R.I.P. Macintosh???
With the much anticipated switch to Intel has anyone else considered the possible demise of the Macintosh moniker? It's a viable strategy, I think. Before Mac there was the Apple line and the Lisa. Why not a new moniker? I know the brand recognition is something that would be hard to let go of, also the sentimentalism attatched to the name.
Anyone else think that this might the right marketing move?
Maybe the Apple VI?
Any ideas of cool hypothetical names for the new line?
Anyone else think that this might the right marketing move?
Maybe the Apple VI?
Any ideas of cool hypothetical names for the new line?
Comments
Originally posted by LiquidR
With the much anticipated switch to Intel has anyone else considered the possible demise of the Macintosh moniker?
No.
Originally posted by LiquidR
It's a viable strategy, I think.
Not really. Apple has way too much invested in the brand.
Originally posted by LiquidR
Before Mac there was the Apple line and the Lisa. Why not a new moniker?
Apple II (and III) were different hardware and software platforms. This is just a CPU change. Most users won't even notice.
Originally posted by LiquidR
Anyone else think that this might the right marketing move?
Maybe the Apple VI?
Any ideas of cool hypothetical names for the new line?
No. No. No.
Sorry.
Else it would have left at the 68k -> PPC transition.
The only time the monikers changed was in huge changes to the OS. Mind you the OS 9 -> NeXT transition could have been considered huge...but the name didn't change. So I don't think a change of hardware which won't affect developers much is worthy of a moniker change.
Originally posted by Chris Cuilla
No.
Not really. Apple has way too much invested in the brand.
Apple II (and III) were different hardware and software platforms. This is just a CPU change. Most users won't even notice.
No. No. No.
Sorry.
I've already stated that such move would be difficult (implied impossible) due to sentimentality and brand recognition.
Do you really think most users won't even notice? In my experience most users of Macs notice they aren't on a PC (for the better), and all the things that entails. The switch to Intel will cause hicups on the software end for most and possible hardware hicups until the kinks are ironed out. I think we'll notice.
Ooh. Howabout the Granny Smith Line. How cool would it be to have a PowerSmith.
It would be a good strategy to avoid consumer confusion to introduce a new name variant, however. Then Intel-Mac software would be logoed so that consumers would know what to buy. My suggestion is to use "NextMac" (and "NextBook"), but it could be anything.
But eliminating the "Mac" part would certainly be going too far.
Ooh. Howabout the Granny Smith Line. How cool would it be to have a PowerSmith.
I like PowerGranny better!
Originally posted by LiquidR
Do you really think most users won't even notice? In my experience most users of Macs notice they aren't on a PC (for the better), and all the things that entails. The switch to Intel will cause hicups on the software end for most and possible hardware hicups until the kinks are ironed out. I think we'll notice.
I think he was getting at the fact that the OS experience will look/act identical regardless of the chip. You could set a person in front of two machines (one PPC and one Intel) and if they are both running OSX, there'd be no way to tell them apart just by using Safari, Word, Mail, etc.
I say Keep the Mac. The name Apple is broad company name, one that is hidden within a broad range of technology, and should remain that way.
Originally posted by kim kap sol
I think the Mac moniker is attached to the software...not the hardware.
Else it would have left at the 68k -> PPC transition.
The only time the monikers changed was in huge changes to the OS. Mind you the OS 9 -> NeXT transition could have been considered huge...but the name didn't change. So I don't think a change of hardware which won't affect developers much is worthy of a moniker change.
This is really not correct. When Apple transitioned from the 68k to the PPC, the Macintosh became the Power Macintosh. However, this in no way diminished the fact that the Power Macintosh was and is still a Macintosh. There is no doubt that Apple will keep the Macintosh name after the transition to Intel. For it to do otherwise would confuse users. As has been demonstrated by Steve Jobs in public, by thousands of developers in private, and by people running pirated copies of the Intel version of MacOS X, an Intel-based Macintosh is still a Macintosh.
Originally posted by Mr. Me
This is really not correct. When Apple transitioned from the 68k to the PPC, the Macintosh became the Power Macintosh. However, this in no way diminished the fact that the Power Macintosh was and is still a Macintosh.
I think you and I both know that's what I meant.
To most people the name apple and mac go hand in hand and sometimes mac is a more meaningful name to them.
To people it'd be like Coca-Cola no longer being refered to as Coke. You can't take away brand recognition like that.
Originally posted by bobo28
... Even SBC is taking ATT's name , right? Did Ford get rid of Volvo? GM : Saab ?, BMW :Mini ? ...
Actually, BMW does appear to have dropped the Austin marque; that makes me a little unhappy. And as an SBC customer, I am not happy at all with them changing their name to AT&T. AT&T was "the company that couldn't market eternal life." SBC changing their name to AT&T is like Toyota buying Ford and changing their name to Edsel.
Apple does the same: .Mac anyone?
I doubt we'll see Apple EVER rename the Mac. I just can't see them saying "ignore the name you know us by, get a new POWERDELICIOUS! Oh, and don't forget to sign up for .Delicious to keep your many Delicious devices in sync!".
It's silly to even contemplate.
Originally posted by jimbo123
I think they will change he name power mac to pro mac.
now that's something i could see. it'd be a good switch-up and perhaps divide the pro/consumer lines a little more, so we can all get gouged for the price of a new 'pro mac' G5 with Aperature
I just hope the iPod doesn't get them thinking: "Hmm... Intel starts with "I"... iMacintosh!"
Originally posted by JimDreamworx
I just hope the iPod doesn't get them thinking: "Hmm... Intel starts with "I"... iMacintosh!"
i think it's already been done... iMac.
i can see them changing or dropping "power" from the pro models. given that power is a common noun, there's no need to. but obviously the name directly relates to the PPC architecture.
(Actually, sadly, it's not)
:-(