A Brief History
On January 27, 2010, Apple, Incorporated introduced their industry leading line of tablet computers they called the iPad. So successful was their invention, that many variations followed, such as the iPad Mini, the iPad Air, and the iPad Pro. Apple has sold 670 million plus of these handheld computers, so many that the name, “iPad,” has become the more or less accepted generic name for tablet type computers.
Digging Deeper
Many products have so dominated their respective markets that their name has become the generic term for those classes of products. Names such as Q-tip, Kleenex, Jell-O, and Coke rapidly come to mind. Some other iconic brands whose names have become the generic name for that class of products include Band-aid, Thermos, Aspirin, and Popsicle.
Some names that you might not even realize started as the brand name of a product include Escalator and Bubble Wrap. Were you aware that Chapstick, Linoleum, and Crock Pot are actually brand names? How about Yo-Yo, Ping Pong, and Dumpster? Yes, even the humble Dumpster, infamous for fires, was invented by the Dempster Brothers back in 1936.
Can you guess what product will next achieve generic name status?
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What other products deserve to be listed here?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Linzmayer, Owen, and Owen W. Linzmayer. Apple Confidential 2.0: The Definitive History of the World’s Most Colorful Company. No Starch Press, 2004.
TechBoost Publications. iPad Seniors Guide: Stress-Free Steps for Easy Connections: Big Text, Simple Tips, and Foolproof Learning for Non-Tech Users. Independently published, 2025.
The featured image in this article, a photograph by matt buchanan of Steve Jobs announcing the first generation of iPad, 2010, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
