How is Apple marketing the iPad? It's magical!

Apple’s website for its new iPad tablet device just went live. I haven’t explored the whole thing yet, but the centerpiece seems to be a 7-minute video offering super-slick demonstrations of the iPad in action.

During the video, Apple Chief Marketing Officer Phil Schiller talks about how the device is meant to take the iPhone’s breakthroughs and apply them to “a whole new device category.” Then he offers a two-sentence summation of Apple’s goals, making it clear the device is meant to be much more than just a glorified e-reader or phone:

The iPad is the best web surfing experience, the best email experience, the best photo and movie-watching experience. It’s going to change the way we do the things we do every day.

I was also tickled by this quote from Jony Ive, senior vice president of industrial design, at the beginning of the video:

You know, it’s true, when something exceeds your ability to understand how it works, it sort of becomes magical. And that’s exactly what the iPad is.

That’s right, Apple just paraphrased science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke to describe its latest product.

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