Today in Apple history: Stephen Colbert shows off iPad early at Grammys
Today in Apple history: Stephen Colbert shows off iPad early at Grammys
Cult of Mac | News Desk
February 1, 2010: The tech-loving world goes into meltdown at the sight of comedian Stephen Colbert using a prerelease iPad to read nominations during the televised Grammy Awards show.
"Jay-Z, did you not get one of these in your gift bag?" Colbert quips from the stage.
"Am I cooler than you?" The celebrity sneak peek is all part of Apple's big (and wildly successful) plan to hype its upcoming tablet.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs had just shown off the iPad publicly for the first time a few days earlier on January 27.
Since Apple's secrecy ensured that virtually no outsiders had seen the iPad by the time Jobs unveiled it, the deal with Colbert came about incredibly quickly.
"I saw [Apple] announce it, and I went, 'God, I want one of those,'" Colbert later told reporters.
Send me one and I'll take it out of my pocket [onstage].' By the way, it's gone -- I don't get to keep it.
They handed it to me backstage, took it out, and I handed it to them when I got offstage.
It's awesome." The high-profile showcase serves as a reminder of just how cool the original iPad appeared at the time.
And how -- unlike stunts such as Samsung's mass selfie with the Galaxy Note a few years later at the Oscars -- it felt like a genuine moment, rather than a bit of viral marketing.
The first-gen iPad went on sale a few months later on April 3, 2010.
It quickly became the fastest-selling new Apple product line of all time, taking less than a month to sell 1 million units.
And it went on to sell around 25 million units in just over a year.
More than a decade and a half later, the iPad continues to evolve.
The iPad lineup has grown to include iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini and the ever-more-capable entry-level iPad.
And Apple's tablet just keeps getting lighter and more powerful.
(For more info, see Cult of Mac's handy buying guide: How to choose the right iPad for you.) Do you remember the iPad's night out at the Grammys? Leave your comments below..
Source
https://www.cultofmac.com/apple-history/colbert-ipad-grammys
