-iPad), but also reviewed the new product to see how it will fair amongst other tablets, notebooks and portable computers. While the name may be the brunt of a few jokes, everyone will forget the jokes if the product does what Steve Jobs promises.

I personally can’t wait to try it out. I need a new computer now that my personal HP laptop is infested with viruses, and I’m trying to determine what capabilities I need in a new device.  The iPad will be similar to the iPhone in that it will run third party applications downloadable from their own store, but it also runs on a similar operating system which means that you can’t use multiple programs at once and it doesn’t have flash.

One of the best applications it will have is the iBook e-reader. This application may actually be the savior for as it allows users to read books, magazines and journals electronically, much like Amazon’s Kindle.  While newspapers and print magazines continue to fizzle from existence, publishers need to find ways to embrace the iPad and quickly!

The price tag for the device right now is $499 for the cheapest version, which is much less than some predicted, especially because their least expensive laptop is just under $1000. That being said, it’s really just a larger Itouch based on its operating system and level of capabilities.

I haven’t made my mind up yet about the IPad, or at least the first generation, as I can only imagine that Jobs and Apple will find a way to make better with their later versions.  I will probably go and check one out in March with the rest of the crazed Apple fans, but I won’t be waiting in line in 30 degree weather at 4 a.m.  

Kudos to Apple for another media frenzie!