The let's-boycott-stupid-PowerBook-renaming thread

[doemel]

Here we go. I am determined to boycott Apple's renaming of the well established PowerBook brand to something that sounds like a joke and could have just as well been brought up by the bright marketing folks at Dell or HP (their equivalent being something like "Win Book Pro" or "Windows Book Pro").

I'm still sure as hell getting one but I'll remove that abominable name from the enclosure with all means necessary.

So, who sides with me on this issue? Or do you have any good reasons why the name should be changed? BTW, the PowerBook name has been around ever since the PowerBook 100 replaced the first real portable computer by Apple, the Macintosh Portable. Why oh why, Steve.....

[Thank The Cheese]

I do prefer PowerBook, but I don't feel as strongly as you about it!.

I think it's just that "Book" needs to be preceeded by a 2-syllable word. "Mac" is too short, and it sounds a little weird - doesn't roll off the tounge.

I'm sure we'll get used to it. I always thought "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" were dumb names, but now I couldn't imagine them called anything else.

[Lt Major Burns]

blah blah blah blah apple changed something.

apple always changes things. if they didn't, we'd still be reducing the size of everything to fit it onto a floppy.

grow up.

[doemel]

That is hardly a good analogy. Floppies have been around for too long and had to be axed because they have by then been replaced by far superior alternatives and because their obsolescence was glaringly apparent at the time. That's a technological advancement.
BUT we're talking about rebranding here. It's got nothing to do with replacing obsolete technology. PowerBook in its use up until ca. 1995 had absolutely nothing to do with the processor used.

[fryke]

Okay. You go boycott it, I won't. I don't particularly _like_ "MacBook" as a name, but that's what they're called. It's really a bit whiney to "boycott" the name change.

You're absolutely right about the fact that the name "PowerBook" didn't originate as a reference to the PowerPC processor. But look at it this way: The name's over a dozen years old now. A little bit of rebranding can't hurt. And he _is_ right about putting "Mac" in the name. Those early PowerBooks with 68K processors inside were named "Macintosh PowerBook 1xx/5xx", not just "PowerBook", so back then, you clearly had the brand name Macintosh in the name, and "PowerBook" was just an extension to that like "Plus", "SE", "Centris" or "Quadra". Things change, man...

[Mikuro]

Originally Posted by doemel

BTW, the PowerBook name has been around ever since the PowerBook 100 replaced the first real portable computer by Apple, the Macintosh Portable.

And for those who aren't up on their ancient Mac specs (shame on you! ), those early PowerBooks were not PowerPC-based; they used Motorola's 68k processor line. It took a few more years before the PowerPC was used in PowerBooks.

I don't really like the name, either, but I understand Apple's desire to give it a more brand-centric name. All of Apple's other lines either have their trademark "i" or have the word "Mac" in them.

I thought "iMac" was a retarded name at first, too (when the "i" was supposed to stand for "Internet").

[doemel]

Point taken. The "Macintosh" name was dropped a while ago. Now they reintroduce its short form. Fine with me. I just feel that they could have come up with a better name for the Intel PowerBooks. Yes, I can't provide you with a better name right here right now but then again, I'm neither a branding specialist nor a marketing guy but just a plain old simple scientist that happens to care about branding and design (why do you think I use a Mac after all? Well that's not the only reason of course.).
I also want to find out how other people feel about it. I'm sure I'm not the only nostalgic nitpicker in here.

[djbeta]

I DEFINITELY do hate the name... perhaps because I have been attached to 3 previous powerbooks...

anyway.. perhaps there is a good reason for the name change

maybe it will help more people to understand what they are buying when they buy a mac (i do know several people that have come to me to ask whether they should go with an ibook or a powerbook-- unable to weigh the features for themselves) i suspect that the new naming/branding convention might be a step toward helping the population of potential consumers understand and decide on the brand.

just a guess though..

I think the WinBook analogy is spot on !! however, we should remember that it's not really the name that makes PCs suck.. it's that they do.
I mean.. if I could pick between a WinBook and a MacBook , I'd take the MacBook. :-)