Stephen Colbert exhibits iPad at Grammys


February 1: Today in Apple history: Stephen Colbert shows off iPad early at the Grammys February 1, 2010: The tech-loving world goes into meltdown on the sight of comic Stephen Colbert utilizing a prerelease iPad to learn nominations throughout the televised Grammy Awards present.

“Jay-Z, did you not get one among these in your reward bag?” Colbert quips from the stage. “Am I cooler than you?”

The superstar sneak peek is all a part of Apple’s large (and wildly profitable) plan to hype its upcoming pill.

Stephen Colbert and the iPad hype machine rock the Grammys

Apple CEO Steve Jobs had simply proven off the iPad publicly for the primary time just a few days earlier on January 27. Since Apple’s secrecy ensured that just about no outsiders had seen the iPad by the point Jobs unveiled it, the take care of Colbert took place extremely rapidly.

“I noticed [Apple] announce it, and I went, ‘God, I need a kind of,’” Colbert later instructed reporters. “I went, ‘I’m opening the Grammys. Ship me one and I’ll take it out of my pocket [onstage].’ By the way in which, it’s gone — I don’t get to maintain it. They handed it to me backstage, took it out, and I handed it to them once I obtained offstage. It’s superior.”

The high-profile showcase serves as a reminder of simply how cool the unique iPad appeared on the time. And the way — in contrast to stunts corresponding to Samsung’s mass selfie with the Galaxy Word just a few years later on the Oscars — it felt like a real second, reasonably than a little bit of viral advertising and marketing. Colbert is, in fact, an enormous Apple fan.

Do you bear in mind the iPad’s thrilling debut?

The first-gen iPad went on sale just a few months in a while April 3, 2010. It rapidly grew to become the fastest-selling new Apple product line of all time, taking lower than a month to promote 1 million items. And it went on to promote round 25 million items in simply over a yr.

Greater than a decade and a half later, the iPad continues to evolve. The iPad lineup has grown to incorporate iPad Professional, iPad Air, iPad mini and the ever-more-capable entry-level iPad. And Apple’s pill simply retains getting lighter and extra highly effective. (For more information, see Cult of Mac’s helpful shopping for information: How to decide on the best iPad for you.)

Do you bear in mind the iPad’s evening out on the Grammys? Depart your feedback under.