The iPad - available with wings?

Apple's tablet-style iPad.

AAP

Twitter users have responded snarkily to the name of Apple's latest innovation the iPad, pushing the phrase "iTampon" to a number two "trending" topic on the microblogging site.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the new gadget amid high expectations on Wednesday, and Twitter users followed his announcement online, with both "Steve Jobs" and "Official Apple iPad" scoring high on the site's trending topics.

But by late afternoon, joking messages drawing attention to the connotations many associated with the name iPad were being uploaded by Twitter users all over the world, in a variety of languages.

"Dear Apple: Have fun trying to control all the teasing you're gonna get for the iPad name (i.e. #iTampon #iPadwithwings etc etc)," wrote user Emily McLain.

"I guess iTampon will be the smaller version to come out this fall," joked one user under the account name sTOOJ.

"Does the iPad come with wings?" wrote Justin Breese.

Twitter account user "thelampnyc" questioned why Apple's vast marketing resources hadn't made the connection.

"Really love that I have already heard the iPad called the #iTampon. Really, Apple marketing geniuses? Didn't see that coming?"

Others pointed out that Jobs' company had plenty of opportunity to work out what people might think when they heard the name iPad, thanks to a comedy skit produced years ago by US show MadTV.

The skit featured two businesswomen discussing the virtues of Apple's latest product for women - named the iPad.

On YouTube, a video of the sketch was enjoying new attention, with "NYHeineken" summing up the views of many in a comment posted underneath the 2006 skit.

"I guess Apple forgot to google iPad before they named it... Hahahahaa."