Five
years ago today –– that would be January 27, 2010 –– Apple and then-CEO
Steve Jobs introduced the world to the iPad: A tablet device that many
dismissed as just a a blown-up version of the iPhone.
The
criticisms were loud and voluminous. Popular tech site Gizmodo
published a list of “8 things that suck about the iPad,” including its
lousy keyboard and lack of support for Adobe Flash. Others simply
mocked the funny name, which reminded many of a feminine product.
Boy, were they wrong.
Apple went on to sell millions upon millions of these things.
Two years later, the company spun off a “mini,” 7.9-inch version of the
full-sized iPad, which, six versions later, still sits at 9.7 inches. The iPad mini became an instant hit, overtaking the full-size iPad in sales numbers for a period of time.
iPad’s
latest chapter is its Air series. Channeling the company’s MacBook Air
line, the first iPad Air was introduced in 2013 to glowing reviews as a stunningly thin and speedy version of the original.
