# iPad launch

> Apple reported one million iPads sold in its first month.

- Owner: Apple
- Kind: Product
- Sector: Technology
- Seed date: 2010-04-03
- Milestone date: 2010-04-30
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.
- Spread Score: 52 (Notable, provisional), v1.3
- Mechanics: Scarcity drop, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy, Sell-out loop

## Summary

Apple's reveal prompted name jokes and video parodies. Paid TV advertising preceded US retail queues. Apple delayed overseas sales amid shortages and reported one million iPads in 28 days.

## Timeline

- 2010-01-27 — Steve Jobs / Apple (Open web) — Apple unveiled the iPad and announced a starting price of $499.
- 2010-01-27 — Twitter and Tumblr users (X) — Users circulated menstrual-product jokes about the name, and #iTampon became a Twitter trend.
- 2010-01-29 — WIRED (YouTube) — WIRED documented iPad parody videos featuring Pee-wee, Twilight and Downfall.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/ipad-launch-2010

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “iPad launch.” Case HIS-01528. Spread Score v1.3: 52/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01528