Students in Japan want to buy iNames!

japan pad

Apple’s new tablet PC is not the first product to be called the “iPad”. Japan’s Fujitsu says it launched one year ago, and the name has also been used for small engines and even bra inserts!

Amid the hype about Apple’s latest offering, the device has been hailed as a “Kindle killer” that will upstage electronic book readers, but also mocked on chatrooms for evoking a feminine hygiene product. (in english a “pad” is what protects women during monthly menstruation)

Fujitsu Ltd. said its US subsidiary in 2002 launched the “iPad”, a sleek handheld multimedia device with a 3.5-inch screen, used by retail store clerks to keep inventory data, scan barcodes and manage business operations.

Fujitsu’s device has an Intel processor and a Microsoft operating system and supports both Wi-fi and Bluetooth connections.

In 2003, Fujitsu’s US arm made a trademark application for the “iPad” name with the US Patent and Trademark Office, which is still pending and not yet registered, said Fujitsu spokesman Masao Sakamoto in Tokyo. He said Fujitsu was yet to decide on how it may react to the launch of Apple’s tablet computer, saying: “As we are now sorting out the facts, we have not decided on what action we may take.”

A possible feud between Apple and Fujitsu has sparked debate on Japanese chatrooms, with one observer proposing: “Let’s apply for as many ‘i’ such-and-such names as possible! We’ll make money in the future!!”